Roll, race, and fight in 3D! Super Monkey Ball 3D takes advantage of most of the 3DSs tricks to make a simple, fun game.
Super Monkey Ball 3D is one of the launch titles for the new Nintendo 3DS and it is definitely worthwhile to pick it up. The game makes good use of many of the 3DS's new tricks, including the analog circle pad, 3D graphics, and motion control.
They See Me Rolling...
The game has three big modes: the original Monkey Ball, racing, and battle. Fans of the Monkey Ball series will know what the original mode is all about. Using either the circle pad or the motion controls, tilt the world to move the monkey ball to the goal, hopefully grabbing some bananas on the way.
If you are using the motion controls, I would not recommend 3D graphics since you will be tilting and moving your 3DS all over the place, making it hard to maintain the 3D effect. Overall, the analog control is much better, especially when the camera is not being helpful.
Riding, Fighting Dirty
Racing mode and fighting mode has nothing to do with balls, but there are monkeys. Racing mode is similar to Mario Kart, complete with special items that you can use to attack the competition and a wide selection of vehicles with different stats. It comes with a nice variety of maps, but the items are a bit unbalanced and can make it a bit frustrating to race against the computer.
Fighting mode is similar to Smash Brothers, where each monkey has their own special moves but they all use the same control scheme. Here, you have to collect the most bananas and you can attack your opponents to make them drop their fruits. Both racing and fighting mode have characters and extras that you unlock as you play.
Overall, Super Monkey Ball 3D is a decent launch game with no obvious problems. It is simple and fun and makes good use of the 3DS's features.
Rating:
Price: $39.99
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
