Super Monkey Ball 2 is an all around fun game. Be it a single, or multiplayer experience.
The main game has a silly premise as Dr. Bad-Boon steals all the bananas from an island. And our 4 heros, Aiai, Meemee, baby, and Gongon attempt to stop him by playing various, whacky courses that require you to pilot your ball across a level and reach a goal. Though trust me, it's easier said than done. Although there are 4 monkeys, you will only be able to play as Aiai during the main game.
This 1 player adventure can be quite fun, as well as quite frustrating as some levels are ridiculously hard that will leave you scratching your head trying to figure out a plan. Nevertheless it offers a great challenge, and is quite satisfying when you do manage to complete that one level you were stuck on for hours. Doing this will earn you play points, these points will enable you to purchase things throughout the course of the game. There are 10 worlds with about 10 levels in each. The difficulty varies from level to level, but there will be at least one level in each world that poses a significant challenge.
The controls are pretty straightforward; basically you use the control stick to move. And that's all. There isnt any jump button, no brake button, no nothing. You simply use the control stick you move your mouse-in-a-ball around the field.
There is also a challenge mode that you can play to attempt certain stages. For example you can choose to play 10 easy stages, or 50 difficult stages. This mode can also be played with up to 3 other people. Basically you'll all play the same levels and see who gets left behind.
Overall there are about 150 levels when you include bonus stages within the main single player game. All in all this mode,with the single player and challenge, is pretty hefty and is well worth a purchase alone.
Graphics wise the game is nothing you'll wow over. Everything is pretty simple, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. This type of game would feel odd if it had over the top graphics. So in a way the graphics are suiting. They are tolerable, so you wont look away in disgust after a cut scene.
The sound also is short of spectacular. During cutscenes, the monkeys will speak in monkey sounds, which are pretty cheesy at best. The in-game sounds are quite fitting, though repetitive. The good thing is that you probably wont notice the sound too much as you'll probably be concentrating on moving your monkey around the course.
Of course we come to the multiplayer.
There are 6 party games from the start, and 6 more than can be unlocked by earning play points from single player mode. The party games all range in terms of difficulty and fun factor.
Race - It's your typical Mario kart race style game. You run along odd shaped tracks and pick up power ups that can be used for your advantage. Several tracks require you to keep an eye open, if you dont you'll run right off the edge, or hit bumps along the road that will screw you up terribly.
Fight - Your little ball has a boxing glove on it and you must now punch your opponents off the edge. Its pretty straightforward, as well as fun. You can charge your punches up to send opponents way off screen. You win by earning points as you knock people off. Sometimes you will be going to fast and go right off the edge, so do be cautious.
Target - A fun game. Basically you run down a hill and launch up into the air, you then glide towards multi colored targets. Each color on the target represents a point level. Successfully landing on a part of the target earns you points. A very good multiplayer game.
Billiards - It's pool, plain and simple. This is perhaps the best game to play, and there are so many modes here. You can play 9-ball, 8-ball, Japan 9-ball, or Random, which means you sink a ball, and earn points depending on what number it was. So sinking the 9 ball earns you 9 points.
Bowling - Everyone loves bowling right? Monkey bowling on the other hand..maybe not so much. When going for a shot, each character has a cursor that moves back and forth. Most go shockingly fast which can make this all quite difficult. Each character has their own traits, such as Gongon is the poweful one, while Aiai is your well-rounded one. There are a few modes to explore within bowling, a good one is playing on the whacky lanes that prove to be quite challenging.
Golf - Its similar to Hot Shots golf. You know, incredibly odd courses with incredibly ridiculous pars. Overall its ok for a golf game, just be prepared to see the word 'Bogey' a few times. If you're one to get mad easily, avoid this game.
Now the unlockables:
Boat Race - Perhaps the most difficult of the 12 games. You use the shoulder buttons to paddle your boat, however its not that simple. You must press them for the right amount of time, and at the right time in order to steer. Otherwise your boat will head right into the rocks. Its very hard to get the hang of, and thus isnt much fun. Especially when you play it by yourself and the CPU's are halfway done, and you cant make the first turn. Good luck with this one.
Shot - You control a cursor. Aim. Fire. Destroy bad guys. It's like Virtua Cop.
Dogfight - This time, you'll actually be flying, and now you have weapons. Take on computers and friends to shoot them out of the sky. Can be a bit hard, yet its quite fun. There are only 3 levels to choose from, and they're all pretty much the same.
Soccer - Most soccer games have a realistic feeling in the fact that it can be tough to get your players to the net. However in Monkey Soccer, mainly because your players are contained in small balls, it feels like the arena is too small. It is very easy to get to the net and shoot, as well as possibly score because the goalies are fairly useless. This often leads to high scoring games, so if you're a fan of that, then its great. There is also an option to play a sudden death, back and forth penalty kick game. Which is nice because either you control the shooter or the goalie, its a great opportunity to play with friends and do some trash talking.
Baseball - For one can be seen as a disspointment, since it is not a normal game of baseball. Instead you hit the ball into slots on the field. These slots can be 1 base hit, 2 base hit, 3 base hit, homerun, or out. There are also some jumps that allow you an instant home run. So at times before you even end the top of the 1st inning, you could have 12 runs already. Granted you may like this style, but its definately not an accurate portrayal of baseball.
Tennis - By now you might have played Mario Power Tennis, so you might be thinking that in a way they're similar in terms of how they play. However that isnt true. Monkey Tennis is slower and a bit harder to judge where the ball will land. Dont expect this to be like Mario Tennis. Though as its own game, its a very good game of tennis. Another excellent multiplayer game that should be considered unlocked first.
All things considered, this is hands down a great game. Its fun as a single player game, and even better as a multiplayer game. Super Monkey Ball 2 will spend hours in your Gamecube simply because the replay value is so strong. Its a definite game to pick up. I highly recommend it.