There aren't many words that can describe the Monkey Ball gameplay experience, besides the obvious: roll your monkey ball towards the goal. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Fortunately, the act itself is pretty absorbing, even if the difficulty level suddenly becomes mind-numbingly difficult once you get a few levels into it. The first few levels do a great job of showing you the mechanics; the later levels do a fantastic job of making you hurl your controller out the window. Being a neophyte to the Monkey Ball experience, I can't compare it to the previous versions; I can say that the Xbox version apparently has over 200 single-player levels as well as a wide variety of multiplayer modes and options, all of which are ridiculously customizable and go a long way towards holding your interest once you tire of falling off incredibly thin surfaces. The graphics are serviceable; they might have appeared more impressive closer to the Xbox's launch, but as we approach the end of the Xbox's lifecycle there's certainly a lot of games that look a lot better than this. However, great graphics aren't completely necessary here - the game is surreal enough as it is, and I'm not sure that bump-mapping the rolling surfaces would enhance the gameplay experience. However, the cutscenes look pretty terrible - I might even go as far as calling them sub-Dreamcast quality. Of course, the cutscenes service a story that ultimately feels unnecessary - this game doesn't need to give you any compelling reason to roll your monkey towards a goal besides the fact that it's fun to do so. The sound, however, is so sugary-sweet that diabetics ought to be wary; everything is so sunny and cheery that your ears might start squinting after a while. The monkeys make ridiculously high-pitched "eeks" at all times, and the chirping of the countdown timer will start haunting your dreams after a few hours. Super Monkey Ball Deluxe will certainly satisfy the Xbox user's mindless action/puzzle jones; just make sure you remember to turn down the volume.
Other Helpful Reviews for Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
The concept of this game is pretty simple... take a monkey, put it in a ball, and try not to let it roll off the game board. Turn on the elevator music and add a multitude of multiplayer party games and you've summarize... Read Full Review
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe is a great all-around party game, with highly addictive gameplay. It is an easy-to-learn game, with crisp graphics, sound and overall quality. It's quite straightforward: You are a monkey in a... Read Full Review
