Platform: Nintendo GameCube

Developer: Amusement Vision

Publisher: Sega

Release Date: Late 2002

Genre: Party, Puzzle

Nerd Rating: 85/100

With the instant success of Super Monkey Ball for the Nintendo Gamecube, less than one year later, AV developed and released Super Monkey Ball 2.  One might wonder how in the hell anyone could release a sequel less than a year later and it be worth your dollar. I know I did.  But I didn’t ask questions. I pulled out my wallet and took a gamble on this game… and I was handsomely rewarded with a beautiful masterpiece of a game similar to its predecessor but with a more manageable main game, updated party and mini games, additional party and mini games, and so much more!

There are 2 different main game modes: Story mode and Challenge mode, with the latter being in the vein of Super Monkey Ball 1.  Story mode is my favorite mode of all the modes of the 2 games.  The story isn’t worth your time, but might be fun for your kids as it is extremely cutesy and childish.  The player is given an unlimited number of lives to complete 100 different stages, broken up into 10 worlds with 10 stages in each.  Each world has its own unique look (which is mainly unrelated to the player but the “setting” is very visible in the background and definitely noticeably better-looking than the first game).

All 100 stages have a difficulty rating, which is rather nice so you can prepare yourself for the tougher ones by playing the easier ones first.  It’s a very nice addition to the already stellar gameplay of the first 2 Super Monkey Ball games.  My personal favorite part of the story mode is how the levels aren’t just wildly difficult platforms requiring precision thumb controls with the softest touch.  The stages require a certain degree of problem solving and peripheral-awareness.  I truly enjoy the challenges and love how I get unlimited lives to get it right.  It keeps me wanting to play more and not frustrate me because I ran out of continues.  It is possibly the high-point of the entire game.  One of the biggest downfalls of this game is once I solved all of the puzzles and learned how to complete each stage, it became overly easy to beat the game, and I found myself trying to beat the game in the least amount of time possible as the only true challenge remaining.

Party mode makes some great additions to its already great 3-game repertoire.  You’ll recognize the original monkey race, monkey target, and monkey fight games from the original, but these 3 games have been updated and added to in great ways.  In addition to the original 3, the following games make their debut:  Monkey Boat, Monkey Shot, Monkey Dogfight, Monkey Soccer, Monkey Baseball, and Monkey Tennis.  Also in the mix are Monkey Billiards, Monkey Bowling, and Monkey Golf.  These games are all fun and enjoyable for almost any age and especially fun to play with a group of friends (or enemies).  I especially enjoy Monkey Target 2, Monkey Billiards 2, and Monkey Soccer.  The others are fun, but don’t hold my attention as well as the 3 I just mentioned, but that doesn’t mean they’re not great games for somebody else.

Surely there is plenty in Super Monkey Ball 2 to hold the attention of any type of gamer.  Anybody who enjoys some challenging puzzle/platforms or maybe someone who is looking for a fun party game for all ages, this game is worth the pick-up.  It is a true sequel to the original Super Monkey Ball game, and sometimes sequels fail to meet the standards set by their predecessors.  Super Monkey Ball 2 is not one of those sequels.  Super Monkey Ball 2 is a superior game in many aspects and offers considerably more value for your time and money than the original.  Both games are worth your dollar though because both games offer a different set of stages with their own challenges.  Crunch crunch crispy bacon.

Nerd Rating: 85/100

Don’t miss The Cubist’s review of Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz for the PS Vita!

Submitted by NerdBerry