Super Monkey Ball 3D

We have gotten to know the four monkeys Aiai, Meemee, Gongon and Baby over the years, but lately they have lost a bit of steam. And they seemed to hit rock bottom with Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll, where you balanced your way through the levels with the Wii Balance Board. What used to be a fun party game turned into torture. But Sega seems to have taken notes on how players felt about it, and with Super Monkey Ball 3D it seems that the quality of the gaming experience once again takes centre stage.

Controlling the game using the slide pad works very well. You your chosen monkey ball along tracks at whatever pace you are comfortable with avoiding multiple obstacles along the way. Later games in the series made use of grooves to help the player along, and although for a bit more control. Fortunately the challenge is still there, gaps and hills demand our full attention. There are somewhere around 70-80 levels to conquer in story mode - and from what we tried it skill was favoured over elements of luck.

The level design and presentation is closely related to the two most recent Wii titles. And while the graphics remain colourful, the use of pastel colours is a bit more restrained and not overly flashy. As far as controls go we can choose between the slide pad and the motion sensor, but much like the Balance Board the latter feels less suitable for the job. But it's not just down to better precision, the 3D features of the device are negated by the motion controls. In order for the 3D effect to work you have to keep the handheld still and straight in front of you. Apart from this inconvenience when it comes to motion controls the 3D effect looks wonderful and conveys a nice sense of depth to the levels.

In addition to a selection of story mode levels two mini-games were also playable in the build - Monkey Fight and Monkey Race. There will also be a versus mode in the full game, but sadly it was not present in this demo version. Monkey Race is a simple Mario Kart clone. The game modes (modes inside the mode, that is) include Grand Prix, Quick Race and Time Trial and there are nine tracks to race on. You choose from 16 characters and 16 vehicles. The karts have different qualities when it comes to speed, acceleration, drift, turbo and steering. And there are of course items spread out across the course that you can use against your fellow racers. It may not be the main course here, but it is a fairly nice addition that can serve as a nice diversion.

I was more impressed by the second mini-game. Monkey Fight appears based on another successful Nintendo series - Super Smash Bros. - a four player arena rumble (against friends or the computer). There are once again 16 characters to choose from with at least 3 levels on which to fight and the most bananas win. Unlike the standard mode there is no track to follow and the small arenas are shown from the side and have multiple platforms. Each monkey wears a boxing glove and if you your opponent over you can steal their bananas, and that's the basics of Monkey Fight.

Unlike the regular Monkey Ball this level has no tracks, but the small arenas are shown from the side with multiple platforms. There are bonus items such as the hammer that adds strength to you attack and robs your opponents of more bananas. Things get really hectic, especially towards the end as all players seem to gang up on the current leader (signified by a crown over his/her head) and it's simply a lot of fun.