Super Monkey Ball: BB (Wii)

SYNOPSIS:
AiAi and friends are back, and for the first time on the Wii console system.  With 50 new puzzle party games, Super Monkey Ball : Banana Blitz fully utilizes the Wii-mote for a full Wii experience.  Players get to play through Party Games (50 in total), with puzzle levels, boss levels, and the Monkey Jump.
FEATURE LIST
• Party Games: 50 party games have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii Controller.
•   Puzzle Levels: A huge number of puzzle levels have been designed for players of all standards. Easy to learn but difficult to master, these puzzle levels bring the classic Super Monkey Ball gameplay to the Nintendo Wii for the first time.
•   Boss Levels: After completing puzzle levels the game heats up with some serious boss battles. Each of the bosses will challenge you to find their weakness to defeat them.
•  Monkey Jump: For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball universe AiAi and his friends will be able to jump using an upward flick motion with the Wii Controller.
GRAPHICS
Though the Wii isn’t known for having a big time next-gen graphics engine, some of the games, like Zelda, have really impressed.  Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz isn’t anything really special and the various levels look like really great GameCube graphics at best.  Unfortunately for most gamers, they’ll probably be disappointed in this area.
SOUND
There’s a really cute soundtrack that goes along with this title, and it compliments the variety of games pretty well.  Although there’s nothing that moves the story along in terms of sound , it gets decent marks for being well executed in the game.
GAME PLAY
A lot of people compared this game to Rayman Raving Rabbids, and if that’s the comparison, this is the game to avoid.  The mini-games aren’t interesting or really all that addicting … once you play through it once you’re really done with it forever.  There’s nothing especially cute about what’s happening in the Monkey Ball universe this time around, and the controls aren’t as responsive with the Wii-Mote and Nun chuck as they are in other games.  Even though this is a very successful franchise on Nintendo during the GameCube days, this time around this game feels like it was put together in a hurry and doesn’t hit the fun factor that other release-date Wii games have done so well with.
ONLINE / MULTIPLAYER
The crux of this game is that you get three other people together and you all battle your way through the “party” themed min-games.  However, there’s no party if you’re bored throughout the whole thing, but the game does make decent use of playing through with more than 1 player.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
The game is just plainly missing the fun factor.  It comes up short because the mini-games aren’t all that fun, and the controls seem unresponsive in comparison to other games in similar style on the Wii.  The graphics are nothing exciting, the sound is well placed, but the game play experience is really what is lacking.  You might want to rent this to give it a go yourself, but in all honesty, it’s probably best to be avoided.

SYNOPSIS:

AiAi and friends are back, and for the first time on the Wii console system.  With 50 new puzzle party games, Super Monkey Ball : Banana Blitz fully utilizes the Wii-mote for a full Wii experience.  Players get to play through Party Games (50 in total), with puzzle levels, boss levels, and the Monkey Jump.

FEATURE LIST

• Party Games: 50 party games have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii Controller.
•   Puzzle Levels: A huge number of puzzle levels have been designed for players of all standards. Easy to learn but difficult to master, these puzzle levels bring the classic Super Monkey Ball gameplay to the Nintendo Wii for the first time.
•   Boss Levels: After completing puzzle levels the game heats up with some serious boss battles. Each of the bosses will challenge you to find their weakness to defeat them.
•  Monkey Jump: For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball universe AiAi and his friends will be able to jump using an upward flick motion with the Wii Controller.

GRAPHICS

Though the Wii isn’t known for having a big time next-gen graphics engine, some of the games, like Zelda, have really impressed.  Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz isn’t anything really special and the various levels look like really great GameCube graphics at best.  Unfortunately for most gamers, they’ll probably be disappointed in this area.

SOUND

There’s a really cute soundtrack that goes along with this title, and it compliments the variety of games pretty well.  Although there’s nothing that moves the story along in terms of sound , it gets decent marks for being well executed in the game.

GAME PLAY

A lot of people compared this game to Rayman Raving Rabbids, and if that’s the comparison, this is the game to avoid.  The mini-games aren’t interesting or really all that addicting … once you play through it once you’re really done with it forever.  There’s nothing especially cute about what’s happening in the Monkey Ball universe this time around, and the controls aren’t as responsive with the Wii-Mote and Nun chuck as they are in other games.  Even though this is a very successful franchise on Nintendo during the GameCube days, this time around this game feels like it was put together in a hurry and doesn’t hit the fun factor that other release-date Wii games have done so well with.

ONLINE / MULTIPLAYER

The crux of this game is that you get three other people together and you all battle your way through the “party” themed min-games.  However, there’s no party if you’re bored throughout the whole thing, but the game does make decent use of playing through with more than 1 player.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

The game is just plainly missing the fun factor.  It comes up short because the mini-games aren’t all that fun, and the controls seem unresponsive in comparison to other games in similar style on the Wii.  The graphics are nothing exciting, the sound is well placed, but the game play experience is really what is lacking.  You might want to rent this to give it a go yourself, but in all honesty, it’s probably best to be avoided.

Sean W. Gibson

Sean W. Gibson

Executive Editor at Gaming Illustrated
Sean Gibson has been the owner and Executive Editor of Gaming Illustrated for over nine years. He acts not only as a reviewer, previewer and interviewer for the site, but as an inspiring, all-powerful Emperor.
Sean W. Gibson

@gamingillustrat

http://t.co/PSklmHbhXL (Video Games) - We publish articles on video game news, video game reviews, interviews & previews. PC, Xbox 360, PS3 & Mobile platforms.
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Sean W. Gibson

Sean W. Gibson

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