If you're looking for a platformer to complement Mario, then this is the one. The game is just plain fun!!!
The Bad: Most of the party games are just plain awful; Some levels of the game can be frustratingly difficult. Gameplay: Well the Nintendo Wii's launch has come and gone. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is one of the games I picked up at launch and I believe Sega has gotten it right. After the seeming failure of Super Monkey Ball Adventure they got back to the basics with this one and the games comes off solidly. You have approximately 100 levels in the main game, this is fewer than the SMB games have had in the past, but the addition of the 3rd dimension of play adds a lot to these games. Unlike previous Monkey Ball games where you were tied to the ground, in this one your Monkey's have learned to jump, and apparently they like it. Many of the new levels have some place where you have to use the jump ability. This adds a level to the game that I think had been lacking in the past. The levels start off easily enough. In the first level of the game you simply have to tilt the remote forward to finish the level. They gradually increase in difficulty from there. Many of the levels you'll be able to finish in one try, while others will take you numerous attempts to complete. Luckily, in this version of Super Monkey Ball if you die, you don't have to complete all the levels in a world over again. The game saves your progress after every level and you can continue from where you left off. Many of the party games are not very fun. They don't control well or just aren't implemented well. The few that stand out as really playable are ones like Monkey Target, Monkey Wars, Monkey Race, Jump Rope, Hammer Throw and Home Run Derby. The others I really could do without. If you're looking for a fun Party type game, I don't think Monkey Ball is the one you'll look to. There are simply too many better Party games for the Wii out right now.
You also have new characters to enjoy. In addition to AiAi, Mimi, Baby and Gongon; two new monkeys join the party. The ever so cute YanYan, who looks a bit like a racoon monkey and the eccentric Doctor. Each of the monkeys have strenghts and weaknesses in the main game, but for the party games they are all equally matched. The controls: This version of Super Monkey Ball takes full advantage of the new Wii Remote. In past outings you were required to use the analog stick to tilt the world your monkey occupied and while it worked, it just didn't feel right. Now in order to progress through the levels you have to tilt the Wii Remote in the direction you want to go. This will take a bit of getting used to, but after a while it will become natural and it will be hard to go back to any other way of controlling. You also have the new jump ability. There are two ways to do this. You can either simply hit the A button and your monkey will jump. If you want a bit more tactile way you can hold the B button on the back of the Wii Remote and flick the controller up and your monkey will follow. I prefer the single button push myself as it may be possible that while jumping the remote will tilt a bit and cause your monkey to veer of course slightly. Visuals and Sound: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is definitely the best looking outing to date. It has a bit of an updated look from the past. The levels are much more bright and colorful than in the past. The game has a bit more of a cartoon look to it, but that doesn't take away at all from the look you'll get when you pop your disk into the system. The levels are extremely clear and quite pleasant to look at. The sound doesn't really add or take away from the game. To be honest, for the most part, I never really heard the sounds. I was too into the game to realize the levels had sound. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The game also takes advantage of the speaker in the Wii Remote. The sounds that come from there are mostly *dings* when you make selections on the menu. They can go in and out and have the same sound quality of other Wii titles.
Closing Thoughts: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz does have it's problems, but they are really few and far between. If you're looking for a good game to tide you over till the Blockbuster titles come out or as a complementary platform game this is the one you want. It's fun for kids of all ages, as well as their parents. The kids will love to cute look that the monkeys have and adults will enjoy trying to show their kids how good they are at games. I would imagine you'll have a few good hours of enjoyment out of this game early on and will keep it on the shelf and come back to it periodically for a few more minutes of quality fun. It won't last as long as titles like Zelda or Red Steel. The gameplay isn't as deep either, but you'll sure have a heck of a lot of fun anyway. I would definitely pick up this title and add it to your library.