Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Preview

AiAi and co are back

Super Monkey Ball and its sequel were two of the best games on Nintendo’s Wii-predecessor, equally loved by the Nintendo fanboy horde and the post, or pre pub crowd. The core mechanic – tilt the game world to move a ball into a goal – worked, and the main game courses and mini-games spawned hundreds of impressive speed runs and stunts on YouTube.

Then, SEGA dropped the proverbial Super Monkey ball, with a number of handheld ports and curious home console updates (the less said about Super Monkey Ball Adventure the better) serving only to quash early enthusiasm for the series. 2006’s solid Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz on Wii went some way to addressing the situation, but it is with Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll, due out on Wii early next year, that SEGA hopes to return the series to its former glory.

All you need to know about the game is in the subtitle: Step & Roll. You guessed it, it’s compatible with the Wii Balance Board – that peripheral soccer mums use to improve their posture. You “Step” onto the Balance Board and “Roll” your monkey ball by shifting your weight as if controlling a platform.

SEGA Europe brand manager James Bray was on hand at a recent press event to demonstrate how it works. A small Balance Board icon is displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and a dot shows you where your weight is currently focused. Subtle shifts in weight are all that’s required to tilt the stage. The further you lean forward the faster your monkey ball will roll. Lean back and you’ll slow down. For more precision, you’re able to do a quick Resident Evil-style turn by tilting back on a perfectly level platform. The camera will do a 180 and you’re then able to lean forward for a quick burst. It’s all in the hips, James says.

Step & Roll is a Wii exclusive with full Balance Board support

Beyond the Balance Board controls, Step & Roll is classic Super Monkey Ball in the spirit of the first two GameCube games. There are two game modes on offer – the main game (which supports co-op play) and four-player party games. Four playable monkeys were available in the Japanese build on show – AiAi, Meemee, Baby and GonGon – all familiar faces. The first five levels of the easy opening main game world were demonstrated – a simple collection of platforms draped in palm trees and foliage and covered by a blue sky, all designed to get the player used to moving the stage with their weight. The goals during these stages are simple to reach, with grooves in the platforms designed to lend a helping hand if needed. Level five of the opening world is a bonus stage – the idea is to fit yourself into a spiral groove and collect all the bananas as you twirl towards the centre of the platform. Nice, simple stuff.