Review:
Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll

Super Monkey Ball is a franchise based on an idea so simple it’s almost ludicrous. The objective is to tilt a maze and guide a monkey (in a ball, obviously) to the level’s exit. What could possibly go wrong with that?

The series has been slowly evolving from its initial conception and never in a good way. While the original entry was a true test of hardcore thumb dexterity, the sequel introduced some incredibly unfair moving levels, meaning that failing to complete a challenge was never your fault. Super Monkey Ball 2 also brought in a story which, while amusing, was totally uncalled for and this storyline idea went on to take centre stage in the appalling spin-off game Adventure.

On the Wii, the game’s fortunes have thus far remained unchanged. Banana Blitz brought in wonderfully fluid, if less usable that an analogue, motion controls but compensated by making the levels as wide as roads. It also added a game-destroying jump button and a handful of infuriating end-of-world boss battles. So what does this latest instalment bring us?

For starters, Sega has done away with both jumping and bosses, which is a huge tick in the plus column. They’ve also scaled back the number of aggravating moving levels, once more pushing the game closer to its original test of skill, as well as taking away the ridiculous storylines. Sadly, these are the only improvements that have been made.

The clue as to what’s wrong this time around is in the title. Step and Roll, refers to the balance board, the world’s most pathetically inaccurate gaming controller. Because the game has been designed with wobbly knees in mind, the levels themselves have undergone a total redesign: now they’re as wide as airport runways. Not only that, but there’s also a groove cut into many of the mazes, a ‘n00b strip’ if you will, that makes it harder to fall out of the intended path. Couple this with small walls to keep you from falling out, some horrifyingly lazy level design and you have a recipe for the blandest Monkey Ball game yet.