Collection essentials #570 & #571: Super Monkey Ball & Super Monkey Ball 2 (GC)

Starting life as an arcade cabinet in the spring of 2001 and then as a launch title for the GameCube later that year, I’m pretty sure Super Monkey Ball was the first real significant Sega franchise after their Dreamcast console was discontinued, and thus the first to never actually appear on any Sega system. 

I’m not gonna have a ton to say about Monkey Ball, because the gameplay is rather simple and straightforward. The concept of the game is that you’re trying to get your monkey in a ball to the end of each stage. If you look at a screen shot or footage of this game, you’d probably assume that you’re playing as the monkey, but you actually don’t. What you actually do is use the analog stick to tilt the level itself in four different directions in order to roll the balled monkey to wherever you want it to go. Think of it like one of those toy marble mazes where you tilt the surface in different directions to try to get the marble to the finish line. 

Monkey Ball levels are typically not mazes, though. Instead, the levels come in all different shapes and sizes to test your mastery in the art of tilting. You’ll be racing against a time limit, too. There are, not surprisingly, a variety of hazards that players must avoid to keep their balled monkey from falling off the edge. In each level you’ll also find some bananas that will usually require to go at least a little bit out of your way to collect, adding in something for completionists and high score competitors as a reason to revisit levels previously conquered.

Monkey Ball is one of those games that certainly was designed with the simplicity and cuteness to appeal to young gamers, but they also kept experienced gamers needing more of a challenge in mind too. The hardest levels in Monkey Ball can be downright NASTY, and require tons of patience and practice to get through. There are some that I haven’t even seriously tried to beat because they’re so difficult.

These are games you definitely want to have friends to play with, because there are a variety of unique modes meant for multiplayer play. The first game naturally lets you compete in the game’s single-player levels, but you can also race on six different tracks, or compete in a minigame to try and knock your friends out of an arena, or to try to land your monkey on designated targets. A few additional unlockable minigames are based on sports, such as bowling and mini golf. 

The second game is very similar to the first, but the main difference and improvement is that they went a step further in the area of multiplayer options. The games from the previous game return in expanded form. Plus, there are an additional six modes which are also largely based on real-life sports. With three friends in tow, there are so many options that you’re likely to find one that tickles your fancy.

Unfortunately, I missed out on these games when they were first released. I was very much aware of them and had some interest, but being a preteen I just didn’t have the money to shell out on every single game that looked good. It’s a shame, because I’ll bet the multiplayer modes would have been a hit with my friends and family. It wasn’t until many years later that I bought and later properly sat down and experienced these games. I did get to play some Super Monkey Ball 2 friends, though unfortunately not a lot. It was one of those cases where I felt bad for letting a game sit in my backlog for so darn long! 

Monkey Ball has since spawned a whole series with a large number of entries for a variety of different platforms. However, the fan consensus seems to be that these first two games on the GameCube are the best ones. You probably want to play these original versions, too. They’re not as cheap as they used to be, but they’re still fairly affordable and in my opinion worth seeking out. 

These games are born out of the arcade era of gameplay I’m so fond of from one of the industry’s legendary developers. I don’t have the level of nostalgia or experience for them as they deserve, but they’re still definitely worth two spots as essentials in my game collection.