Overall Score
9 / 10
GameCube didn't exactly have the most blockbuster of launches, if
y'all remember correctly. The marquee Mario title was absent, and the
lackluster Luigi's Mansion had about as much entertainment value as
watching a plant grow. Beyond Rogue Squadron 2, there was seemingly
NOTHING for a GC owner to buy...ah, but wait! What's this title behind
the fourteen copies of Wave Race? Super Monkey Ball? WTF? Ah, the
sleeper hit Super Monkey Ball, featuring a Marble Madness-inspired and
strangely satisfying main mode, accompanied by numerous mini-games great
for a multiplayer get-together. When SMB2 was announced, it wasn't a
question of if I'd get it...but how many seconds after its release
would I be able to obtain a copy.
Sega and Amusement Vision didn't disappoint. Improving in almost
EVERY way from the original, Super Monkey Ball 2 should reduce the
sales of SMB1 to about 2 a year. The main game, now featuring story and
challenge modes, has been significantly expanded and featuring 150 new
stages of monkey-ballin' glory. The original six party-games are also
back with upgrades, and six new games wait to be unlocked from playing
the main game. Woo-hoo.
Super Monkey Ball 2 is one of those games where graphics shouldn't
matter, where as long as the physics engine was functional, who the heck
cared what it looked like. This philosophy was evident in SMB1, the GC's
worst-looking launch. However, SMB2's graphical engine has been
undoubtedly enhanced. Featuring some beautiful backgrounds and some nice
use of new water effects, particle engines, and volumetric fogging, SMB2
is a lot better than it could have been. Sound truly IS a non-factor, I
honestly don't think I've ever even noticed any music besides that in
the menus. It plays, and is easily audible, but it just doesn't seem to
get a reaction from my ear drum. It's pleasant enough, but don't expect
a soundtrack.
In the main game, a Story mode was added to the regular old
challenge mode. Now, obviously, a story trying to explain why monkeys
are rolling around incredibly-bizarre stages while collecting bananas in
translucent balls is going to be a little odd, but this game goes NUTS.
It's unbelievably ridiculous; I just want to shut my eyes during some of
the cinematics. Apparently, the monkeys use a magical spell,
"Ei-Ei-Poo!", to defeat their nemesis, Dr. Bad-Boon. I drove myself to
complete this mode once, and I will NEVER touch it again. Lives do not
exist here; stages can be attempted as many times as you see fit. Only
100 of the 150 levels in the game can be accessed here, so head on over
to challenge mode, the real meat.
Arranged like the previous Super Monkey Ball, there are Beginner,
Advanced, and Expert difficulty levels, including Extra levels for
completed a difficulty without using a continue, and the elusive Master
difficulty levels. PLENTY of challenge here, much more than you average
gamer will be able to handle, but it has been made a bit easier to
unlock the Extra levels due to a feature that allows a player to buy
more lives per continue. Booooo.
So what's up with the mini-games? Here are the twelve mini-games,
broken down for ya...
Monkey Race 2 - Sega's spin-off of Super Mario Kart, upgraded from
last time. Eight monkeys can now roll in a race on one of six brand-new
tracks, featuring new items and some new physics. Can be highly
entertaining, but there are far better crazy kart-racing games on the
market.
Monkey Fight 2 - one of the most highly addictive games from SMB1
is back, with a new "charge punch" that improves game-play
significantly. Four monkey balls with punching gloves attached roll
around, trying to knock off the other players. While still more fun
than a barrel of monkeys (...), I would have liked to see some more
interesting stages and some new items.
Monkey Target 2 - massively superior to the first, Monkey Target 2
turns a good-idea-gone-wrong into a good-idea-gone-right. Four monkeys
now simultaneously roll down a ramp and get shot into the air, where
they glide to a series of targets and land on them, scoring points. The
Wheel of Danger has been done away with, and items are now available to
obtain and use in the same run. Adding formation flying was a nice
touch, though only 3 different target arrangements is still terrible.
What were they thinking?
Monkey Billiards 2 - a surprisingly accurate and enjoyable
pool-sim, this version features US Nine-ball, JPN Nine-ball, Classic
8-ball, and Rotation. Woo!
Monkey Bowling 2 - this mini-game is, in my opinion, far and away
the best in the game. It is PERFECT. Intuitive and precise controls mix
in with a complex physics engine to almost perfectly mimic how real
pins fall, but it's so much more than that. Each monkey now has
different attributes, catering to an individual's personal style.
Challenge mode is back, where you do your best to knock down specific
arrangements of pins within a certain number of tries. Also included is
Special Mode, three difficulties of lanes that feature some completely
wacky lanes. Some curve, oscillate, twist, raise, bump, whatever, but
they're all fun as hell. You unlock the next difficulty by getting a
certain score on the previous. This alone is worth my fifty bucks,
people. Believe it.
Monkey Golf 2 - receiving the most intense make-over of all the
original games, Monkey Golf 2 ditches the old mini-golf routine for a
full-blown golf sim. The eighteen holes, while fairly interesting at the
end, get old REALLY fast, and the gameplay just isn't deep enough to
warrant continued play. Oh well.
Monkey Boat Race - ugh. SO BAD. This terrible mini-game has your
monkey paddling down a river using the L and R buttons along tedious
courses and minimal items. Don't come for this one, folks.
Monkey Shot - a classic cursor shoot-em-up, this mini-game takes
you through three levels complete with bosses. While this is fairly
entertaining, the game has absolutely ZERO replay value with one
person. Multiplayer is fairly decent, so whip out this one with a
gunslinging partner.
Monkey Dogfight - it's surprising how little a market this genre
has in today's gaming world...up to four monkeys comb the air, using a
simple machine-gun and missile arsenal to blow your enemies out of the
sky. Fun. Lots of it.
Monkey Baseball - for the record, I have ALWAYS hated baseball. A
lamer, more boring sport has never been invented...but SMB2 somehow
takes that game and makes it fun. LOTS of fun. One player pitches
(controlling the monkey mid-pitch to fake out the batter), and the
other attempted to send the ball flying into a pocket in the outfield
or a homerun jump board. Different configurations of pockets and
defensive formations add a lot to the game, and the option to reduce
the drawn-out, nine inning game is priceless. Best of the new games.
Monkey Soccer - while allowing for almost NO control of your team
whatsoever, this game can be shockingly fun. The field is simply too
small and contains too many monkeys to effectively play the game, but
the different teams and quick pacing of the game can be pretty
entertaining for awhile.
Monkey Tennis - a dumbed down version of Mario Tennis, Monkey
Tennis tends to a long back-and-forth between the players. Not enough
options and features here to make it amusing; hopefully, we'll see
improvement in SMB3, if they make one.
Well, there you have it. All twelve mini-games in a nutshell. If
you like multiplayer gaming, Super Monkey Ball 2 is an absolute must-
have. It only falls short of the Mario Parties and Super Smash Bros.
Melee in many-playered goodness, and has a style all on its own. Story
mode and some lackluster music mar the game a bit, but thirteen
separate games for fifty dollars is the best deal on the 'Cube. Come
for the main game, stay for the mini-games; Super Monkey Ball 2 is
wacky gaming at its finest.