Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is SO Good

[@ethaniall]

Idk whats going on with the comments but this is the 3rd GVG video ive seen with bizarre bots with butts in their profile pics.

[@WatchM3Fail]

They aren’t bots, just big fans

[@RobinsonEdgar]

To be fair, butts are in style with Monkey Ball

[@CelloGamerMatt]

Report them!

[@Asf_932]

GVG attracts cheeks.

[@jaredhayslip8014]

?

[@jediknight2089]

I’m just glad that we got a brand new, really good Super Monkey Ball! I hope this game sells well enough that it entices Sega to keep making more.

[@IronicSonic83]

I can confirm. The game is fantastic. Spin dash is transformative for the series

[@RyderPlatinumWarpstar]

I honestly think that going for all of the missions in this game turns it into the hardest game in the series, specifically the banana collecting missions. It truly tests you, it’s great.

[@vertecies]

Lately I value Any% in games. Doing 100% with grandmaster seems like a full time second job :/ where the joy?

[@RyderPlatinumWarpstar]

@@vertecies It is a task and a half, but as a completionist when it comes to Monkey Ball, I find it satisfying. I do agree though that games should be enjoyed even if you don't go for 100% in everything.

[@vertecies]

@@RyderPlatinumWarpstar yey!

[@Feroror]

Ratatouille moment playing this and getting flashbacks to super monkey ball 1 and 2

[@twincherries6698]

The visual design and especially the music are still a bit too lacking for me. Wouldve put the game over the edge.

[@CrowTRobot]

Ok I’m sold. Jon is a rational Monkey Ball fan, he gave due praise to BM’s incredible single player and rightly called out its poor treatment of the party games, especially Target. Chances are, if he loved this then so will I.

[@CrowTRobot]

Update: Jon was right. The party mode is still the part of town that kicks you. And that’s sad. But the single player is the truly the best it’s ever been and loaded with enough features to make the game worthy of a purchase.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@CrowTRobot Mmm a Sega owned character with a spin dash, why does that sound familiar???

[@egberteil8462]

This video is the reason I finally ordered the game. Cannot wait to get into it. Love how colourful and smooth it looks.

[@DarrenGargette]

The player named Enkidu in this video is incredible. I played with this person and was shown some amazing skill

[@viewtifuljoe99]

I'm excited to try this but I'm going to wait a bit in the hopes for a pc version. The mods in banana mania really made the experience so much more enjoyable.

[@nickploosvanamstel5832]

After lots of frustration and dedication, I managed to clear all missions but 2: Participate in the Lucky Monkey Lotto 10 times (can only be done once per day; I'm currently at 7) And Clear all Main Missions (which I'll get by clearing the mission above) I've also cleared all Time Attacks, including the World Tours. Call me a masochist, but I even enjoy getting kicked by online Battle Mode. The modes are fun enough and don't overstay their welcome, so I don't mind the low framerate that much. Jumping into online Adventure Mode with randoms is also fun. Missions cleared counts for everyone, so I like helping others getting these whenever I can. It helped me a lot in some stages where it's super tight to get X bananas and reach the goal in time for example. Long story short, I'm having a lot of fun.

[@aboxyguy]

same! theres a sense of casualness to the battle modes which is a nice contrast to how tense and precise adventure mode can be, its fun to chill with. plus i like collecting the items from the battlepass, tho it makes me sad the unlockable characters cant be customized in any way

[@realgambadogaming]

I'm glad I saw this video, I was going to sleep on Banana Rumble for a while but that spin dash looks so cool, plus how speedeun friendly the game seems with the rewind feature. Definitely sold me on it with this video, great work!

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

It is absolutely criminal that the Switch did not get any exclusive content like Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong as guest characters for Banana Rumble!

[@BBWahoo]

This is what I'm writing in my suicide note.

[@Feroror]

The game is already a switch exclusive though….

[@minecrafter3448]

Probably because it’s already a full exclusive…

[@PiePiePie07]

I think that the Baby Mario Cast would benefit DRAMATICALLY with these Monkeys and include Diddy and Dixie. I wonder if would help boost some sales?

[@_PoPo_]

​@BBWahoo no way 😂😂😂

[@enid9911]

I wish they would go back to the gamecube game's graphic's style. It looked so futuristic.

[@graalcloud]

Somehow this game managed to do the impossible and have worse graphics than the 20 year old Gamecube games.

[@briansilva3765]

Was waiting for a fan to review this game like this, especially Jon's opinion, happy to hear the game is indeed great and the true evolution of the series.

[@Alaneeeeee]

I always love hearing Jon talking about Super Monkey Ball. I have never played any of the games (I'm broke!) but I will always pop off for Monkey Ball.

[@heroic_teddy]

Jon out here making me consider buying a Monkey Ball game for once!

[@sausagesausage]

100% you should they are so fun.

[@wesleyfilips7052]

2:27 "its so satisfying when i finally find the right angle" ... yes it is

[@justicle]

I dig GVG, and this is the first time that while watching a review I bought a game solely on Jon’s recommendation. Don’t mess this up, Jon!

[@TehJellyLord]

This one out of all Monkey Ball games has been the single one that I’ve been the most interested in playing, and I’m glad it turned out to be a really good game!

[@EPS5000]

I miss not having new party games though :(

[@LittleLexi24]

I absolutely love Super Monkey Ball but have never finished any game in the series due to a condition called “skill issue”, so the rewind and guide features make me super happy. I’m gonna wait until Christmas though, cause Sega games usually go on sale within a few months and I’m already playing through too many games at once.

[@AzumarillConGafasBv]

ANOTHER MONKEY BALL BANGER

[@JorgeLopez-qj8pu]

OwO

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

I love the whole series (besides Adventure) and Banana Rumble is SO GOOD!

[@Jahranimo_]

Yup can also agree with everything here mentioned about the Adventure mode. So good to have new SMB that follows on the OGs. Multiplayer for me is fun in bursts but I hope they improve the performance in a future patch. Not every mode is the same as far as enjoyment I guess.

[@nicooliva]

I cant believe I'm considering buying that game after this video... Jon is a good salesman XD

[@tachannel4497]

Dont youll regret it

[@theantgre]

I tried emulating the game and every fps issue was fixed. Using ryujinx it automatically disable the frame cap and goes up to 144 fps. On 4 players splitscreen it remains on 58 fps which makes it wayyy more playable, battle mode even works at 60 fps no problem. Of course there's still the issue of objects updating every 50hz but man they should really release this game on other consoles...

[@jjjabbers]

Two minutes in and this review feels better than anything else I've heard about this game. Definitely considering a purchase now.

[@Ubritoons96]

Most of what the Super Monkey Ball fan God that is Jon Cartwright says is true even as someone who has not played the game yet for himself, but one thing I do, wanna bring up is in regards to the story cutscenes. I think this is the first time The Doctor and Yan Yan have been used in a major Monkey Ball story with real genuine cutscenes ever since their debut in Banana Blitz. All we got from them before hand and other games is little bio descriptions of their traits on the character selects. So that’s cool as a little sidenote.

[@The_Admiral_Angel]

I low-key wanna get this now. I haven't enjoyed a good Monkey Ball game since Banana Blitz in my early highschool days.

[@Pownchao]

I was skeptical, but am pretty glad I pre-ordered. The multiplayer is really rough, and online isn't all that, but the main game and levels have been fun playing through with a friend, and the extra challenges are engaging. I love the new art style and the new Monkey, Palette, is so cute! I hope we can get more Monkey Ball in the future in this direction!🙏

[@XXtheJUMPoffXX]

I suck at Monkey Ball I don’t have the patience for these kinds of games anymore

[@chantellethecool1]

I love banana rumble. It has amazing stage design.

[@Aethelhart]

This sounes like it would be really fun for people with friends. If I ever have any, I'd love to try it.

[@_Conzo_]

❤

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Spin Dash sniping the goal is the most monkey neuron activation thing to do in gaming

[@Timic83tc]

The trailer for banana rumble made it look like it was just the fall guys mode, glad there's a sick campaign

[@CantStopTheRaj]

Monkey Ball is so fun! Great to hear this one is a worth entry :)

[@BlueAizu_]

I've been having a great time with this new Monkey Ball! I even really like the Battle mode, though I'll admit I already have tons of experience playing SMB 1 and 2's Master modes. I don't mind the performance drops too much, either, I grew up with the N64 and PS1 outputting 20 fps so it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. I'm so glad this review mentioned the ability to freeze the camera's position with the R button, because the camera was my only real sticking point before I learned that. I hope lots of people support this game, because it's the true return to form Super Monkey Ball needed. Local couch multiplayer is a rarity these days, _and_ you can play it online, to boot. No Monkey Target, but they keep screwing it up every time so it's probably for the best.

[@SpartanDiab]

I'd love to play this game but the 50 hz physics and camera stutter because of it should be fixed and updated first.

[@fabioalvesshow]

Love your content ❤

[@mageius]

Jon just loves playing with his Monkey Balls lol

[@WeeklyMusicalShitposts]

100% agree with this assessment. I stopped playing this series a few games after SMB2 because they just didn't respect the player. Levels were designed with one way to beat them and felt very hand-holdy This game challenges you with crazy times to strive for on every level; they _expect_ you to skip big chunks of the map and reward you for it!

[@SionC42]

It would interest me what you think about Kororinpa and Its sequel Marbles Balance Challenge on the Wii. Both were developed by Hudson soft and have a similar concept to Monkey Ball. One difference is that the game is only playable with motion controls. I‘ve only played the first one so far and I had a lot of fun trying to get the best rank in each level.

[@tdswartz96]

Great kicking analogy regarding the multiplayer

[@ADreamingTraveler]

The Monkey Ball fall guys mini game stuff should hopefully run better and be more enjoyable whenever it gets ported at least

[@spongebobfan78]

I don't have the game but from what I've heard, apparently for diehard fans, Banana Rumble plays similarly to the remakes (Blitz HD and Mania), except Spin Dash replacing Jump. So if you didn't like the feeling of those games compared to the originals, you gonna see it again here. The only difference is that the levels are now catered to those physics and gameplay of Rumble.

[@ranchman693]

I got the game and the physics are the same as the originals if you pick aiai. The other monkeys have different stats so they feel different. I personally think Yan Yan is the best!

[@GarnetSunset]

Thanks poppi

[@thebigpig2364]

I see everyone saying this game was made with the new physics in mind. Is there proof of that? Or is that just a PR move to excuse the fact they couldn’t fix it?

[@NaXEthan]

i haven't even had that bad of a time with the online multiplayer to be honest. the biggest blemish really is the frame drops, which is unfortunate

[@valygomu]

No offense to any of the crew members,but Jon make the best video he is just amazing

[@rhodrage]

I hope this comes to other consoles. I mean, I have a Switch, but I want more games for my PS5.

[@Caolan114]

I still love the originals and banana mania for nostalgia but this It's Just nice to have a new monkey ball that's good There are so many control options like motion controls, having an arrow, disabling camera controls apart from having an easier difficulty curve these options ensure you can make the game as enjoyable as possible While I love having the game online there Is so much they could have done with customization, they Just ripped assets from banana mania here

[@therealfodder]

Awesome game. I tried the multiplayer and thought "typical, another game that's not been optimised for Switch". And then I realised it's Switch only...

[@Dzzy123]

I remember playing Monkey Ball on PSP and there was a racing minigame. Does this release have something similar?

[@mrpiccionedivino5598]

Yes but now it's with 16 players

[@peanutbutterrocket]

I do think this game is fantastic and what of the best monkey ball games ever… however,.. $50 for a single player campaign that took me under 6 hours… I dunno… but yeah I really enjoyed this game

[@emtomb]

If you like Monkey Ball, you NEED to try out the mods!

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

It’s crazy!

[@Serch_YB27]

Rwally was waiting for Jon's review. Always had known SMB but never had played it, and when Banana Mania was announced, Jon's hype really influenced in my decision to try it and I really liked it. Rumble seems better (I really don't want to get kicked and am only interested in the single player, though)

[@bytewizerd2712]

You just gotta play the gamecube games man. These new ones are fun but those classic games are special in a way that sega has proven they just can’t replicate.

[@fynn3016]

I really like Monkey Ball Adventure for PsP but that thats just nostalgia is think😊

[@skeeterdaviter7745]

I’ve played 1,2, banana blitz and mania. This one is the best out of them all for everything you said. I can’t put it down. Whenever I have free time I go back to this game and try to finish those missions. Adding stats to the monkeys, the missions, and the Spindash makes the game so replayable.

[@blueberry8565]

Sega owns Monkey Ball 😅

[@Kevdawg207]

I'll wait for the non-Switch version the splitscreen resolution was horrific

[@ninjaydes]

I'm very confused. All I got out of this video is that the narrator enjoys getting kicked and is a Palette simp.

[@servantofchaos9635]

i love how you say hope you hit the goal, like thats totally what i do. I hope and let fate take the wheel lmao

[@gochadc]

I saw a bunch of reviews of this game and I was always thinking "interesting, but let's wait and see what does John thinks about it". The online co-op mode looks interesting, the fall guys mode looks kind of bland, I would take some monkey fight, target, dogfight, boat, etc over it everyday

[@jcgonzalez84]

Let’s hope you are right. Bought the first Monkey Ball back on the GameCube. Sold it because I thought it was meh. I have not been interested in one since I saw your video recommending it and the Game of the Year video. I bought the game 100% from your recommendation. I hope you were not overhyping it!

[@wileywood1523]

Glad you guys are promoting this since sega didn’t put this Nintendo switch EXCLUSIVE on the last direct

[@smpiano6605]

Yes they did...

[@aboxyguy]

as a newcomer to the series i actually do like playing the online as almost as much as the adventure. makes me wish it was more popular cause 90% of rooms are filled with bots, which at least means matches load consistently. really hope they add more stages between the battle modes. that free, small battlepass gives me hope they wanna do more with online in the future

[@frempy4426]

Enkidu and Gilgamesh

[@sausagesausage]

Absolutely 100% agree! Best Super Monkey ball in two decades! And by extension one of the best games ever made. I'm so excited for the mad speed runs to start dropping! THAT SAID! No Monkey Target mini game is a sad omission.

[@joysticksnjukeboxes]

Ugh. Nothing but dust bunnies and the sound of crickets coming from my wallet. People were talking like there wasn't going to be that much to play on Switch now, but people were clearly wrong.

[@graalcloud]

It's alright. No challenge mode is a big issue with this game. And multiplayer forces you to play splitscreen with horrible performance.

[@Wiziliz]

The stages sort of but particularly the gravity doesn't look as good as the classic games, I feel like it doesn't look as expression honestly. It looks more like correcting the mistakes of the recent bad games but still being a follow-up to them, instead of the gameplay perfection of the first ones. The multiplayer looks really fun though

[@gianlucasabatini2817]

B-b-b-but JON THE PHYSHICS! I seriously feel like most monkey ball fans are on a completely different plane these days, how do people genuinely consider this and Banana Mania to be awful games?!

[@acebreaker7]

it is a PHYSICS-based game so if it feels off, some people will notice

[@super8bitable]

@@acebreaker7Yeah but people act like it’s worth making 9 hour video essays on how Banana Mania is a “disgrace and insult to the series” or whatever they say after liking the game when it initially comes out.

[@CrowTRobot]

Jon himself had issues with Banana Mania’s poor treatment of its multiplayer and party games (especially Target). Multiplayer is half the experience for some people. But if you’re only focused on single player, Banana Mania was fantastic and I got used to the new physics very quickly.

[@maegnificant]

@@super8bitable the old levels were not designed around these new physics. In this game, they are.

[@lambasted6886]

When I thought about this way it gave me peace of mind. Monkey Ball purists = Smash Bros Melee purists.

[@alejandropradalozano6525]

I love how they focused on Switch hardware alone and made a fantastic looking game, first party quality, glad to see is also super fun.

[@JCSA79V]

I really like the game, including the online, but the framerate gets rough, and why is there a battle pass style progression for cosmetics lmao

[@HeroineNisa]

If only it was on PC I would've gotten it.

[@BBWahoo]

I'll emulate and report back if it works

[@theantgre]

@@BBWahoo reporting back, can confirm the game is much better on PC than on Switch. Even 4 players splitscreen goes on a smooth 60 fps...

[@KidAL0]

Can’t wait to buy on sale so I can feel like I’m actually getting what I pay for since multiplayer is unanimously garbage 👍

[@dcashley303]

Is this being played on the Switch here?? If so it looks pretty good and smooth.

[@LittleLexi24]

It’s a Nintendo Switch exclusive, so yes.

[@verachannel7091]

this game is so cute. im in love with the art durection but admittedly everyrime i play banana mania i get frustrated at the main fame quick and revert to minigames. i wish i enjoyed the core mode more and really want to but it makes this a tougher sell. lighter dificulty curve is promising because hitting that skill wall sucked. and maybe thst frustrstion was just the physics level design disconnect? but also cute monkeys. i need

[@verachannel7091]

alright after buckling and piciing this up it does feel way better than banana mania. levels fit the phtsics well and the spindash is great

[@micksterminator3]

This looks a lot better then the 3ds one. Ive viven it multiple goes and it just seems uninspired

[@DaneTheBurger]

Is it better than Banana Mania on Switch?

[@tachannel4497]

No. It has less modes

[@BlueAizu_]

Yes. Banana Mania on _Steam_ with mods is debatable, but it's definitely better than the Switch version of the game.

[@Mason-rh1fi]

Hi

[@mustbemcally2536]

Sponsored by Philips razors lol

[@joeykeilholz925]

imagine they actually fix the unity stuttering. ugh

[@MFG1243]

I can't believe that Jon would say "I don't want Monkey Ball to exist anymore"

[@ErenTheWarcriminal]

bananer

[@Giorgiosemprenelsolitocoro]

No! Listening to proclamations like this, made me go to a bitter disappointement... This new Monkey Ball game is very poor if related to the first glorious chapter created by a very inspired Toshihiro Nagoshi, legimately wishful to prove to the management that simple game concepts were feasible at the dawn of the new millennium (Nagoshi absence in Banana Rumble control room is showing). Original Super Monkey Ball always on the top? Yes, This has been said many times, but one will never tire of repeating it... The Beautiful Ancestor of rolling simian saga has an unmatched gameplay purity, completely lacking in Banana Rumble... Starting from the immaculate controls, necessary for crossing/"jumping" gaps, exciting narrow passages and also secret exits, and refined by flawless physics. In the 2001 masterstroke, without the recourse to clunky gimmicks (dash what?!), cumbersome game design and superflous collectathon, it is not uncommun to take impressive shortcuts that allow to skip vast tracts of the main route, to the benefit of those who wish a real faceted, deep gameplay to test their skills and making glorious speedrunning... And speaking of testing themselves... Is it right to catalog game sessions with unlimited lives under the heading Challenge? This option, clearly a manifesto of cheating, was offered by 80/90s hackers as trainer included in the cracks of popular games. Then, a plethora of Action Replays landed on consoles... Nowadays, the phenomenom is managed at the source. Software house have met the market demand. They produce highly standardized, accessible games, with embedded trainers and disgraceful save system, in the name of Modernity... Games "that respect the time" of players that don't want to stay focused too long in a single experience. Because they have often game agendas, backlogs long like a Transsiberian line of new (digital) generation... The journey is too long, they haven't time to waste on trifles such as "learning curve" and "difficulty". Yes... True arcade genre is dead. Software house of "yesterday became today" would like to thank all participating in gaming... They have tried with "those infernal devices" distribuited in smoky places about 40-50 years and, despite of witch hunt of media, it had gone well for them... But... Nothing to do with the huge results of the second decade of the new millennium... And, then, I wonder about the godzilliard of lives required to finish Celeste, the most difficult title ever... I do not despair, my password is... Soon as Finished!!! Ps Backing to Banana Rumble, in reference to multiplayer, I'm not going to give my opinion, because my top priority in a Monkey Ball game always has been Solo Game.

[@jaredhayslip8014]

Kick The Money Ball Banana 🍌 Rumble Crazed 🤪

[@jetsguy226]

Monkey ball is probably the best series that Sega has made imo

[@sausagesausage]

I mean, it's one of the, probably over 100, excellent IPs they have. But comparing something like Warhammer Total War or Persona or Yakuza Like a Dragon to Monkey Ball is like comparing chalk and cheese.

[@jamesg1827]

I regret buying this game. I was skeptical at first as the levels didn’t look as good as the GameCube games but a lot of people said it was worth it so I caved but now I really wish I didn’t buy into the hype. Biggest problem is the control, No matter if I used wireless, wired, or switch undocked for controller you can’t be as precise and make minor micro adjustments like you could in the OGs which makes pinpoint precise movement in later levels a nightmare. The new slingshot mechanic also doesn’t really add a whole lot it was definitely designed with speed runs in mind. It’s cool to use for the occasional skip you can do to beat a level faster but for casual players your just gonna wanna avoid using it cause as the levels get harder and platforms get smaller your more likely to just fly off the stage and kill yourself by accident. Level design is alright. It really just lacks a lot of the imagination and intensity of previous installments. The first 50 levels are ridiculously easy and it’s about 2 hours of the game you have to slog through to get to anything remotely challenging. World 6 (or 5? Whatever the techno rave world) is also full of levels where you just have to sit on moving platforms or wait for things to happen. It’s pretty boring and uninspired. There are some fun levels that have cool ideas but theres not enough of them. On the other hand in SMB1&2 every stage was a unique challenge that the player had to overcome and took a lot of skill/practice. Also why does this game run at 50fps?! This shit costs 50 dollars and they can’t figure out how to get the game running at full speed? Seriously? And yes I know about the EX levels and I’ve seen gameplay of it and again they don’t look much better than the base game. I’m not going to play through 100+ levels of a game I don’t enjoy to play stages that get *slightly* more interesting and *slightly* more challenging

[@notRaichu]

I’m not a fan of the spin dash in this game🤷‍♂️

[@joeykeilholz925]

it's only on switch???? come on now ughhhhh no steam release is so weird

[@SparksEchidna]

I know I'm in the minority here but I honestly like these new multiplayer games more than the old party games. I hope in future titles they can expand on them more and work on them to be even better. But yeah, this is the best game in the franchise to me, the main game feels so good.

[@IronicSonic83]

I really like Racing minu games in BR

[@JCSA79V]

I'd like to see them implement Monkey Target in this style, with 15 other players.

[@RicShaymin3398]

This game is absolute mid 5/10

[@tachannel4497]

This game is not as good as mania. Dont fall for these reviews, its overrated. Less modes, no racing like mania, characters are locked dlc.

[@BakedApple989]

meh

[@MondayThirteen]

Hoping they remake SMB1 again but with a level creator for stages and mini-games. They could sprinkle in newer mechanics and cosmetics from other games over time or as dlc. Super Monkey Ball Maker please! 🐒🪩🔨