Tries hard to be like it's gamecube brethren, it doesn't fail but dosn't live up to their glory.........................
Super Monkey Ball Jr. is the GBA version of sega's acclaimed Gamecube classic. It is everything you'd expect but also twice as difficult. Again there is the main mode where you just roll around a monkey in a ball accross suspended mazes to the goal. but like I said it is made much more difficult thanks to the GBA's lack of analog and a slow but forgiving framerate.
There are also minigames as usual but only 3 made the cut, fight, bowling and golf. My personal favorite is golf. Because you might be spending more time with the minigames than the frustrating main game i will individual rate each minigame as well as the made game and just give the overall at the end.
Maingame: While it is just as addicting as it's gamecube counterpart most, if not all the the stages are the same as the gamecube version. Also it is very difficult thanks to the control so you might give up in frustration. I was only able to unlock the extra stages in Beginner and Advanced mode and was only able to get to level 15 in expert whout continuing which pisses me off because I completely beat super monkey ball 2. Like in the previous game there is also mastermode which is unlocked by buying it with play points. Thanks to a cheat I have finnally unlocked all stages.......whooppeee! 7/10
Golf: Simply the best minigame in the game, there are two 9 hole courses
of simple but fun minigolf and you can even play multiplayer via passing around one GBA. Still there isn't really anymodes to it and once you master the courses it will grow boring. Still a great addition! 8/10
Bowling: Too simple to hold my attention. It has 3 fight stages but only one mode of play for single player. Basically just tap the a button, no charging punches in this version. There are powerups but still it won't entertain very long and no i haven't been able to try the multisystem multiplayer even though that's probably where it shines. 5/10 Bowling: This one will probably be played for it's multiplayer more than it's single player, but at least there is more than one single player option. There is normal bowling and challenge mode which gives you the CHALLENGE of knocking down sets of pins in different patterns. You can also play multiplayer via passing around one gba. Bowling is simple but fun but in my oppinion isn't as good as golf. 7/10
There is also monkey duel but that is really just a multiplayer version of the maingame for 2 players.
Gameplay: Overall gameplay of super monkey ball jr. deserves a 7/10
Graphics: While the framerate isn't very fast and there is a bit of slow down the game does run in full 3d (not mode 7) and ON THE GBA TOO! So even with the problems i still think it deserves a ten because for the system it's on this is amazing. If there is one major reason to get this game it is to show off it's graphics (not that that even matter with the ds out, lol!).
10/10
Sound: The cheery upbeat techno music, and annoying monkey screaches from the gamecube aliterations are kept quite intact. 8/10
Control: As bad as i make the control sound it is the best they could of done on the gba. Use use the D pad to tilt the stages, hold the a button to tilt more and the b button to tilt less. So why the control system is frustrating it deserves a 8/10.
Value: The main game won't last that long and even though the minigames will keep you entertained longer, it defineately won't stay in your gba forever. 7/10 OVERALL I GIVE THIS GAME A 7/10