Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
So it was that the newest Super Monkey Ball, Banana Blitz, was one of the most anticipated Wii launch titles. The game seems like a perfect fit for the system. After all, the previous games usually only used the analog stick. The Wii's motion sensing technology should make an already intuitive game even more so. And that's a sound theory. In fact, I even shared similar thoughts myself.
Gameplay:
The problem lies not in the idea, but in the execution. While previous games in the series might have been hard, this one is downright frustrating. This version of the game feels like one of those arcade-style games where you would have a silver ball on a ramp, and you had to tilt the ramp back and forth so the ball would stay on track. I remember how difficult that game was, but those are easy as pie by comparison. What I'm trying to get at is that you don't really control your monkey, you control the landscape. You hold the Wii remote horizontally towards the screen. Tilting it down moves your character forward, tilting it up slows the character down. Rotating the remote from side to side changes your direction. This seems fine, until you actually try it.
The game is incredibly sensitive. So sensitive that the slightest movement of your hand will change your character's direction, and sometimes not in such subtle ways. I felt like I was fighting the controller the entire time, which hasn't been my experience with the other Wii games I've played. I don't see how they expect you to navigate sharp turns and the various obstacles placed on the courses when the slightest shift in movement can send your monkey tumbling into the ocean depths. Furthermore, the way you have to handle the controller is not at all comfortable, forcing your hand into awkward position at times just to keep your monkey in the right direction. Very poorly planned.
But then again, the Monkey Ball games were never known for their astounding single-player modes. No, they became popular for their multiplayer options that would allow you to bring over some friends, get drunk, and having a ball-rolling good time. Sega understood this, and they responded accordingly. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is filled to the brim with multiplayer minigames. There are so many of these games, in fact, that if you do invite your friends over, and you do get drunk, trying to go through all of them might just make you puke. According to my "puke-o-meter," we're looking at exactly 50 minigames. That's a $1 per game, if you buy it at MSRP. A lot of gaming for your money, if you ask me.
The thing is, with 50 minigames, chances are that not all of them will be winners. Such is the case here. Some of the games, such as "Asteroid Crash" and "Frog Ball" are infectious fun. Others, such as "Banana Catch" and "Alien Attack" and "Banana Thief" are good ideas marred by bad controls. While the controls in the single-player may be overly sensitive, at least they're simple. Too many of the multiplayer games have extraordinarily complex control schemes that suck the fun right out of the game. I thought the point of the Wii was that it would make gaming simpler and more intuitive. Apparently Sega didn't get the memo.
The bad controls extend all the way to the menus. The menus selections look like an old-style rotary phone, and you have to flick the remote in the direction you want it to move to get to the next selection. For some reason, half the time it will only recognize movement as movement to the right. You could toss your remote to the left side of the room and the cursor would still move to the right. You know something is wrong with the game when you can't even navigate the menus without wanting to pull your own hair out.
Graphics:
Graphically, Super Monkey Ball is a definite launch standout. There's so much to like about the look of the game, that you almost forgive the fact that the gameplay is so unforgiving. To go even further, you may sometimes find yourself falling off edges because you were staring at something that caught your eye. Now, that isn't to say the game looks as good as something on the 360, but what really shines is the design. This version of Monkey Ball looks more like a cartoon, with bright colors and rounded edges (well, yeah, it's a game about balls).
The monkeys themselves get makeovers, making them easier to decipher who is who. In addition, you get two new characters, YanYan and Doctor, the most distinctive looking monkeys yet. And while each level in a world may look similar, each world has its own style that will feel refreshing after your efforts in the world previous.
Audio:
Most of Super Monkey Ball's audio is dedicated to the soundtrack, a bright and bouncy collection of faux-rock tunes that, despite sounding utterly generic, still convey a sense of excitement and fun. More fun, in fact, than the game actually provides. At no point did I notice the speaker in the Wii remote being used, which is a shame, because that's one of my favorite features on the system. Still, if you're in for the long haul, you could have worse soundtracks than what Banana Blitz provides.
Conclusion:
Super Monkey Ball on the Wii is still an idea that excites me. But Banana Blitz isn't what it should be, with controls that are overdemanding when they should feel natural. And while the game boasts an impressive amount of multiplayer options, the controls again get in the way and mar what could have been one of the best group games since the early days of Mario Party. The saving grace of this game is its enchanting design and graphical style, which, sadly, is not enough to save things. For this installment, I'm just going to roll on by. Skip It.