Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania Trailers
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania | Party with the Gang
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania | Meet the Gang
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania | Wondrous Worlds
Critic Reviews for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania
There are missteps and a new look that doesn't quite pop, but Banana Mania ends up an enjoyable celebration of the series in its prime.
Without the nostalgia goggles, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania quickly rolls downhill.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is a roll down retro memory lane with its charming classic arcade format. However, the game soon loses its shine with the sudden difficulty spike that makes it incredibly hard to enjoy in the later levels, despite the inclusion of accessibility options. This is a great choice for a party game when you want a local co-op title, but the lack of online multiplayer means the game begins to feel a little stale when playing alone, despite the wealth of levels, modes, and unlockables.
There isn't much new in this best-of compilation, but when the core package is this well-made and feature-packed, that's easy to overlook.
It may not be saying much but Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is the best the series has been in almost two decades and newcomers are bound to find a lot to love. It wears its heart on its sleeve and clearly the team has true passion for the franchise. It's packed full of content, new ways to play and there are so many extras and improvements that never existed in the original. Unfortunately, the engine beneath it all isn't quite up to the job. What they've achieved with Unity simply isn't on par with the originals and while the main game is still enjoyable, many of the party games are severely hindered. Until Monkey Target returns to its former glory, we cannot truly say Super Monkey Ball is back.
Yes, Banana Mania is essentially just the kind of Super Monkey Ball game that you’d expect. I just didn’t realize how much I’ve missed this series. The single player levels present a challenging and creative experience, while the minigame offerings make this collection essential to anyone who likes to play local multiplayer. This is the best Super Monkey Ball has ever been.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is an excellent time with bags of replay value, potential in its online leaderboards and competitive play, and works a treat in local co-op thanks to the fun, if sometimes superficial minigames.
