Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll

Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll
Step onto the Wii Balance Board to experience Super Monkey Ball in a whole new way or use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
Protagonist(s): AiAi MeeMee Baby GonGon Genre(s): Platform Party Platform(s): Wii Release Date: NA: February 9, 2010 AU: February 11, 2010 EU: February 12, 2010 JP: February 25, 2010 Developer(s): Sega CS1 R&D Publisher(s): Sega Country: Japan Series: Super Monkey Ball Predecessor: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Successor: Super Monkey Ball: 3D

Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll is a platform game developed by Sega CS1 R&D. and published by Sega. It is the eighth game in the Super Monkey Ball franchise and the second installment released for the Wii.

Plot

AiAi and all his friends are stepping onto the Wii Balance Board in an all-new party game for the Nintendo Wii. Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll brings back what you love about Super Monkey Ball and promises plenty of surprises around every turn. Get ready for a whole new level of monkey madness as Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll rolls into your living rooms!

Qualities That Will Step & Roll

1. This game is an improvement over Adventure and Banana Blitz (HD), which explains the pointers below.
2. There are no boss fights after all the stages in the world are complete, which makes the game more fun.
3. The motion controls are not that slippery, nor that difficult for new players of the franchise, unlike Banana Blitz.
4. The Wii Remote is more responsive than Banana Blitz.
5. Not only does this game have substantial replay value, but also features the collections and achievements.
6. While there are only 21 minigames in this game, not all of them are from Banana Blitz (HD), as the newer ones are more enjoyable.
   • Also, the minigames from Banana Blitz (HD) are improvements over their Banana Blitz counterparts due to better controls.
7. While a few minigames still suffered numerous problems such as the Monkey Target, most of the minigames are more enjoyable to play.
8. While this game only has 70 levels, they can be varied by new features: Co-op Play, Marathon, Mirror Mode, along with the Wii Balance Board.
   • Speaking of these features of the main game, they make the stages fun and challenging in a good way.
     • Co-op Play featuring a second player pointing at the screen to aim a reticle at obstacles, and shooting them to damage and destroy them shows a great sense of teamwork.
     • In Marathon mode, there is a Marathon rest stage to allow the player to take it easy on the challenging levels and collect some bananas.
9. Lots of great background detail and objects to make the game feel more alive.
10. This game has one of the best soundtracks in the series. What's even better is that each world has a unique song that can be played over the credits.
11. Though nitpicky, the jumping mechanic is omitted in this game, especially because the stages don't require jumping unlike its predecessor.
12. This game is a fun way to get moving, especially with the Wii Balance Board.
13. The game introduces a new character: Jam. His antics are funny.

Qualities That Fall Out Of Bounds

1. Two new characters introduced in Banana Blitz, YanYan and Doctor, are absent.
2. The new character, Jam, wouldn't be playable until Super Monkey Ball 3D.
3. Most of the stages feature obstacles like statues that can block the monkey's way. However, when playing the Wii Balance Board, the obstacles are omitted.
4. The game features guardrails in most of the stages, which makes the game too easy for players.
5. When playing in Marathon Mode, the player has one life only, although they may use continues. This is not the case in the Full Marathon mode, where the run ends immediately if the player loses a life.
6. For some reason, to skip the credits, you have to hold down the A button for three seconds, which is a bit annoying for those who want to go straight to the rankings screen.

Reception

The game received mixed to positive reviews from reviewers. Craig Harris from IGN praised the game for its tight and natural controls using the Wii Remote, saying that "you're really controlling the tilt of the environment, not the momentum of the ball". He also praises the increased simplicity in the game with the no storyline, no boss battles and no jumping mechanic to slow it down. Laura Parker from GameSpot criticized the usage of the Wii Balance Board in the game, saying that the controls with the board are too sensitive. She notes that the usage of the board is more suited to the minigames than the main game. Martin Kitts from Computer and Video Games said that the game added nothing new from the previous games in the Super Monkey Ball series. Both he and Harris criticize the camera controlling; Kitts says that the camera doesn't switch angles when the player does or when it's necessary. Wiiloveit.com enjoyed the "user-friendly" package, and commented that the Balance Board can be "very rewarding" if you stick with it. Praise was also given to the Achievement system, the "fantastic" music, and the new Marathon Mode.

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