N-Philes

Super Monkey Ball 2

Posted by Ben.

Monkeys, balls, and a boatload of fun: put all that together and you know what to expect from Sega's second Monkey Ball outing. Super Monkey Ball 2 is the sequel to one of the Gamecube's most innovative launch titles, Super Monkey Ball. Although the original game wasn't able to achieve the spectacular sales it deserved, it introduced gamers to a strange new form of gameplay - one that was not only humorous and fun, but also hopelessly addictive. Fortunately, with the improvements that Sega has made with this sequel, the Monkey Ball franchise is poised to get a popularity boost. This is one awesome game.

Alright, what's the story? Dr. Bad-Boon is set to take over the world, and he's begun to do just that, stealing all the bananas he can get his grubby mitts on. So, it's up to AiAi and his family to save the day. The story is cheesy, goofy, and filled with plot-holes, but that hardly matters, as SMB2 is anything BUT a story-oriented video game. The simple, yet awesomely addictive levels present themselves as less-than-intimidating, but progressing through the game, you'll find yourself gasping at the level of difficulty you're expected to overcome. Believe me folks; you're going to want to avoid playing this one while inebriated.

If Super Monkey Ball 2 were a girl, I'd do her. She's how we say "easy on the eyes". Sure, instead of a voluptuous rack, she's got crisp textures, and instead of a nice boo-tay she's got high-polygon models, but that still doesn't make me a weirdo. Besides, she's got a steady frame rate, and it's obvious that developer Amusement Vision paid attention to the details while making her, specifically in terms of the backgrounds within each stage. Steam rises, water bubbles, waves lap, lava flows, and sparks fly as you roll your balls through the numerous and varied levels, adding style and flair. There are other little perks, too, like a few nice particle effects, but the best graphical aspect of the game is the framerate. Even with so much happening on the screen at once, it stays locked at 60 frames per second. This kind of rock solid fluidity is always welcome - especially in a game like this that requires so much concentration.

The sound is probably the hardest part of the game for me to review. As with all of Sega's games, you'll either love the music or you'll hate it. It consists primarily of that fast-paced Japanese-sounding techno-synth-rock that can usually be found in Sega's games. I found the music in Super Monkey Ball 2 to be reminiscent of the Sonic Adventure 2 Battle soundtrack... so if you've played that, you've got an idea of what to expect. Personally, I found the music to be some of the best I've ever heard in a videogame, and I actually went back and played a couple of stages over a few times just so I could groove to the tunes. The music may not be for everybody, but it's definitely for some. Sound effects, on the other hand, are not for anyone. While at first they might seem cute and... tolerable, they get annoying. Fast. For instance, upon landing after a huge fall, your monkey will emit little squeaks and squeals that are just plain funny the first time you hear them. But pretty soon, you'll start avoiding falls altogether, just so you won't have to put up with those horrendously annoying noises. Fortunately, sound never really makes or breaks a game, and if you're willing to put up with some typical Sega music and some annoying sound effects, you're good to go.

To sum up the gameplay in Super Monkey Ball 2 you only really need to remember the three words that can also be applied to its prequel: simple, yet addictive. Never before have I encountered a game be so mind-boggling basic, yet so damned fun! The premise is very simple: you guide a monkey who is encapsulated in a ball across a series of zany 3D mazes to a predetermined goal set somewhere at the end. There is a bit of a twist though: rather than move the monkey itself toward the goal, you use the control stick to manipulate the entire stage, slanting it in the direction that you want the ball to roll. It's a nice change from the kind of gaming you're used to, and although it takes some time to adjust to, I'm confident that you'll be rolling those monkey balls like a pro in no time. That's basically all there is to it. None of the other controller buttons do anything significant. You have access to maps of the stage and such, but primarily, you'll only be using your control stick. This shouldn't make any of you assume, however, that SMB2 is a walk in the park. Go into the game with that mentality, my friends, and these little monkeys will have you contemplating suicide. Super Monkey Ball 2 is an incredibly difficult title.. This, despite the fact that there is no set amount of lives to be gained or lost. When you fall off the stage or run out of time, you simply start it over. This is probably for the best, as I found myself attempting many levels upwards of twenty times. Some of them are stunning in their difficulty, made all the more so by the fact that the original game is actually considered by most to be more challenging. Crazy, I tell ya.

Aside from the very large (and very difficult) single player game, there is a wealth of multi-player games to be explored. You start off with a set number of them, and as you progress through the single player game, you're given the opportunity to unlock more. Normally when multi-player games are added to what is primarily a single player game, they're often just afterthoughts, tacked on to add some redeeming replay value. This is not the case with Super Monkey Ball 2. The party games here are numerous and very polished. You can tell that some serious work was put into each and every one of them, and yes, they are definitely worth coming back to. "Monkey Fight" and "Monkey Target" were my favourites, but there are so many, you're bound to find something that you'll enjoy, too.

The replay value of SMB2 is, in my opinion, a simple question of math. With a story mode that spans ten levels and 150 stages and has multiple difficulty settings, coupled with 20 quality party games... well, screw the math. You'll be playing this one for a while.

This game gets an N-Philes score of A+.

I have to recommend this game to everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, income level, whatever. Super Monkey Ball 2 serves up an enjoyable romp that anyone on the planet can get into. For those weary of spending money, you really can't go wrong with all the replay value, but at least give it a rent to decide if it's worth a purchase. It's a quality title, and you just can't go wrong.

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