sega has set out to recover its most emblematic sagas and characters, renewing them with new installments that satisfy veterans and attract new fans. There is a lot of expectation with their new Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio or Shinobi, although Super Monkey Ball is different.
In reality, this series of platform and skill video games never went away: it had a battery of almost annual deliveries, between the versions of Game CubeGBA, Nintendo DS, Wii, Vita or 3DS, and after a break of five years, he returned in 2019 with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD.
Two years later, in 2021, at the insistence of fans, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania was released, which was a remake of the first two games in the saga. But it was time to a totally new deliveryand there he enters the scene Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleexclusive to Nintendo Switch.
Analysis of Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble in Hobby Consolas:
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Gameplay
Is this your first time with a Monkey Ball? We explain the matter quickly: in essence, it is a 3D platformsbut without jumping: the main monkeys are inside a ball, like machine toys, and they roll forward.
Actually, technically we don’t move the monkeys, but the stage: with the precision of the stick (there are also motion control optional in the options menu) we roll the balls through winding levels, full of chasms, moving platforms, switches, bumpers and all kinds of devices that try to throw us into the void.
Thus, until reaching the goal at levels that They do not last more than 60 secondsalthough you will overcome many of them in less time.
The trick is not only to reach the goal, but to fulfill three additional objectives: do it in less than X seconds, do it while getting at least X bananas (the number varies in each level) and also obtain the golden banana.
Secondary objectives that are not normally compatible: if you want to do it in the shortest time you will have to sacrifice the bananas, which are sometimes “hidden” in levels that They don’t have to be linear and that you will have to repeat several times.
The story mode has 10 worlds and 10 phases in each one (sadly, there is no such thing as final bosses), and we have enjoyed it so much: There is a lot of variety of mechanics that are not repeated excessively and a progressive but steep difficulty curve: the final world is crazy… and then there is a second round with new phases.
Much of the Banana Rumble success has it, a new movement debuts with this installment: the Spin Dashan acceleration that you can charge with the B button and that propels you, often to jump over slopes and chasms using the terrain.
It is a movement that is almost never essential to beat the game and, when it is, it is usually at more or less safe moments.
But if you want to dominate the game, gives a lot of itself: with an acceleration loaded with the right dose and used at the right time you will be able to skip large parts of the level… but be careful with inertia later: you will fall into the void many times if you don’t use it well.
A tip: pressing B and moving the camera with the right stick is quite impractical, if not absurd. From the options menu, At any time you can change the button assignment: We put the acceleration to the ZR and that solved what, otherwise, would have been a major drawback of the game.
Simian gatherings: Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble multiplayer
As usual, the story mode is just one leg of the game. The other leg is the multiplayerwhich in Banana Rumble has been enhanced with both local and online modes.
The main novelty is power play the entire story mode cooperatively, and you can do this both locally and online for up to 4 players. The trick is to divide the work when it comes to collecting all the bananas and the golden banana, but in the end all the players have to pass it on.
Getting everyone safely to the finish line is very exciting, but you can see that the levels are made for a single player: in our opinion, there is not much value in playing something like this cooperatively, but it is good that there is that option.
On the other hand, the new battle mode supports up to 16 players at a time online (you can play against the CPU too), in five different game modes.
You have to get a lot of bananas or a kind of pitched battle fighting against robots that reminds us a little of the battle mode of a Mario Kart, or a really fun mode Careerwhich with long and dangerous scenarios, and with 16 players, is very reminiscent of Fall Guys.
Although our favorite is Goal feverwhich is like a giant carnival game and you have to get points by “doubling” on scoring holes, and it’s the perfect mix between strategy and skill without being too chaotic (because in this mode the fps take a considerable drop).
Is Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble difficult?
Something that has characterized Monkey Ball since the days of GameCube, and that has been ironed out in the recent remakes, is its high difficulty, especially for such a childish-looking game.
In Banana Rumble there is a clear change in that sense: They have completely thrown away livessomething that impacts the gameplay in two things: reduces the pressure of compulsively hoarding all the bananas (except to meet secondary objectives), which we appreciate; and, obviously, relaxes the overall experience by no matter how many times we die.
This, which takes some pressure off, doesn’t necessarily make the game easier. Quite the contrary: encourages perseverance to get all the achievements for each level, which are allowed to be more difficult, no matter how many times you restart the level.
Achieving the golden banana in some levels, even in the first worlds, requires a surgeon’s pulse to not fall, a lot of composure and concentration… but also courage and bravery to dare to make almost impossible jumps (with acceleration).
In general, passing the levels is easybut achieving the three additional objectives is another thing: often, there is a enormous distance between the difficulty of reaching the goal (usually easy) and the difficulty of reaching the goal with the golden banana or all the bananas on the same level. And we love that.
What is guaranteed is that no one will get stuck, with two aids: if you die several times, they will offer you a guide, a “ghost” who tells you the optimal path to pass the level and you can imitate (and you can rewind).
And if it still resists you, from the pause and help menu you can select complete the level and move on to the next.
The only penalty is losing points and you will not get more points, which are the currency to buy accessories, clothing and cosmetic items in the store: there are more than 300 options to dress the monkeys like AiAi, and there are several playable characters… but be warned, Sega cameos, like Sonic, are paidunlike what happened in the previous one.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Duration
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble’s story mode has one hundred levels in ten worlds. And the last two worlds, the last one in particular, is very difficult: you are sure to repeat many of those levels over and over again.
But, as we said above, the game It has aids to prevent anyone from getting stuckincluding skipping the level entirely by paying points.
Likewise, although most levels are relatively easy to pass, achieving additional objectives such as doing it quickly or with the golden banana multiply the difficulty by two and by three, and by four…
The levels, however, are still less than a minute in length. You can get to the credits in two hours…although then there is another round with a hundred new levels.
But if you want to persevere and achieve everything, or everything you can endure without throwing the Switch out of the window of despair, again you can multiply that duration by three, by four, by five…
And then there is the multiplayer mode, which is extensive, the enormous amount of t-shirts, hats and balls to buy from the monkeys, the challenges, the world rankings… Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is very generous.
Price and available platforms
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble It is exclusive to Nintendo Switchat all: it is not even on PC (for now at least, on its release date, which is June 25, 2024).
It is sold in physical and digital format at the price from 49.99 euros. But be careful, it has paid DLC, and quite a few: 15 character customization packs, and six Sega guest characters (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Axel and Beat) at 5 euros each, or in a SEGA Pass of 25 euros.
Fortunately, no playable content in the DLC, but It seems like an exorbitant price to us. for “fan service” content that should be unlockable within the game…
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is ideal for playing the monkey with your Switch in summer
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble we liked a lot. The addition of Spin Dash opens up many playable opportunities in 200 levels with a wide variety of mechanics and devices and a very scalable difficulty.
There are challenges to drive you crazy, frankly desperate, but with their help systems no one will get stuck: If you despair it’s because you want to (and, in a way, it has always been part of the fun of Super Monkey Ball: when you complete the level that you have been resisting so much, the satisfaction is enormous).
If it is your first time, you must warn that control a sphere It may not be to everyone’s taste: it is not a typical platform game.
But that’s just what makes Monkey Ball special, and this installment, the first new one in more than ten years, It is very generous in terms of contentboth single and multiplayer, including local and online.
Do you hit? Graphically It is very unambitious, bordering on bland. The battle mode also “scratches” a lot in performance and perhaps some will miss more mini-games, as in previous installments.
But, without being very innovative, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble It is one of the most recommended entertainment that you can take on vacation in your switch this summer. Much better than give to the other “banana”…
