The console gamer and the PC gamer often fear the port. To many such gamers, the port represents a title developed for one platform and then thrown onto another for a quick cash in. Mobile gamers, on the other hand, are in quite a different position. Consoles today represent the future of mobile gaming--so a port from console to mobile helps us inch closer to that future.
Sega's Monkey Ball debuted on the GameCube and was one of its best launch titles. How appropriate then, that the best of the slew of games now available for Sprint Vision phones is a mobile version of Monkey Ball. Fans of the game's "big brother" will see that the game is true to its roots with fun, colorful graphics, and gameplay that will have you as addicted to this game as its protagonist is to banana gobbling.
The goal of the game is simple, if a little strange: roll a little, ball-dwelling monkey to the goal of each map before the time runs out, collecting bananas on the way--but watch out! The extreme indigestion caused by eating a bad banana makes the handset rumble like nothing I've ever seen and makes it easier to fall of the edge of the maps. This version of monkey ball is unique from the original, as it increases the focus on puzzle-solving by including Sokoban-like mazes. The player must use the monkey ball to kick blocks out of the way and clear a path to the goal.
Monkey Ball's bizarrely compelling gameplay and jocular premise make for a winning combination. It's a highly enjoyable mobile version of a console classic.
