Banana Rumble looks to shake things up for the series.
I’ve been a fan of Super Monkey Ball since the GameCube days, with countless hours spent with friends playing Monkey Target or racing through goals looking to beat my previous run in the main game mode. So when I had a chance to go hands-on with the latest tilt-and-roll puzzle platformer I didn’t hesitate to secure a spot. Knowing this was a wholly new entry in the series and not a remake like the previous game, Banana Mania, I was looking forward to how they would iterate on the formula while keeping long-time fans interested and bring lapsed fans back to ball out.
Banana Rumble boasts a rather deep well of boards, new game modes, and character customizations that can appeal to both casual and hardcore fans. Whether the all-new 200 stages in Adventure Mode is your jam or you’re looking for multiplayer mayhem with up to sixteen players online in five new multiplayer modes, there’s a little bit of everything in this freshly picked bunch for you to gobble up. During my time with Banana Rumble I played a few rounds of the new Race and Goal Rush modes and although I was stuck playing with bots– which will still be a great little addition on release– I could only imagine the chaos that would ensue with a couple of buds online.
As I ready myself to dive into the full game this week, I can’t help but gush about the biggest change in this latest installment of the beloved Super Monkey Ball series– the spin dash. While this mechanic isn’t something groundbreaking that we haven’t seen before in other games, it feels almost silly that we haven’t been able to do this in a Monkey Ball game yet. With what felt like the tightest controls a translucent monkey-filled ball has been to date, this new mechanic meshes perfectly with banana collecting and goal chasing resulting in the best evolution the series has seen in ages. Although its addition comes with the a cost, the removal of being able to jump. This is far from an even trade either as the spin dash works so well in both the Adventure Mode and the party games that I don’t expect many to miss the ability to leap when properly executed spin dashes will bring more strategy and risk taking than ever before. I can already see the speedrunning community and serious monkey ballers bending this new ability to their will to chisel away at best times and discovering new skips.
Walking out of my appointment at Summer Game Fest my expectations were met which left me yearning for more time with AiAi and the gang. Super Monkey Ball is a series that has always deserved more love as well as a modern entry and Banana Rumble has the potential to be the one that brings new folks in and splits a smile on even the most grumbly of original fans. It was always one of those series that I thought really captured its own arcade element that blended skill and luck beautifully. Between the barrels of new content, the series charm, and the addition of the spin dash, I think Super Monkey Ball is back and ready to roll out in a big way.
You can listen to more of my thoughts on Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble on episode 424 of the Pass The Controller Podcast as well as on the Dragon Quest & SGF Epilogue episode of Axe of the Blood God.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is available June 25th, 2024 on Nintendo Switch.
For all things Summer Game Fest 2024 and Super Monkey Ball related, be sure to keep it locked to Pass The Controller. For a deeper dive on all things gaming and nerd culture, listen to the Pass The Controller Podcast with new episodes weekly on your favorite podcast platform. Want to continue the conversation with us and our community? Join our official Discord server.
Pass The Controller 