I actually never finished this game before, but honestly, from the experience my sister played through this game, this game is such an odd entry for the Super Monkey Ball series. released in 2006 for the DS, this game's visual art style seems to be more between Banana Blitz, and the original Monkey ball series. It also features some stages from said games, too (outside banana blitz). The game can be played with either the touchpad or the D-pad, which makes the game a bit more challenging due to the lack of an analog stick.

This game features 12 worlds, which for a DS game, is surprisingly huge. And the best part? They all feature 10 stages. How did the develops cook so well for this game, and none of the exclusive stages from this game was featured in any other Monkey Ball Game? I mean, some parts of the soundtrack have been carried over to Banana Blitz, but those are just remixes and whatnot.

This game also has a great (and slightly memorable) selection of mini games to play from. I remember replaying some of these with my friends especially Monkey Wars. Monkey Race, Fight, Golf, Bowling, Wars, Hockey (Which the AI is EXTREEMLY RIGGED for some reason), and Mini Golf. Most of these were inside of other Monkey Ball games, but I don't know. Some of the exclusives from this game are going to be missed lol. I also thought that there used to be a smash-like one, but that's the one on the 3DS that I barely hear anyone talking about from the community of Ballin Monkeys.

And that's pretty much it for this review. I'll give it three stars because while it ain't the best Monkey Ball game, it's a pretty solid one for the very least.

Monkey Wars 5/5

okay joking aside, I think this game is neat. Although I prefer SMB1 and SMB2, this game's on the DS which makes it automatically better than Jr.

no story mode in this one which is a shame but gameplay wise it feels pretty good thanks to the great frame rate. due to this the d pad is much manageable this time around (don't play with the touch screen unless you hate fun). the main game is handled weird though, you unlock worlds in batches as you go on, which is not nearly as cool as going through levels in any order you want. a majority of SMB1 and 2's level are here though as well as a few exclusive levels to this game so the Super Monkey Ball goodness is still here. that said the requirements for the last two worlds are dumb and stupid and I unlocked them anyway what is wrong with me

the four minigames from the console games as well as the two new ones are excellent. Monkey Race is fun, Monkey Fight is just as good, Monkey Bowling is still average, Monkey Golf is back to minigolf (as it should be), Monkey Hockey is surprisingly fun, and Monkey Wars is based and has the best music track in the game SEGA please bring Monkey Wars back and remix this theme I am desperate

oh yeah the music's cool. it's not as cool as the GameCube games and arcade original but a lot of music did end up getting remixed for Banana Blitz so that has to say something. btw 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds/worlds is one of my aesthetics and I'm glad they went this route. monkey designs are a mix between the originals and the redesigns and I think they look pretty clean here (MeeMee does have those soulless eyes though).

anyway I'd say Touch & Roll is worth checking out, especially since it has Monkey Wars. please do so if you can.

AiAi butt

Este juego se siente como Jr. Pero ahora sí trataron de adaptar la experiencia Monkey Ball a una portátil
El control a pesar de tener que manejarse con una cruceta, las físicas ahora sí están mejor adaptadas a este esquema de control, así como la estructura de niveles y más elementos que se aprecian mucho
Hago mención de lo bonito que se ven los Sprites 2D con esos fondos realistas tan hermosos y detallados, es de esos juegos que envejecen de poca madre
Lo único realmente malo que le veo es que más de la mitad de los niveles son reciclados de juegos anteriores y que no me terminan de convencer el como se manejan ciertos minijuegos
También que por alguna razón nunca te puedes saltar los créditos, es algo menor pero muy raro
Igual lo recomiendo si quieres un buen Super Monkey Ball portátil, aunque si vienes de jugar a los de gamecube no creo que encuentres muchas cosas nuevas

this one is.... interesting
not that bad but not that good either
most of the stages are ripped from the gamecube games so I can't say anything about those, the new stages feel nice though
controls are alright, i think touch don't translate into monkey ball all that well but it's tolerable
I also hate how it took me until the last 2 worlds to find out I could use the D-Pad to move
monkey wars is awesome as well
anyways, i'd skip this one but it's worth it for playing monkey wars with the bois

I guess I’m just the early-DS library’s biggest defender. Look, I’m not a Super Monkey Ball expert, but I’ve earned my stripes. I was there in the McDonalds’ PlayPlace with a GameCube controller in-hand, running the gauntlet while breathing in the stale air of a public indoor playground. I grew up mostly, though, with this title, and I’ve come back to it in anticipation of the series’ newest entry, only to find the reviews filled with anti-fun losers!

The people who complain about this game’s controls just sound like the same drones who complain about every Nintendo DS game actually integrating one of the console’s defining features into their game’s design. I personally never had a problem with the touch controls, but, also, they are completely optional? You can just use the control pad if you’re skill isn’t up to par to use the stylus, which, obviously requires a little more precision and patience and steadiness that isn’t required of button inputs. Touch controls, though, also allow for a different and more fliud kind of movement because you’re not tied to 8 different directionals. The world is your oyster. I found I was using the control pad for maps that needed speed and the touch controls for maps that needed precision.

Some of the levels here were real gems, too. Had me really under pressure, stressed, frustrated, but that coaster of emotion is, like, the core of this series. While the later levels drove me crazy, the satisfaction of beating them was there at the end every time. Those last two zones are a real doozy, just the last couple of levels took me about half of today. Super Monkey Ball is so fucking exhilirating, man.

Then there’s the party games, all perfect for the DS and its multiplayer functionality. Earlier last year, actually, my partner and I had a bit of a game night with this game and it was plenty of fun with one cartridge and DS Download Play. Remember that? By the time the DSi was rolling around, it basically ceased to be used in any meaningful way in most games, but this era of ‘04-‘07, the DS was really stressing its wireless capability, in a grand celebration of the death of the link cable.

The air hockey and bowling segments are highlights for me, I can definitely see myself getting into heated matches in the hockey game, or trying to get 300 in bowling. The “monkey war” one is just insane, though. That was where younger-me was spending the most time when I had this way back when. Then there’s the credits mini-game which you can’t skip through and are given to play after every zone of the challenge mode. Bad idea, truly, especially since the credits are accessible from the menu. Even in the credits, though, like in some of the party games, the physics isn’t completely there and there could be some tweaks to be made as well.

‘Touch ‘n’ Roll’ is an amazing display of the Nintendo DS’ features, and my reviews of past handheld titles will reveal that a game, especially a DS game, actually utilizing the console its on really reels me in. Admittedly, I guess, more than it does for most. Though, if I wanted to introduce someone to this console I would probably pick this game, honestly. Levels are great, it’s got a great look, perfectly utilizing both sprites and 3D environments.

Pretty alright entry in the series and was a decent way to play the game on the go (at least until the Switch came along anyway).

It's not the most memorable Super Monkey Ball outing though since a lot of the levels are just taken straight from the first two games leaving you with a sense of deja vu... and it would also help if the game didn't keep running the unskippable credits minigame each time a world has been finished too.

However the gameplay is still as enjoyable as ever and some of the minigames actually work really well with the touchscreen controls.

If you're a Monkey Ball fan, it's at least worth checking out to see how Aiai and pals fared on the DS.