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"Ei-Ei-Poo! An In-depth Super Monkey Ball 2 review!"

Introduction/ Game play:

READY…GO! Love monkeys? Then you will go ape for Super Monkey Ball 2. This game is reminiscent of the classic arcade game Marble Madness. The game Super Monkey Ball 2 is broken up into several levels and each level contains ten stages. In each stage you must guide a ball with a monkey in it around a platform to a goal within 60 seconds. You do this by tilting the platform that the ball is on, and the ball will roll towards that direction. It's not that easy however. There are tons of obstacles that you must conquer in each stage in order to reach the goal. There are launchers to push you to newer heights, switches to press, moving platforms, bubbles that can squish you, blocks that try to push you off the stage, and much more. Each level is like a different maze so you will hardly ever get bored while playing this game. You have to play it to really understand just how fun this game is. Any one can play this game because the controls are really intuitive (all you need to do is push the control stick in the direction you need to go), so it is perfect for all ages.

Don't be fooled by the kiddy themes found in this game; the game is very challenging and is very fun. This is one of the most difficult games I have ever played. You will need precise control to maneuver the monkey ball around, so do not use any cheap controllers with loose control sticks while playing this game. I recommend using Nintendo's official controller because they seem to be the most precise. One small slip can mean the difference between victory and defeat. In fact, your precision must be so perfect that some surgeons practice before a surgery by playing this game. Many of us will fall to our death many times, thankfully AV has unlimited continues in story mode.

Although most of the levels require steady hands and “1337 skillz,” in some of the levels it feels that the game is all about luck. A level that comes to my mind is Launchers. The premise is simple. Launch yourself off a launcher onto a platform above. From there simply drop into the goal. The difficulty here is that your precision must be exact when you launch yourself, and you don't have much control while in the air so landing on a small platform is quite hard. Add to that a 60 second time limit and you have a really frustrating level. None of the levels in the first game (Super Monkey Ball) ever felt like this. Although this may seem like a big problem, it really isn't. There are over 150 levels, and only a handful feel like this, so it's not that bad.

The main game may be insanely fun, but this game really shines in multiplayer mode with the party games. Twelve party games are accessible in this game. Only six however are available from the get go (scroll down a bit for in-depth information regarding the party games). The other six party games can be unlocked from playing the story mode of the challenge mode. See, there are three variations on main game. The story mode, challenge mode, and practice mode. A big difference between the first Super Monkey Ball and Super Monkey Ball 2, is that Super Monkey Ball 2 adds a story mode with CGI cut scenes that are every bit as kiddy and cute as our monkey friends. The voice work in these cut scenes is just some grunting and squealing, but there are subtitles that tell you what is happening. Challenge mode takes a group of levels from the story mode with about the same difficulty. It then allows you and up to three other friends to take on these levels. The games are turn based to avoid the chaos that would ensue if you were all on the screen at once. It may get boring waiting around while the other player finishes their turn, but each turn is only 60 seconds so it's not too bad. You are limited to a certain amount of lives and continues. Practice mode lets you play any level you have unlocked. You can also save replays to watch later, or show off to your friends.

Story:

The story of the game is pretty clich'e. It adds a twist on the hero trying to save the girl from evil set up. Dr. Bad-Boon (an evil genius scientist from the future) falls in love with another ape named Meemee. She hates Dr. Bad-boon, and besides was already married to Aiai (the games protagonist) and she had a Baby named…Baby. Because he could not win her over in the present, he decides to go into the past to the time before Aiai and Meemee were married and would try to separate them. Baby, determined to stop Dr. Bad-boon, somehow also manages to also travel to the past. Dr. Bad-boon, accompanied by his assistant (known as Dr. Bad-boon's assistant), unleashes an evil scheme and promises to terrorize the monkeys of Jungle Island until Meemee agrees to marry him. It is up to Aiai (a fun loving monkey that adores bananas, and the monkey you will control in story mode), Meemee, Baby, and Gongon (Aiai's old archrival, now Aiai's best friend) to stop Dr. Bad-boon. Although they may be weak when compared to Dr. Bad-boon, they have the power of a magical spell that goes “Ei-Ei-Poo” which allows them to overcome any hardship.

Although some might think that the story is just superfluous for this game, it is nice to see AV actually put the time and effort into making the story and all the cut scenes. The CGI movies entertain the younger players, and are good for a laugh for us older players. The various levels in story mode will have different backgrounds and they will change depending on what happens in the story. If you really can't stand the cut scenes, you can always skip them, and if you can't get enough of them, you can later unlock them to watch anytime. It's a win win situation.

Party Games:

Returning Games:

Monkey Race 2:

Think Mario Kart without Mario and friends or karts. You control one of the four monkeys in balls and have to try to beat your competitors in a race to the finish line. There are 6 unique tracks and three modes of play Grand Prix, One Course Prix and Time Attack. There are also 8 different items to pick up. You can hold up to three items at once. The courses also contain boost pads at regular intervals, so the game never gets too slow. The courses themselves are fun, with many nasty curves. If you fall off, you will simply be brought back onto the track, unlike another of AV's games, F-Zero GX. The AI in the game is decent and can be tough at times, but still it is not too challenging.

8/10

Monkey Fight 2:

The game play is quite simple. You are put on a platform with four other monkeys. Each monkey in a ball has a mechanical boxing glove attached to it. The point is to knock the other monkeys off the platform and rack up points. You can also score points for just hitting the other players. If you fall off, 5 points will be given to all your opponents, and vice versa. The controls are simple, the control pad is used to move, the A button is used to punch, and the B or R button can be used to charge up your punch for a more powerful blow. To add to the chaos, item boxes drop from the sky at common intervals. There are three different items that you can use. The long punch is an item which allows you to hit your enemies from farther away. The iron punch makes your punch extremely powerful. The iron punch is probably the most valuable item, so get it before your enemies. The third item is the spinning punch, which lets you swing your glove around in a circle when you hold down the A button. The long punch and iron punch lose their effect when you are knocked off the platform.

There three different stages to choose from. There are two modes of play, normal mode and survival mode. In normal mode, you compete for points. In survival mode, you compete on a crumbling stage and the last on standing is declared the winner. There is no time limit. Note that if there is a tie in normal mode, those that are tied will duke it out in a survival mode stage. Although this game is fun, but there is nothing very unique about it. The AI is decent in this game, and sometimes can get very challenging. Overall this game is good.

8/10

Monkey Target 2:

This was one of the most popular party games in Super Monkey Ball. It is a game similar to Pilot Wings. The point of the game is to get the most points by flying and then landing on the target underneath you. You get points depending on where you land on the target. You start out by rolling down a ramp collecting momentum. Then you pop up into the air. At the press of the A button, your ball folds out into two half spheres, which act as wing. If you open the ball too soon, you won't have enough momentum to reach the target, don't open at all, you will sink into the sea. Once you're flying, you can navigate using the control stick to gain bananas (if items is turned on) which will increase your points (1 banana = 1 point, a bunch of bananas = 10 points).

When you are over your target, press the A button again to turn into a ball and you will land and roll a bit. The points on the target are color coded and well labeled. There are items to increase your points or help ease your landing. The brake item slows you down when you are rolling after you land. The magnet makes you not roll at all when you land. The star multiplies your total number of points by the number of them that you have. You can also choose using a group of monkeys in a formation and see how many you can successfully land. You can change the formation using the B button. In a 1 player game, you can choose up to five monkeys, and in two player game, you can choose up to 2 monkeys. This is one of the best games out o all the party games, but I have one complaint. They should have had more of a variety on the landing pads. Besides that, this game is excellent.

9.5/10

Monkey Billiards 2:

Monkey billiards 2 is a surprisingly deep game. Billiards, if you do not know, is pool. Your monkey is the white ball and you must aim at the balls to knock them in. A guide is displayed while aiming up to the first ball you will hit. It displays the potential path without any “English” on the ball. The physics in the game are good. The controls are easy as well. You must stop a meter to indicate the power you wish to hit the balls with, as most games in this genre use. You can change your camera angle to have an overhead 2D view and ball numbers are displayed with a click of the X button. There are two different modes of play, Vs. Mode and Tournament Mode. In Vs. Mode, you can play with 1, 2 or 4 players. These players can be human or computer. There are 4 different rules you can play by US. 9 ball, JPN. 9 ball, Rotation, or 8 ball. With advice enabled, the computer tells you exactly how to play, so you will never be lost. Tournament mode is 1 player, and you play against the computer on various rules and see how far you can go. The backgrounds are well animated as you can see giant monkeys enjoying themselves in a western bar.
9.5/10

Monkey Bowling 2:

Monkey bowling 2 is a very fun game. This game has classic bowling lanes, plus some wacky lanes that are enjoyable to play. There are three modes of play in this game. Normal mode lets you play with 1-4 players on a normal bowling lane with three different rules to pick from. Special mode allows you to play on bizarre lanes. You can enter Level 1 immediately, but must do well in this in order to access the other levels. This mode can also be played with 1-4 levels. The challenge mode is a 1 player game in which various arrangements of the 10 pins are given. You must try to knock down all the pins in the arrangement with a single throw.

The controls are solid, but it may take a while to learn them. First you must line up your player with the pins to determine where your monkey will throw the ball from. You can use the control stick to do this. An indicator line moves left and right rapidly. You must stop it with the A button to determine the angle. Next you must choose the power of your bowl, and this is done with power meter. Stop the meter to determine the power. Your monkey will begin moving up to the line to bowl, before he or she does so, you can use L or R to determine the spin of the ball (L is a left spin and R is a right spin). This game, like the other games is very fun in both single and multiplayer. This is another solid party game.

9/10

Monkey Golf 2:

Monkey Golf 2 is a very entertaining game. There are eighteen different holes to play on. Nine of these holes are somewhat normal, while the other nine are out of the ordinary. Controls are a breeze. You first choose a club by going up or down on the control stick. You can choose the direction of your ball by moving the control stick left or right. You can change your camera for a helpful overhead view. The versatile power gauge determines both the power of your shot and the timing of your shot. Your monkey will hit the ball and you move on. There are two modes to play; stroke play (play with up to 4 players and you compete for the lowest overall score). And match play (a 2 player game where you compete on a hole to hole basis). Playing through these modes can take a long time, so it is a shame that there is no save feature. Overall this is a good party game even if you aren't a big golf fan.

8.5/10

New Games:

Monkey Boat:

This is the black sheep of the Super Monkey Ball 2 party games. Although it is sort of fun once you get the hang of it, it is just not as fun as the others. Party games are supposed to have very simple controls so that if you are having a game party, you do not need to teach others the controls. This is a racing game in a boat. You paddle the boat using the L and R buttons to row the boat. You press L button to row the left paddle and move right and you press the R button to row the right paddle and move left. You press L and R alternatively to go forward. The A button unleashes items that can be collected. There are 4 items, piranha torpedo (can sink your opponents when fired, whale bomb (a massive bomb that can blow up your friends), whirling swirl (creates a tidal wave to suck up your opponents), and monkey submarine (you can go underwater for a limited amount of time).

There are three modes and three stages in the game. The modes are the one course race, grand prix and time attack. One course race allows 1-4 players to compete against each other on a race. In grand pix you race against 1-4 other players in all three courses. In time attack, you choose a course and try to beat your old time. Although this game is not terribly bad, it is not as good as the rest of these party games. I hope AV decides to fix the control scheme (X and Y or A and B instead of L and R) and possible better stages in Super Monkey Ball 3 (if it ever comes out).

7/10

Monkey Shot:

This is an addictive rail gun shooting game. There are various enemies to kill, and various items to collect, and at the end of each level, you will fight a boss. The controls are simple, A to shoot, B or L to reload, and control stick to aim. The R button can be used to lock on to the closest enemy. Multiplayer is especially a blast to play. Overall, this is a very different game compared to the other games, but is very polished. It may not be too long (only 3 levels), but it is a side game so this should be expected.

8.5/10

Monkey Dogfight:

Monkeys fly in Monkey Dogfight. You control a flying monkey that must shoot down other flying monkeys. You have two weapons a regular bullet (fired with the A button) and the pineapple missile (fired with the B button). You have an unlimited supply of bullets, but have a limited supply of pineapple missiles. You can restock them by colleting the hovering pineapples around the stage. You have a limited health as well that can be regained by collecting bananas. You control the monkey using the control pad and can vary its speed using the L and R buttons. The game play is fast and fun. You can lock on to the other monkeys and can fire the pineapple missiles at them. Your enemies will do the same to you. If they do, a warning message will be displayed. It is at this time that you must try to lose them or they may take a serious chunk out of your life bar. There are three different play fields to choose from. If you hit an object, you will bounce off of it. If you go beyond the boundaries, you will bounce off as well. In the stage Turtle Island however, if you touch the water, you will die. There are two modes of play, normal mode and survival mode. Normal mode is played with 1-4 players. You receive points for shooting down the other players. The person with the most points when the time ends (which you assign) wins. In survival mode, if you are shot down you are eliminated. The point is to be the last one standing. It can be played with 1-4 players. This game is very fun in multiplayer or single player. This is too a quality game.

9/10

Monkey Soccer:

Soccer is the world most popular sport, so maybe that is why AV decided to use this as a party game. It is a good idea, but this game does not live up to the coolness and complexity of soccer. The game feels like you just need to mash the A button constantly to win, and this strategy often works. It was a solid attempt by AV, but the game fails on comparison to the other party games included.

The controls are not too complicated. The computer automatically changes which player you control on defense depending on which of your player are closest to the goal. On offense, you control whoever has the ball. A button is used to shoot on offense and tackle on defense. The B button is passing on offense and tackling on defense. L and R buttons rotate between your strategies. You move with the control stick. In the case of a penalty kick, Up down on the control stick is used to determine your power and left right are used for the kick direction.

The team select basically allows you to pick from four different monkey formations. There are three modes of play. In Exhibition Mode 1-2 players play a soccer match. In Tournament Mode (1 player), you see how far you can get against various computer teams. In PK mode, it is basically a penalty kick tournament with 1-2 players. Overall AV put effort into making this game, but it is not as magical as the other games. It is decent overall though.

7.5/10

Monkey Baseball:

Monkey Baseball is an innovative spin on America's national pastime. It is a 1-2 player game and you can also play against the computer. There are pockets around the ends of the field. The pockets are labeled foul, out, 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base. What about the homerun you ask? There are ramps that are located right before the pockets, and you hit the ball on them, you get a homerun. The labels of the pockets and the location of the homerun ramps are decided by spinning a spinner before you begin your half of the inning.

Pitching is deep in this game as well even though the pitcher is actually a monkey in a ball. Before you pitch, you can adjust the fielding formation. When you are ready to pitch, press A. When you do, you start to roll towards the batter. As the pitcher, you can try to curve the ball or have a fast ball, or any other type of move that does not need vertical movement. Rules are the same as in baseball (except hitting the batter is not an automatic out). If the batter hits the ball, you can move the outfielder towards the ball if it is still on the field. If the monkey outfielder puts their glove on the ball, it is an automatic out.

Hitting is not quite as deep. When the ball comes towards you, just hit A when the ball gets towards you and hope you hit it far. You can't hit the ball up, all hits are linear. As in regular baseball, there are strikes, fouls, etc. After each run scored, the monkeys do a little dance that can get really annoying, especially for the opposing team. There are three different stadiums to pick from. There are two modes as well. Exhibition Mode is just a regular game with 1-2 players Tournament Mode (1 player game) is the second mode. In it, you are in a tournament against several other computers. It's win or go home. You basically see how far you can get. Overall this is a fun and addictive game, but does have quite a few faults.

8.5/10

Monkey Tennis:

This is one of my favorites in this game. It is similar to Mario Tennis, but no charging up. There are three different game modes, singles mode (1-2 players), doubles mode (1-4 player) or tournament (1 player vs. various computers). The A button is for a top spin, B is for a slice spin and X is for a lob. Smash marks are displayed, and if you hit the ball from there you will hit the ball with great power. There are three different courts to play on, each with different characteristics that affect how the ball moves. After you score, the replay will play followed by a brief animation showing the winning monkeys dancing or the losing monkeys crying. This may be cute the first or second time, but gets really annoying later on, with no way to skip them. Overall though, this is a very good game that rivals Mario Tennis 64. Although it is not as good as Mario Tennis 64, it is amazing quality for a party game.

9.5/10

Graphics/Control/Sound:

The graphics, while not extraordinary get the job done. Everything is colorful and bright. The backgrounds have a wide variety such as jungles, amusement parks to under the water and over a bowl of soup. They are quite clever and add to the fun. The monkeys animate well. When their ball is moving slowly, the monkeys walk leisurely and look around. When the ball is going furiously fast, the monkeys toss and tumble around. You almost feel sorry for them. These graphics are equally good in the party games. I have not experienced slow down even when there is a lot of action going on.

The cut-scene graphics are okay. The monkeys repeat their animations over and over again, but I guess that gives the game a kiddy feeling that grows on you. The camera in the party games is good for the most part. In the main game the camera stays behind you for the most part. This is not true however when you stand in one place for too long. The camera rotates around you doing this time, which really hinders your ability to play the game in some parts. An example of this is on the Reversible Gear stage. The camera only behaves like this while you are waiting, but when in constant action, the camera behaves fine.

I have one last comment to make about the graphics. If you are ever stuck in this game, you can view a full 3D model of the stage which you can zoom into and rotate around. These models are well rendered and are very informative. You can also enjoy the beauty of each stage without the time limit. It is also easy to solve some of the complicated puzzles by using this option. This is a very good feature and I am glad AV has it in this game.

The controls for the main game are very simple. The control stick is all you need. The A button is used to sometimes to zoom in and out of the map on the lower right of the screen. Although the controls for the party game can get a little more complex, you can easily view the controls by pressing the X button before entering the game. Most of the party games have very good controls, but one or two of these games (such as Monkey Boat) don't. Still the controls are excellent and AV has done a very good job keeping the complexity of the controls to a minimum.

The sound is on par with the graphics. The various sound tracks are kiddy yet decent and they go with the graphics very well. The music in the game is like kiddy techno. Again, the music is nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done. The sound of the announcer saying “READY…GO” sounds good as well; there is something magical about it. During the CGI movies, the monkeys don't talk, but rather just talk in “monkey talk.” This seems a wise decision as it would seem strange if the monkeys talked in English. Overall, I have no complaints with the sound.

Closing Words:

This game is great in single and multiplayer modes. Sure it is kiddy and colorful, but unless you lack a heart you will be addicted. Bottom line is you must buy this game, especially if you have people to play the multiplayer modes in.

Pros:
-Addictive main game
-New story mode
-12 party games make for great fun

Neutral
- Decent music
- Colorful graphics
- CGI cut scenes

Cons:
-Some very frustrating levels
-Bad camera at times
-No online play

Score:

Gameplay: 10/10
Story: 8/10
Packaging/Instruction Book: 7.5/10
Menu: 9/10
Multiplayer: 10/10
Control: 9.5/10
Graphics: 8.5/10
Sound: 8.5/10

Overall Score: 9.4/10


Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/23/04