Back when the Nintendo GameCube launched, Sega introduced the world to the Super Monkey Ball franchise. The game was received by the media as an addictive and unique experience and GameCube owners came to appreciate it as a true gem in an otherwise lackluster launch lineup. The game, and it's sequel, both sold very well on Nintendo's lunchbox of a console, and Sega has taken the franchise to other platforms as a result. Monkey Ball has even appeared in portable form on Nokia's ill-fated N-Gage and on Nintendo's GameBoy Advance in the form of Super Monkey Ball Jr. While Sega's efforts with Jr. were commendable, it lacked a lot of the flair that made the GameCube versions so wonderful. With the more powerful DS, Sega is hoping for a translation that is a bit closer to the console versions.

Facts and Features

• Over 50 brand new stages and over 100 tracks
  
• Two brand new party games in addition to four classic favorites
  
• Download play for up to 4 players
  
• Touch screen and stylus control scheme

Serious Monkey Business
There are several modes to be found in Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll, but the main attraction for most DS owners will be the Challenge Mode. In the Challenge Mode, gamers attempt to guide their encapsulated simian of choice (four playable characters) through a series of elevated platforms to a goal while gathering bananas along the way for points and extra lives. If the monkey falls off the platform, or if the time limit for the stage expires, the gamer must attempt it again from the beginning. Old school gamers who have yet to experience Monkey Ball will get a strong Marble Madness vibe. The main difference between the two series, however, is that in Monkey Ball you aren't moving the ball, you're tilting the entire stage. This distinction is very important to keep in mind, especially when using the stylus as your control input. The stylus control in Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll is sure to draw mixed reactions from fans of the series. There will be some that claim it's superior to the directional pad, and there will be others that will curse it as being overly difficult to adjust to. The stylus control is precise, but there are times when you'll find yourself falling off a platform simply because you've moved your stylus too far and you've come to the edge of the touch screen. You really don't have to move the stylus far from the center to reach maximum speed, but it's inevitable that you'll float to the edges until you've practiced for quite some time. The direction pad works nice, but the lack of fluidity that the touch screen presents can be hard to deal with in narrow passages. My recommendation would be to practice up on the touch screen and deal with the initial pain of adjustment.


A look at one of the early stages.

As far as the level design goes, Sega really packs quite the challenge into this version of the series. The levels vary greatly from one to another and the difficulty will keep you attempting stages multiple times to figure them out. The game isn't quite as demanding of perfection as the console versions, but this is actually a good thing given the lack of an analog stick. Newcomers to the Monkey Ball franchise should be warned that completing the game 100% will take a lot of patience and dedication.