Amusement Vision's cute-beyond-all-means puzzle/action series Super Monkey Ball was introduced years ago on the Nintendo GameCube, and ever since we've been rolling around, collecting bananas and putting up with the game's incredibly squeaky "monkeyspeak". It's worked well so far, especially when compilations arrived for the Xbox and PS2 to feed the frenzy. But this latest title fails to feed the need. It's like you've been eating some fine steak and then you get served a measly TV dinner.

Super Monkey Ball Adventure is a game that attempts to advance the series by introducing something new. People who want to roll around chimps in clear balls can do that here, but an unwelcome complication has come into the fray. This time around, there's a story, and tasks that have to be completed. When I heard that this was the work of Travellers Tales, I began to think back of another Sega license that they did for the Saturn years ago, Sonic 3D Blast. It wasn't like the game was terrible mush, but compared to the earlier titles in the series, it felt like a letdown. How ironic that history repeats itself, as Monkey Ball Adventure can't live up to the reputation of the previous games.

The story revolves around a romance that's Romeo and Juliet-like, except with kingdoms taking over for warring families. (And monkeys replacing the people, of course.) Princess Deedee of Monkitropolis and Prince Abeabe of Kongri-la (imagine what they'll name their kids) are deeply in love with one another, but their kingdoms are feuding, ruining any chances of their union. So, instead of trying to make peace themselves (the LOGICAL route), they call upon Ai Ai, a young monkey who gets around in his little monkey ball. He and his friends agree to resolve the issues in these kingdoms so these two can have a happy life and go bananas (apeshit?) for each other.

Upon playing this game for several hours, I can see why the Monkey Kingdoms are at each other's throats. Like their leaders, they don't do a damn thing. As you progress throughout the game, you'll run into all kinds of monkeys incapable of completing their own tasks. One is missing her sister and won't even go looking for her, instead standing around and fretting. One needs help destroying bee's nests even though HE'S the bee expert. Get the picture? It's like what you've done in previous platforming games. Except here, too much is stale.

The main problem with the gameplay is that you never get out of the ball. Sure, you have abilities that you can use over the course of the game that seem like familiar Monkey Ball power-ups. One sets your entire ball aflame; the next gives you a spring-loaded boxing glove. But the action is just dull, and sometimes even infuriating. Take, for instance, a particular level filled with hills. Up, down, you know the drill. After maneuvering so much, you manage to clear a hill, only to roll off the ledge. It's bad enough having the announcer saying "Fallout" and your monkey screaming to their temporary doom, but you're dropped back off at a spot where you have to try the hill again. There's only a few of these rough spots, but they're an enormous pain.

What could've been done better here? Well, besides better thought in level design, how about letting the monkey out. And not just to fly and flap his wings or what have you, but give him (or her) abilities. Take the sides of the ball and be able to knock away enemies or stun birds. Set up a spin dash attack like the one Pac-Man has in Pac-Man World 3. Anything, really. Just get out of the ball. But they won't, and even with special abilities, the Story Mode just gets nowhere. Some might find joy in some of the puzzles and the challenge of running birds off. But not me.

Then there's the camera controls. Like most platforming games, Super Monkey Ball Adventure can't maintain a solid camera system. You constantly have to readjust it with the right analog stick to see where you're going. And not just sticking next to a wall either. If you're rolling on a narrow path and want to get a look below you, you'll actually need to take some time to adjust to avoid a fall. It's not like the rest of the graphics are amazing either, They're OK, but come off a level below Super Monkey Ball Deluxe. Fortunately, if you're a fan of "chimp talk", the game has it here in droves. I got annoyed by it, even when I was drunk and tried to make out the words. ("OK, I think you just said underwear. Not sure.")

If the rest of the modes were OK, I could probably oversee the Story Mode. But they come up short also. The Challenge Mode contains 50 stages of the traditional Monkey Ball action, but only a few of the higher stages really have any kind of challenge to offer. You'll probably get through with this mode in a matter of hours (or, if you're like our Monkey Ball expert Justin, 18 minutes.)

And I am SORELY disappointed with the Party Mode. There's six games here. Six. Monkey Ball Deluxe had double that and was loaded with 200+ stages. There's no excuse. Worse yet, the selections aren't really that inspired. You have a tile-switching game where monkeys bounce around to change the colors (like Othello but at a very slow pace), a bland race game with only four tracks, and a tag mode that can be really frustrating if you're sick of being "it". Monkey Target makes a return, but Travellers Tales make a horrid mistake by locking out other levels to be "earned". That means only the first one is playable right away, and it's not that great. The only new mini-game I found of great significance is one where monkeys take control of cannons and blast each other's forts apart, using themselves as ammunition. This can be a lot of fun in multiplayer, but skip single player. It seems that these primates are so skilled that they have targeting similar to that of a Naval gunner. Monkey Fight's here as well, with the characters throwing boxing gloves at each other. But that's it. No Monkey Bowling, no Monkey Golf, no Monkey Hockey. Not even my personal favorite, Monkey Billiards. Pool-shooting monkeys deserve just as much recognition as poker-playing dogs, methinks.

Super Monkey Ball Adventure is kind of like Mr. T if he had grown a full afro. There's some familiarity there from before but it's hard to really accept the changes. Hopefully, the series will find some redemption with Amusement Vision's forthcoming Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz for the Nintendo Wii. In the meantime, stick with the traditional Monkey Ball games and leave this scatterbrained effort alone.

Our Final ScoreBad

What did you think of this game? Post Your Own Review