Super Monkey Ball 2 (US Import)

Published by SEGA
Developed by SEGA
Platform: GameCube
Released - Out Now (PAL Version Feb/Mar 2003)
Price : £47.99

Originally a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube, Super Monkey Ball was arguably one of the best games of last year. Now SEGA have produced a
sequel.

For those unfamiliar with the main game, you guide a monkey trapped inside a clear sphere. Your aim is to move the ball through the various stages to reach the goal before the time runs out. You don't directly control the ball itself, but rather the stage it is on. Movement of the ball is achieved by tilting the stage in the appropriate direction. The stages are
suspended in mid-air and have curves, ramps, narrow sections, moving
platforms, and bumpers to navigate your way through.

There are one hundred and fifty new stages spread over ten worlds, with
three modes of play - Story, Challenge and Practise.

Story mode is linked with some quite bizarre cut scenes, involving the evil
Dr Bad-Boom, stealing all the bananas from Monkey Village. Aiai and co from the original game, set out to thwart his plans. All of the monkeys now have a back story. Aiai and Meemee go out together and Baby is their son who has travelled back through time to stop Dr Bad-Boom's plot. Gongon used to be Aiai's rival, but they are now the best of friends. Also, there is now a rationale for the premise of the game; apparently the numerous stages are obstacles devised by Dr Bad-Boom to stop the monkeys from capturing him.

Story mode has ten different worlds, and each world has ten different stages which you can select and play in any order. You have infinite lives and can attempt each stage as often as you like. When you clear all ten stages, you move on to the next world. The different worlds vary from, amongst others, volcanic to underwater; fairground, to even being inside a whale.

Challenge mode has the same structure as the main game in the previous
title. There are four difficulty levels with the stages comprising those of
the Story mode with a few additions. Complete a difficulty level without
using a continue - you initially start with three monkeys per continue, but
can eventually build this up to ninety-nine - and you'll unlock additional
stages bringing the total up to one hundred and fifty.

Practise mode speaks for itself. Unfortunately, the simultaneous split
screen mode in the previous title is no longer present. Some of the stages now have switches shaped like VCR or DVD player buttons. They are activated by rolling over them, and will affect that stage's obstacles. If a platform is moving too fast, you may have to find a play or pause button to allow you to reach the goal.

As well as the main game, there are twelve Party games. These can be played by one to four players and most of them offer simultaneous split screen action. The six originals - Monkey Race, Fight, Target, Billiards, Bowling and Golf - are joined by Monkey Boat Race, Shot, Dogfight, Soccer, Baseball and Tennis.

The originals have all been improved visually and new game play elements
introduced. Race has six new tracks and new weapons. Fight introduces
crumbling arenas. Target now has up to four players split screen and
simplified landing areas. Billiards has more variations, including US and
JPN nine ball as well as eight ball rules. Bowling gives the monkeys unique
handling characteristics and includes a special mode with lanes that move,
curve and have bumps and dips. Golf has substituted the more Crazy Golf
elements of the first game and has more realistic courses.

Boat Race is another race game with three different courses and power up's to collect. As the name suggests, the monkey ball becomes a canoe and you move and steer with the paddles by pressing the R and L triggers of the controller. Shot is basically an on rails Virtual Cop style shoot-em-up. It has three difficulty levels and takes place in three of the worlds of the main game. Dogfight is a third person flying shoot-em-up. You shoot
bullets or pineapple guided missiles at your opponents in three stages and
two modes of play - Normal, which is the highest kill count wins, and
Survivor, which is the last monkey standing. Soccer, baseball and tennis
are all variations on those sporting themes.

The Party games are no mere afterthought and provide challenging and
rewarding game play in themselves.

The graphics have been given an overhaul and the backgrounds are now far more elaborate. They have a higher polygon count with more animations such as streams of water and larva, and even a rollercoaster in the theme park world. Technically, there is no pop up, slow down or load screens, and it offers a widescreen and progressive scan mode for those with posh TV's.

Aurally, SMB2 is totally deaf gamer friendly. The Story mode is fully
subtitled by default and the text is clear and easy to read. All of the
necessary sound effects both in the main games and Party games all have a visual or written prompt.

Like its predecessor, SMB2 offers a premise and game play that differs from its peers. It is easy to play yet takes time to master. It is better structured than the original. In the previous game, to access the extra stages in the main game, you had to complete a difficulty level without losing a life. On the Advanced and Expert settings, this was an almost impossible task. In SMB2 you have to complete a difficulty level without using a continue - and you can eventually build up to ninety-nine lives per continue - thereby making it easier and fairer for gamers to
unlock further stages.

The inclusion of the Party games ensures excellent replay value and makes it the best Party game currently available on the GameCube. Also, Internet
gaming forums would suggest that this is a game that would appeal to all the family. Having recently witnessed my non-video gaming in-laws shrieking with delight whilst playing it, I would have to agree.

The game does have its faults. The introduction of switches in the main
game is not successfully implemented. The switch you require to proceed is usually directly behind your starting position. You have to ask if it is so
easy to find and activate, why bother putting it in the stage in the first
place.

A handful of levels can prove frustratingly difficult. Stages such as
'Arthropod', 'Launchers' and 'Switch Inferno' have become infamous on
Internet game forums. For example, in Launchers, your monkey ball will be
bashed up into the air and has to land on top of a small platform before
falling off into the goal. This personally took me over one hundred and
fifty attempts before I first completed it. Even now, after months of
practise, it still proves troublesome.

Some of the Party games work better than others. Boat Race, Dogfight and Soccer all suffer from frustrating controls. Generally, the original Party
games stand out as being superior to the new additions.

It's a matter of taste but personally I didn't feel there was a need for a
Story mode. Its inclusion and subsequent attempts to explain the game
detracts from the quirkiness of the original premise.

Overall Game Rating: 8.0/10
In summary, like its predecessor, SMB2 is a genuine must have for the
GameCube. The 150 stages and twelve Party games provide a substantial
challenge and excellent replay value.

Deaf Gamers comment:
For deaf gamers, SMB2 is totally deaf gamer friendly.