Attack You
Member
I don't see any impressions for Super Monkey Ball 3D posted, and I'm far too lazy to make an |OT| so...
The main game is classic Monkey Ball. 60fps, even in 3D mode, and the 3D effect pops very well in this mode. Having cleared all eight worlds now, I don't feel the level design approaches Monkey Ball 1 or 2 (those are the only two I've played). With lots of guard rails to keep you safe and sludge(?) to slow you down, it feels like Monkey Ball w/ training wheels for about 90% of the game. I'm not ramping off of anything to catch air, sweating any well-placed obstacles, or barreling down long slopes often. It's still set up for score attack at least. So while OG Monkey Ballers may be able to pull some tricks in places, I think they'll hit a ceiling hard and fast with this level design -- especially without alternate goals for extra points. I suspect the stages were designed around gyro control instead of analogue stick, due to their lack of difficulty.
Monkey Race (30fps in and out of 3D mode) is an awkward Mario Kart clone now, complete with actual vehicles and item pick-ups. There are three locations with three tracks each, but I only played two courses before I decided I wasn't enjoying it.
Monkey Fight (60fps in and out of 3D mode) is an, again, awkward Smash Bros. clone. Very light on defensive tools to deal with opponents, so spam away. There are a few options available to change things up a little, like pelting the stage with a constant barrage of bombs, and hiding the banana counter to obscure the winning player.
I must admit disappointment with the needless complexities of the mini-games here. In the first two Monkey Ball games, Fight and Race were brilliantly simple. They played like a natural extension of the main game. Here in Monkey Ball 3D, the monkeys are free of their capsules and worse for it. Also my favorite game, Monkey Target, probably could've validated my game purchase alone if it were present.
Just a huge missed opportunity here for Sega to come in on the ground floor of the 3DS catalogue with a good party game.
The main game is classic Monkey Ball. 60fps, even in 3D mode, and the 3D effect pops very well in this mode. Having cleared all eight worlds now, I don't feel the level design approaches Monkey Ball 1 or 2 (those are the only two I've played). With lots of guard rails to keep you safe and sludge(?) to slow you down, it feels like Monkey Ball w/ training wheels for about 90% of the game. I'm not ramping off of anything to catch air, sweating any well-placed obstacles, or barreling down long slopes often. It's still set up for score attack at least. So while OG Monkey Ballers may be able to pull some tricks in places, I think they'll hit a ceiling hard and fast with this level design -- especially without alternate goals for extra points. I suspect the stages were designed around gyro control instead of analogue stick, due to their lack of difficulty.
Monkey Race (30fps in and out of 3D mode) is an awkward Mario Kart clone now, complete with actual vehicles and item pick-ups. There are three locations with three tracks each, but I only played two courses before I decided I wasn't enjoying it.
Monkey Fight (60fps in and out of 3D mode) is an, again, awkward Smash Bros. clone. Very light on defensive tools to deal with opponents, so spam away. There are a few options available to change things up a little, like pelting the stage with a constant barrage of bombs, and hiding the banana counter to obscure the winning player.
I must admit disappointment with the needless complexities of the mini-games here. In the first two Monkey Ball games, Fight and Race were brilliantly simple. They played like a natural extension of the main game. Here in Monkey Ball 3D, the monkeys are free of their capsules and worse for it. Also my favorite game, Monkey Target, probably could've validated my game purchase alone if it were present.
Just a huge missed opportunity here for Sega to come in on the ground floor of the 3DS catalogue with a good party game.
