Time: 2024-05-23
Last month, I had a chance to play Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, the first all-new entry in the Super Monkey Ball (SMB) franchise in more than a decade. While I went into the demo skeptical that the series, which experienced its best years in the early-to-mid 2000s, could feel like a modern experience in 2024, I emerged from the demo impressed by the gameplay improvements, single-player level design, and the game's approach to multiplayer (you can read my full preview here). Shortly after the preview, I had a chance to dig deeper into Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble with several of the developers behind Ryu Ga Gotoku's franchise that isn't about the seedy underbelly of the Japanese organized crime to learn how the team worked to modernize the franchise while still remaining true to its roots. Recently, we've received some remakes and remasters, but no new entry for many years. Why did the franchise take such a long break? Nobuhiro Suzuki, Producer, mentioned that due to a combination of factors, the SMB development line disappeared, but after receiving positive feedback from fans, they decided to release a completely new title, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. The primary goals of this new entry were to firmly establish the revival of the SMB franchise and to inherit the best qualities of past titles while introducing new elements like 16-player online battles and new characters. Daisuke Takahata, Director, discussed how the team updated the game to be enjoyable for both new players and longtime fans, with milder difficulty levels and improved tutorials. Jack Ko, Programmer, shared insights on overhauling the physics system to make movement simpler and more intuitive, leading to a more enjoyable gameplay experience. The Spin Dash was introduced to add a new technique to the game and enhance competition among players. In Adventure mode, Yukio Oda, Designer, explained the process of creating effective stages that balance fun with challenge, combining various elements to make stages interesting and engaging. The team also focused on playtesting and analyzing data to fine-tune the difficulty levels. Players can expect a wide range of challenges in Adventure mode, with 200 new stages that gradually increase in complexity and excitement. Battle modes were designed to emphasize control and speed, while ensuring that skills learned in Adventure mode can be applied here as well. As for the future of the franchise, Suzuki expressed a desire to continue the fun and originality of Super Monkey Ball while evolving the series with new gameplay experiences unique to Sega. The team hopes to release new games regularly with the support of players. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is set to launch on Switch on June 25, offering a fresh take on the beloved franchise. For more insights on the upcoming series revival, check out our full, hands-on impressions.
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