Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania Reviews
After many failed outings, the Super Monkey Ball franchise is back. Bubbling with content, there’s plenty to do whether you want to play solo or multiplayer. Whilst the nature of the game can cause frustration, the removal of the lives system has helped to improve the experience. The infectious presentation combined with the lovely gameplay makes this an absolute joy and an essential purchase for fans of the series.
Overall, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a competent and well-done remaster of the first three Monkey Ball console games. There are issues with how engaging those games can be, mostly due to the nature of the franchise's arcade style, so there are caveats about replayability.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania boasts a triumphant return for everyone's favourite primate puzzler, bringing along with it potentially 100s of hours of gameplay that long-time fans and newcomers alike will easily go bananas for.
The newest Super Monkey Ball game isn't lacking for much. With a ton of remastered levels, modes, minigames, and unlockable prizes, this enormous package could keep a fan busy for the rest of their life - if they don't mind high blood pressure. The only thing more pervasive than the mountain of content is the franchise's usual blistering difficulty. Fun, frustrating, and rewarding, this is a great collection.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania marks a return to form for the series, even if I am left hoping that we receive some substantial content updates in the near future to fill in gaps left from the originals. Fans who need an exact recreation of the originals or require challenge mode multiplayer might want to skip this one or wait for a deep discount, but those who just want to play Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 again or the first time should absolutely pick this one up on Switch, especially if you enjoy playing on the go. While there is still a bit of work to do, Super Monkey Ball is back, and it's a great feeling. I strongly recommend you don't miss out on this one.
After bringing back Sakura Wars, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania gives me hope that more classic titles are due for a revival from Sega. With more than 300 courses from three classic Super Monkey Ball games, Banana Mania is just as crazy and challenging as I remember. The feel isn’t quite as snappy as the classic games. But it’s still Monkey Ball and I’m glad to see the franchise swing back into action, not just for old fans but a new generation as well.
Despite the twenty years on monkey shoulders, the first Super Monkey Balls remain puzzle video games of superfine quality, however tough at the limits of sacrilegious swearing. Retrogaming aside, Banana Mania is undoubtedly the best way to experience the rotating gameplay recipe, now also open to welcome any newbies thanks to the introduction of some "assist controls" with optional activation.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This compilation is the celebration of twenty years of a franchise that in addition to being excellent on its own is an od to the Sega that many of us knew how to enjoy too much in its best times. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania can be the welcome of many to a franchise and a great revival for those who spent a lot of time at the controls of their favorite monkey. Of the world from which you come, do not stop giving this title a chance, it really has no waste.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania combines 300 stages from Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe into a single, massive package of entertaining and occasionally sadistic ball-rolling action.
Even with its issues, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a delight to play. It fills you with nostalgia whilst also showing the strengths of the series. It will be interesting to see where the franchise goes next.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is just as fun and infuriating as I remember. It's a content-complete package that celebrates the series. It can feel a bit too limited, with no online play or unlockable characters in minigames, but it's still a unique experience you can't get anywhere else.
For fans, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a no-brainer, and even newcomers will find tons of fun here. Some slightly annoying gameplay can't hinder the mountain of content and extras tied into this package.
Expertly aping past glories, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is a definitive compendium of remastered classics, stuffed to the gills with bonus modes, extra characters, and party games. It is, without question, the most fun you can have rolling a monkey in a ball around a maze - that is an empirical fact. You’d be bananas not to buy it.
With plenty of playtime, cute characters to play around with, minigames to battle your friends in and challenging missions to overcome, Banana Mania can be everything you’ve ever needed in an arcade game on the Switch. It’s worth going ape over, folks.
For Super Monkey Ball fans out there, this game is going to be fun because of the variety of creative mazes SEGA has in store for you. The modes beyond the main will be hit or miss depending on expectations. Nonetheless, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is mostly entertaining.
Banana Mania simultaneously caters to younger players and old fans alike with a solid representation of the franchise’s most successful ideas and plenty to do.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a loving recreation and just pure, uncomplicated FUN!
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is weird, expansive and tricky. I just know die-hard fans are going to love that combination, but I’m not sure about anyone else.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a confident and addictive reminder of why Monkey Ball was so popular back in the day. It truly feels like a celebration of the franchise that's jam-packed with content, bonuses, and unlocks. Monkey Ball still holds up with addictive challenge, fantastic music and a goofy, yet endearing premise, and all of it is accentuated by small yet meaningful additions that makes it more accessible than ever before.