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This thread has been linked to the game 'Super Monkey Ball 3D'.
A Short History of Balls
When the Gamecube first came out, one of the first games I got to play was Super Monkey Ball (thanks to the Game-a-day competition on the forerunner to this very site). It was something brand new and original at the time and the mini-games were especially fun with friends.
Next came the Wii games with their tilting and jumping, adding a new (and sometimes unwanted) direction to the series. The mini-games were all still there in abundance though and there were tons of them.
Fast forward to the 3DS launch and here again is Sega with an update to their simian rolling classic. This time the emphasis is on using the tilt sensor to roll (or joypad if you prefer) removing the annoying jumping mechanic and, of course, presenting those cheeky monkeys in full 3D. So how does it compare to the classic Monkey Ball games?
Monkey Nuts
The main game is a return to the original title with more reliance on getting to the end as fast as possible, while trying to pick those pesky bananas up for extra points and lives. The graphics are sharp and bright, just as they should be, and look excellent on the new 3DS screen. Slide the 3D switch all the way up and you get some of the best 3D visuals from the launch line-up yet. Super Monkey Ball seems to have been made for 3D. Trying not to wince as your monkey goes head first over the edge and down, towards where-ever those monkeys go when they fall through the Sega blue sky, is a tough task when it happens in 3D.
3D Balls-up?
However, the 3D does cause a problem when you come to use the tilt sensor. Tilting requires moving the console about, 3D requires keeping it still and in focus with your eyes. I think you can see the issue here. Playing without 3D on the tilt sensor or with 3D on the analogue stick are both fine options though and it's still nice to have a choice, but it does show up one of the limitations of the 3DS.
Little Monkeys
One of the biggest let downs is the small number of levels on the main game, only 80 to get through. While new players may find the going tough towards the latter half of the game, Monkey Ball veterans will zoom through most of them and wonder where the rest of the game went. The other thing getting in the way of this game becoming a classic is the lack of party games. Where the original had a whole bunch of games and the Wii edition even more, Super Monkey Ball 3D only has 2. Yes, 2. It's a big disappointment.
Having a Ball
That said, Monkey Fight feels like a budget Smash Bros game, which isn't bad in itself considering how good Smash Bros is. Monkey Race seems to be desperately trying to be Mario Kart with monkeys, but thanks to an annoying drift system and some poor track design, it doesn't quite pull it off. The games have their faults, but for the most part they're actually a lot better than many of the previous Monkey Ball mini-games put together. What is lacking, though, is a Monkey Target game which would have been a perfect fit for the 3DS, especially considering how good Pilot Wings is, and Monkey Golf, which would have vastly improved the package.
Not so Super?
Thanks to the lack of mini-games and the short main game, Super Monkey Ball 3D won't last as long as the previous games in the series. What it does have, though, is good enough while it lasts and taking the racing mini game online is still the nearest thing to an arcade karting game until Mario Kart finally arrives on the system.
7/10
When the Gamecube first came out, one of the first games I got to play was Super Monkey Ball (thanks to the Game-a-day competition on the forerunner to this very site). It was something brand new and original at the time and the mini-games were especially fun with friends.
Next came the Wii games with their tilting and jumping, adding a new (and sometimes unwanted) direction to the series. The mini-games were all still there in abundance though and there were tons of them.
Fast forward to the 3DS launch and here again is Sega with an update to their simian rolling classic. This time the emphasis is on using the tilt sensor to roll (or joypad if you prefer) removing the annoying jumping mechanic and, of course, presenting those cheeky monkeys in full 3D. So how does it compare to the classic Monkey Ball games?
Monkey Nuts
The main game is a return to the original title with more reliance on getting to the end as fast as possible, while trying to pick those pesky bananas up for extra points and lives. The graphics are sharp and bright, just as they should be, and look excellent on the new 3DS screen. Slide the 3D switch all the way up and you get some of the best 3D visuals from the launch line-up yet. Super Monkey Ball seems to have been made for 3D. Trying not to wince as your monkey goes head first over the edge and down, towards where-ever those monkeys go when they fall through the Sega blue sky, is a tough task when it happens in 3D.
3D Balls-up?
However, the 3D does cause a problem when you come to use the tilt sensor. Tilting requires moving the console about, 3D requires keeping it still and in focus with your eyes. I think you can see the issue here. Playing without 3D on the tilt sensor or with 3D on the analogue stick are both fine options though and it's still nice to have a choice, but it does show up one of the limitations of the 3DS.
Little Monkeys
One of the biggest let downs is the small number of levels on the main game, only 80 to get through. While new players may find the going tough towards the latter half of the game, Monkey Ball veterans will zoom through most of them and wonder where the rest of the game went. The other thing getting in the way of this game becoming a classic is the lack of party games. Where the original had a whole bunch of games and the Wii edition even more, Super Monkey Ball 3D only has 2. Yes, 2. It's a big disappointment.
Having a Ball
That said, Monkey Fight feels like a budget Smash Bros game, which isn't bad in itself considering how good Smash Bros is. Monkey Race seems to be desperately trying to be Mario Kart with monkeys, but thanks to an annoying drift system and some poor track design, it doesn't quite pull it off. The games have their faults, but for the most part they're actually a lot better than many of the previous Monkey Ball mini-games put together. What is lacking, though, is a Monkey Target game which would have been a perfect fit for the 3DS, especially considering how good Pilot Wings is, and Monkey Golf, which would have vastly improved the package.
Not so Super?
Thanks to the lack of mini-games and the short main game, Super Monkey Ball 3D won't last as long as the previous games in the series. What it does have, though, is good enough while it lasts and taking the racing mini game online is still the nearest thing to an arcade karting game until Mario Kart finally arrives on the system.
7/10
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A Short History of Balls
When the Gamecube first came out, one of the first games I got to play was Super Monkey Ball (thanks to the Game-a-day competition on the forerunner to this very site). It was something brand new and original at the time and the mini-games were especially fun with friends.
Next came the Wii games with their tilting and jumping, adding a new (and sometimes unwanted) direction to the series. The mini-games were all still there in abundance though and there were tons of them.
Fast forward to the 3DS launch and here again is Sega with an update to their simian rolling classic. This time the emphasis is on using the tilt sensor to roll (or joypad if you prefer) removing the annoying jumping mechanic and, of course, presenting those cheeky monkeys in full 3D. So how does it compare to the classic Monkey Ball games?
Monkey Nuts
The main game is a return to the original title with more reliance on getting to the end as fast as possible, while trying to pick those pesky bananas up for extra points and lives. The graphics are sharp and bright, just as they should be, and look excellent on the new 3DS screen. Slide the 3D switch all the way up and you get some of the best 3D visuals from the launch line-up yet. Super Monkey Ball seems to have been made for 3D. Trying not to wince as your monkey goes head first over the edge and down, towards where-ever those monkeys go when they fall through the Sega blue sky, is a tough task when it happens in 3D.
3D Balls-up?
However, the 3D does cause a problem when you come to use the tilt sensor. Tilting requires moving the console about, 3D requires keeping it still and in focus with your eyes. I think you can see the issue here. Playing without 3D on the tilt sensor or with 3D on the analogue stick are both fine options though and it's still nice to have a choice, but it does show up one of the limitations of the 3DS.
Little Monkeys
One of the biggest let downs is the small number of levels on the main game, only 80 to get through. While new players may find the going tough towards the latter half of the game, Monkey Ball veterans will zoom through most of them and wonder where the rest of the game went. The other thing getting in the way of this game becoming a classic is the lack of party games. Where the original had a whole bunch of games and the Wii edition even more, Super Monkey Ball 3D only has 2. Yes, 2. It's a big disappointment.
Having a Ball
That said, Monkey Fight feels like a budget Smash Bros game, which isn't bad in itself considering how good Smash Bros is. Monkey Race seems to be desperately trying to be Mario Kart with monkeys, but thanks to an annoying drift system and some poor track design, it doesn't quite pull it off. The games have their faults, but for the most part they're actually a lot better than many of the previous Monkey Ball mini-games put together. What is lacking, though, is a Monkey Target game which would have been a perfect fit for the 3DS, especially considering how good Pilot Wings is, and Monkey Golf, which would have vastly improved the package.
Not so Super?
Thanks to the lack of mini-games and the short main game, Super Monkey Ball 3D won't last as long as the previous games in the series. What it does have, though, is good enough while it lasts and taking the racing mini game online is still the nearest thing to an arcade karting game until Mario Kart finally arrives on the system.
7/10
When the Gamecube first came out, one of the first games I got to play was Super Monkey Ball (thanks to the Game-a-day competition on the forerunner to this very site). It was something brand new and original at the time and the mini-games were especially fun with friends.
Next came the Wii games with their tilting and jumping, adding a new (and sometimes unwanted) direction to the series. The mini-games were all still there in abundance though and there were tons of them.
Fast forward to the 3DS launch and here again is Sega with an update to their simian rolling classic. This time the emphasis is on using the tilt sensor to roll (or joypad if you prefer) removing the annoying jumping mechanic and, of course, presenting those cheeky monkeys in full 3D. So how does it compare to the classic Monkey Ball games?
Monkey Nuts
The main game is a return to the original title with more reliance on getting to the end as fast as possible, while trying to pick those pesky bananas up for extra points and lives. The graphics are sharp and bright, just as they should be, and look excellent on the new 3DS screen. Slide the 3D switch all the way up and you get some of the best 3D visuals from the launch line-up yet. Super Monkey Ball seems to have been made for 3D. Trying not to wince as your monkey goes head first over the edge and down, towards where-ever those monkeys go when they fall through the Sega blue sky, is a tough task when it happens in 3D.
3D Balls-up?
However, the 3D does cause a problem when you come to use the tilt sensor. Tilting requires moving the console about, 3D requires keeping it still and in focus with your eyes. I think you can see the issue here. Playing without 3D on the tilt sensor or with 3D on the analogue stick are both fine options though and it's still nice to have a choice, but it does show up one of the limitations of the 3DS.
Little Monkeys
One of the biggest let downs is the small number of levels on the main game, only 80 to get through. While new players may find the going tough towards the latter half of the game, Monkey Ball veterans will zoom through most of them and wonder where the rest of the game went. The other thing getting in the way of this game becoming a classic is the lack of party games. Where the original had a whole bunch of games and the Wii edition even more, Super Monkey Ball 3D only has 2. Yes, 2. It's a big disappointment.
Having a Ball
That said, Monkey Fight feels like a budget Smash Bros game, which isn't bad in itself considering how good Smash Bros is. Monkey Race seems to be desperately trying to be Mario Kart with monkeys, but thanks to an annoying drift system and some poor track design, it doesn't quite pull it off. The games have their faults, but for the most part they're actually a lot better than many of the previous Monkey Ball mini-games put together. What is lacking, though, is a Monkey Target game which would have been a perfect fit for the 3DS, especially considering how good Pilot Wings is, and Monkey Golf, which would have vastly improved the package.
Not so Super?
Thanks to the lack of mini-games and the short main game, Super Monkey Ball 3D won't last as long as the previous games in the series. What it does have, though, is good enough while it lasts and taking the racing mini game online is still the nearest thing to an arcade karting game until Mario Kart finally arrives on the system.
7/10