Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

Last updated

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Monkey Ball Wii.JPG
North American Wii box art
Developer(s) New Entertainment R&D Dept.
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Toshihiro Nagoshi
Producer(s) Toshihiro Nagoshi
Designer(s) Yukio Oda
Artist(s) Saizo Nagai
Composer(s) Yasushi Asada [1]
Series Super Monkey Ball
Platform(s) Wii
Release
  • NA: November 19, 2006
  • JP: December 2, 2006
  • AU: December 7, 2006
  • EU: December 8, 2006
Genre(s) Platform, party
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz [lower-alpha 1] is a platform game developed and published by Sega, the seventh title in the Super Monkey Ball series, following Super Monkey Ball Adventure . [2] It was released as a launch title for the Wii system on November 19, 2006, in North America, December 7 in Australia and December 8 in Europe.

Contents

An HD remake, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD, [lower-alpha 2] was released worldwide on October 29, 2019, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in December for Windows via Steam. [3] The Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 versions were also released in Japan on October 31. [4]

Gameplay

The game spans a total of 100 main game levels, and 50 mini-games that each use the controller in a different way (e.g. "Monkey Darts" has players simulate the action of throwing a dart using the Wii Remote) as well as the appearance of all major characters featured in past games. [5] Unlike previous games in the Super Monkey Ball series, this game features eight boss battles, a feature new to the franchise. [6] The Wii controller is held parallel to the ground, with the monkey character rolling based on the slope of the game world, directly corresponding with the relative tilt of the Wii controller. For the first time in a Super Monkey Ball game, players are able to jump by quickly flicking the controller up while holding B, or by simply pressing the A button. The game also features character-specific abilities and stats for the puzzle stages, previously unseen in any other game in the series. [7]

Mini-games

There are 50 mini-games in total in Banana Blitz. [8] There is also a "party" mode whereby players can choose tournament-type gameplay, selecting mini-games in an attempt to accumulate the most points. Recurring mini-games from previous titles include Monkey Target, Monkey Race, Monkey Bowling and Monkey Wars.

Plot

Banana Blitz introduces a new pirate-like villain named Captain Crabuchin, previously confused with Dr. Bad-Boon. He has stolen the Golden Banana Bunch, and AiAi and his friends are on an adventure to recover the scattered pieces of it.

Reception

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [10] EGM awarded the game a 6.2, stating that the new Wii Remote-based control scheme made the game excessively difficult but enjoyed the large number of games even if a few were not fun, whereas IGN said the controls simply had a relatively steep learning curve, and once the player is used to them, are superior to control using an analog stick. GameSpot also praised the controls but criticized the single player game for its brevity. All three found the new cel-shaded visuals a little simplistic, although noting that it was well-suited to the tone of the game. GameSpot also stated that Banana Blitz was one of the "best in the series". [13] Hyper's Kosta Andreadis commends the game for its "standout party games, great use of Wii-mote for main game and its multiplayer mode". However, he criticized its boss battles, stating that they "can get tedious [and] certain party games are atrocious". [19]

Sales

As of December 31, 2006, the game sold 350,000 copies in North America. [20] The game sold a total of 38,600 units in Japan. [21]

Remake

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD.jpg
PS4 western cover art
Developer(s) Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Masao Shirosaki
Producer(s) Masao Shirosaki
Designer(s) Taisho Kin
Artist(s) Yukio Oda
Composer(s) Yuri Fukuda
Hidenori Shoji
Chihiro Aoki
Series Super Monkey Ball
Engine Unity
Platform(s)
Release
October 29, 2019
  • Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
    • WW: October 29, 2019
    • JP/AS: October 31, 2019
    Xbox One
    • WW: October 29, 2019
    Windows
    • WW: December 10, 2019
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

The HD remake under the title Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD was announced in July 2019, via a Famitsu issue, along with screenshots of the game and the box cover. [22] Shortly after, Sega officially announced the game for a worldwide release. [23] Development began after Masao Shirosaki was pondering what to work on next after finishing development on Judgment ; before that, they had a tough time getting a team together. However, after Judgment, him and a few others had some downtime and got together in January 2019. [24] The project was greenlit in February and development lasted for around 6 months. According to Shirosaki, some of the levels would've been too easy with the stick input, as they were originally designed with the Wii remote in mind. This means that some levels had to undergo some adjustments to become more enjoyable with current controls. Tweaks were made all the way up until the end. [24] When asked in a later interview of why Banana Blitz specifically was chosen for a remaster, Shirosaki revealed that due to the time and budget they had, it was the most reasonable choice. [25]

The remake features revamped controls, such as the ability to use the console's respective controller, as opposed the Wii Remote in the original version. As the game was nearing 13 years old by 2019, they consulted with the designers to rework the UI to mesh with "modern visual aesthetics". The remake also features new modes, such as a Time Attack Mode with online leaderboards, and the all-new "Decathlon Mode", which is a mode where the player "challenges themselves to beat ten mini-games in a row". [26] Players are able to unlock new costumes for each of the returning characters, as well as Sonic the Hedgehog as a playable character, with all bananas replaced with rings. [27]

Unlike the original, instead of the 50 mini-games, it includes enhancements of the ten most popular mini-games. [28] The game features a different soundtrack in most of the worlds, due to licensing issues. [29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Super Monkey Ball Ukiuki Party Daishūgō (Japanese: スーパーモンキーボール ウキウキパーティー大集合, Hepburn: Sūpā Monkī Bōru Ukiuki Pātī Daishūgō)
  2. ↑ Known in Japan as Tabegoro! Super Monkey Ball (Japanese: たべごろ！スーパーモンキーボール, Hepburn: Tabegoro! Sūpā Monkī Bōru)

Translations: スーパーモンキーボールウキウキパーティー大集合: Super Monkey Ball: Exciting Party Large Gathering.
たべごろ！ スーパーモンキーボール: It's time to eat! Super Monkey Ball.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii</span> Home video game console by Nintendo

The Wii is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube, and is a seventh-generation console alongside Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Selects</span> Marketing label by Nintendo

Nintendo Selects is a marketing label previously used by Nintendo to promote best-selling video games on Nintendo game consoles. Nintendo Selects titles were sold at a lower price point than new releases. The program paralleled other budget range software by Sega, Sony, and Microsoft to promote best-selling games on their consoles as well. In Japan, the discount label was introduced in 2015 for various Nintendo 3DS titles as the Happy Price Selection, although South Korea adopted the Nintendo Selects name at an earlier period. The most recent Nintendo Selects titles were released for the Wii U and 3DS and, as of January 2024, no Nintendo Switch games have been rebranded as Nintendo Selects.

<i>Super Monkey Ball</i> (video game) 2001 video game

Super Monkey Ball is a 2001 platform party video game developed by Amusement Vision and published by Sega. The game debuted in Japan at the 2001 Amusement Operators Union trade show as Monkey Ball, an arcade cabinet running on Sega's NAOMI hardware and controlled with a distinctive banana-shaped analog stick. Due to the discontinuation of Sega's Dreamcast home console and the company's subsequent restructuring, an enhanced port dubbed Super Monkey Ball was released as a launch title for the GameCube in late 2001, garnering interest as Sega's first game published for a Nintendo home console.

<i>Super Monkey Ball 2</i> 2002 video game

Super Monkey Ball 2 is a platform party video game developed by Amusement Vision and published by Sega in 2002 for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the Super Monkey Ball series, and the first installment to have a storyline and to be exclusively released on a home console.

<i>Mario Pinball Land</i> 2004 video game

Mario Pinball Land, known in Europe and Japan as Super Mario Ball, is a pinball video game developed by Fuse Games and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance, released in 2004. It is the ninth Mario game for the Game Boy Advance and is considered a spin-off into the Super Mario series of games. The game was later re-released for the Wii U Virtual Console.

<i>Super Monkey Ball Adventure</i> 2006 video game

Super Monkey Ball Adventure is a platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Sega. Part of the Super Monkey Ball series, it was released on 2006 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and GameCube.

<i>Sonic and the Secret Rings</i> 2007 video game

Sonic and the Secret Rings is a 2007 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Wii. A spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it is the first title in the franchise for the system, and follows Sonic the Hedgehog's quest to stop an evil genie named the Erazor Djinn. In addition to the basic platforming gameplay of previous Sonic titles, Secret Rings uses a system of experience points and levels, as well as special moves that are unlocked by means of progression.

Super Monkey Ball is a series of arcade platform video games initially developed by Amusement Vision and published by Sega. The series debuted in 2001 with the arcade game Monkey Ball, which was ported to GameCube as Super Monkey Ball later that year. Several sequels and ports have been released.

<i>Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi</i> Video game series

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, released in Japan as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking!, is a series of fighting games developed by Spike based on the Dragon Ball franchise by Akira Toriyama. The series was published by Namco Bandai Games in Japan and Europe, and by Atari in North America and Australia until 2008. Since the third game, Bandai Namco has handled Dragon Ball game publishing in all regions, effectively ending Atari's involvement.

<i>Sega Superstars Tennis</i> 2008 sports video game

Sega Superstars Tennis is a sports video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It is the second title in the Sega All-Stars series, preceded by Sega Superstars (2004), and crosses over characters, locations, and soundtracks from several Sega franchises, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Channel 5, and Super Monkey Ball.

<i>Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll</i> 2010 video game

Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll is a platform video game developed and published by Sega for the Wii. It was released in February 2010 worldwide.

<i>Super Monkey Ball 3D</i> 2011 video game

Super Monkey Ball 3D is a platform party game, part of the Super Monkey Ball game series. It was developed and published by Sega for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. Players can either use the Circle Pad or the internal gyroscope of the Nintendo 3DS to navigate AiAi and the others so they can collect as many bananas as possible within the time limit as in previous games in the series.

<i>New Super Mario Bros. U</i> 2012 video game

New Super Mario Bros. U is a 2012 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii U. The game is a sequel to New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the fourth and final entry of the New Super Mario Bros. series, following New Super Mario Bros. 2. It is also the first entry in the Super Mario series to feature high-definition graphics.

<i>Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz</i> 2012 video game

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz is a platform video game developed by Marvelous AQL and published by Sega for the PlayStation Vita. Similar to other entries in the Super Monkey Ball series, the game involves the player directing a monkey encased in a sphere through an obstacle course to a gate at the end of the level. The game was released early on in the Vita's lifespan, in June 2012 in Japan, and in October in Western regions. Reviewers were mixed on the game's merits; while some appreciated the game's core gameplay, others felt it was too redundant to prior entries. The game did not perform well commercially, and was the last completely original entry in the series to be released on a dedicated video game console until 2024's Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. The next title, Super Monkey Ball Bounce, played as a Peggle pachinko clone on mobile devices.

<i>Dragon Ball Heroes</i> 2010 trading card video game

Dragon Ball Heroes was a Japanese trading card arcade game based on the Dragon Ball franchise. It debuted on November 11, 2010 in Japan. In 2016, an update launched that improved the user experience in the form of enhanced graphics and easier accessibility of characters. This update was named Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Several other games based on the series have been released for Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows. Numerous manga adaptations have been published by Shueisha and a promotional anime adaptation by Toei Animation began being shown at public events in July 2018 before being uploaded online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio</span> Japanese video game developer

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is a video game developer housed within the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 1 division. It is known for developing the games in the Like a Dragon series, which the studio is named after, since Yakuza 5.

<i>Bayonetta</i> Video game series

Bayonetta is an urban fantasy action-adventure video game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and, since the release of Bayonetta 2 in 2014, published by Nintendo. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with Bayonetta, which was followed by two sequels, Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022), as well as a spinoff, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (2023). The games follow the titular character, a witch who wields dual pistols, shooters in her high heels, and long, magically transforming hair which becomes a supernatural weapon.

<i>Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania</i> 2021 video game

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a platform party game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a remake of the first three console entries in the Super Monkey Ball series, and was released in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 5, 2021. A version for Amazon Luna was released on May 12, 2022.

<i>Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble</i> 2024 video game

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a 2024 platform party video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and released by Sega for Nintendo Switch on June 25, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "スーパーモンキーボール ウキウキパーティー大集合 | ゲーム音楽制作 株式会社ノイジークローク". Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  2. ↑ "SEGA Announces Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz For Nintendo's Revolution Console". Sega. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2006.
  3. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 16, 2019). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD coming west for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch on October 29, PC this winter". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  4. ↑ シリーズ最新作「たべごろ！スーパーモンキーボール」. supermonkeyball.sega.jp/tabegoro. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  5. ↑ "IGN: Wii Interview: Super Monkey Ball". IGN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Screens: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Gaming-Age)". N-sider. Archived from the original on November 15, 2006. Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  7. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz UK Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Matt Casmassina (May 11, 2006). "E3 2006: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". IGN. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2006.
  9. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". GameRankings. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 10, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Poor Monkey". Game Informer . Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". November 21, 2006. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  13. 1 2 Davis, Ryan (November 16, 2006). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  14. ↑ Gerald Villoria (November 16, 2006). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". GameSpy. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
  15. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". GameTrailers. December 1, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  16. ↑ Matt Casamassina (November 14, 2006). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Codename Revolution - It's your world". www.codenamerevolution.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
  18. ↑ Mike Gamin (November 24, 2006). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  19. ↑ Andreadis, Kosta (January 2007). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz". Hyper. No. 159. Next Media. pp. 56, 57. ISSN   1320-7458.
  20. ↑ "Fiscal Year Ending March 2007 3rd Quarter Results" (PDF). SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS INC. February 7, 2007. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Game Search". Game Data Library (Famitsu sales data). Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  22. ↑ "『たべごろ！スーパーモンキーボール』がSwitch/PS4で10月31日発売。Wii『ウキウキパーティー大集合』リメイク作でSteam版も。名越氏が語る本作の魅力とは？【先出し週刊ファミ通】". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  23. ↑ @SEGA (July 16, 2019). "We're not monkeying around, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD lands on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbo…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. 1 2 Beresford, Trilby (October 29, 2019). "'Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz' Game Director on Preserving Charm of Original Characters in Remaster". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  25. ↑ Mejias, Nicole. "Find Out Why SEGA's Masao Shirosaki Revived Monkey Ball & More!". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD devs talk new modes, making the game easier, glitches, and why the time is ripe for a remake". Nintendo Everything. July 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD | Sonic Rolls In! | PS4". YouTube . Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Monkey Ball Official／モンキーボール公式の質問箱です". Peing -質問箱-.
  29. ↑ @SMB_JP (August 2, 2019). "@Blueblur98 Licensing. But this song is also good, so I hope you enjoy it!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  33. ↑ Carter, Chris (October 29, 2019). "Review: Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD". Destructoid . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  34. ↑ O'Connor, James (October 29, 2019). "Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD Review - All Monkey, No Magic". GameSpot . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  35. ↑ Peeples, Jeremy (October 29, 2019). "Review: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  36. ↑ Castle, Matthew (October 29, 2019). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  37. ↑ Ronaghan, Neal (October 29, 2019). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  38. ↑ Barker, Sammy (October 29, 2019). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD - Monkey's Paw Paradox At Play in Port of Poor Game". Push Square . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  39. ↑ Khan, Asif (October 29, 2019). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD review - Rotten bananas". Shacknews . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.