Author Topic: Super Monkey Ball Wii (Read 10178 times)

Mario · « **on:** September 22, 2006, 07:06:59 PM »

... will have FIFTY mini-games! FIFTY!

http://www.sega.com/gamesite/bananablitz/index.html

This game is gonna be awesome. Purchase CONFIRMED! Assuming they get the single player right, I still can't imagine this joystick based game working well with motion controls. Discuss.

wandering · « **Reply #1 on:** September 22, 2006, 07:11:04 PM »

Monkey Ball is all about the single player for me.

...But, yeah, 50 games is pretty impressive. Hopefully there's quality and not just quantity...

nickmitch · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2006, 07:28:08 PM »

It just moved up on my list.

NinGurl69 *huggles · « **Reply #3 on:** September 22, 2006, 08:36:35 PM »

WANG-A-MOLE FTW

AnyoneEB · « **Reply #4 on:** September 22, 2006, 09:40:56 PM »

Nice.

Although Super Monkey Ball seems like it was made for the WiiMote to me. Controlling it with a joystick compared to just using tilt seems awkward.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #5 on:** September 22, 2006, 09:59:48 PM »

Yeah, all the on-hands I've read for Bannana Blitz have been unabashedly positive.

It's looking real good. Although I do seem to be the one person who was never a huge fan of the Monkeyball mini games. Although I did like Monkey Target. It's great content addition and I'm sure with that many there will at least be a handfull that will be a blast. But I think for me too, it's mostly about the core game of Monkeyball.

It's just a great puzzle platformer.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #6 on:** September 22, 2006, 11:35:30 PM »

The Mini Games in the first game were almost all really great. Target was the best. The Mini games in Super Monkey Ball 2 were mostly a waste...with a few extra gems thrown in the mix.

The problem with Super Monkey Ball was having to buy mini-games and forcing people to play ungodly amounts of the game to unlock everything. Specially with Super MOnkey Ball 2 whose difficulty was much higher and less rewarding than the first game.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #7 on:** September 23, 2006, 12:09:13 AM »

Ah, I played more of the minigames in 2, so maybe I'm missing out on something.

thejeek · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2006, 03:14:50 AM »

Yeah, Super Monkey Ball 2 mini-games were a big disaster - I spent all day when SMB2 came out unlocking all the mini-games and then got a load of mates over that evening to play them (because we all loved playing the SMB1 mini-games after the pub - it was a regular thing and everyone was looking forward to the new version). SMB2 was just a massive disappointment - they took game mechanics that worked well with a big group of people with quite varied ablities and just mucked them up really badly somehow taking the flow and excitement out and also making everyone feel that the game was responsible for their mistakes.

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2006, 04:27:06 AM »

"Specially with Super MOnkey Ball 2 whose difficulty was much higher and less rewarding than the first game."

Are you serious? Super Monkey Ball 2 was a joke. That series hasn't been the same since the very first one. SMB2 went the route of more of a puzzle games, while SMB 1 was pure skill based, which IMO provided for a much tougher experience especially if you were trying to unlock the hidden levels, which at the expert level was pretty close to impossible.

But I do agree that the SMB2 mini-games didn't have the same energy as the ones in the first. Though a few of the games were interesting, like being able to play 8-Ball pool instead of 9-Ball.

Ceric · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2006, 06:37:06 AM »

I thought that the mini-games where just sparkling innovations for the most part in Super Monkey Ball. It saddens me to see there will be 50 of them. If the other are any indication they will have no bearing on the actual game like say the did in DDR: Mario Mix, the story mode and the minigames breaks make it one of my favorite DDR's. I'm hoping that it doesn't detract from the Single Player experience. Thats what I want. Monkey in a ball doing rolling puzzles.

Mario · « **Reply #11 on:** September 23, 2006, 09:53:45 AM »

How could it possibly detract from the single player experience? They are unrelated.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #12 on:** September 23, 2006, 10:42:04 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Mr. Jack
"Specially with Super MOnkey Ball 2 whose difficulty was much higher and less rewarding than the first game."

Are you serious? Super Monkey Ball 2 was a joke. That series hasn't been the same since the very first one. SMB2 went the route of more of a puzzle games, while SMB 1 was pure skill based, which IMO provided for a much tougher experience especially if you were trying to unlock the hidden levels, which at the expert level was pretty close to impossible.

But I do agree that the SMB2 mini-games didn't have the same energy as the ones in the first. Though a few of the games were interesting, like being able to play 8-Ball pool instead of 9-Ball.

Well I mostly agree. Super Monkey Ball was very difficult...I am not trying to say it was easy...but Super Monkey Ball was always fair with its skill level. If you died it was because you messed up period.

Super Monkey Ball 2 was much more difficult, but not because it was fair, but because it relied on you to do some insane timing with moving objects and worlds, that in many cases required luck to succeed instead of skill.

I would of of hoped for the new Bananna Blitz to have something like 10 really fleshed out Mini Games instead of several weak games.

Why couldn't Monkey Target have about 5-10 different Targets to land on? It would have extended the game much more...even possibly picking your own levels.

Monkey Race was cool, and I am actually looking forward to that in Blitz now that we have a jump button, it could add alot to the overall feel of races...but we need more than 5 tracks. How about 10 tracks for a nice bonus.

Going to Super Monkey Ball 2, Monkey Shot was actually quite enjoyable, but more balance needs to be placed in the game.

Finally, several of the Monkey Ball Mini Games won't really need to be extended much. Monkey Bowling, Monkey Darts, Monkey Pool will all be fine without much additions.

Monkey Golf though needs to be converted back to the original Putt, Putt game because the Monkey Golf in 2 sucked hard.

Caliban · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2006, 12:09:06 PM »

I'm getting Super Monkey Ball Blitz mostly for the single player experience. Of course I will play some of the 50 mini-games but not too many. From the mini-games I've watched from IGN I'd say only "Hammer Throw", "High Wire", and "Home Run Derby" are the only that interest me.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #14 on:** September 23, 2006, 01:17:48 PM »

Well we know that if they have 50 games all the classics will be there.

Of the classics:

Monkey Target,
Monkey Bowling,
Monkey Shot,
Monkey Race,

Interest me...and hopefully they are greatly fleshed out.

Monkey Pool and Monkey Golf were descent diversions, but Golf was screwed up in the second game.

Yeah, most of the new mini games just look like tech demos learning what can be done with the Wiipointer.

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #15 on:** September 23, 2006, 01:44:40 PM »

Well now that you put it that way Spak I would have to agree with you. It wasn't that two was a challenge it had more stupid timing things than anything else. And I totally agree, hopefully they bring back the mini golf and dump the full out golf mini-game for Banana Blitz.

Ceric · « **Reply #16 on:** September 23, 2006, 02:04:08 PM »

For the question on how will the mini games hurt the single player?
Like Smash_Brother says in the SSBB thread. Its a refocusing of the team. Yes I understand that they are separate teams but fifty mini games for a game that will if history says anything have a single player mode that will have nothing to do with it. Thats developing two separate games for most intents and purposes. When the single player reaches its "done" point and you still have some time you would normal let the team polish but, with 50 mini games a skeleton crew was probably left if they got to that point. Rest reassigned to the more experimental mini game side. I am just worried because they are really touting the mini games and I don't really now much about the actual single player. I like to hear impressions on that and see screens or video. Thats all.

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #17 on:** September 23, 2006, 05:42:06 PM »

This has now become my most wanted third party title at launch. Seriously, FIFTY. Holy crap! SNOWBOARDING!

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #18 on:** September 24, 2006, 02:04:19 PM »

Well to take a positive look at the Single player experience.

1)Level design looks much closer to the original game series than the horrible second series. Clean levels, with few moving obsticles.
2)Added Boss Battles for variety. This is a first for Super Monkey Ball, and I am really curious what it adds.
3)New Monkeys to play with means new weights and more variety in both single player and multiplayer.
4)Art Design is simple and appealing. They didn't try to overcomplicate the backgrounds as they did in Monkey Ball 2

Other comments.

1)Monkey Ball level design isn't too complex. You can have a few key artists and designers come up with several levels quickly and easily. The key is to have designers that know the strengths and weaknesses of the play control and game logic. So the single player game should still be long.

2)With so many initial games focusing on mini games for thw Wii...it will be easy to just wait and see which game gets the best review for Mini-games and buy that single game instead of spending lots of money on several games. Perhaps that is why Sega is going for Quantity...to ensure purchase.

Caliban · « **Reply #19 on:** September 24, 2006, 04:13:40 PM »

YanYan FTW!

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #20 on:** October 06, 2006, 06:30:52 PM »

It has been announced in a recent Gamespot interview that all 50 mini games will be unlocked from the very beginning. Sega just made this game much, much more interesting to me.

I don't have to work at the game to play multiplayer games with my friend...that is an important plus. Specially since it means I can buy this game and have 50 different mini games to show off the Wiipointer.

This news makes the game infinitely more buyable to me.

thejeek · « **Reply #21 on:** October 07, 2006, 02:46:26 AM »

SMB Wii, is still the game I'm most looking forward to in the near future and I don't need the incentive of unlocking the mini-games to play the single player game (SMB is about the only game I've played in the last few years where I was still prepared to stay up all night trying to beat the last few levels), but still, not having to unlock the mini-games feels a bit of a cop out. It's all a bit irrelevant though - I can't really afford to buy enough controllers for SMB party games right now.

Michael8983 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 08, 2006, 02:21:42 AM »

I hope Gamespot is correct and they are unlocked from the start. Perhaps playing through the single player mode can unlock "alternative" versions of the mini-games.
But while they may have been a bonus addition to the original game, the mini-games have become a staple of the series and should be available from the start.

Caliban · « **Reply #23 on:** October 11, 2006, 08:11:21 PM »

Warning: Do not watch if you don't want to be spoiled, the vids are just from the single player levels.

Some 10 new vids on http://media.wii.ign.com/media/824/824977/vids_1.html .

This game is looking sweet.
YanYan FTW!

IceCold · « **Reply #24 on:** October 26, 2006, 02:33:51 PM »

I just found out that they have a squash minigame... this makes the game shoot up on my to-buy list.

It would be nice if squash was part of WiiSports, but it's not really as popular as the other sports. It would also be harder to implement.. definitely harder than tennis.

News:

Author Topic: Super Monkey Ball Wii (Read 10178 times)