Super Monkey Ball 2

UPC: 010086610123

Platform: Nintendo GameCube

Publisher: Sega of America, Inc.

Developer: Amusement Vision

Category: Action

Style(s): Maze

Synopsis: Super Monkey Ball 2 continues the rolling exploits of four small monkeys placed inside giant transparent spheres as they are guided across a series of hazard-filled levels. The single-player game offers 150 boards to conquer with one of the four monkeys from the original: AiAi, MeeMee, GonGon, and Baby. A new villain named Dr. Bad Boon has stolen the world's bananas in attempt to starve the monkeys, so players begin the adventure on a quest to reclaim their food supply. Each themed world offers a series of 10 progressively challenging levels, which can be played in any order. Six new sports-related mini-games are included for multiplayer action in addition to enhanced versions of those found in the original. Up to four players can gather around to partake in Monkey Boat Race, Monkey Tennis, Monkey Baseball, Monkey Soccer, Monkey Dogfight, and Monkey Shot. Monkey Boat Race involves paddling down a river in a kayak, alternating strokes using the controller's shoulder buttons. Monkey Tennis has players trying to return as many serves as possible, while Monkey Baseball consists of hitting monkeys over the stadium's fence to score points. Monkey Soccer features two teams competing on a smaller field. The remaining two games are shooters: Monkey Dogfight is an aerial battle, while Monkey Shot involves blasting items while traveling along a predefined route. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Registration Card

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

One of the thickest GameCube manuals to date. The presentation could be better, but it contains all the information you're likely to need. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

The backgrounds in Story mode are quite beautiful indeed, while everything else combines to create a tight, well-programmed package. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Released to minimal fanfare, Super Monkey Ball managed to carve a sizeable niche for itself in the market, while at the same time garnering a devout following of fans the world over. It achieved this feat thanks largely to an infectious blend of charm and simple, yet engrossing gameplay. The aptly titled Super Monkey Ball 2, released less than a year later, attempts to build upon this unexpected success by offering more of everything that could be found in the original. Central to this philosophy is the multiplayer portion of the title, which now boasts no fewer than 12 party games; consisting of revamped events from the original title along with disciplines wholly new to the franchise. Players can look forward to participating in the likes of Monkey Race 2, Monkey Fight 2, Monkey Target 2, Monkey Billiards 2, Monkey Bowling 2, Monkey Golf 2, Monkey Boat, Monkey Shot, Monkey Dogfight, Monkey Soccer, Monkey Baseball, and Monkey Tennis. Despite Amusement Vision's best intentions, the end result is something of a mixed bag. Certain events, like Monkey Race 2 for example, have been altered for the better, while the simplistic charm of the original Monkey Golf has given way to an overly complex re-creation of the sport that offers expansive, yet exceptionally frustrating course designs. In fact, many facets of SMB2, having been fleshed out considerably since the first title, have lost some of their intrinsic charm as a result. A perfect example of this is the game's Story mode. Here, the puzzle stages have been grouped into themed worlds consisting of a collection of ten stages each, and book-ended by some of the most inane, derivative, and just downright awful cut-scenes ever viewed. The pleasure of conquering a deviously conceived gauntlet of puzzles is all but sapped by these poorly scripted, and irritatingly voiced sequences, whose presence in the title, are completely unnecessary. Respite, however, is offered in the form of Challenge mode, a single- or multiplayer mode that mimics the structure found in the original title. Groups of ten, 30 and 50 stages are divided into Beginner, Advanced, and Expert classifications, respectively, and here, unlike in the Story mode, players are given only three lives with which to complete all the stages. Additional lives can be accrued by collecting 100 bananas, and continues are made available should you lose all your allotted lives. It has to be said, regardless of the mode, that the puzzles are as challenging as ever, and now include remote-control functions -- such as fast-forward, rewind, play, and pause -- clever use of which is required to pass the later levels. The landscapes players are expected to traverse are among the most outlandish, almost surreal, ever conceived, and will, more often that not, have you beside yourself with frustration. Frustration that eventually gives way to unbounded joy and relief when finally surpassed. If nothing else, SMB2 certainly manages to elicit a wide spectrum of emotions from the player. While the focal point of the title is the multiplayer aspect, players are encouraged to log a good deal of time on the single-player modes, as only by earning Play Points in these modes can the six new mini-games be unlocked. As mentioned above, the mini-games are hit-and-miss in their execution, with some proving to be highly enjoyable, while others tedium incarnate. More so than usual, these events are very subjective, and groups of players will no doubt find themselves gravitating towards particular events. The baseball and soccer events are perhaps a bit shallow for their own good, and the much-vaunted "morphing lanes" of Monkey Bowling are little more than a momentary distraction at best. As it stands, the eclectic selection of mini-games, while not to everyone's taste, offers a good deal of multiplayer excitement. Though much improved over its predecessor, Super Monkey Ball 2 is hardly a graphical <i>tour de force</i>. Be that as it may, the title exudes a considerable amount of polish, possessing good texture work and splendid visual effects, with special mention needing to be made of the themed backgrounds in each of Story mode's worlds. The aural accompaniment fares slightly worse, with background tracks that prove to be little more than forgettable and character voices that, unlike the pleasant gibberish-spewing denizens of Rayman 2 and Banjo-Kazooie, are sure to drive all but the most hardened of souls insane. Like its predecessor, Super Monkey Ball 2 makes up for its many deficiencies with top-notch gameplay. And though the original title offers a bit more charm, there's plenty here to warrant a look by both fans of the first game and newcomers alike. Monkeys in plastic balls. What on Earth are they going to think of next? ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

The multiplayer competition offered will have friends crowded together for many a weekend. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Much of the sound library from the original remains intact. Noteworthy effects, but little else. And the voices, can somebody please stop the voices? ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Enthralling single-player modes, and some truly enjoyable multiplayer modes. A worthy, if slightly underwhelming sequel. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.