Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Wii) Review
The Simians in Spheres return to Nintendo Ground
If youre not particularly familiar with this franchise then perhaps youre finding yourself rather confused as to the nature of this game already. Super Monkey Ball is a puzzle franchise that combines a single player game of skill with an entertaining array of multiplayer party games, with previous titles in the series being met with praise from the gaming community in general. Of course that was before the now infamous Wii remote, so Im sure what youre probably asking is a simple question; Does it work or is my money better spent elsewhere? In theory monkey ball is the perfect franchise for the Wii remote, whether it be tilting the stage in the main game or varied use in one of the 50 party games. Of course, as Im sure you know, not all theories are correct and we can probably say this case is similar to the theory of the world being flat. Dont get me wrong though; monkey ball is still very much a quality launch title, but while Banana Blitz takes a few great steps forward for the franchise, but in stepping two far the game occasionally trips up, falling flat on its face.
Playing with monkey balls is surprisingly enjoyable
At the core of the single player experience of monkey ball there is the puzzle style gameplay many have come to know and love. Traditionally, players tilt a large 3D obstacle ridden stage to guide the monkey through the course to the goal before time runs out. Its a simple concept to grasp, but as you progress further the traps and tricks become more frequent and require more and more precision to escape. In what is no surprise really, the Wii remote is used to tilt the stage to move your simian based on your own controller tilt movement. Initially this seems to be a little touchy when compared to using an analogue stick in previous incarnations of the game, but the learning curve is quite marginal and after several levels most players will be used to, and having fun with, the controls. Amusement Vision have seen further to go a step further than that however and include some other new gameplay features in Banana Blitz, most of which seem to exist to piss you off more than anything else.
The biggest two in the main game are the addition of jumping and butt-ugly baboon bosses. While jumping works well in giving the game its own unique style in comparison to other monkey ball games, it detracts from elements that made the game a unique puzzler to bring forth more elements of the platform genre. Its only a fan quibble however and for the most part its inclusion in the gameplay has enabled new obstacles and challenges for a fresh experience. Bosses though, are a different story completely. As for why you fight them, some baboon guy stole you bunch of golden bananas. Needless to say it really pisses the monkeys off so they chase after the evil bastard so they can retrieve their golden goodies and stare aimlessly at them once again. Puzzle games dont need stories of course. So at the end of each stage youll find yourself up against a boss, whose weak point youll have to slam repetitively til they keel over and die. However the camera, after being so well executed in the levels just moments before turns to shit as soon as you see the word boss. The camera is fixed to specific angles, and crappy ones at that, with the purpose of trying to give you the worst view of the edge as possible. Not to mention theyre boring as hell, and the flashing pink weak point doesnt leave much to the imagination. Still, the single player romp is enjoyable, if not a little bit shorter than what fans are used to.
Away from the single player mode, Banana Blitz offers an array of 50 party games where up to four people can partake in frantic multiplayer action. The nature of these games varies from monkey iterations of popular sports such as tennis, darts or golf, to more zany creations such as dodgem cars or high wire walking. Most of these minigames offer an entertaining experience for all players, however there are some absolute stinkers included in the mix to steer clear from and other potential problems. The bad games for the most part happen to be so because they have been needlessly complicated.
In several games where you are required to steer a craft the players must have the Nunchuck up and the Wiimote down to move left and the opposite to go right. Its tedious, annoying and most importantly unnecessary. Mini-game collections should never be over-complicated with such controls. When a player has to read through and memorise up to 3 pages of motion instructions each as complex as mentioned above, the mini-game in question becomes unappealing to both veteran gamers and newbies who want to pick up a remote and play. This is where monkey ball falls down in comparison to the current king Wii party title Wii Sports. While the majority of the games are great once you get going, youll find there will never be too many games that youll get the hang of quickly. The instructions at the start of the minigames are absolutely terrible in comparison to fellow party title Rayman: Raving Rabbids, and you cant even scroll through them at your own pleasure. Having specific details left out of the game will sometimes result in trial and error play that is far from enjoyable.
However, its not all that bad theres still a heap of fun to have with a few mates and a copy of this game. This is definitely a good title if your Wii sees a lot of multiplayer action, but be aware that non-gaming friends will need a little more assistance from you to understand what theyre meant to be doing. Hardly on the same level as Wii sports, but a great multiplayer title with a lot of variation nonetheless.
Monkeys dont feel the need to look pretty
As far as specs go monkey ball isnt particularly that glamorous. The character models and environments are really quite basic, however the colourful and vibrant art style keeps things looking visually acceptable. While certainly not being a next gen title in terms of graphics, it doesnt need to be. Its Monkey Ball and any puzzle fan will understand what I mean when I say graphics arent very important in the genre. Still, a little more detail would have been nice to see, but as it stands youre not going to be stopping midway through a stage to examine the scenery unless you want to fall off the stage and into the abyss below. Visuals are standard for a puzzle game.
Monkeys jingle all the way
Again; the puzzle genre is difficult to judge on music. Ideally, the accompanying soundtrack is stereotypically some sort of bouncy jingle, sometimes even given a techno edge to sound cool. Its something to keep your pulse going and not stop and become bored. As far as monkey ball is concerned it does the job. A few tunes and jingles unique to the franchise return, and the music accompanying the stages is easy on the ears and even pleasant to listen to. Its not something youll go out of your way to listen to, but for the purpose of the game, the sound more than does its job.
Monkeys have a long lifespan, even in airtight balls..
For the single player, there isnt quite as much to do in Banana Blitz as there has been in past Monkey Ball titles. While the main adventure is certainly addictive as far as improving your score and skills goes, the lack of stages does hurt the replay value quite a lot. For single or multiplayer however you cant go past the 50 different party games, even if some of them are nothing more than a pile of monkey poo. A general lack of unlockable content and bonuses means there is little encouragement to better yourself in either the main game or the party games unless directly competing with someone else, but there are still plenty of hours pack into Banana Blitz to make it a title worth your time and money.
Room for Improvement
Theres no putting it lightly. Monkey Ball is in every way a first generation Wii title. Thats not to say its bad, but there is a lot more potential for the franchise on the Wii. I can honestly say I expect the next title in the series will improve greatly upon the shortcomings of Banana Blitz, which knocks it back from great to pretty good. For now though, I can still recommend this game as one of the best picks of the first batch of Wii games to hit Aussie shores. Whether youre a puzzle fanatic or a party animal, Monkey Ball definitely one of Wii games to buy from the launch period. Why should you settle for the fun contained in a barrel of monkeys when you can have a game full of them?
