Super Monkey Ball Deluxe

Anybody reading this needs to know that if they're planning on buying this, the PS2 version of this game has a significant performance drop compared to the Xbox version. The PS2 version's framerate is halfed, and experiencing Monkey Ball gameplay at 30 fps sucks. In addition to that, the menus are slow and the loading takes forever. Only get the PS2 version if you're desperate.

Super Monkey Ball is an ideal example of gameplay simplicity mixed with an attractive presentation. Anyone who is capable of moving an analog stick can play it. The sounds are bubbly, as is the music. The visuals are bright and colorful, with checkerboard patterns that vaguely resemble a golf course's fairway. Only a couple minutes spent with this game will leave a movement-based gameplay enjoyer to conclude that this is probably one of the greatest games ever made.

How long those feelings will last, however, depends on how much of this game's insane difficulty curve you can handle. A player looking to experience every level might be disappointed upon finding out that they actually have to get GOOD at this game in order to play all of the harder stages. Though, the story mode of Deluxe does lend some leniency on how much of the game you can experience, as opposed to the bottlenecks in the game's traditional challenge mode. This means any player can get a taste at what lies beyond the horizon by picking and choosing levels for themselves. Unfortunately, this means that although this game has a massive amount of content, most players are not going to experience a majority of it.

I'll admit that I'm not good at Monkey Ball, though I'd imagine most players throw in the towel relatively early in this game. I have massive trouble with Floor Bent, which is only stage 34 in the advanced challenge course. If you think you'll be able to pull through some of the expert course instead, then say hello to Exam-C at stage 6! I did manage to finish the story mode, however, with countless amounts of retries on stages like Invasion, Swing Bar Long, Launchers, 8 Bracelets.... all stages that require a lot of precision and coordination that I don't have! In that regard, this game has a similar feeling to Gran Turismo's licenses, where you're constantly trying over and over again to get it right just once.

This 'trying over and over' again feeling is the essence of movement-based games. While Monkey Ball's simple levels are easier to visualize and remember, games like the original Super Mario Bros require the same abilities from the player. These games are designed to sculpt bonds into your muscle memory and leave a lasting, physical impression that other, story focused games can't. This is the eventual payoff for a game like Monkey Ball, that once you learn how to play it well, it's difficult to unlearn it. And once the physics are burned into your memory, the music and visual style of the game are burned in with it. This is why when you play a game like Banana Mania which uses a completely different engine and music, it feels like a slap in the face.
Almost as much of a slap in the face as it is to make players pay extra money to use Monkey Ball's original soundtrack and character skins in Banana Mania. Disgusting.