This game is basically a fusion of Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 for the PS2 and XBox. All of the levels from those two games are available in this collection, and all of the minigames are already unlocked and included. Formerly only available to GameCube players, the Super Monkey Ball series has made it to the PS2 and Xbox after a wait of almost 3 and a half years. The game itself plays very much like the old arcade game Marble Madness. You control a monkey in a ball, and you have to navigate it through many perilous labyrinths to the finish. In the previous two games you had limited lives/tries, but here you have infinite lives, which makes it all the easier.
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i have almost definitely sullied my experience with this game by playing the PS2 version which is notorious for how ass it is compared to the OG xbox version. so many loading screens, which is a bummer and a hell of a step down when you're used to the immediacy of the original gamecube versions. the combination of levels from 1 and 2 makes for a hefty challenge when it comes to the arcade mode, one which is not great given how imprecise a PS2 analog stick is compared to a GC analog stick. furthermore, the new stages they've added into deluxe are just kinda... bad? like they're all massive and gimmicky and have a lot of unused space on them. i might come back to this on the original xbox one day, but for now i can only rate what i played. and i did not enjoy it that much. it is fundamentally still fun because of how strong its predecessors were, but fails to add much of anything interesting or new. minigames are fun tho.
There is no reason to play this over the GameCube versions. If you've been playing Deluxe your whole life, you've been doing yourself a disservice. There's even a mod now for SMB2 that adds in the Deluxe-exclusive levels.
On Xbox, the game is almost passable. There are some graphical effects missing, but the real issue is that the controls are much less precise and accurate than on GC. This is not because of the controller, it's a fundamental problem with the game code itself. You can use any controller, even a GC one, and it will still feel worse compared to the original versions.
Don't even bother with the PS2 port. It has all the same issues above, runs at 30fps, and has loading times between levels. It's awful.
What about Banana Mania? That has gameplay issues of its own that I explain in my review of that game. Just stick with SMB1 and 2 on GC for the best experience.
On Xbox, the game is almost passable. There are some graphical effects missing, but the real issue is that the controls are much less precise and accurate than on GC. This is not because of the controller, it's a fundamental problem with the game code itself. You can use any controller, even a GC one, and it will still feel worse compared to the original versions.
Don't even bother with the PS2 port. It has all the same issues above, runs at 30fps, and has loading times between levels. It's awful.
What about Banana Mania? That has gameplay issues of its own that I explain in my review of that game. Just stick with SMB1 and 2 on GC for the best experience.
PLATFORM: Steam Deck via Xemu
GOAL: Clear Story Mode
PROGRESS: Up to World 6
You take a monkey, put it into a ball, and send it through difficult obstacle courses. Sounds simple enough, and even back when this game was a low budget arcade, it accomplished its task masterfully.
Really, not much needs to be said. The controls are responsive, the graphics and sound hold up well, and the level design is absolutely first-class. Don't let the high difficulty curve turn you away, for the game always feels fair, and you've got the Story Mode (unlimited lives and skippable stages) to help you practice. Admittedly, I'm not the greatest at this game, but I still have fun! And with Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 smashed together, along with some solid new stages, we've got 300 stages!
I do have a few nitpicks with this game, though. The ball rolling sound is mysteriously absent, I find the combined challenge modes to be a bit too long, and AiAi is the only playable character in Story Mode when I wanna play as MeeMee. Also, as for Steam Deck + Xemu, World 4 doesn't run that well, and the FMVs are all black.
Still, this game is top tier, amazingly replayable, and solidified the standard that Super Monkey Ball should live up to. I'll say right now that the only reason I shelved this is just to swap over to the GameCube versions, but I'll still recommend this version to any original XBOX or XBOX 360 owner! (Just don't play the PS2 version.)
P.S. I know that there's a fanmade GameCube port, but the expanded Story Mode isn't present, and at that point, I'd rather keep 1 and 2 separate. Oh, and as for party games, I'll write about them in my individual reviews.
GOAL: Clear Story Mode
PROGRESS: Up to World 6
You take a monkey, put it into a ball, and send it through difficult obstacle courses. Sounds simple enough, and even back when this game was a low budget arcade, it accomplished its task masterfully.
Really, not much needs to be said. The controls are responsive, the graphics and sound hold up well, and the level design is absolutely first-class. Don't let the high difficulty curve turn you away, for the game always feels fair, and you've got the Story Mode (unlimited lives and skippable stages) to help you practice. Admittedly, I'm not the greatest at this game, but I still have fun! And with Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 smashed together, along with some solid new stages, we've got 300 stages!
I do have a few nitpicks with this game, though. The ball rolling sound is mysteriously absent, I find the combined challenge modes to be a bit too long, and AiAi is the only playable character in Story Mode when I wanna play as MeeMee. Also, as for Steam Deck + Xemu, World 4 doesn't run that well, and the FMVs are all black.
Still, this game is top tier, amazingly replayable, and solidified the standard that Super Monkey Ball should live up to. I'll say right now that the only reason I shelved this is just to swap over to the GameCube versions, but I'll still recommend this version to any original XBOX or XBOX 360 owner! (Just don't play the PS2 version.)
P.S. I know that there's a fanmade GameCube port, but the expanded Story Mode isn't present, and at that point, I'd rather keep 1 and 2 separate. Oh, and as for party games, I'll write about them in my individual reviews.
If onnly we could all be as GOATED as AiAi
I only beat beginner, that’s it, not even unlocking beginner extra.
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe is essentially both the first and second Monkey Ball games crammed onto a single disc for both the PS2 and Xbox and it's just as wonderfully delightful as you'd expect it to be crammed with all sorts of fiendish levels to tackle.
Nothing pumps up the heart more like seeing Aiai in his monkey ball just teetering ever so close towards that goal, especially with the much more trickier levels which'll have you on the edge.
Combine that with all of the fun party games and you have a cracking little title that's definitely worth a look (although you will have to put up with rather long load times with the PS2 release).
Nothing pumps up the heart more like seeing Aiai in his monkey ball just teetering ever so close towards that goal, especially with the much more trickier levels which'll have you on the edge.
Combine that with all of the fun party games and you have a cracking little title that's definitely worth a look (although you will have to put up with rather long load times with the PS2 release).