Super Monkey Ball was one of Sega’s most popular games on the Gamecube when it was released about five years ago. Now, Sega is looking to bring the game back on the Nintendo Wii. Considering the new control function (thanks to the Wii remote), Sega’s ultimate party game has a new home that will make use of the already tried and true fun factor, and add a whole new depth and immersion that can only come from the Wii. Sega’s new outing is: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.
For those that are unfamiliar with the game, the general idea behind it is to navigate a monkey inside of a ball (hence the name) and traverse across all sorts of wacky levels and obstacles. If you are able to make your way across the course in a set amount of time, you will move onto the next stage. The game seems to be more geared toward children, considering it’s cutesy presentation, but the game is very challenging and can be enjoyed by almost anyone…except those that don’t like monkeys, I guess.
Instead of using a joystick to control the movement of the monkey, Banana Blitz now uses the motion sensing technology in the Wii remote. The direction and speed of where the monkey rolls all depends on how the Wii remote is tilted. Because of the difficulty of the levels, you have to be extremely precise with the Wii remote to avoid falling off the stage. Using the Wii remote instead of the traditional joystick is much harder and requires a lot more skill and control. Because of this, the stages in Banana Blitz don’t seem to be as difficult as many that were in previous games. You won’t have to roll across thread like paths or extreme slopes. This is great for newcomers to the game, but those that have already mastered previous games; you may find it to be too easy and basic…until you play it.
The game is divided into two main parts: the main game and party games. The main game consists of eight different game sections that take place in different worlds (or locations), such as islands, volcanoes, or deserts. The party game section consists of a multitude of different mini-games and was designed for pitting multiple friends (or enemies) against each other.
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