Super Monkey Ball rolling to PlayStation Vita in early 2012

Super Monkey Ball is rolling to new territory next year. Sega today announced that its long-running minigame and maze adventure game will be launching on Sony's new PlayStation Vita handheld in early 2012.

Designed around the new hardware's features, the PS Vita version of Super Monkey Ball will make use of the handheld's tilt-sensitive motion controls, dual analog sticks, and both front and back touch screens.

The game will feature the series' familiar mix of maze challenges where players must traverse treacherous courses, collecting bananas en route to each levels goal, as well as a variety of minigames. Sega has not detailed all such minigames, but it did say the game would see the return of Monkey Target, as well as some new additions to the series.

The Monkey Ball series has become a handheld gaming staple over the years, appearing on the Game Boy Advance, N-Gage, DS, 3DS, iOS systems, and Windows Mobile phones. For more on the latest installment, check out GameSpot's review of Super Monkey Ball 3D on the 3DS.