Features

• Be a part of the family and play as one of three related monkeys: Aiai, Meemee, or Baby.
• Simple control scheme allows players to focus on complex levels
• Tilt the level floor to roll your monkey
• Roll your way through 100 levels if you have the wits to do it
• Play with up to four players using a split-screen mode exclusive to GameCube
• Collect as many bananas as you can before crossing the goal line
• Try to stay on track as levels tilt, turn, separate and deform
• Expect other to-be-announced extras for GameCube's Super Monkey Ball
• Available for GameCube launch

A Little Background
Super Monkey Ball's heritage is in the arcades. Sega released Monkey Ball complete with intuitive trackball controls to arcade goers some time ago. The game starred monkeys -- yes, inside of clear, transparent balls, which manipulated bumpy, twisty, complex 3D courses. It sounds easier than it actually was. You see, the courses were set high above land in the skies, and if the monkeys weren't careful, they could easily find themselves falling to their doom. The arcade title featured dozens upon dozens of courses and was generally beloved by all -- particularly Sega fans who couldn't wait for a Dreamcast version to be born.

Well, as it turned out, GameCube was Sega's choice for the Monkey Ball series, and for that we can all be thankful. Super Monkey Ball is a real treat, and packed with extras over the arcade version that truly make the 'super' in the game's title mean something. Here's everything you didn't know about the game and more.

Breaking it Down
Super Monkey Ball's "Main Mode" is constructed of more than 110 different levels of various difficult, most of them taken from the arcade game. Players begin their monkey adventure going through these different levels on various settings of difficulty. There are an initial 10 Beginner levels, 30 Advanced, and 50 Expert. Once players complete all of these areas without dying -- no easy feat, Beginner Extra, Advanced Extra and Expert Extra levels are opened. As one might imagine, these areas are downright hard. And if by some miracle, gamers roll through these without dying, the Master Mode is unlocked, which is damn near impossible. Sega said that some of its best testers went through 80 monkey lives on one level in this mode in some cases.

There are four playable monkeys -- one exclusive to the GameCube version. Aiai, who has a cute, bare butt, is the most balanced of them all, but doesn't excel in any one area. Meemee is very similar. Baby is small and quick. And Gongon, new to the game, is heavy and slower, but more powerful.

Super Monkey Ball works a lot like Marble Madness, except players control the 3D level board, not the monkeys themselves. It's an easy, intuitive control scheme -- one that would likely make Shigeru Miyamoto himself smile in its simplicity. Only the analog stick is used to move the monkey -- that's it. It's possible to play one-handed. The idea itself is equally intuitive -- collect bananas and get the monkey through a goal placed in each stage. One can only lose if their monkey falls off the 3D board or if time runs out. So in the first 10 Beginner levels, winning isn't such a task. Most of these areas are flat, and the goals aren't far off. A few bananas are scattered here and there, and there is an occasional moving track that must be traversed, but nothing major -- nothing a quick tilt of the board won't maneuver the monkey around quite nicely.

But as the levels progress from Beginner to Advanced, everything suddenly becomes much more difficult. Paths branch, flat boards become bumpy and twisty, there are slides and drops, and everything seems to be moving -- splitting apart. Oops -- there goes one monkey; shouldn't have gotten so close to the edge there. Uh-oh -- there goes another; stupid moving platforms!

As gamers move into Expert mode and beyond, it can be a task to simply find the goal, let alone make it there. By this point, most will have become so accustomed to previous levels that they will have developed shortcuts of making it through some of the larger ones. For example, there are several boards in the game in which the monkey can roll off of an upper ledge and fall to the very bottom onto another right next to the goal.

Bananas that can be picked up for Play Points are scattered about each level. Since Super Monkey Ball is a game based around Play Points, these little buggers come in handy. The problem is that time left after beating an area also translates into added points, so gamers have to decide on the fly which means more to them. Is it a good idea to tilt the monkey out onto a platform to retrieve a banana or would it simply be better to skip it, race to the goal and grab the extra points that way? Play Points can be used to unlock other areas of Super Monkey Ball, so of course this is no easy decision.

Competition and Practice Modes enable up to four-players to roll through the Arcade levels in split-screen action. The catch is that only the Arcade levels that players have already beaten become unlocked in these multiplayer-ready modes.

What Makes Monkey Ball so Super?
"They've added so much to this game that the arcade mode actually takes a backseat to everything else," said a Sega tester about Super Monkey Ball, and he couldn't have been more right. The truth is that developer Amusement Vision hasn't simply ported over the arcade code to GameCube -- it has added whole new modes of gameplay, new levels, a four-player mode, and just about everything else. The end result is the ultimate party game -- one that eclipses anything Nintendo achieved in the Mario Party franchise.

Introducing Super Monkey Ball's Party Games -- three different, totally unique modes of gameplay exclusive to the GCN version. We'll detail them for you below:

Monkey Race
Basically, this is Sega's version of Mario Kart. Monkeys race across twisting, turning, bumpy board roadways against other foes. One can do a Single Race or take part in a Grand Prix, which is five laps. Power-up items located throughout each track enable monkeys to limit the competition -- they can be turned into ice so that they will slide across the track or transformed into a blocky, square polygon that will tumble along the roadway roughly, slowing them down. In addition to everything else, gamers have to watch out for bumpers that, if hit, will fling them off the track. Whichever monkey finishes first wins.

The analog stick is used to control the little guys, and the A button makes them go. Items are flung at opponents Mario Kart-style with the B button. The execution is perfectly complemented by tight, spot-on control -- everything about it just feels polished and finely tuned. Four players can take part in this mode simultaneously and the split-screen action ever slows down.

Monkey Fight
This mode, which also allows for four-player simultaneous action on one screen, pits monkeys on a hovering arena platform, gives them big boxing gloves, and has them duke it out. The idea is to knock the competing monkeys off the platform for points. Whichever monkey is in the lead wears a crown so that other players know he is winning and can go after him. Even better, if they successfully knock him off, they will actually earn extra points. Power-up items are continually dropped into the arena so that monkeys can, for example, increase their boxing glove size and add more force to their knock-off punches. The monkey with the most successfully push-offs when the timer runs out wins.

The analog stick controls and the A button punches -- simple. Again, superior, and balanced control and a whole lot of frenzy, name-calling action make the Monkey Fight a thing of beauty. It's so much fun that it's hard to put the controller down, and it's likely to be a favorite upon the game's release.

Monkey Target
This mode begins with a giant downward slope and ramp that players must roll their monkey down at top speed. When they have reached the bottom and jumped from the ramp, players can press the A button and the monkey's ball will sprout wings that will carry the little animal -- flying, mind you -- over a vast, beautiful see with islands in the distance. The object of this mode is to fly the monkey to the island of their choice and land him safely on it for Play Points. Each island is setup in a dartboard-esque fashion for different levels of points that can be earned. Landing on the edge of an island won't earn a player much, but the middle will.

There are several obstacles to deal with in this mode. First, before monkeys roll down the ramp, players must spin the Wheel of Danger, which will randomly determine if, say, there will be bombs located all over the islands or if spiked balls will be floating in the air to be avoided. Supposing players make it through the Wheel of Danger's vicious announcement without fail, they have to take into consideration that they are trying to land a monkey ball, and it's going to bounce. What this means is that when a ball is dropped onto an island, it doesn't mean it's going to land where players want it to -- it may wander over to a nearby bomb and explode itself into the sea.

To help players through the mode, floating bananas can be collected in-air that will reward players with a special item. In some cases, it will be the ability to remove all wind so that monkeys can glide without being swayed. In others, it will be to drop a monkey without the bugger rolling around once he hits land, which comes in impressively handy. There is a careful science of when to use an item and when to forgo it. This mode does not allow for four-player simultaneous mode, but four players can have at it in rotation -- competing against each other's scores. Like every other Party Game, this one has its own unique set of physics when the Monkey is hang-gliding over the sea. Control is simple and brilliantly intuitive, and of course the mode itself is a heavenly kind of fun -- both alone or with friends.

All of the Party Games are available from the moment Monkey Ball boots up.

Mini Games
There is another set of exclusive modes to the GameCube title called Mini Games, and players will need to unlock these areas with Play Points earned. According to Sega, each Mini Game costs roughly 2,500 Play Points, which it says can usually be earned halfway through the first set of Advanced levels in the main Arcade Mode. Here are those Mini Games:

Monkey Billiards
Pool -- that's what this is, and Nine Ball at that. Except instead of pool balls, players hit monkey balls, and instead of using a pool stick, the monkeys hit themselves. It's a cute approach brought to life with an ultra-realistic physics engine that perfectly mimics how pool balls would react. Players simply line up their shots, hit their monkey balls and send them flying across a lifelike table, and it all works just as good if not better than any pool simulation available to home consoles. Gamers can go against the computer or against friends, taking turns. Shots are angled with the analog stick and the B button can be used for power hits. English can also be applied. Meanwhile, the Y button is utilized to change the camera in this mode to a top-down view, whereupon the camera stick can manipulate the view -- fast and smooth at 60 frames per second, of course. This is a game in of itself. It really could be. And with rock solid control, and perfect physics, it's a masterful one at too.

Monkey Bowling
Yes -- bowling. And again, a very realistic take on the sport. Players can go 10 frames in Standard Mode or select Challenge and the game will setup different pin arrangements like the 7/10 split. Good luck. Monkeys can be moved left or right with the analog stick. The A button produces a beam that shows the direction the monkey balls will go, and send them rolling. Once a monkey ball is headed toward the pins, players can apply rotation to it using the analog triggers -- R for right spin and L for left spin. Everything works wonderfully and when the pins break apart one would swear it's the real deal. This mode allows for four people to play in rotation.

Monkey Golf
The monkey becomes the golf ball. There is either stroke or match play rotating between players. The analog stick directs one's shot through 18 different holes -- each more difficult. Meanwhile, the A button hits the balls off, where markers are placed. Players can choose their club size, hit the Y button to see their score, or the X to see the layout of the course and move it around with the analog. This mode plays splendidly -- it's like a complete golf game, and is a tester favorite.

Replay Mode
Super Monkey Ball features a replay mode so that players can save their most death-defying feats. Some Sega testers had up to 30 saved replay modes on one memory card, so one needn't worry about clogging up their memory with the saves.

All in All
Wow! Developer Amusement Vision has spared no expense to ensure that GameCube owners get an extra something special in Super Monkey Ball. With an existing 110 Arcade levels and more new Party and Mini Games than can be counted, each unique and a joy to play, this title has sleeper hit written all over it. After playing it extensively, we can say that it's already one of our favorite GameCube titles. Don't shrug it off as a quick and easy arcade port -- it's a lot more. And if you're a potential importer, add this game to your buy list now. You will not be disappointed.