Review of Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble: amazing ape balls

Our Verdict

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a fantastic new instalment, taking the visual style of Sega’s long-running series to new heights. It takes a while to dial up the challenge, but thanks to smart design, it’s welcoming to newcomers and Monkey Ball veterans alike.

There aren't many pure gaming delights quite like sitting down to play Super Monkey Ball. There's nothing quite like the rush of hurling those monkey balls down the course at breakneck speed in the vain hope that you could somehow reach the goal, only to give up after a few tries and proceed cautiously to clear the course. I have always liked it and I will continue to enjoy it. I gladly accepted my editor's invitation to evaluate the Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, of course.

It's not really a gripe too much, but the Banana Rumble narrative mode's concept is as formulaic as they come. Super Monkey Ball games mostly focus on gameplay and environment design, with less emphasis on compelling narratives, much like Sega's popular Sonic series. However, we'll go into more detail about it later. For the time being, let's just say that Banana Rumble has a new character introduction, takes you on an expedition to gather some historical relics, and witnesses you making more new friends until you ultimately discover the unintentional adversary. Indeed, sir, there is a scheme there.

Let's go on to the actual gaming. The main distinction between Banana Rumble and other entries is the addition of a brand-new gimmick! I'm going to have to mention Sonic twice in this review since the gimmick in issue is the spin dash. Similar to the blue blur's spin dash, you aim, hold down a button, and launch yourself at the objective. Although I've discovered that I'm a Super Monkey Ball purist, you may choose to disregard it for almost every level if you're not. Still, it can be helpful. I apologize to the devs, but you can't alter the fact that I'm a die-hard Monkey Baller.

Speaking of levels, my opinions on them in Banana Rumble are very divided. I will say this: everything looks fantastic, from the futuristic antics of Neon Arena to the barren and arid Stone Valley. The levels in Banana Rumble are much brighter and cleaner than in Banana Mania, the last game in the series, which debuted only three years ago. They also span a wide range of graphic styles while remaining cohesive inside the same game universe.

The levels seem fantastic, but it takes some time for them to get very difficult. I spent around two hours blasting through the first eight of the 10 game worlds, and although I had a good time, I quickly found myself yearning for a challenge. Super Monkey Ball 2 came released when I was just seven years old, so the warm light of nostalgia may have warped my memory of the first GameCube games, but I'm sure it was tougher than this.

Sure, getting through levels is simple, but finishing them? That is a distinct query. There are three sub-missions in each stage: finding the golden banana, picking up a specified number of bananas, and finishing the course in a certain period of time. The game uses this as an incentive for you to revisit early parts, but you are not required to complete all three at once. You may purchase cosmetics for your AiAi, MeeMee, and the other monkey gang members with the points you earn from each of these sub-missions.

While these cosmetics are entertaining, they don't provide enough of a reason to return only to get points. I'm not sure whether casual gamers will go back through some of the early stages in search of golden bananas and speedy completion speeds, but I'm not a big deal either. I'm one of those completionist freaks that gets their thrills from gazing at a screen that says 100%. Though completing the same stages again is a necessary technique of obtaining a challenge, so I can't really complain.

I haven't addressed it yet, but the fact that each character in Banana Rumble has unique stats rather than simply being reskins of the same item might have contributed to how simple I found some of the stages. Although GonGon is my favorite character from the original game and an absolute unit, his high weight and break numbers make him more prone to cease motion when you approach an edge or other impediment.

Nevertheless, I attempted to retry a few levels using a character named Baby who effectively flips GonGon's numbers, and I felt that some of the early and mid-game phases still made the player's life a little too easy. I understand that there's a good chance some children may play, and they need to be able to progress the game without running into level obstacles. In response, I would say, "Isn't that the purpose of the helper function?"

I may be being a little harsh here, I admit. The stages are enjoyable, and Super Monkey Ball has a design dilemma with Pokémon in that it must satisfy both casual and, most likely, younger players who need really difficult stages that challenge their exact inputs. Although I recognize that it's a challenging Monkey Ball to balance, luckily, things get a bit more difficult in the very late game. And after you finish the main game, wow, do things become different.

Usually, I wouldn't go into too much depth in reviews when it comes to post-game stuff, but I believe that Super Monkey Ball fans should know about this. The intense and terrifying sensation that I mentioned a few lines before is the post-game. Once the credits have rolled, you may enter EX worlds, which are basically the same worlds as the regular game stages but with a number of extra levels that have a far higher difficulty level. This was, for me, the real start of the game, and I was really in my element.

Not a single EX level that I've played has been easy for me to clear on my first try, at least not without carefully considering my approach. This is when altering your persona really becomes relevant, since certain monkeys correspond to distinct phases. Not only am I obtaining the right degree of difficulty here, but the levels also look amazing, adding an extra layer of opulence to all the regular game's settings. If you're a fan of the series, I won't bore you with another five paragraphs on my favorite levels and why you should play them. I'll simply tell you not to put this game down before finishing the main plot.

In addition to the main adventure, Banana Rumble has a combat mode. Even against CPU opponents, this game mode really delivers the pandemonium, particularly with the maximum of 16 characters participating. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to play multiplayer, so I can't really give you too much of an opinion of it.

You may play Race mode for sheer speed or take on Goal Rush in fight mode, which places you in what is effectively a Monkey Ball pachinko game. Although it's a pleasant diversion from the journey, the novelty quickly wears off when playing against CPU opponents. However, I can imagine it being more enjoyable with friends, so I've added it to my list for the next time I have a game night.

Banana Rumble works well on Switch in terms of performance, which is to be expected from a renowned developer such as Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio on hardware that is seven years old. There is no latency or stuttering even when you are speeding through a stage at over 100 mph, so I really have nothing else to say. It's flawless beyond your expectations.

Finally, it's important to note that Banana Rumble offers a plethora of control choices, which should allay some of the community's concerns about Super Monkey Ball games. I'm more than satisfied with that since, in my opinion, the game feels the most like the original GameCube games in a long time, with a healthy dose of new concepts.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is really more of the same, and if you like the series, you'll probably enjoy it. It's good news for fans of the series like me who simply want another serving of what we've had since 2002 that the spin dash gimmick isn't enough to significantly alter the basic experience, but it could be a touch disappointing for those seeking for Super Monkey originality. Thankfully, I'm not, and if Sega releases something comparable every other year, I'll be there when it does. That is a promise, not a threat. Give me a try, Sega.

Here it is: our Nintendo Switch Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble review ahead of its June 25 release date. Check out our reviews of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Paper Trail, and Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge as well as our opinions on other recent Switch blockbusters while you're here.