Product Info

Platform

Switch

Publisher

SEGA

Developer

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Series

Super Monkey Ball

Genre

Arcade, Multiplayer, Party, Platform

Players

1-4 (1-16 Online)

File Size (Minimum)

4 GB

Release Date (NA)

Jun 25, 2024

Purchase From

Amazon

Best Buy

eShop

Official Store

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the latest entry to the Super Monkey Ball series, and it’s the first brand new installment in ten years. It hasn’t lost its touch when it comes to entertainment and is a game that many of all ages will surely enjoy.

It’s Been a Long Roll

Super Monkey Ball is a franchise that began in 2001 with many games in the following years. However, the last two entries were remakes of older Super Monkey Ball titles, making Banana Rumble the first new entry since the 2015 mobile game, Super Monkey Ball Bounce. How time has rolled on since then.

Banana Rumble has a new Adventure Mode where AiAi and team meet with Palette to find her missing father, believed to be searching for the Legendary Banana. Along the way, they run into Fes and her team of thieves who are also looking for the Legendary Banana. Who’ll get to the treasure first?

It’s a simple storyline, but it’s entertaining and makes a good segway in between worlds. There’s a set of 200 courses across all the worlds in Adventure Mode. Players will encounter everything from easy courses to really challenging ones that’ll really have them racking their brains. Despite having over 200 courses to play, the Adventure Mode feels a little short as it has fewer courses than Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania. Many courses are timed for about one minute to complete. Therefore, if you’re a veteran of the game, you’ll fly right through it. Completionists will spend more time revisiting courses to complete each one at 100%. Regardless of how long you play, it’s still a fun ride.

The game offers a guide if you fall out of the course multiple times. If you choose to accept it, you can learn how to tackle the course properly with a ghost figure showing you where and how to finish the course. When doing this option, however, the bananas you’ve collected and the time to complete it won’t be recorded. You’ll have to play without help to record your stats. Don’t fret if you didn’t complete it at first. You can revisit the course as many times as needed to collect all the bananas and grab the golden banana for that 100% completion.

When finished with all worlds, you can revisit them to tackle the Time Attack option. This option lets you test how fast you can complete the course and compare your time with others worldwide.

The game also features a new action while playing, the Spin Dash—yes, it’s a Sonic the Hedgehog reference. With the Spin Dash, players can dash quickly to the goal or go for those crazy shortcuts. It’s easy enough to use but also deadly if you’re not careful. The move has a cooldown upon use, so you can’t use it wildly. Good luck!

The More the Merrier

Super Monkey Ball series have catered to multiplayer fun for years, and it continues to do so here. Up to four players can monkey around offline or online together in the Adventure Mode. Only one player needs to cross the goal to complete the course, so may the best monkey win. Playing local multiplayer on the same console, up to four players will share the same screen.

Additionally, players can duke it out in the Battle Mode where up to 16 players can compete. It does get very chaotic when you have over ten players rolling around. There are five different game modes available: Race, Banana Hunt, Ba-Boom!, Goal Rush, and Robot Smash. Each one is fun in its own way. The Race option feels like a Mario Kart clone, where players can use items that can be picked up on the course on each other. With everyone moving to avoid falling out, expect other players to have no problem knocking you off. Once knocked out, you’ll be back right up either at the beginning of the stage or at checkpoints, depending where you fell.

Other modes such as Goal Rush and Robot Smash split everyone into two different teams to gain the most points. They’re straightforward experiences so you can play without the stress you’ll find in the Race.

If playing online isn’t an option, which requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can play multiplayer offline and with the computer. No matter how you play, the game’s framerate dips when multiple players are playing on the same screen. It’s not to the point it’s unplayable, but it is noticeable.

Shop Til You Drop

Whether playing the game online or offline, in Adventure or Battle Mode, you’ll rack up in-game points to purchase in-game items such as outfits, sphere designs, emojis, and more. Some characters like Dr. Bad-Boon can be purchased using the game’s currency—no real money involved. Unfortunately, guest characters like Sonic and Beat (the graffiti artist hero from Jet Set Radio) require real money to purchase on top of the game’s cost.

When playing as these guest characters outside the Super Monkey Ball series, the bananas laid on the course turn into items relative to the character. For example, Sonic has golden rings, and Beat has spray cans. It’s a nice feature to make it more enjoyable after spending the extra cash.

Rolling Hits

The Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble soundtrack is very lively, energetic, and adds positive vibes to tackling courses. The game is very colorful with adorable characters, and seeing such cute heroes drop off course may pull a heart string or two. At least they recover back on course. The soundtrack is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify and for purchase.

The Last Roll

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a fantastic game whether you are rolling solo or with a party. From the Adventure Mode to the Battle Mode and a positive vibe soundtrack playing throughout, it’s a fun ride for all ages. Prepare that spin dash and roll out!

A Nintendo Switch review code provided for this review and gameplay footage.