Summary
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleis the latest dexterity-testing game to come from theSuper Monkey Ballseries, with 200 all-new stages to try out. Although it has a simple premise of rolling a monkey-driven ball along a course and collecting bananas, it is delightfully challenging. The numerous multiplayer modes that are available inBanana Rumblefurther help to set this title apart while providing countless hours of laughs, particularly when “collision” is turned on.
TheSuper Monkey Ballseries has been around since 2001,releasing over twenty titlesover the years for consoles, arcades, mobile devices, and more. This latest entry,Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, will be released on August 10, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Even if someone has never played aSuper Monkey Ballgame before, they will still have just as much fun with the chaos thatBanana Rumbleprovides, and the main techniques of the gameplay are pretty easy to pick up, although difficult to master.
The Story Of Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
Yes, There Is A Story In Adventure Mode - With A Legendary Banana
Most players go into a game likeSuper Monkey Ballsimply for the fast-paced, silly fun that the levels and game modes provide, with little regard to any story.Banana Rumbledoes offer an entertaining Adventure Mode with its own story and explanation of what is going on,including cutscenes that showcase the character personalities outside their balls. This Adventure Mode can be played solo, or with up to 4 players in local or online co-op play.
Whilethe story is best uncovered throughout the game itself, essentially,Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumblefollows the tale of AiAi and his friends seeking out the infamous Legendary Banana. A girl named Palette, an adventurer, is searching for her father who disappeared while tracking the Legendary Banana, and AiAi and friends join her along the way. Of course, things can’t be easy, and some rival enemies show up to cause mischief, in addition to difficult challenges that block the path.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Hands-On Preview: “Something Fun For Both New & Old Fans”
Screen Rant went hands-on with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble to see how the title balances new mechanics and classic features from past games.
Game Mechanics Are Smooth But The Camera Can Prove Frustrating
Settings Can Be Adjusted For Player Preference, However
The gameplay mechanics ofSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleare fairly straightforward. Players need to get their monkey-in-a-ball character to safelyrace through levels full of obstacles and puzzles, collecting bananas along the way. This is accomplished by tilting the world itself to roll the ball, as well as utilizing the new Spin Dash technique to store up energy and sprint forward, sometimes even being able to find shortcuts in the map. These courses are easy to roll off of, as they generally do not include guard rails, and fast speeds can make it difficult to control characters.
Even if someone has never played aSuper Monkey Ballgame before, they will still have just as much fun with the chaos thatBanana Rumbleprovides.
The only true frustration that I ran into while playingSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumblewas figuring out the camera settings. When turning, the camera does not always follow as quickly, making it difficult to see where the monkey ball is headed. Manually turning the camera was painfully slow under the default setting of “slow”, but after adjusting the camera speeds in the settings menu, this was rectified.
Forplayers who struggle with motion sickness in some games, as I myself do, it is important to first go into the Settings menu and select all Motion Sickness optionsand play around with what works best for each personal situation. While I felt motion sickness the first time I turned on the game, after adjusting the options I had no difficulties for the rest of the game.
Multiplayer And Game Modes In Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
Local And Online Play, Including A Mode For Up To 16 Players
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleis fun for solo play, particularly with the Adventure Mode, but its multiplayer is where this game truly becomes, arguably, an all-timer forSuper Monkey Ballgames. All theSuper Monkey Ballgames that I have played previously are a lot of fun as party games, butthe plethora of modes that are offered inBanana Rumbletake it to a new level.
In addition to playing co-op through the Adventure Mode, there arefive Battle Modes for up to 4 players locally or up to 16 players online. Whether racing to collect bananas, rolling through goal points, playing a “hot potato” style of game with bombs, or beating up giant robots, or a standard race, there are many options for people to enjoy. Each Battle Mode includes item boxes with things such as the iconic banana peel or even missiles that can be used to sabotage opponents.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble: Release Date, Editions, Pre-Order Bonuses & Characters
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is an all-new ball-rolling adventure, and there’s already a lot to know about what it does to freshen things up.
Playing online can also provide ways to earn a daily bonus through a Lucky Monkey Lottery which has special unique items. These items will be changed seasonally, and are only purchased using in-game points, with no possibility of purchasing them with real money.
Customization Options Are A Fun Extra To Shoot For, For Free
Plus Additional Characters For Purchase With The SEGA Pass
In a time when most games seem to have microtransactions and paid season passes,Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbledoes not.There is no premium currency to purchase, no season pass, no paid gacha mechanics, and nothing to purchase other than the game itself and optional DLCs. This is a breath of fresh air, especially considering the many customization options in the in-game store, all of which are bought with in-game points earned by playing.
At launch,there are already over 300 items in the in-game storethat range from colored balls, outfits, accessories, and more. More items will be added in future updates as well. Points for these items are earned simply through playing the game, and points are accumulated surprisingly quickly, giving a fun little rush of excitement of being able to buy a new cosmetic in between each game session.
Our Review Score & Final Thoughts
4.5/5 Stars - “Must-Play” By Screen Rant’s Review Metric
Other than a few issues with the camera, which were able to be adjusted in the options,Banana Rumbleprovides a nearly endless amount of fun. The laughter of playing in split screen with a friend is perfection, and the challenge levels of the game itself are well-balanced. I was impressed at how in-depth the Adventure Mode can be, as well as the different assistance features and motion-sickness-reducing options. Whether someone has played aSuper Monkey Ballgame in the past or not,Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleis absolutely one that should not be overlooked by anyone looking for a cheerful, fun time.
Screen Rantreceived a Nintendo Switch download code for the purpose of this review.
