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GAMING FEATURE

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MEET THE OG CREW

AiAi The star of the show

MeeMee AiAi’s wife

Baby AiAi and MeeMee’s son

GonGon AiAi’s former rival but now bestie

Since first hitting arcades in 2001 with its rather unique gameplay, Super Monkey Ball has split off into some 22 incarnations.The latest of these is Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble for Switch, arriving this month. Let’s have a quick history lesson, shall we? Words Amy Flower I t was merely three months between Monkey Ball debuting in arcades, and Super Monkey Ball GOING BANANAS WITH SUPER MONKEY BALL!

series special, it left most wondering “Why?”. This break in the formula hasn’t been revisited since… Soon, it was time to go bananas on the Wii, aptly in Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz . The Wii’s controls added an extra layer of challenge, while difficulty was dropped to allow for it. Once you got the hang, it was a bunch of fun, and it was successful enough that it was given the multiformat HD treatment in 2019. In-between, variations came to iOS, Android, and even Windows Phone, as well as portable consoles ranging from the Nintendo DS and 3DS through to PlayStation’s Vita. In this time the cast of characters expanded, but other than the blip that was Adventure , they all stuck quite steadfastly to the tried-and-true roll-that-ball formula. 2021 saw a return to multiformat Super Monkey Ball, with Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania not only hitting PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, but also debuting on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It was a fan-pleaser, bringing back some 300 classic stages from the original GameCube games, with added accessibility options so that more could enjoy the wild banana fest.

quite some frustration. Over the years – and especially with mobile incarnations – the difficulty was numbed somewhat, giving more people the opportunity to play and enjoy, rather than exploding in fits of rage-quitting. Having proved a success as a GameCube exclusive, Super Monkey Ball expanded its reach to the Game Boy Advance in 2002, and then as a launch title on Nokia’s ill-fated N-Gage mobile phone/handheld console hybrid in 2003. In 2005 it was time for PlayStation and Xbox players to get in on the action, and the legend that is Super Monkey Ball really took off. In 2006, Super Monkey Ball Adventure changed the recipe, delivering more of a classic platform game, and with an emphasis on plot over puzzling. In taking away what made the

The developers of Super Monkey Ball are also the team behind the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games. DYK?

arriving on Nintendo GameCube. The challenging mix of puzzling and minigames proved an instant smash, and a sequel – the unimaginatively titled, but very fun to play, Super Monkey Ball 2 – hit less than a year later.

Whereas most games have you controlling a character, whether it’s a monkey or a spaceship, the Super Monkey Ball formula aped Atari’s classic Marble Madness , where you actually tilted the field of play in order to move your marble – or monkey, safely ensconced within a gachapon ball - from A (the starting line) to (hopefully) B, the finish line. Sounds easy, right? Actually, the original Super Monkey Ball games were incredibly challenging, something which caused all but the most skilled players

• Super Monkey Ball Banana

Rumble is out on Jun 25

Now, in 2024, it’s Switch exclusive time, as Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings the familiar format back for another trundle, while changing things up with a new Spin Dash move, 200 new levels, and character customisation, plus local and online multiplayer. Super!

SEGA MONKEYS! AiAI certainly isn’t alone in the pantheon of great SEGA primates. Over the years, relatives of his have starred in some games – such as 1983’s Congo Bongo and 1999’s maracas shaking Samba de Amigo (and its subsequent spin-offs). Then there are numerous non-starring appearances, including in games such as Psycho Fox , Jambo Safari! , and the Wonder Boy series, and guest appearances in various other outings including the Sonic & SEGA All-Stars racing games, Sonic Riders , and even SEGA Superstars Tennis .

44 JUNE 2024

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