It doesn’t help that you’ll occasionally encounter really low-resolution images in prominent locations. It’s fun to have cameo characters and costumes, sure! (Though we’re doubting the value of some of the paid add-ons.) And it’s fun to have gallery modes and such! But it’s right on the precipice of feeling fully-baked, and a bit more work on making things feel as they should would have helped. The game’s built in Unity, and we’ve repeatedly seen it implemented better than this, but there’s a signature jankiness that tends to come through in shoestring Unity projects.Īnd it might be due to a lack of focus. But with a game this much about precision, “a bit” is noticeable. And we do mean a bit! They’re close, and most people will probably be fine. Though it certainly takes some strides in the right direction, Banana Mania suffers from some of the same polish issues as Banana Blitz HD. However you manage it, any game’s better with friends, but Monkey Ball certainly amplifies that effect. You may lose some of the timing precision, but unlike the truly punishing main game, these side modes are a bit more forgiving in that respect. Still, on platforms that allow remote or share play, a lot of them hold up well. While the game includes online functionality in the form of myriad leaderboards, the minigames are sadly a local-only affair. Still, Monkey Fight is likely the marquee event, and with how frantic it can be as groups learn and strategize? It’s a good time. Monkey Baseball is something of an exercise in futility, but there’s a zen value to it. Monkey Golf is sometimes punishing in a way that makes success feel great. Even without nostalgia, there’s still something about the better ones’ depth that makes them worth checking out. In the early GameCube days, these were particularly useful as stopgap activities until the console’s library broadened. The shooting games? Monkey Boat? You can probably skip them. Monkey Target’s controls feel a bit finicky, making it a much tougher experience than the classic event. Monkey Race, Monkey Fight, and Monkey Bowling are still standouts. And as with any Monkey Ball release, this one’s collection is full of gems and duds. It still loses a little bit in translation, but the games here are close enough to their original forms to offer similar charms. Still, it’s an interesting setup: the monkeys are watching TV shows about themselves? It’s probably best to not put a lot of thought into it.īanana Mania also manages to improve upon its minigame offerings. These segments are presented as talking-free, simple motion comics, watched by the monkeys on a television. Banana Mania splits the difference, offering the basic story beats to those who want them. Story in the early Monkey Ball games ranged from nonexistent to notoriously bad and plodding. But it’s good that these stages are included here. The next ones broadened things out, with some stages that were more manageable on-ramps for new players. The first game built a focused challenge. Each of these games’ stages are held in higher regard than Banana Blitz’ offerings, and for good reason. There are even more special modifiers to unlock. It packs in so many levels from those first three games, delivering them in a lot of different ways. In terms of sheer content, it’s hard to beat the offering in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. (And some non-Sega properties too, like Hello Kitty and Monster Rancher.) Banana Mania definitely takes the Christmas tree approach, unafraid to keep adding ornaments in an attempt to catch your eye. Through a series of cameos, both included and as downloadable content, it looks to expand the game’s audience to fans of Sonic, Yakuza, Persona, and other Sega franchises. A selection of 12 minigames from those releases is here, too. It includes hundreds of stages from Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2 and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is meant as a celebration of the series’ early games. And, as history has shown, really hard to get right! But Banana Mania does its best, and its best is honestly pretty okay. Sega clearly intends Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania to be a marquee release for the franchise, with a host of courses, modes and cameos. Super Monkey Ball is back! And this time, what’s returning is what most players love: the stages and minigames from the series’ early installments.
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