Super Monkey Ball 3D

Review from Cav - Friday, 06 May 2011 @ 12:41pm

Ever played a game for an hour or two, then put it down and said ‘Meh’

No?

Well here’s your chance.

Super Monkey Ball 3D is just a bunch of games that we have all seen and played before, but in 3D:

Monkey Ball: same old roll around the course and collect things type game.

Monkey Race: a cart clone

Monkey Fight: reminiscent of Smash Brothers

Okay, I might be being a little harsh, but even with 3D, SMB3D just doesn’t grab me.

I've got balls of .... plastic. Hail to the Monkey, baby!

The Monkey Ball game, a tried and true event, would be the saving grace of SMB3D and it’s actually not the visuals that do it. Making use of the Nintendo 3DS’s motion sensing abilities, allowing you tilt the console and guide your spherically clad simian around a course to collect bananas and reach your goal. This is a good feature, but trying to do it in 3D is quite tough, because, as we know, to see the images in 3D, you pretty much have to keep your head and the console in a still and stable position. This just doesn’t work. So it’s on or another, you can’t have both… we you can but I believe migraine will ensue. There are actually quite a few levels to belt through, as well as a wad of collectibles, so for those of you who actually enjoy this element of the game, you won’t be short of a challenge.

Monkey Race is basic carting, but with some terrible controls. I will say that the new circle pad feels great while playing a carting game (as it did with Ridge Racer 3D) but it’s the other controls that really let this down. I found my thumb aching from holding down the accelerator and struggled to use the brake from this position too, although I could be longing for my DSiXL again as I do find this new console to feel rather small in comparison. Drifting around corners just doesn’t work as there is no real ease into it. It’s either do or don’t. You’d also expect that drift would be initiated by hitting a shoulder button, but no. Shoulder buttons are for dashing and using collected items. Applying the brake in a turn will instigate a drift. Dashing seems to do very little for you. On the positive side there are quite a few characters and vehicles to unlock for the dedicated few.

You gotta have balls to ride something like that!

I can’t recall another game that I would compare Monkey Fight to more than Smash Brothers, except it involves a bunch of monkeys fighting over bananas to see who can claim the most before the clock expires. Yes there are variables, like the game mode Hidden, where the amount of bananas collected during the fight is concealed and you don’t know who your target is; or Super Fight where you can knock your opponents for six, but none of it is really new or refreshing. The controls are basic. It’s pretty much jump, grab and punch with a powers that can be collected during the course of the match. There is multiplayer action available, via wireless multicard play, but this should have really gone online. This would have certainly got this game more sales.

I am really sorry to stray away from the game in question at this point, but when in the hell are we going to get a unique game that deserves to be a 3D title? Way too many titles are depending on either their name or the visuals of 3D to sell themselves and that just isn’t cutting it in most cases. Maybe, once again, I am getting my hopes up a little too much in what to expect from a 3D game.

Threre truly are quite a few levels to complete

Pros

• Looks good in 3D
• Motion Sensor controls for Monkey Balling
• Lots of levels to complete

Cons

• Same old same old
• No online play