Is this latest title in this long-lasting franchise a Monkey Ball, or is it more of a Banana Grumble? Find out in our Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble review for the Nintendo Switch!
Growing up, one of the only games I had in my tiny collection of GameCube games was Super Monkey Ball 2. I played this game for hours on end, it was my first taste of unapologetic difficulty — my first game that taught me what it was like to lose, and lose, and lose. 20 years on and the franchise hasn’t changed all that much — having bunches of Bananas, Balls, and Fall Outs to experience. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble differs slightly from its predecessors however, finally welcoming the new player with tools to survive the franchise’s notorious difficulty.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble Review – Story
Banana Rumble is straightforward in its narrative. Our friendly crew of Monkeys meet the adventurous “Palette”, an Ape in search of her long-lost father. With the promise of finding the fabled ‘Legendary Banana’, our beloved bunch sets off to gather the 7 ‘out-of-place artifacts’ or ‘OOPArts’ scattered around the world.
Yeah?
Each character voicing in little mumbles and animal speak make for a cute addition to the bright, animated story clips that surround the gameplay during Monkey Ball’s campaign. The overall narrative is inconsequential, especially when the subtitles that are supposed to relay what each character is saying blinks in and out of existence faster than any human can read. If you do happen to be invested in what happens to our colourful cast of cute critters, there is a handy cutscene viewer in the main hub (something I had to use more than once).
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble Review – Gameplay
The main formula has remained airtight across Super Monkey Ball’s 20+ year legacy. Banana Rumble is no different here; expertly crafted stages that are tilted to and fro by the player — rolling Monkeys around to collect Bananas, enter clear gates, and plummet to their demise. Boasting precise controls that couple nicely with the Nintendo Switch’s joycons, Banana Rumble is satisfying even at its most frustrating. If an OUT occurs, you can bet your ‘boon that it was your own fault. Extensive camera and control options allow for a highly customized experience, and the Switch breezes through Single Player modes with a smooth 60 FPS.
Keep that shiny goal in sight!
Evolving this tried-and-true formula, a new ability is introduced through the game’s Adventure Mode that can significantly shake up gameplay. The “Spin Dash” allows players to charge up a boost, allowing for a small blast of speed that comes at the cost of mobility and accuracy. A welcome and fitting addition to the Monkey Ball’s existing mechanics, it can allow players to clear gaps previously impossible — allowing for more open expression during the 100 levels. Whilst introducing new obstacles and gimmicks at regular intervals, the difficulty adjusts perfectly as you acclimatize yourself with the level of challenge. Levels also felt intuitive, while also remaining open enough for there to be multiple paths and shortcuts for daring Monkey Ballers.
FALL OUT!
However, the more power given to the player, the more likely the game can be broken. A minor gripe I had with Banana Rumble was that while some of the levels are clearly built around this new mechanic — there are a significant portion of Monkey Ball’s 200 levels that can be entirely skipped with a well-placed Spin-Dash. This leaves these stages feeling unexplored, and in turn unresolved unless players replay the stage for total completion.
Some of the speed challenges are BRUTAL. Be warned.
For players that struggle a little too much with Monkey Ball’s difficulty, there are some welcome assist features on offer in Banana Rumble. Tools like Route and Ghost Guides provide levels of visual assistance if you’re having a hard time navigating the chaotic courses. Additionally, Rewind and Checkpoint allow you to take a second or third crack at a particularly frustrating moment in a stage. If all else fails, there is a Mark as Cleared option that will let you skip a level if it’s proving too difficult, allowing you to continue through the campaign without the risk of burning out. These additions make the game more accessible than it has ever been before, whilst remaining just as challenging for Hardcore MB fans.
Treacherous falls await you in Banana Rumble…
After completing adventure mode, the game reveals EX-Worlds – an extra 100 demanding levels for only the most masochistic gamers. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety and complexity of these extra stages, rather than phoning in design with the same old gimmicks — the development team put some real effort into making these maps harder, faster, and more precise. They made me work hard for my victories, requiring a level of control and ingenuity that I lacked when I began this journey. I also found the “locked camera” to be the most useful tool out of anything in Banana Rumble, almost essential in these difficult levels.
Completing EX-Worlds provides you with a cute postcard!
Banana Rumble boasts 12 different characters to choose from, each with their own unique stats roles that can significantly switch up moment-to-moment gameplay. It was a shock to me how effective a quick swap between characters helped on certain stages, with the intuitive level design making it a cinch to observe the best monkey for the job. I do wish it were less of a hassle to change chimps however, having to completely exit the stage every time I wanted to try an alternate ape grew tiresome and I ended up brute forcing my way through much of the game with my main man, AiAi.
Be sure to give each character a try!
Some of my favourite Monkey Ball memories came from the party games the classic Game Cube titles featured. Quintessential activities such as Monkey Bowling, Monkey Fight, and Monkey Golf are well known by fans of the MB franchise. Banana Rumble fumbles the ball hard here with its small range of Monkey mini games feeling like they were built with large online lobbies solely in mind. It leaves Battle Mode feeling shallow and pedestrian, rarely worth revisiting unless a full 16 player room can be filled. What hampers the experience further is the poor performance of Multiplayer on the Nintendo Switch, with frame drops occurring more frequently with the increase of every player — until each session is unrewarding and no longer entertaining.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble Review – Visuals and Audio
Each course begins with a smooth camera pan, giving the player insight into the upcoming challenges and gimmicks that they’ll be faced with. I loved seeing the level design from such an encompassing frame of reference. There’s a unique type of creativity on display in the Monkey Ball games, one that can only be realized with a certain lack of bells and whistles required within the core design. Stages are simply made up of functional elements, meaning that Banana Rumble demands great control from the player, it offers great visual clarity in return.
Some of the stages are stunning!
Adventure mode features plenty of bright, animated cutscenes. While these clips tend to be unimportant in the grand scheme, they are always highly spirited and cute to boot. The character design is simple yet distinct as always, with AiAi and friends looking the best they have since… ever really.
I don’t get it…
Laying between the subtle sounds of the Monkey Ball rolling and the not so subtle “FALL OUT” shouted at you every few seconds is a catchy, upbeat soundtrack spanning the world of Banana Rumble. The sound team has done a wonderful job adding life to each world through the game’s OST, accompanying the player through their endless toil for primate perfection.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble Review – What Else?
If you complete all 200 stages and STILL haven’t gotten your fix, then you can always dive into the 3 optional challenges each level provides. These extra-curricular tasks challenge you to beat the level under a certain time, collect a certain number of bananas, and lastly, find an often-elusive Golden Banana somewhere in the stage. I found that this is where the level design can really shine — rewarding players for either searching every nook and cranny of a stage or finding the shortest route to the goal possible. Depending on the stage, all three of these tasks can be as formidable as each other.
Multiplayer can be fun, if you can get past the frame rate.
Luckily, you don’t have to go alone! Up to 3 players can join you in Co-op Adventure, both online and with split-screen. Whether you’re just trying to clear stages regularly or get 100% completion, multiplayer co-op is a fantastic way of achieving that. With only one player required to reach the end gate, it serves as a great way for the other players to collect Bananas and mess around while one guns for the goal — alternatively you can all race to see who can finish the fastest. I played split-screen with one other person during my playthrough of Banana Rumble and thankfully saw no noticeable dip in performance on the Switch.
Let me slip into something more… a-peel-ing.
Once you’ve finished the game, you should have accrued a good amount of Banana Points through regular play and extra challenges. Banana Rumble features a ‘points shop’ that harbors a large array of clothing, accessories, and more for you to spend your gains on. Ranging from hats and outfits, to emotes and chat messages for online play. While only an aesthetic feature, there is a rudimentary photo mode you can play around with during any stage.
My tree is bigger than yours!
If that’s not your style, you can always burn every point you have by giving it to the “Mysterious Banana Tree” that unlocks after completing Adventure Mode. This serves no purpose other than bragging rights, but it’s cool to see how big the tree can really get.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble Review – Conclusion
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is the sequel that fans have been begging for. While the lackluster Multiplayer and occasional dip in performance drag the game down slightly, if this game is even a taste of what future games in the franchise may be then we will all be having a Monkey Ball!
Just some pals monkeying around.
So, why should you play Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble?
- Some fantastic and creative level design
- Challenging yet rewarding gameplay
- Accessible to newcomers with new, helpful tools
- Super Cute Monkeys
But why shouldn’t you play Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble?
- Multiplayer (Specifically Battle Mode) feels a little soulless
- The Switch’s hardware just can’t always keep up
- Super Cute Monkeys (Only if you’re a monster)
A review code was kindly provided by Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku for the purpose of our Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble review. You can check out our other reviews here and if you haven’t already, be sure to join the Qualbert Discord to find out about the latest game and review updates!
