The pure definition of a fun videogame
The game's premise is extremely strange: You are put in control of a monkey locked up in a plastic ball and it is up to you to guide your simian friend throughout the game's many mazes trying to collect as many bananas as possible while attempting to go from point a to point b. Those mazes vary in size, shape and challenge level, but most of them share one feature in common since they have no rails on their borders which means that falling into ultimate doom is something that will happen quite often if you are unable to fully control your character on the game's many tricky platforms.
The game is so simple that players could go through all of its levels using exclusively their left hands because all it takes to control one of the game's four main characters is the control stick. There is no jumping, no secrets, no special powers, it all comes down to the player's ability to use the terrain in their favor to reach the goal as fast as possible while scoring tons of points via banana collecting.
The game is divided into four distinct modes: Story, Challenge, Practice and – of course – multiplayer. All of which will certainly provide many hours of mindless for every single rank and category of gamer you can possibly think of. Taking heavy inspiration from the most nickel-consuming arcade games, Super Monkey Ball is easy to get into, but hard to get out of due to its extremely addictive nature.
The fact that each of its levels needs to be bested within 60 seconds only improves its addictive quality since you won't really bother falling into doom as any progress you made can be gained – and maybe lost again – within a few seconds. The game allows players to restart levels right away with the ability to skip any introduction scenes, which was definitely a smart move given the countless amount of times you will watch your cuddly friend falling into oblivion.
The Story Mode is packed with 100 different levels separated into ten different worlds. In order to advance to a subsequent set of challenges all the stages of the previous world must be cleared. As you go from one world or another awkward cutscenes will tell a story that is as out there as the game's premise, and their low production values don't exactly diminish the number of times you will cringe. The plot – like the cutscenes – is unnecessary for a game of this kind, but I am sure there is a crowd out there that will find some enjoyment on the game's silly story development. Truthfully though, the cutscenes don't last for long and can be used for a short break since chances are you won't feel like taking any breaks while playing it.
For those who feel like skipping through the plot Challenge Mode is where the fun is at. The mode is divided into four difficulties beginner, advanced, expert, and master, and each one of those has a group of levels that when bested without running out of lives unlocks an array of tougher mazes which don't appear on the Story Mode. Challenge Mode will certainly entertain the most hardcore players for hours as they try to get through the toughest challenges in the game. For those who just want to relax though, Practice Mode lets you play through any of the levels you have unlocked.
As if the traps, mazes and worlds of the other modes weren't enough Super Monkey Ball 2 also has one of the Gamecube's best multiplayer modes. The game features twelve different mini-games that can be unlocked through points earned on the other modes, those mini-games offer nice variety and tons of family-friendly fun. Activities such as Soccer, Golf, Racing, Boxing, Sky Diving and many others are featured with the game's unique presentation, and – obviously – monkeys. One or two of those mini-games may have small control issues, but it is easy to look past them and notice that Super Monkey Ball 2's multiplayer mode is on par with the likes of Mario Kart and Mario Party.
The game's overly simple presentation fits like a glove on what the developer was trying to achieve with a quirky premise and over-the-top fun atmosphere, but it is easy to notice some details could have been improved such as the different backgrounds that are displayed on the game's different worlds. The game's songs aren't shinning with excellence either as they can get repetitive really fast for being so short in length and number.
Games like Super Monkey Ball 2 though are barely affected by presentation issues as the sheer fun they provide easily balances any flaws the title may have. When it is all said and done the game is a must buy for anyone that loves a simple, yet addictive title that borrows a lot of concepts from old-school arcade games and sucks you, and your family, into the ride with so much success and charm.
Its simple controls work as a warm welcome for non-gamers, but for those who are willing to spend many hours with the title it reserves a high level of challenge that is rarely seen in current day videogames, a quality that seems to be lost in the past, but that is occasionally brought back to life when titles as good and fun as this one are produced. There is a very thin line between difficulty and frustration, and Super Monkey Ball 2's biggest achievement is packing an amazing level of challenge while not driving players mad with frustration.
Actual Score: 8.9