Super Monkey Ball 2 for the Gamecube

Ah, how do I best describe Super Monkey Ball 2? In short, you’re a monkey trapped inside of a clear plastic ball, and the only way you move around is by having the land around you tilt in various directions.

Does that sound convoluted to you? Maybe this is a better explanation: Super Monkey Ball 2 is one heck of a difficult game to beat.

You don’t move your little bubble encased friend by having him walk. Instead, you have to use physics to your advantage by tilting the entire world he is on, in order to develop momentum. For a real life example of how difficult this is, take a marble, place it on one side of a piece of wood, and tilt that wood until the marble rolls in one direction; but, make sure the marble doesn’t fall off the edges, or else you lose.

It’s rediculously difficult. And you know what? It’s ridiculously fun.

Super Monkey Ball 2 offers an expansion on the original Super Monkey Ball by fleshing out each characters story; however, this only serves as a distraction, because, by the time you finish the more difficult stages, you really won’t care about their blasted story.

Another downside to this game is that it not only does it assumes you’ve already played Super Monkey Ball, but it assumes you’re a master at it. Yes, there is a tutorial for rookies, but the first few levels are nowhere as easy as they should be; however, once you’ve mastered the basic controls of the game, you’ll find that the early levels are, in fact, easy - relatively speaking, of course.

Finally, the sound isn’t the best in the business. While it’s not so bad as to detract from the game, it does get boring and monotonous after a while.

The controls are pretty responsive, and the world tilts pretty much as you would expect it to (though, if this is your first Super Monkey Ball game, you’ll need to take some time to understand and master the controls).

The mini-games are the saving grace for the average player. They range in difficulty from very easy to difficult (but not nearly as difficult as some of the later levels). Most of the mini-games are usually easy to master, and are a whole lot of fun. In the end, you’ll probably find yourself playing the mini-games more than the story mode; however, that’s not a bad thing, since this game sports multiplayer for up to four people.

In the end, this game isn’t for everybody. If you’re looking to pick up a game and expect to beat it overnight, then you should look somewhere else; but, if you’re looking for a long - and difficult - game, or a nice game to play with your friends, then give Super Money Ball 2 a shot.

I give Super Monkey Ball 2 a 4 out of 5.

Check out Super Monkey Ball 2 on Amazon