Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2021
- "I really love Bananas" - AiAi
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Absolutely appreciate a big outlet having such a hardcore fan to cover something like this, but also somebody who can balance that with the remit of reviewing a game for a broad audience. People often boil down a review to its final score, but there's a lot in the text here to help people know whether or not they'll enjoy the game.
I've never spent too much time with the Super Monkey Ball series, and I expect I'd enjoy this release fine, but I can absolutely relate to how much a remake's shortcomings and inconsistencies can disappoint when you're so invested in the original game. I expect lukewarm reviews will put off some people who might otherwise have a great time with the game, and fuel ignorant discourse, but I really like seeing this level of insight from a longtime fan on a big site. Great work, Jon.
This was a great review!
The controls to this game are broken, that is like 99% of the game is controls, all that extra crap is unnecessary if it plays like crap which it does
While botching Monkey Target isn't a deal breaker at all for me...why is it so off? It's one of the few mini-games that really mattered in monkey ball since it was more of an extension of the main game.
Simply the engine used. To make something on par with the original, retooling Unity's physics engine to fit the game doesn't do it. You would have to rebuild the game's engine from scratch.
@@ThatOneDudeWhoPostsStuff Guessing they used Unity because it was a cheap option. There is a lot to like hear but we really needed Monkey Ball 3
While I was never the biggest fan of Monkey Target.. I actually had the best memories playing monkey tennis with my dad and two sisters. As long as that one and billiards is still good. I don’t mind.
Its because of the ramp. The ramp portion is scripted rather than natural. as you get a really weird boost of speed. Its not horrible, but its kinda scuffed. Not the engines fault imo.
@@robsmall6466 unity is basically an industry standard by this point. There are lots of reasons to want to use it. Programmers already know it, adding assets is simple, it has decently robust built in physics, and so on.
I’m a little sad not to hear “everyone! Jon from NintendoLife here.” after hearing “hello! hello! hello! hello!”
Hi madz I love the vids, please keep up the good work
Same I was expecting to here lovely people from Alex 🤣
Too true Mr. Madz!
If this was Alex, I would have been even more disappointed not hearing “hheeeellloooo there lovely peeeeeople”.
Yes
As someone who’s never played a Monkey Ball game prior, this seems like the perfect place to start to me, since most of this review’s main sticking points seem to come from the lens of a longtime fan. Though considering how jam-packed October is in terms of game releases, I might wait a bit before picking it up.
100% agree. This looks really cool for a new comer to get into.
Im a long time fan and it looks great to me. The reviewer seems to be making a big deal out of some minor things.
@@simplyrin210 I guess it will depend if you played the original or not. Sega went with Unity ( probably because it was cheap ) and it wasn't the best option. Having said that Monkey Ball is such a good game fundamentally that it seems Sega have just about got away with it. Enjoy Monkey Ball if it's your first time playing or if you've played before it's great to have Monkey Ball back
I can relate. But hearing that controls aren't as good as they were before and a game mode being broken because of it is a huge turn off. Even for someone like me who has never played monkey ball.
And since this is sega, I'm waiting a little more to hear what other things are messed up. Cause dear God sonic colours ultimate is a mess
Seriously, this is worth the money based on what I am seeing. The disappointment is coming from a small crowd of diehard gamers.
I see where the review is coming from, physical movement especially momentum are EVERYTHING in a game like this, and if it's slightly off then the whole experience is off.
I can see people eventually adjusting to it. I remember thinking the physics in the N-Sane were off but I eventually got used to them.
Honestly I would rather have seen an emulated port than this. This also lacks the charm of the original in terms of art and sound design. I don't know why Sega has a hard on for the current designs because honestly they just suck. The surreal look of the first two games was part of the charm and aesthetic.
@@JIreland1992 I was thinking this exact same thing. Crash Trilogy ended up great so I honestly expect this to end up the same way.
@@simplyrin210 Nah, crash HAD problems back in the day with movement physics. 3D platform games were basically nonexistent,so there was no frame of reference back then. And thought the years they made something better and better
Sega CREATED a completely new game concept, and executed it to near perfection, and instead of i gradually improving, it seems like they just didn't get why the originals were good in the first place and made a mess instead. Now that they are trying to go back to their roots, it's hard for them to even find what their roots where. Specially when now there are fan-made games that do nail the snappy fast paced physics perfectly. This is engine's flaws are not "by design", they are sadly a limitation
@@RGozz That's in part the community problem, people are comfortable with pirating old stuff, so buying an emulator + rom for them looks like a scam. That leads many companies to release their old games, redone in new engine with few tweaks, this way they keep low-cost, nostalgia and provide minor 'improvements' for the potential buyers.
P.S.
I think people often forget, that all companies are machines earning money. (there's nothing bad about it, that's just how it is) In general - If people protesting high-price/low-effort release of any game, company won't lower the price, they'll spend as little money as possible to make atleast some people buy it; or if company gives up (usually for publicity), their next product won't be better, it'll be more persuasive.
That's free market for ye - you can support good behaviour, but can't punish bad. That's why Activision, EA, 2K, etc. won't die anytime soon.
I'm sad about the sound effects. One of the most nostalgic things about the original games is the sound of the ball rolling and hitting things. I'm still hype for the game, but the hype went down a little.
They've included original character models and music via DLC or DIgital Deluxe edition, so maybe they'll add in a classic soundpack too down the road.
@@Festivus_Miracle that would be amazing
My hype dropped a bit because of the lack of multiplayer. I play this game a lot with friends and family. It's sad to see they did not include. Lots of people were misled because of information about multiplayer seem to suggest it would be usable in the main game.
@@Festivus_Miracle Classic sound for $5? Oh boy...
I think when I played super monkey ball 2 the ps2 sound effects were too loud which I think was a glitch in the original version.
You guys did a better job with this review then IGN. That was a fair review. However, we have to be very grateful that this game is releasing on PC because I can bet you anything that the modding community is going to get Banana Mania right next to the original games from physics, animations, to the target mini game.
But many who play on console won't have this option, so it's still pretty disappointing
Nah, anyone who gets the game early to review should be disregarded
@@jankington216 why?
jon - thank you for always talking so casually about accessibility features. they’re so important for so many people, but often get missed out of reviews. appreciate it!
As someone who played monkey ball as like a 7 year old and hasn't kept up with the game since. I'm very excited for this :')
This game was way to hard for me as a kid lol. I remember getting so angry
Same! Have you gotten it yet? If so, how is it?
I personally don’t care as much about the party games as the main game
I mostly only messed with Monkey Race and Target. RIP Monkey Target.
Monkey Ball suffers from "regression to the mean". The original games were so good that it is almost impossible to ever get to that same level again.
was thinking about this during the review. what an amazing thing that happened when sega made monkey ball. and recalling that the arcade game was released with a banana joystick makes the story feel all the more like a wild fever dream
Me: enjoying the video, and ready to hear about how great Monkey Ball is
1:50 hits
Me: oh no
Agreed. I’m still excited though. I think Jon’s being particularly hard because he’s such a huge fan, which is fine. But as someone who hasn’t played a monkey ball since the GameCube/ds days I hope this will be great for me and most audiences.
@@christophergardiner7372 Yeah, I've never played a Monkey Ball game, so this is probably the pest place for me to jump in, but it's still disappointing to hear that it didn't live up to Jon's expectations.
Same, so disappointed. As somebody who loved the original 2 games, i HATE everything since.
I feel that this is because jon is sucha huge fan of the originals. The new features and content dont mean nearly as much to a man like jon as the core gameplay that he fell in love with all these years ago, and even the slightest of changes can seariously lead to dissapointment.
No multiplayer for the main game sounds like a big missed opportunity.
I hope they add it in an update
Super Monkey Ball 2 didn't show the next floor in the air too. The ramp thing It seems like the camera movement makes it feel like it's scripted, but it's not scripted, going slow shows that, the sound stuff is good for what they were aiming for, the original sounds are so satisfying and the new one is cute, which what the series is now, I like both, I bet the game will be modded to add them back
So the game's got 300 levels that work just as they should and a couple of minigames that have different physics than before? Sounds like a victory to me, honestly.
He’s saying the whole game feels different
So not just as they should
Like the other person said, the physics in the main game have the same issue. Sounds like movement doesn't have the same fun impact that the originals have (which is a huge reason people love the games so much). Mania looks a bit slow, floaty, and unsatisfying. It sounds like Jon had a good time with it but the sheer difference in physics causes the game to be worse overall. Definitely still serviceable but to hardcore fans, it loses a lot of its fun factor. All this to say, it's definitely more than just "a couple of mini games that have different physics"
bot account
@@neutralnarration1463 no?
I’m going to get this with Metroid Dread on Monday, I’ve never played these before and I always wanted to so this is my chance even if it’s not the absolute best way to play them😊
WITH Metroid Dread? That comes out next Friday.
@@bender9740 i mean I’m going to be ready to buy it but on Friday 😊
Those are the two games I ordered as well. Though, I was tempted to cancel Monkey Ball on the switch and get the steam version....decided I would "get good" on switch, then get it on steam when it goes on sale and grab those achievements.
Literally one of my favorite things was reaching max speed in Monkey Ball 2 and seeing the sparks fly and hearing the ball sound speed up. It’s honestly really sad they removed the sound/effect, feels like something is missing 😔
I suddenly don't want to go get this game after reading your post. ☹️☹️☹️ Sound is just as important as graphics. Graphics ant shit if there's no sound to go with it. 🤬🤬🤬😭😭😭😭
@@lukeanthony2279 I just went and got the OG Super Monkey Ball 2, and it’s just as incredible as I remember; like the value of Banana Mania is great but everything being so different really turns me off.
Multiplayer, sound design, and the butchering of Monkey Target is really heartbreaking. I really hope they consider updates in the nearby future. It might just take away from the bitter cons the game has.
Not just monkey target but ALL the minigames look pretty bad
probably no real improvements in the pipeline but can we interest you in a $6.99 kuromi dlc costume
There's no multiplayer? No split screen?
It sounds like this is similar to the Spyro or Crash remakes. Different enough to bother hardcore fans, but perfectly acceptable to more casual fans or newcomers. Considering that I haven't played the original since it came out, I'm still very excited for this.
F-zero Gx: "I'm not coming back"
Monkey Ball: "Fine, I'll do it myself"
I really hope they fix Monkey Target. That had me returning to the original time after time. Having said that, this looks like a definite buy.
As a huge fan of monkey ball 2, and many many many hours playing Targets with my whole family, this is disappointing news to me.
If you can’t get the physics right on a physics-based game, what’s even the point?
I used to love testing the limits of monkey targets. I wouldn’t even take the ramp, I would drop right off the side of the platform and open just in time to pull up, skimming the water’s surface.
It was in all honesty, a thrilling experience.
With the huge reduction of Multiplayer games, gratefully, this would be the PERFECT time to bring back Multiplayers in Main Game!!!
It's been a single player experience FOREVER now, (after Deluxe).
I pray they bring it back! I miss playing on the couch as each person takes turns challenging each Floor as each becomes more difficult than the last!
#MultiMainGame
#MultiMainGame
#MultiMainGame
No multiplayer in challenge mode? That’s like the main thing I did in the original with friends...
I didn't play the original GameCube games but I respect where you're coming from in terms of the physics, the momentum, and the engine in question. Like, even _I_ noticed that ramp jump in Banana Mania looked SO weird... Why?
Like I said... I didn't play the originals and if I picked up this game today, I'm sure I'll enjoy the game! But I think your criticisms are valid for the most part.
So overall, I'm getting the impression that the overall package is excellent and doesn't feel like a cheap cash grab and can be VERY fun but isn't quite what it was back on the GameCube (including the party stuff like Monkey Target).
If multiplayer from the main game is missing, I’m canceling my preorder. Thanks so much for this review. Man, with target and main game multiplayer dead, then I have no desire to buy
Same, I’m not purchasing it anymore
Absolutely agree. No multiplayer in the main game is an instant no-buy from me.
So besides Monkey target? Are the physics in the base levels fine? Would be really disappointed if the physics were bad across the board since I've never played Monkey Ball and I've been looking forward to this game
I only played Monkey Ball Jr, and LOVED it. I always thought about getting the other games, and this seems like a perfect opportunity. If the controls are analog, they're already better than any Monkey Ball I played and loved. Target wasn't even in Jr. There was golf, fight, bowling, and I'm not even sure if there were more in Jr, and I played that for ages.
If the party games are the main sticking point where the main stages are as fun as ever, its gonna be an instant purchase for me. I didnt even know the original 2 games had party games LMAO
Agreed for the most part, but no main game multiplayer is a bizarre bummer. Even though it was just taking turns, it's not as simple as just passing the controller every round. Every players progression was individual, so some players could be multiple stages ahead of the others. Idk, it just seems weird not to have it.
They did a phenomenal job recreating the original stages and they feel pretty great for me! But they totally botched the mini games, which is not a deal breaker for me but they really half assed them specially the low res textures and the physics to my beloved monkey target :(
Is there bosses on super monkey ball mania?
@@Remz727 nope, just classic style super monkey ball remade in HD
Damn, are all the courses on monkey ball blitz on mania? I know blitz has the bosses
I feel like I'm one of those few people that played Monkey Ball 3D and wanted Jam and Jet in.
It was my first game in the series.
As someone new to the series, can someone tell me why the newer games, specifically Blitz, aren’t considered good?
Banana Blitz was originally made for the Wii's Motion Controls. It featured wider levels to accomodate and, as a result, it's now way too easy without motion.
@@arios6443 Also the levels on the newer SMB games are far less creative and too easy for the most part.
Jr./N-Gage: Too many of the stages ate recycled from the first game and the controls are worse because there's no joystick.
Deluxe: Nobody seems to dislike this one, but I will criticize it because a lot of its new levels are terrible mazes.
Touch & Roll: Lots of recycled stages, much like with Jr. Still no joystick, but controls are nonetheless better thanks to touch screen movement.
Adventure: Bad game. Bad controls. Someone at Sega must've played the rolling ball stages in Crash Wrath of Cortex and somehow thought it would be a good idea to ask Traveller's Tales to make an entire Monkey Ball game with that mechanic.
Banana Blitz: Blitz has jumping, which for many people defeated the point of Monkey Ball. The game was also built around motion controls and is far too easy as a result. The fun in the original games was the satisfying feeling of speeding your way through the brutally difficult levels. In Blitz, many of the levels have very wide platforms and have guardrails. Oh and the party games are bad. The first few games had few, very polished and fun party games. Blitz instead went with quantity over quality and has a whopping 50 unpolished, one and done party games with terrible controls.
Step & Roll: Balance board controls lol
3D: Too short. Heard the mini games were good, though.
Banana Splitz: Heard this one was good, but never played it because it was only on the Vita.
@@poudink5791 How did I completely forget Super Monkey Ball Adventure was a thing? Always wanted to play that one despite hearing it wasn't good
Blitz is decent in the remake, its not amazing and the bosses are a pain but I think it’d actually be good for a new starter because of its easier system and then move onto banana mania if you enjoyed it. The later levels however are super hard, have a check out of level 10-5!
Love the review. I'm still really excited for the game since I've only played one of the GameCube Monkey Ball games (can't remember which one) and I didn't play it for very long since the Wii was in the family room at the time and I just didn't have much time to really dig into it. Plus being able to just turn my Switch on and play without having to dig out wires and controllers like I would with my Wii just sounds like a more appealing option for me.
The game looks great! I played so much Monkey Ball on the gamecube and it’s great seeing this back! I can tell some of the mini games were a bit off as you mentioned (especially the momentum of going off ramps). I don’t think you were being over critical and you are someone that is passionate about the series and you want to see it as best as it can be This game is for sure on my list :)
it'd be neat if they could patch in some fixes and add back in the sounds for the ball. it seems SUPER awkward to not have the sound of the ball smacking the ground at all.
I think if anything, it's a testament to how amazing Amusement Vision were. They only really released Monkey Ball and F-Zero GX, but both games had such amazing game engines that they struggle to get the game/animations feeling as good as the originals. I'm still really excited for this game.
Monkey Target being nerfed is a bit of a pain as this was by far me and my friend's favourite mini-game, to the point that we play it every single time we meet up and get excessively competitive over it, but hopefully it can be patched in the future, or maybe it's just something we need to get used to.
I remember when Crash N.Sane Trilogy and CTR Nitro-Fueled came out I initially wasn't a fan due to how it didn't perfectly recreate the original feel, and this is something that has improved over time to the point they are now my preferred way of playing these games.
I hope people still buy Banana Mania. I don't think they fucked up, but rather they just didn't hit the lofty heights reached by the original game, which was always going to be hard to follow. More than that though, this represents a chance for people to tell Sega they want this style of Monkey Ball game. Hopefully they take feedback on board and release some patches etc. but only time will tell.
Can I just double check something, did you say that there's no multiplayer in the main game at all as in they haven't even got the taking turns mode. If so that sucks as that was the main reason I wanted this so I could play it with my brother and his girlfriend as she really loved the Monkey Ball games.
Yes. There's no multilayer in main game.
Hopefully they'll release a patch to fix Monkey Target. Probably not, but I'd like to see it.
I've never played Monkey Ball before. Maybe I'll pick it up to support the franchise
Always wanted to play Super Monkey Ball yet never got around to it, so I'm definitely getting this one and actually may benefit from not having any of your nostalgia over the original two.
From what I heard, they were aware of these issues, but I think the issue they found was the same issue that hold Jet set radio from being ported or remade. Apparently the original code that's responsible for the OG game's existence was lost to SEGA, so from deluxe onward, they had to use alternative engines to get to that level. I say with that info in mind, I would recommend bumping it up to a 8.5/10. When put behind this context it's even more impressive how close it got, but how Monkey Target was handled still holds it back from being at it's greatest.
They can still RE the original games tho
@@poudink5791 RE?
It's unfortunate for SEGA, but ultimately this is being judged as a product people are spending their hard-earned money on, and you shouldn't be awarding sympathy points for developers who ran into problems during production.
I was only buying this for monkey target. My friend and I sunk so many hours on the original mini game more than the main game. Sucks that my favorite mini game got robbed. Thank you for the honest review!
Same, pretty bummed about it
whos here after the terrible ign review
I think the sound effects bug me the most out of all the critics for some reason 💀 like the original sound effects were so arcade like and adorable! Now they sound so generic!
I mainly just miss the fast ball rolling sound effect. What were they thinking ditching one of the most satisfying sound effects in gaming?
Never played Monkey Ball before so I'll probably been fine. Just been wanting to get into a modern entry that hasn't been reviewed poorly, and this seems decent at least
Also KIRYU GRABBING STAMINANS
God damnit, I was very excited for this to play challenge mode with my friends locally but if that isn't an option I won't be buying it sadly.
Same :(
Definitely do not recommend buying if it's to play with others. I was completely disappointed by this, but I guess I'll just play the game solo...
I would probably get Mario Party Superstars for multiplayer
@@Daniel328DT definitely getting that, but yeah really sad, I guess we playing Super Monkey Ball Deluxe for a while
Yeah i preordered this like more than a month ago and i literally cant wait for tomorrow (i got deluxe) cause I’ve never played a monkey ball game and it looks super fun. Cool to see an avid fan if the series say his thoughts, pretty insightful!
I love that intro so much
This game looks challenging for real and also pretty fun!
Oh it’s a little challenging but it’s much easier than you think
@@14vatochongo awesome I have the game but haven't tried it yet. I thought about streaming it once my capture card finally comes in the mail. So far I'm just streaming games on xbox but can't wait to crack into my nintendo games!
@@14vatochongo it isn't but once you get used to the game it will be
Great review Jon. Please could you do a Money Ball series ranking video as well?
Can someone start a petition to fix the sound effects and monkey target? I don't think monkey target has to be just like the original to be fun. I feel like they should trust the physics engine they have in place and make monkey target satisfying in its movement with what it's working off of.
Idk if that's possible but the physics in the main game look good. Idk why they nerf that momentum with an animation :/
Target is such an issue. It really killed the excitement. Race doesn't have the same... speedy feeling you'd get going 80 km/h. I remember FLYING through the air just to beat my siblings and now it's like "wooo" passed you? Fun. The main games feels fine. Not exact which is what you commented on it.
Does this run at a steady 1080p 60fps on Switch or will I need to get it on PS5 for that?
Main game and monkey target aside, is it still good for playing the other mini games with friends? I want to introduce my nephew, niece and girlfriend's brothers to the series, to give Mario kart and Party a break for a while, but don't want to have to unlock everything playing by myself first...
So been doing some ranking challenge and trying to improve my time. I got 2 runs where I got a better time and I selected to upload the scores but it keeps defaulting to what time I got originally. The weird thing is it shows my personal best with my new time but it won't show when I enter the leaderboard... not sure if this is a bug or something I did wrong but is anyone else getting this too?
After playing the game myself and watching multiple Monkey Ball speed runners playing it, I think Jon might have been a bit too harsh regarding the game feel. The physics are different for sure but I've noticed that even the speed runners who played 1000s of hours of the original games are readjusting and enjoying it for what it is instead of constantly comparing. They even mentioned certain stages feel better to play in this game than the original games. I do think the biggest issue is the lack of co-op and Monkey target.
Nah, he was spot on. I’ve played monkeyball with my friend routinely for over 2 decades and this port straight up feels weird, sounds weird, and the redesign of courses either makes them harder (4-9) or easier (4-10). The mini games were absolutely slaughtered and are rendered unplayable in their current state. You can’t change to classic costumes (DLC) and even if you buy the classic soundtrack DLC some of the classic music is missing like monkeyball baseball. Trying to excuse a mediocre port is what it is: trying to excuse a mediocre port. Don’t do it
@@VantaCube "Excusing a mediocre port" . Here is where I don't agree, this isn't a port. It's a remake if anything. Expecting everything to be the exact same as it was makes it sound like you just want a port at that point which is fine. I agree that the sound implementation for the rolling is strange but it feeling weird is probably due to those two decades of muscle memory you built up and it's just different. I've also been playing Monkey Ball for two decades and I've beaten master for 1 and 2 on the originals and this version. I just readjusted to the different physics and didn't find it that horrible. I will admit, I don't really play the minigames except Monkey Target back in the day so I can't comment on that.
Sound design is a big thing for me and I do own the original. So it's a pass for me. Not that I wouldn't recommend to new comers, but if they had a GameCube then I'd encourage buying the original. Emulating is an option too and cheaper.
7:45 The stages don’t appear in the sky in Super Monkey Ball 2, either.
My biggest problem with the game is something I didn't see anyone mention - I think the soundtrack sucks compared to the originals. It's got that plastic kind of post 2010 mainstream electronica sound, while the originals are dripping with 90's rave goodness that gets my head bobbing immediately and puts me into a sort of a trance
Hm...so are the physics off in the "not what the old games are" way, or do they legitimately seem scuffed even removed from those originals?
I never really played monkey target, as my siblings and I never figured out the controls. We usually just played the main game and bowling. I really hope the main game has a multi-player update.
I have this preordered and ready to go, but have been wondering how much I will notice the negative changes Jon has mentioned. I played a lot of SMB 1 and 2 back when they were first released but haven’t played them for many years and not played any other games in the series. The sound effects don’t sound great, but I wonder whether the game will instantly feel off, or if having not played it in almost 20 years I won’t really notice.
You won't notice if you haven't played them for so long. I haven't anyway.
_Watches other reviews and hears how good the game is_
That's REALLY good to hear!
_Watches this video and hears Jon's complaints_
That's kinda disheartening to hear. I myself got into the series on Gamecube and I will admit, the 2 big draws for me were the mini-games and the physics. And while I'll still get this and hopefully have fun with it, hearing it's just not as good as it used to be makes me sad. :/
gotta be careful about paid reviews
@@neutralnarration1463 One of them was Good Vibes Gaming who are independent and Patreon funded...
"they can probably breathe but it isn't specified"
I know this is off topic, but this is the 10th anniversary of arguably one of the best Wii titles: Conduit 2.
The Conduit was the definition of "good for a Wii game," but Conduit 2 is, in my personal opinion, severely underrated. JarekTheGamingDragon made a video reviewing Conduit 2 (and all first person shooters on the Wii) and its sad that he is the only sizable RUclips channel that has talked about this underrated title (he gives mad praise for it too.)
It is High Voltage Software's magnum opus yet never is spoken of, as it lives in the shadow of the original game. I would love to see you guys give Conduit 2 the attention it deserves, even if it means only playing it.
Thank you :)
Basically Marble Blast dialed up to 11!
How does the water looks worse in Mania for Monkey Target than in the original...
what does the 'Monkey Icon' Mean next to the 'Tick' Icon (in Challenge-Mode)? been a question ever since game came out.
Also if Monkey Target is better on Mania than on Blitz, it should be great. I quite liked the one on Blitz although have a couple of issues with the controls
Honestly, the only reason why I got this game was cuz the deluxe edition had the option to use the classic soundtracks in game (I k ow I could purchase it separately but i feel the deluxe would be a better option)
All in all these sound like very minor complaints, aside from the physics for monkey target. I can see SEGA adding better sound effects as an update post launch but Monkey Target is a little disappointing...
Glad you touched on the importance of lives and game over in this type of game.
It’s not “artificial difficulty”, it’s to prevent the player from getting frustrated by challenges they are not ready for and to encourage them to really learn the mechanics. Otherwise, the game would have to play it safe and basically not challenge the player at all, which is unfortunately what even Nintendo does these days…
I don't remember ever playing Monkey Target as a child. Billiards and bowling on the other hand....
I'm excited for this, and at £25 it was a no-brainer for me.
So should I keep playing super monkey ball 2 for the GameCube with my buddies while having a few beers? Or should I upgrade to this one?
Would it be likely that multiplayer ends up getting added after release? Thoughts?
It's possible. There was a lot of information about it being in the game, but it was mysteriously taken down and only mentions the minigames. Perhaps there's going to be one later.
I hope the devs attempt to fix some of these issues
I hope the game gets a demo, because I heard some much about the series and I would love to play this game.
So…in summary, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is great, but if you’re too attached to the originals, keep playing them on Dolphin
And if you like playing with friends, play the originals
I'm gonna pick this up because Monkey Ball was the only Saga franchise that I never got into when I was a kid. Been on a Sega binge recently playing Nights and Sonic Adventure. I remember I was super into Sonic back in the day, I also played Billy Hatcher and I remember AiAi appeared in that game also as an easter egg.
Is there a chance that the developers can update the engine and some of the things mentioned in this review at a later date? If so I think that's the final thing I'd need to commit and grab this game.
The end part "Unity" is really what makes me hesitant to pick this up. The first game was near perfect and the 2nd one really dragged its feet but was a good sequel. I'll probably snag this on a holiday deal for like 20 bucks.
Wait so does challenge mode not have multiplayer as well?? I was looking forward to that
There's no multiplayer in main game, which is a shame
Are lives not available to turn on?
Unfortunate to hear this isn't as good as the old games. Still handy to pull out and play on the go with the Switch version. Any notes on handheld performance?
Super excited to play it. This review made me decide that I'm getting it tomorrow. Thanks Jon.
Wait so they don’t have multi player in this game? I remember the old games let you take turns with friends on different levels than you if they failed and you passed. I know I missed that aspect in the first Nintendo switch monkey ball remake, so if it doesn’t have multiplayer or difficulty levels like the old games I’m not sure I want to invest in it.
Money target was the main reason I was gonna pick it up so many evenings with friends over playing target. Can't believe they have ruined it. Hopefully they will patch it
I feel like I should mention this, but I imagine even if things don't get patched (at least on the PC version), there's gonna be dedicated superfans who will probably make community bugfixes and mods to fine-tune the physics and make them work a little more closely to the Gamecube versions. I'm definitely getting this game on day one because as much as I loved the originals (I remember renting both of them quite a few times, in 4th/5th grade), finding copies of those games aren't easy (even trying to find ISO files for Dolphin is hard to come by)... and also because I made the boneheaded decision to get the slow-as-molasses PS2 version of Deluxe instead of the Xbox version, ages ago.
I'm still excited :) sad about monkey target and no main game multiplayer though
It’s hard to remake something that was already perfect. I’ll probably still get this game, but sounds like some of my concerns I had for this game are true, like the physics being floaty.
Fantastic review. I'm a little sad about the sound design and disappointing monkey target minigame. :(
Only complaint. I can't gain and keep high speed in Monkey target. Can you no longer fly all over the stages?
Wait wait WAIT! Multiplayer is missing from Main Game??? Wtf that's the only thing we do
I actually still have Super Monkey Ball 2, but I don't have a GCN or Wii to play it on anymore, so I'm conflicted about whether to buy this or save up for a GCN.
I just bought it today because i found it in walmart at 14 dlls and i really enjoyed playing again monkey balls and to remember monkey ball 2 was so great
Digital Deluxe is almost here, this will be my first Monkey Ball experience and I'm so excited!!
Best Monkey Ball game since Deluxe.
Are you only saying this because it's the original games?
@@Daniel328DT I'm saying it because this is the closest we've ever gotten to the physics of 1, 2 and deluxe lmaoo
@@awesomeguy2009 It looks like Banana Blitz HD. I'm not sure how they both function though. Are they using the engine similar to that game?
@@Daniel328DT I can tell you that banana blitz just doesn't have good level design so this is a step up
Im worried that I will not like the game but I still want to try it out. I've never played a monkey ball game before other than the arcade one so it looks interesting. Just some of the things that were said like how the physics dont match up to the original just want make me want to emulate them instead.
This is the only review that matters. So it's a shame it didn't live up to the originals. I'll still get it cos I love the series and I'm sure there's still fun to be had. But I could also just play the originals and have a better time, which is a shame,
Yeah I’m curious to see how the engines feel different. Honestly and I know this isn’t most but I never really played the mini games only main game so I’m curious to see how that feels different.
Make a video about this game
I'm getting it because I've miss on that when I was younger I can't wait!
I had to cancel my pre-order due to personal reasons, but maybe I'll just hold off on this for a long while. I already own SMB2 on Gamecube, so I may just pick up a copy of SMB1 on Gamecube as well and just enjoy them instead.
This seems like a good remaster with some neat additions, but I guess it's the smaller stuff that Jon pointed out that doesn't really sit well with me currently, and they pile up to make it where I'm fine not rushing out and getting this.
I appreciate the attention to Monkey Target, as it is truly the best mini game of the bunch. That animation when you get launched is so off and jarring