Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania
A playfully done reworking of a masterpiece, with some minor drawbacks
by Eli Gemeinhardt
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania by Sega (developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio), Runs on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/Series X, PS4/5, and Steam. Typical price $40. ESRB Rating E +10 (Cartoon Violence). I purchased the game.
“Banana Mania” is a fun but deceptively challenging update to the first three Monkey Ball games (Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2 and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe). Besides the older content, you get some fresh playable characters.
This was my introduction to the Super Monkey Ball series, and I believe that this is the best way to get into the series today.
Many fans believe that these three games are the best in the series, and after playing the game myself for about 30 hours in total, I agree.
Let’s take a closer look at the strengths and weakenesses of this new release.
Strengths
Levels are short, making it easy for the player to keep retrying the level whenever they fail. All of the music has been rearranged, giving series veterans something new to listen to.
There are new, never before seen modes that change up how you approach the game, such as playing stages backwards, having to collect every banana to win, and even avoiding every banana before reaching the end (this one is tougher than it sounds).
The game also features guest characters from other SEGA properties, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Beat from Jet Set Radio, and Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza series.
Weaknesses
Multiplayer can only be found through mini-games that can be played on the side. Some of these can be fun, but after trying to play a handful of them with friends, we weren’t really enjoying them.
Fans also argue that many control worse than they used to, the main offender being Monkey Target (gameplay can be seen below).
In addition to this, the original Super Monkey Ball games had a couch co-op mode, where players would take turns playing through stages. This is strangely absent from the remake, and I’m surprised it hasn’t been added in an update in the past five months the game has been out.
The guest characters I mentioned earlier weirdly lack any voice lines, which is strange when trying to play as them over any of the actual main characters.
The game has a decent amount of downloadable content which mainly amounts to a few more characters (including Morgana from Persona 5, Hello Kitty, and even old SEGA Consoles), along with the classic music, and a few more cosmetics for your characters. Every character is an additional $5, with 4 character packs (all of which don’t have any voice lines), a few cosmetics, and the old soundtrack you could be spending as much as $35 extra on the game.
Personally, I only recommend getting the classic soundtrack DLC, and only get other packs if you’re really interested in them and really enjoy the game.
Conclusion
Overall, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania delivers on what you’d expect — lot’s of fun and a challenge for both new players and those familiar with this series. The main game is very great on its own, and fun can be found in the mini games with the right people.
My rating: 8.5 out of 10
Eli Gemeinhardt is an IMM major with a minor in Graphic Design at TCNJ who loves game design.
