Super Monkey Ball 3D is a fun game, but the lack of content makes it a hard buy.
Gameplay: The gameplay in Super Monkey Ball 3D is divided in three modes: Monkey Ball, Monkey Race, and Monkey Fight.
Monkey Ball is a mode for which the series is famous. You play as an arguably cute monkey inside a ball, trying to reach the end of stages and collect stuff by rolling. This is done by moving the stages, and can be done in two different ways: with the circle pad and with the motion controls. The motion controls, while accurate, take off the 3D effect, but add challenge(and frustration). With the circle pad, the game is easier, but also more boring. Ultimately, this mode ends of feeling too short, with only 8 different-themed worlds to explore(each world is made of 11 short levels).
Next is Monkey Race, a Mario Kart clone. The game doesn't work too well because the controls are stiff and it's pretty hard to drift, let alone use turbo. To drift, you have to brake first, and then move with the circle pad/d-pad(the d-pad's more comfortable in this game), similar to Ridge Racer, but stiffer, and way harder to do. There are also power-ups, which adds some fun to the game, making you think on how to use them, even though some are pretty useless: for example, the one which boosts your speed almost always makes you fall, because it's really hard to drift, so you gotta know when to use it. To use turbo, you press the R button while moving, but I don't recommend it, because it makes your kart really fast and can make you fall. The game has Grand Prix, Time Trial, and Single Race.
Last is the Monkey Fight. The game is similar to Smash Bros. in concept, but falls short. The goal is to obtain as many bananas as you can: you do this by either taking them from an enemy or grabbing them from the floor. There are also special attacks, similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but you have a time limit to use them and they aren't as impressive as in that game.
This game also features multiplayer on its mini games, but it lack online, which is a shame.
5/10
Presentation: The presentation is nice, with colorful worlds and relaxing music. Some music tracks aren't good, but they're few. The 3D effect doesn't add much at all, just a little depth.
8/10
Story: There isn't any story in this game.
Replay Value: The game has its replayability, especially if you plan on getting, any character and trophy, but it's not that compelling. You can also buy some characters and karts with play coins, but it feels useless except for completion purposes, since no particular character adds anything to the game(especially considering that characters you can get are only alternate costumes for the ones you already have.)
7/10
Fun: I had a lot of fun with this game, even with Monkey Race, and I consider that the worst controlled mode. The one I had the least fun with was Monkey Ball: it's too linear. Overall, a fun package, and it can get you entertained for a while, but don't expect anything amazing.
9/10
Conclusion: Super Monkey Ball 3D is a good game in terms of fun. However, don't expect a deep experience. The lack of online takes some points off, but ultimately, it stands as a solid game which could have done better, but it's fun enough to play it for some time.