Back when the Nintendo GameCube launched, Sega introduced the world to the Super Monkey Ball franchise. The game was received by the media as an addictive and unique experience and GameCube owners came to appreciate it as a true gem in an otherwise lackluster launch lineup. The game, and it’s sequel, both sold very well on Nintendo’s lunchbox of a console, and Sega has taken the franchise to other platforms as a result. Monkey Ball has even appeared in portable form on Nokia’s ill-fated N-Gage and on Nintendo’s GameBoy Advance in the form of Super Monkey Ball Jr. While Sega’s efforts with Jr. were commendable, it lacked a lot of the flair that made the GameCube versions so wonderful. With the more powerful DS, Sega is hoping for a translation that is a bit closer to the console versions.
Facts and Features
- Over 50 brand new stages and over 100 tracks
- Two brand new party games in addition to four classic favorites
- Download play for up to 4 players
- Touch screen and stylus control scheme
Serious Monkey Business
There are several modes to be found in Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll, but the main attraction for most DS owners will be the Challenge Mode. In the Challenge Mode, gamers attempt to guide their encapsulated simian of choice (four playable characters) through a series of elevated platforms to a goal while gathering bananas along the way for points and extra lives. If the monkey falls off the platform, or if the time limit for the stage expires, the gamer must attempt it again from the beginning. Old school gamers who have yet to experience Monkey Ball will get a strong Marble Madness vibe. The main difference between the two series, however, is that in Monkey Ball you aren’t moving the ball, you’re tilting the entire stage. This distinction is very important to keep in mind, especially when using the stylus as your control input. The stylus control in Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll is sure to draw mixed reactions from fans of the series. There will be some that claim it’s superior to the directional pad, and there will be others that will curse it as being overly difficult to adjust to. The stylus control is precise, but there are times when you’ll find yourself falling off a platform simply because you’ve moved your stylus too far and you’ve come to the edge of the touch screen. You really don’t have to move the stylus far from the center to reach maximum speed, but it’s inevitable that you’ll float to the edges until you’ve practiced for quite some time. The direction pad works nice, but the lack of fluidity that the touch screen presents can be hard to deal with in narrow passages. My recommendation would be to practice up on the touch screen and deal with the initial pain of adjustment.
A look at one of the early stages.
As far as the level design goes, Sega really packs quite the challenge into this version of the series. The levels vary greatly from one to another and the difficulty will keep you attempting stages multiple times to figure them out. The game isn’t quite as demanding of perfection as the console versions, but this is actually a good thing given the lack of an analog stick. Newcomers to the Monkey Ball franchise should be warned that completing the game 100% will take a lot of patience and dedication.
Just Monkeying Aroung
Whenever the Challenge Mode becomes overly stressful, Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll’s Party Modes offer great diversions. There are six party games to be found with two of them being completely new to the series. The included games are Monkey Race, Monkey Fight, Monkey Bowling, Monkey Hockey, Monkey Wars, and Monkey Mini Golf. Each game is totally unique and offers play for up to 4 players via local wireless connection. Download play is supported for both Monkey Race and Monkey Wars.
Monkey Race features a straightforward racing experience with power-ups and weapons to help your cause. For some odd reason the direction pad can’t be used to steer during the race, only the stylus can be used. Once you’ve become a pro with the stylus control this really isn’t a problem, but playing with novices will lead to frustration on their part and lopsided victories on your end. This mode is probably the weakest of the party modes, but it still offers great fun for experienced players.
Monkey Fight involves four players (any combination of computer vs. humans) trying to knock each other off of a platform in order to earn points or to be the last one standing. Power-ups are found on the stages to spice things up and help to ensure that things stay crazy. Once again, your only control method in this game is to use the stylus. Just as in Monkey Race, this is only a problem for novices, but there should have been the option to use the directional pad.
Monkey Bowling is sure to be a favorite amongst those that enjoyed the mode on the GameCube. The game is played just like it sounds; you roll the ball down a lane towards pins in an effort to knock them down. Spin is applied by spinning the ball with the stylus before making your throw and the direction of the throw is determined by sliding the stylus across the touch screen. Once you’ve made your toss you sit back and see if you’ve earned a strike or if you’re going to need to try and pick up the spare on the next attempt. The game is scored in the same manner as a real-life game of bowling. There is also a challenge mode that has you trying to knock down varying setups of pins with three levels of difficulty (each with 15 scenarios to complete).
Monkey Hockey, which is a totally new party game for the franchise, is basically air hockey with (optional) power-ups and power-downs that are earned by hitting special spots on the table. One mode within this party game is the ability to draw your own paddle which breaks when sustaining direct hits. The two players hit the puck back and forth while whittling away at each others paddle until it becomes very difficult to block shots. You can also earn more ink to re-draw your paddle, but most points don’t last long enough to get that far. For those that don’t want to bother with drawing the paddles, they can stick to the standard non-breakable paddle mode. Monkey Hockey can be played in both singles or doubles modes.
Monkey Wars is the other new party game that plays out much like the classic Faceball 2000 game that many will remember from the SNES days. The game is basically a four player first-person shooter deathmatch that combines directional pad and stylus control. The stylus is used to look from side to side and fire your weapons, while the direction pad is used to move forward and back or to strafe from left to right. Power-ups are scattered throughout the levels, with my personal favorite being the watermelon seed machine gun. This party game is sure to become a hit with those that can round up an additional three friends with a DS each for some monkey fragfests.
A good look at some user-created paddles in Monkey Hockey.
The final party game is Monkey Mini Golf. The game is played like regular mini golf, but instead of striking a golf ball, you are propelling yourself towards the hole. The power of the shot is determined by how far you move the stylus around a 360 degree circle on the touch screen. If you wind up all the way, your monkey will be sent rolling extremely fast. The courses are laid out perfectly and just about anybody should be able to enjoy this party game.
Graphics and Sound
The graphical aspect of Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll is a bit of a mixed bag. Obviously the DS isn’t capable of the lighting, particle effects, and detailed backgrounds that are found on the GameCube versions, but the 3D engine is still pretty capable. The stages are free of jaggies and the framerate is locked at 60 frames per second; which is the most important part of a game that requires such precise execution. The backgrounds range from decent to ugly, but your focus will most likely be on the action taking place on the platform that they aren’t worth griping too much about. In an odd decision by Sega, the monkey inside the ball is a sprite instead of a 3D model. While the sprite looks good in most cases (there is pixelation when the camera zooms in), the sprite looks out of place with the fully 3D rendered surroundings. Whether this was to aid in maintaining the 60fps framerate, or just an art directional choice, it’s a bit jarring.
So many bananas…
The music and sound effects are definitely a major step up from any of the other portable Monkey Ball games available. While most of the musical tracks are pretty short loops, they are still worthy of the franchise. Each track is composed in a manner that it reflects the mood of the scenery well. The game is pretty light as far as voices go. There really isn’t much besides the grunts and excited yells that come from the monkeys, but at least they are executed clearly and effectively. The sound effects are nearly identical to those found in the GameCube versions, but the range of highs and lows seems to have been cut down a bit while being slightly muddled in the process. Obviously the range and clarity discrepancy can be explained away by the storage medium difference between the DS and the GameCube, but be prepared to notice them all the same.
Rollout!
Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll is pretty much everything that fans of the franchise are hoping it would be. Sure, the controls aren’t perfect, but they are definitely an improvement over the other handheld versions that are out there. The touch screen and stylus method of control isn’t quite as good as using an analog stick, but with practice it comes pretty darn close. If you enjoyed Super Monkey Ball Jr., you will be extremely pleased with this version of the game. Sega has done a wonderful job of using the touch screen to the fullest and the download play feature is much appreciated for a game of this nature. While you won’t be getting the exact same experience on the DS as you can find on the GameCube, you will be getting a faithful translation of the series in portable form. The touch screen learning curve might be a little off-putting for some, but it really is worth the effort.
— Jeff Rivera