Your Guide To Gaming

• Share

Super Monkey Ball 2 is a game that genuinely surprised me as to how fun it was. The name itself seems a bit lame, if not creepy. It could’ve been possible that the game didn’t get any attention at all if it hadn’t been one of the first few games available on the Gamecube.  Nevertheless, the game turned out to be  awesome. It’s amazing how fun and addictive the multiplayer and single player aspects of the game are, assorted games that could entertain anyone.

One player is a compelling story mode or challenge that tests your logic and gaming accuracy. A review on Gamespot.com said, “The easiest way to describe Super Monkey Ball is to call it a fully three-dimensional version of the classic Marble Madness, but even this compliment would not do justice to the game’s constantly inventive and challenging course design.” I’m actually not familiar with Marble Madness, but for those of you who are, it sounds like an accurate description to this part of the game.

The basic idea is to direct the ball (containing a monkey) from a starting point to the finish line. There are obstacles and a time limit that make this challenging, frustrating, and addictive. In Super Monkey Ball 2 there are one hundred unique levels. Some require a lot of thought and others require steady-handed control of the ball. In challenge mode, you are given a limited number of lives to complete the levels. Story mode has unlimited lives and after passing certain levels you play out the story: Evil Dr. Bad-Boon has stolen all the bananas on Monkey Island. It is up to the monkeys Ai Ai, Mee Mee, Gon Gon, and Baby to save the island. Corny, but entertaining.

Playing in one player earns you points, which enable you to buy mini multiplayer games. There’s soccer, tennis, boxing, bowling, pool, racing, boat racing, and a few more original games. Most of these are very simple to learn but hard to master. It’s great for friends because someone who is completely new to the game isn’t at much of a disadvantage. Simply put, it’s tons of fun!