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Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

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Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
Developer(s)Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Masao Shirosaki
Producer(s)Masao Shirosaki
Designer(s)
  • Taisho Kin
  • Kagari Horiuchi
Programmer(s)Yōichi Ishikawa
Artist(s)Michio Abe
Composer(s)
SeriesSuper Monkey Ball
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseNS, PS4, PS5, Windows
  • WW: October 5, 2021
  • JP/AS: October 7, 2021
Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • WW: October 5, 2021
Genre(s)Platform, party
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania[a] is a platform party game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega.[2] It is a remake of the first three console entries in the Super Monkey Ball series, and was released in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 5, 2021. A version for Amazon Luna was released on May 12, 2022.

Gameplay

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As in previous Super Monkey Ball games, the objective of the primary game mode is to navigate a monkey in a ball across a series of suspended platforms to reach a goal and clear the stage. To do this, the player must tilt the stage to direct the ball's movement, utilizing the game's physics to clear obstacles and avoid falling off the edge. Banana Mania features recreations of all 300 stages from Super Monkey Ball Deluxe (2005), a compilation release of Super Monkey Ball (2001) and Super Monkey Ball 2 (2002).[3] Certain stages have been rebalanced, decreasing their overall difficulty; the original versions of these stages can still be played in a new "Original Stage Mode".[4] The Story mode from 2 also returns, now utilizing comic-book-style story sequences in place of the animated cutscenes from the original releases,[3] along with all 12 multiplayer party games from DX.[5]

A handful of new modes have been added to Banana Mania, each of which presents a selection of 10 stages from the main game that must be completed in alternate ways. These include "Golden Banana Mode", in which players must collect all the bananas in a stage;[6] "Reverse Mode", in which a stage's starting and goal points are swapped;[7] and "Dark Banana Mode", in which players must complete a stage without touching any rotten bananas.[8] Other new features added to Banana Mania include a time attack mode, online leaderboards, and a photo mode.[3][5] Several new optional accessibility features have been added as well, including the jumping mechanic from Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz,[9] a "slow-motion" button,[10] an extended time limit and an optimal path guide.[11] Players can earn an in-game currency known as "Points" by completing stages and collecting bananas in the main game, or completing any of the 747 missions. These points can be spent at the in-game Points Shop to purchase new characters, modes, alternate costumes, accessories for character customization, and options for the photo mode.[12]

AiAi, MeeMee, Baby and GonGon, the four playable characters from the original releases, all return for Banana Mania, alongside YanYan and Doctor from Banana Blitz; these six characters are playable in all modes and can be customized with unlockable accessories.[12] Additional characters can be unlocked for use in the main game through the Points Shop;[12] these include Jam from Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll, Jet from Super Monkey Ball 3D, and several guest characters from other Sega games, including Sonic and Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog,[13] Beat from Jet Set Radio,[14] and Kazuma Kiryu from Yakuza.[15] Three additional guest characters were also released as premium downloadable content: Morgana from Atlus' Persona 5;[16] Sanrio's Hello Kitty;[17] and Suezo from Koei Tecmo's Monster Rancher.[18] These downloadable characters have since been delisted from digital storefronts.[19]

Development

[edit]

Following the release of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD and the support from the fans, the staff began talking about creating the next Super Monkey Ball game. According to director and producer Masao Shirosaki, they received a lot of feedback from the fans on how they "wanted original Super Monkey Ball and Super Monkey Ball 2 remakes", citing that had it not been for the voices of those fans, Banana Mania would never have come to be. The addition of support features was included to not make the game too difficult for players who have never played a Super Monkey Ball game. However, the development team did not want to change the structure of stages as they felt returning players might feel it would be an entirely different game from the originals.[20]

The game began development around March 2020, and was developed remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Development lasted for about a year and a half.[20] The game's theme song, "Hello Banana!!", was performed in Japanese by the Banana Fritters, the members of which (Noriko Hidaka, Toshihiko Seki, and Kōichi Yamadera) also voice the game's characters.[21]

Release

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The game was announced on June 15, 2021,[3] though the game had its title leaked prior to its official announcement. On April 15, the Australian Classification Board issued a rating to a game under the name,[22] followed by Brazil on June 10.[23] One day before the announcement, box art and screenshots were leaked online.[22] An animated launch trailer was produced by Powerhouse Animation, featuring music by Hyper Potions.[24][25]

Players who preordered the game received the "Bonus Cosmetic Pack" downloadable content (DLC) containing ten additional cosmetic customization items. A physical Anniversary Edition release comes with a collectible game sleeve, a reversible game cover, and a 40-page art book, along with a download code for the Bonus Cosmetic Pack DLC. The digital Deluxe Edition release includes four pieces of DLC, which are also available separately for purchase: the "Customization Pack" with ten additional customization items; the "Classic Character Pack", containing alternate skins for the six main characters that resemble the character models in the original Super Monkey Ball games; the "Classic Soundtrack" option, which replaces the in-game music tracks with their counterparts from the original Super Monkey Ball games; and the "Sega Legends Pack", containing three playable characters based on classic Sega game consoles: Game Gear, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast.[26]

Reception

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Upon release, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[27][28][29][30]

Sales

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The game made it to #8 in the UK sales charts in its first week, selling more than double the copies Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD did.[43]

Notes

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  1. ^ Known in Japan as Tabegoro! Sūpā Monkī Bōru 1&2 Rimeiku (Japanese: たべごろ！スーパーモンキーボール 1＆2リメイク, lit. Good Enough to Eat! Super Monkey Ball 1&2 Remake)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Review: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania manages to avoid slipping up". Video Games Chronicle. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. ^ Cryer, Hirun (June 15, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is coming to Switch, consoles, and PC later this year". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  3. ^ a b c d Oloman, Jordan (June 15, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball Original Trilogy Remaster Revealed". IGN. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "You don't have to worry about lives in Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania". Destructoid.com. 7 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b Peters, Jay (June 15, 2021). "The first three Super Monkey Ball games are getting remastered". The Verge. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Super Monkey Ball [@SuperMonkeyBall] (August 27, 2021). "New Mode, New AiAi! ✨🐵✨ Collect all the bananas across the 10 stages of Golden Banana Mode to unlock Golden AiAi, who you can play as in the Main Game! #SuperMonkeyBall #BananaMania https://t.co/nHw35l7xmR" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ Super Monkey Ball [@SuperMonkeyBall] (August 28, 2021). "Think you know your Super Monkey Ball courses? 🙈 Try swapping the starting point and Goal in a selection of 10 stages for a whole new challenge in Reverse Mode! 🎊 #SuperMonkeyBall #BananaMania" (Tweet). Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Super Monkey Ball [@SuperMonkeyBall] (August 29, 2021). "What if you couldn't eat your favorite food? That'd be bananas! 🍌 Enter Dark Banana Mode, 10 stages where you'll have to avoid rotten bananas and reach the Goal! 🎊 #SuperMonkeyBall #BananaMania" (Tweet). Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Super Monkey Ball [@SuperMonkeyBall] (June 17, 2021). "Fret not banana maniacs - Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania will have an unlockable jump option for newcomers to the series, but it'll be off by default! 🍌 Oh, and the Jump feature will not affect Online Leaderboards. 🙈 #SuperMonkeyBall #BananaMania https://t.co/PyOjanfkkg" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ 城崎 雅夫／Masao Shirosaki [@ShirosakiMasao] (July 8, 2021). "メインゲームのお助け機能には「スローモーション機能」もあります！ ボタンを押すとスローモーション状態になって、細い道など繊細な操作が必要な場面がプレイしやすくなりますよ😉 #スーパーモンキーボール #SuperMonkeyBall #SMB #SMBBM #BananaMania https://t.co/b811RUyssO" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ 城崎 雅夫／Masao Shirosaki [@ShirosakiMasao] (July 7, 2021). "今回はメインゲームに「お助け機能」をたくさんいれてみました！ ・制限時間2倍 ・ゴールまでのガイド表示 これであんまり時間を気にせず、 かつゴールを見失わずにプレイできますよ😆 （もちろんお助け機能はON/OFFできます） #スーパーモンキーボール #SuperMonkeyBall #SMB #SMBBM #BananaMania https://t.co/7EnVWuTyF4" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ a b c Super Monkey Ball [@SuperMonkeyBall] (August 25, 2021). "@heckingmexican AiAi, MeeMee, GonGon, Baby, YanYan, and Doctor are the playable characters across all Party Games, and can be customized using accessories. 🍌 All other characters can be played across each of the 300+ stages in Story Mode, Challenge Mode, Practice Mode, and five Special Modes! 🐒" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Super Monkey Ball [@SuperMonkeyBall] (August 11, 2021). "SEEEGA! Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower are rolling into Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania as playable characters, free and unlockable on all platforms through normal gameplay at launch! 🔵🟠💨 #SuperMonkeyBall #BananaMania #SonicTheHedgehog #Sonic30th #SMB20th https://t.co/bFP9Lqx24W" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Jet Set Radio's Beat joins the new Super Monkey Ball roster". Polygon. 4 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Yakuza's Kiryu rolls into Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania". Polygon. 18 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Persona 5's Morgana is the hyped-up Super Monkey Ball DLC character". Destructoid.com. 25 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Will Have Hello Kitty Paid DLC". Nintendolife.com. September 2021.
  18. ^ "Monster Rancher's Suezo is also paid DLC for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania". Eurogamer. 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Persona 5 Morgana Super Monkey Ball Remake DLC to be Delisted". November 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania dev on project origins, physics, camera, more". Nintendo Everything. September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  21. ^ "Yakuza Creator Stars in New Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Theme Song". Siliconera.com. 4 October 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania screenshots and box art have seemingly leaked". VGC. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  23. ^ Doolan, Liam (June 11, 2021). "A New Super Monkey Ball Game Has Been Rated Again, This Time In Brazil". Nintendo Life.
  24. ^ Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Is Out Now And It Is Pure Joy
  25. ^ Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania launches with animated video and original song
  26. ^ Doolan, Liam (June 20, 2021). "Sega Reveals Digital And Physical Versions Of Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania". Nintendo Life.
  27. ^ a b "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. October 5, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  31. ^ Carter, Chris (September 19, 2021). "Review: Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania". Destructoid. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  32. ^ Robinson, Martin (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania review - effective cover version of an all-time great". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  33. ^ Kemps, Heidi (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania Review - Fresh And A-peel-ing". GameSpot. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  34. ^ Swalley, Kirstin (September 29, 2021). "Review: Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  35. ^ LeBoeuf, Sarah (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania Review". IGN. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  36. ^ Cartwright, Jon (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  37. ^ Ronaghan, Neal (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  38. ^ Gipp, Stuart (October 4, 2021). "Mini Review: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (PS5) - Sony Potassium 5". Push Square. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  39. ^ Denzer, TJ (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania review: Bountiful banana buffet". Shacknews. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  40. ^ Cucchiarelli, Daniele (September 30, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania – Recensione" [Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania – Review]. The Games Machine (Italy) (in Italian). Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  41. ^ Musgrave, Shaun (October 5, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Super Monkey Ball' and 'Hot Wheels', Plus the Latest News, Releases, and Sales". TouchArcade. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  42. ^ Minotti, Mike (September 29, 2021). "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania review — More fun than a … you know". VentureBeat. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  43. ^ Dring, Christopher (October 11, 2021). "Metroid Dread is the highest-grossing Metroid game launch in UK history | UK Boxed Charts". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
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