“Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble” revives the beloved franchise with returning and new charms that will be adored by both old and new fans alike. The latest offering from SEGA combines challenging level designs, bright and colorful graphics, and engaging gameplay that have defined the series since the beginning.
At the heart of it, the game is still the same: it lets you guide a monkey in a see-through ball through several mazes while picking up bananas and trying to reach the goal. “Banana Rumble” improves on this concept with new physics and redesigned controls for everything to work better. The catch, of course, is in passing through such pathways—millimeters magically matter—but the payoff is quite satisfying.
One-level design is certainly one of the strong points of “Banana Rumble.” The game offers a vast number of stages with unique aesthetics and their own sets of obstacles: environments ranging from lush jungles, snowy landscapes, modern cities, and ancient ruins. Nice detail, and very nice on the eyes. Ramps, moving platforms, and environmental hazards are used with great creativity to make sure no two levels look alike.
When you’re considering a game this good, you’d better not be let down by the single-player campaign. Huge, with levels of increasing difficulty in number—really, numbering high—it has been scaled down to everybody’s reach in terms of enjoyment. The easiest stages introduce the basic concepts, and the rest are reserved to really test dexterity and strategic skills. Boss battles add a new level of challenge and variety to the game at the end of each world, forcing players to modify strategies against much larger-than-life enemies.
Setting aside the increased difficulty, “Banana Rumble” further brings new modes of play that help enhance its replay value. Time Attack challenges players to clear levels as fast as they can. On the other hand, Score Attack mode enforces the collection of as many bananas as players can in a limited time frame, making the whole experience a strategic phase of gathering bananas. Both of these come with online leaderboards, meaning users can compete with the world and have a shot at the top.
Multiplayer has always been a key part of the “Super Monkey Ball” series, and “Banana Rumble” doesn’t drop the ball with a full offering of party games. Included are some of the series’ classics: “Monkey Target” and “Monkey Race,” along with some fresh mini-games that take full advantage of the updated physics and controls. It is aptly designed for local multiplayer modes and promises tons of hours of fun with friends or family. In the same way, the inclusion of an online multiplayer feature extends the lifespan of the game by enabling players to compete with others from all over the world.
More Read
Visually, “Banana Rumble” is a feast for the eyes. The colorful and punchy graphics really do go to great lengths to capture the whimsical vibes of the series and feel super accurate to whatever environment setting it’s done to enhance the overall experience. The character models are equally cute and expressive, serving as the cherry on top of the game’s appeal. And the soundtrack perfectly complements the peppy visual style with its scores, which are equally peppy, catchy, and high-energy throughout the entire game.
Although “Banana Rumble” rates close to perfect on many counts, it is not without flaws. There might be one point in which the challenge level would feel a bit beyond some players, especially in the later stages of the game. The focus of the challenge then becomes predominantly on precision and quick reflexes. At the same time, while the huge number of different levels and environments is commendable, some of them become repetitive by design. In this, very similar obstacles or mechanics are used to contribute to the repetition. These minor concerns, however, do little to detract from the fun of playing the game.
One of the features that must be pointed out is personalization. There is the option to earn and attach multiple costumes and accessories for one’s monkey character in “Banana Rumble.” This feature gives a personal touch to the game so that players can express themselves. Unlockables will be linked to some in-game achievements and progress, which holds other benefits for exploring every corner of this game.
Storyline-wise, “Banana Rumble” is light and amusing but mostly serves as a background to the game. It shows the naughty movements of monkeys looking to capture stolen bananas from a new villain. The storyline is quite bare, really, but forms a cute background to the gameplay. Hence, the text is silly and the characters are a bit odd; this brings in the charm of the game.
Finally, “Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble” successfully reboots with exciting gameplay, colorful graphics, and many modes. It is one of the best titles the series has to offer, with a challenging level and brilliant design beyond the prolific multiplayer offerings. Although it heads to minor flaws, such as a high learning curve and repetition in stages sometimes, there are a lot of positives to outweigh them. Whether you are a fan of the series or just starting to look for something fun and challenging, “Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble” will be sure to be the experience you’ve long waited for.
