Super Monkey Ball Jr.

"The name may be deceptive, but it truly is an unbelievable game!"

If you've played the Gamecube version of this game, you'll automatically know how to play this game. It is full of monkey madness, minigames, multiplayer, and hours of fun! If you've ever had an urge to put a chimp into a hamster ball and give it a kick, try this game now!

Gameplay 9/10
The premises of the game is to take the monkey, roll it around in a pinball-esque fashion, and collect as many bananas as you can while still making it to the goal in a set time (usually a minute). The difficulty ranges from stupid-easy, to near impossible. It can be enjoyed by both young children and adults alike. Also enjoyable is its multiplayer mode, which you can team up with up to four people and play in five separate minigames. A word on the minigames- Unlike the Gamecube version, there are no minigames unlocked to start with, so you must play through the game a few times in order to unlock even the basic Monkey Fight. But once you have, you will be entertained for hours.

Graphics 9/10
The third-dimension is making leaps and bounds on handheld systems, with games such as V-Rally 3 (Europe only) and Super Monkey Ball Jr. You will almost think it is the Gamecube when you see the graphics. Smooth circles, numerous animations, although sometimes the frame rate does appear to suffer. The blocky levels of Super Monkey Ball roll over as a perfect graphic feature to its Junior version.

Sound 7/10
Lively, jumpy, its a soundtrack you wont grow tired of too quickly. The sound effects are peppy and numerous, and the levels have more or less fairly varied tracks. They seem to perfectly accompany the hectic puzzles you will encounter later, and help to keep your blood pressure fairly low.

Replay Value 8/10
The replay factor of this game comes mainly from your ability to keep your frustration low after the 200th time of falling off the course at the same spot. Note to the wise: Take a break, don't sweat it, and when your hands stop twitching, take another crack at it. Of course, the multiplayer is godlike, but you're going to have to find someone else who has the game. If you enjoy just insane madness similar to that brought about by Super Mario Kart or the original game, you will find yourself playing this game quite a few times over.

Buy/Rent
If you enjoyed the Gamecube version, then by all means by. But if you have never played this style of game before, you may wish to rent it first and see if you enjoy it. It does take a little getting used to, but once you have it, you'll be a Super Monkey Ball Jr. pro.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/24/02, Updated 11/24/02