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Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Party
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 14 Nov 06
User Rating
3.1 (12 votes) -
- No monkey business this time around, as Sega deliver a fun puzzler that taps perfectly into the unique Wii remote. One of the better launch titles for the Wii.
Overview
The time has finally come, the moment that many of us have been waiting for has finally arrived and the Nintendo Wii has hit store shelves. Sure a while back no one was really sure where Nintendo would be after the Gamecube debacle that left fans of Nintendo in shock and despair. Now the Wii is finally out on the market, and we had the chance to check out one of the many launch titles for the console. The game is actually from SEGA (which would have sounded crazy 10-15 years ago) and is from the long line of Super Monkey Ball games entitled Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. So how does the game end up doing on the Wii? Read our full review to find out!
Gameplay
One of the big things about Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz was how was it going to work with the Wii Remote. But right when you get this game started, you will see right away that Banana Blitz was really made for the Wii, and this style of game just works absolutely perfect with the console. First and foremost, SEGA did a fantastic job with the responsiveness of the controls to the action on screen. You basically tilt the remote to the direction in which you want the monkey ball to go, and from there you can pull back or forward depending on where you want your monkey ball to go. While this sounds complicated, when you sit down to play this game you will see that everything works pretty intuitively.
Other then the use of the remote, which does make thing feel a lot smoother, you really don't have a whole lot of new in terms of what to expect. Sure the levels are new and there are some slightly new ideas in the game, this is still your same Super Monkey Ball experience that we all have known and loved for years now. Your main goal is still to get the ball from start to finish, and as easy as that may sound when you get to some of the later worlds in the game it is very apparent that this is not a game to just walk through. In fact, much of Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz is actually extremely frustrating and challenging, and yet with the Wii Remote you feel more of the fault for when something goes wrong.
In the end, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz is just a good solid puzzle game that plays really well by yourself. If you liked previous games, the Wii Remote will probably have you enjoying this game even more. However if you don't like the previous adventures, then the Wii Remote probably won't be a big enough factor to change your mind. What most will be surprised to hear is that there is a multiplayer component in this game that quite possibly has more to do in then the single player adventure, which is actually really good.
Brace yourselves for this number. 50. Yes, that's right, 50. That's how many mini games are included in the multiplayer mini games, and that is a number that just really makes a huge push for this game's success. Now you may be saying are these all just cheap little games that add up to like 3 or 4? The answer to that is no, you will of course have a lot of these games you will play once and never again, but also many of these games you will become addicted to and you and your friends will spend hours trying to get high scores. Sure I would have preferred they perfected half of the mini games and gave us less of them, but the fact that there is such a large number and with a lot of them being extremely enjoyable you can't blame SEGA for really trying to maximize the potential of Nintendo's Remote.
In the end, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz is just one of those surprise launch titles that ends up being a real surprise in how good it is. Banana Blitz is a game that brings in a stellar single player experience with a great ten worlds to play through and then all of the mini games for added depth.
Graphics
I have to say that Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz for the Wii still looks very much like a Gamecube game and doesn't really manage to continue past that to use more of the Wii's internal hardware. With that being said, the game still manages to capture that Monkey Ball feel to it with very bright vibrant color and just a ton of wacky environments. Some of the mini games have some graphical glitches that hinder some of the play time, which is a bit of a disappointment. In the end, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz is not a bad looking game, however it also is one that could use some touching up as well.
Fun Factor
Whenever you talk about a Super Monkey Ball title you are usually talking about an arcade style game that is made to be fun. With the use of the Wii Remote you get a game that is not only fun but really engaging. Using the remote to control your monkey ball is actually kind of a trip and really works to your favor from start to finish. Some may feel awkward at first but pretty soon afterwards you will see the developers put their hours of testing to good use and the final product shows off great use of the controller.
Overall
I have to say that Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz impressed me more than I thought it would. When I heard about this game before it was released it seemed like a cute game that might be some fun, but the end result is actually a much deeper and interesting experience that I really enjoyed. If you like Monkey Ball games or are looking for a game to really test out the Wii's control, then Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz is a great option to check out.
- Gameplay
8.0 - Graphics
7.0 - Fun Factor
8.0 - Overall
8.0
