Super Monkey Ball Jr.

"Multiplayer heaven, but could of been better"

IntroductionSuper monkey ball jr turned heads around when first pictures of the game were released. Could it really be possible these were taken from a game on a gameboy advance? and more importantly, would the gameplay remain true to gamecube players?

The GameSuper monkey ball jr is a simple pick up and play game anyone can enjoy. You choose from four monkeys, who are all trapped inside a big ball, and then you choose from 3 difficulties, and your task is to roll around the stages and reach the goal within the time limit. There are also bananas to pick up along the way, and for every 50 bananas you collect, you gain a extra live. The stages start out very easy, but then the further you get, the harder they get. Along the way, you'll bump into bonus stages, where you have to try and get all the bananas you can before the time runs out.

Super monkey ball is known for its mini games and multiplayer goodness and super monkey ball jr doesnt dissapoint in this department. By playing the single player game, you gain play points, which are used to unlock the mini games and other various things. The mini games are Monkey duel, Monkey golf, monkey fight, and monkey bowling. Playing them solo is fun enough, but playing with 2 or more people really makes it a blast and its the only way the mini games should be played.

My main concerns are the camera angle. it can be very annoying, especially on harder difficulties, and add this to the fact it doesnt have analog control and it can be a nightmare for even the best players. I also thought there could of been more stages included.

Graphics 9/10 This game is a showcase to what the gameboy advance can do. They are simply beautiful,

Gameplay 7/10 The fact that it doesnt have analog controls really makes the controls more difficult, and camera angles can be annoying, which may lead gamer to heavy frustration in harder levels. Other then this, its easy to pick up and enjoy. And multiplayer modes really make it much more better

Replayability 8/10 The mini games will have you coming back for more, even if you have finished the game, plus even if you have unlocked everything, you may want to try and beat your old scores, plus its a very good party game.

Overall 7/10 Definitly a very good effort from sega. Monkey ball fans should go and buy it, puzzle fans should also have a look at the game.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/15/03, Updated 04/15/03