Super Monkey Ball 3D

Overview

Super Monkey Ball 3D is the most recent installment in Sega's Super Monkey Ball series, and was a launch game for the 3DS. As with its predecessors, the player controls one of four monkeys - AiAi, MeeMee, Baby, or GonGon - in a plethora of different games. Along with the regular "Monkey Ball" main game mode, two mini-games (or "Party Games," as the game refers to them) that are included in the game are "Monkey Race" and "Monkey Fighting."

Game Modes

Along with the core Monkey Ball game mode, two other minigames- Monkey Race and Monkey Fight- are available to play with either computers or other humans over local wireless play:

Monkey Ball

The main game, dubbed "Monkey Ball Mode," involves the player rolling one of the four monkeys across a stage in a big glass ball using either the Circle Pad or the 3DS's built-in gyroscope. There are numerous stages to play on, you get the choice of playing in 8 different worlds, each containing 9 stages and a bonus level. Each stage has a time limit, and the goal is to get the monkey to the end of the stage before the timer runs out. Players have the option of collecting bananas on their way to the goal as a way to earn more points and more lives, but it is not not necessary to do so to complete a stage.

Monkey Race

One of the two minigames, "Monkey Race" works similarly to previous editions. The player controls one of the four playable monkeys across tracks, racing against up to 7 other monkeys, which can be either human or computer controlled opponents.

Unlike previous installments, the player is required to hold down the (A) Button to accelerate and press the (B) Button to brake. To assist you in the race, you can use certain power-ups. These power-ups can be used to either help yourself, or to hinder others during a race. Both the circle pad and D-Pad are supported for "Monkey Race," it is possible to compete against up to three other player using wireless connection.

Also, for the first time, monkey balls have cars around them to give a feel closer to Mario Kart.

Monkey Fight

Another mini-game included in the title, "Monkey Fight" plays differently from previous installments. The player controls one of the four playable monkeys set on a stage with up to three other monkeys, which may be either human or computer controlled opponents. The player is given a choice of several stages to play on. The monkey is controlled from a side-scrolling point of view.

The objective of the game is to collect the most bananas whilst performing various moves to steal them from other players or stop their opponents from acquiring any themselves, all within a time limit.

Players can use the "Banana Shake" move to shake bananas free from an opponent, at the risk of dropping some bananas of their own. A golden barrel may emerge randomly throughout the match, and the player that scores the tenth hit on it gets to use a special move. It is possible to fall off the stage by either losing control of one's character or by being pushed off by another player. When this happens, the player loses a number bananas and respawns on a platform outside the centre of the stage, where the majority of action happens.

The Circle Pad is the only method of control for this mini game. Players can play this mini-game online against one another through Nintendo WiFi Connection.

Characters

The characters are:

• Aiai
• Gongon
• Meemee
• Baby
• YanYan
• Doctor
• Jam
• Jet

YanYan, Doctor, Jam, and Jet can only be selected in Monkey Race and Monkey Fight

Controls

Super Monkey Ball 3D has two different control schemes. The first uses the motion controls of the 3DS, with the player tilting the console to move the monkey towards the goal. However this mode can affect the 3D image of the 3DS. The second control scheme uses the circle pad to move the monkey, this allows for 3D to be seen.

Reception

Super Monkey Ball 3D has received some of the lowest scores out of all launch games from game reviewers. Gamespot has given the game a score of 5.0/10, saying that "the only game mode worth your time is Monkey Ball mode". Game Informer has given the game a score of 6/10, saying that every game mode is boring, and the Monkey Race and Monkey Fight are knockoffs of Nintendo's Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. franchises respectively. Metacritic has given the game an aggregate score of 59/100, with most reviews being "mixed". Most gaming sights rate 5/10 as being "mediocre", and 6/10 as being a "fair", or "ok" score.