Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

Super Monkey Ball is similar to other puzzle and maze format games - but with much more.

The single-player mode challenges players to get back the stolen golden bananas. The simple story and goal has been especially appealing to our youngest child (8)! Your character is a monkey in a ball - sort of like a hamster ball. Your monkey races through mazes, collecting bananas along the way. The difference is that to make the monkey move you use the controller to "tilt" the playing field causing the ball to roll. Of course, the first level is relatively simple. As the game progresses the terrain becomes more complicated, with multiple obstacles and the possibility of falling off the world!

Using the Wii remote gives this game an added twist from previous versions using traditional controllers. The girls and I personally found the game easier to play and more enjoyable using the Wii remote. My son (11), who has played previous versions with a standard controller, had a bit more trouble. The remote is very sensitive, so tiny movements can dramatically affect the course of the ball. It takes a steady hand to navigate the mazes quickly. We have fun cheering each other along... but since the player is more susceptible to being thrown off to jiggles of the onlookers we are careful to keep a safe distance from them. Despite this, my son was still flew through the levels very quickly. Monkey Ball might be too easy to entertain more advanced kidGamers for very long.

The party games (there are more than fifty!) have been the big hit at our home. These are short games that can take anywhere from a few moments to play to much longer. Some of them are multi-player, and some require the nunchuck attachment. They are great for homework breaks or those few minutes before dinner... as long as you can convince everyone to stop! The games vary from simple to very challenging. There is a screen that demonstrates how to use the remote before you play each game which is very helpful.

For very young children or people just starting to use a Wii remote the "Jump Rope" game is a great starting point. To play, you simply flick the remote up to cause the monkey to jump the rope. When you miss the rope, it knocks the monkey on his back and he twitches which sends the kids into hysterics. It is reminiscent of the old "Circus Atari" game, where you sent clowns bouncing off a teeter-totter and if you missed, they fell on their heads. My sister and I spent a lot of time killing of digital clowns. (But I digress...)

"Monkey Baseball" is a home run derby-style baseball game that is also simple to learn. The timing for the bat is different from that of Wii Sports, which makes it challenging to go between games.

Want a bit more challenge, and some practice for the single-player mode? "Monkey Snowboard" sends your monkey down a wintry half-pipe. You dodge snowmen and collect bananas while whizzing to the finish line. This is by far our family-favorite, with all of us trying to beat one another's best times!

The bad news? Some of the party games are not so well-designed. No one in our home has been able to figure out "Shepherd" yet. The goal is to direct a dog that barks at sheep, herding them into a barn. Huh? It's extremely difficult to direct the dog, and the playing field is very disorienting.

Not all of the party games will appeal to everyone. But in a large household, the variety out of the box is nice.

If you are looking for a game with rich, realistic graphics and a kickin' soundtrack... look somewhere else. As expected, the monkeys are cute and cartoonish. The graphics are very colorful and vibrant. The music is perky and at times annoying to the adults - but the kids all hummed along happily.

Overall this is a solid addition to our game library. It is ranking up there with DDR as a game that challenges and captivates all three kids... and the grownups too!

Summary: Everyone from young players to adults will enjoy the party games. Young but experienced gamers will appreciate the increasing complexity of the levels and the nuances of using the Wii remote controller.