The Wii classic returns for current platforms. Improved graphics, new options and new controls for a nice delivery of the long saga
A banana-shaped joystick, neon lights and the atmosphere full of recreational saw the Super Monkey Ball series born in 2001. Under the signature of Sega and developed by Amusement Vision, Monkey Ball put us at the controls of an ape that in the purest style of Marble Madness, he turned and turned without stopping through various scenarios within a ball that moved running like a hamster.
Almost two decades later, the formula has hardly changed. Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD is the new installment of the long and nice saga, and at the same time, it is a review of the namesake title that was released in 2006 for Wii. Already without WiiMote in between (we have played it on PS4) the title presents a series of improvements that go beyond the graphic and worth commenting on. From the reformulation of the controls to adapt them to a conventional control, to the new soundtrack, which adds a touch of freshness to already known levels.
This remake developed in Unity has a much cleaner and clearer finish. With a resolution of 1080p and 60fps, its colorful palette once again takes over the screen and this time it does it with HD textures, new animations and a redesigned and modernized interface. With larger icons and a more rectangular aesthetic.
The first thing that is inevitable to ignore is your control. The loss of Wii means the loss of motion control, something that has not been attempted to supply in any way on platforms such as PS4 or Switch, although they have their own motion control systems. With the analog joystick we gain in precision. We can make more subtle movements, quicker turns faster, and we generally feel more in control of the character. The ball control is comfortable. It has a suitable friction point to the surface, without being a tire but without feeling too slippery. The ball also takes inertia with the speed, becoming increasingly difficult to maneuver the faster it goes, but using the speed to cover great distances in the jumps.
This change does not come without its drawbacks, many of the levels feel somewhat orthopedic with the analog joystick, and some in fact have been slightly modified to favor traditional control. The result is a game that in terms of difficulty wins on the one hand but loses on the other. It is still a deceptive title, although the first worlds are quite accessible, the second half of the game proposes very challenging platform platforms. With levels full of narrow roads, tight turns and many precise jumps.
At the playable level, and saving the control features already mentioned, the formula remains intact. We move our ape into a ball through three-dimensional levels and trying to get from point A to point B without dropping the circuit. On our way the main obstacles come from the terrain and by the level's own design, with frequent slopes and gaps between platforms, but we also find enemies that roam around and hit us, bouncing against them and, if we are not careful , fall into the void and die.
The Main Game mode is the highlight of the title. The structure is classic, 8 worlds with 11 levels each, the last level of each world being a confrontation against a final boss. These final bosses are undoubtedly the worst of the game. Even thanking the change in third they involve, they are clumsy confrontations where the difficulty lies more in that it is not easy to attack weak points with a rolling ball, rather than the design of the boss itself.
There are also frequent bonus levels to try to get the best possible score. This score is largely what can make many players dare to continue playing the title. To the natural satisfaction of surpassing and replacing levels, seeing how we are doing better every time, we must add the competitive approach provided by the new online leaderboards, in which we can see our position in the world rankings.
This Banana Blitz HD also works, to some extent, as a party game for up to four players. Of the 50 mini-games that the original contained, it has kept the brief figure of 10, in an attempt by Sega to keep only the best-hits and eliminate those more purely based on the WiiMote motion control. The team is varied, with some based on precision, others on speed, and others on pressing buttons in a very specific way.
The new decathlon mode makes us go through those ten mini-games trying to get the best overall score to compete with friends or strangers online, but we can also play them individually. Behind these mini-games there are many moments of anger, confusion, and not knowing very well what we are being asked. They have that classic component of having to fight with the command until they hit the key with the press of buttons. But once dominated, they are a light entertainment that complements the main experience well.
The monkeys finish giving the final complexity layer to what on the other hand is a very simple game. In addition to its nice designs, each ape has its own characteristics that affect how it moves. Switching between one or the other (which we can do at any time from the main menu) definitely does not alter the general gameplay, but a few hours with this game help you to know if we prefer that our monkey bounce more, jump less, or more fast.
Controlling the ape that we control, in the adventure or in the mini-games, alone or competing in company, this Banana Blitz HD is a competent delivery in a saga that has always made the stature as a fun hobby. And an old school adventure that, rather than correcting problems of its predecessor, proposes a different approach with its own lights and shadows.
Analyzed for the Playstation 4 version.
CONCLUSION
Without finishing shining in any of its sections, not even above its original delivery on Wii more than ten years ago, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD replaces the WiiMote with a traditional control to offer a different experience, but that is right in capturing the unique charm that this saga offers. There are positive aspects to highlight here. The main adventure offers well-designed and entertaining levels, and the mini-games, once dominated, are a nice treat that also adds an adequate competitive and party game touch. But the final set, and without mentioning all the content that has been removed from the original release, feels more like an entertaining hobby than an essential delivery in the saga.
THE BEST
- Conventional control makes us gain in precision, and some levels have been redesigned as accompaniment
- The visual section has benefited from a good face wash. It is vibrant and colorful, and with the 60 FPS it gains in fluidity
WORST
- Severe reduction of content in mini-games. From the original 50 to 10.
- The fighting against the final bosses are clumsy and uninspired
Right
It is not the latest or the most original, nor does it have the best execution, but it can be fun if you like the genre. Good, but improvable.
