Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll
Encyclopedia
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll is a platforming
video game developed and published by Sega
for the Wii
. It was released in North America on February 9, 2010; in Australia on February 11; in Europe on February 12; and in Japan on February 25.
. Players must guide the ball using the Wii Remote
to the finish line in 60 seconds without falling off the level. Along the way, players can collect bananas to help increase the number of extra lives remaining. There are 6 worlds, with the addition of one secret world which can be accessed by completing the other six worlds without using a continue. Players can also use the Wii Balance Board
and shift their bodies to control the monkey ball. The new control scheme was an effort by developer Yasuhito Baba "to find a new way for players to experience Super Monkey Ball in order to increase the 'party feel' of the title". The game features 21 minigame
s which provide different scenarios for players to overcome. The minigames were developed for players to play with three Wii Remotes and one player with the Wii Balance Board; they were designed so that players battle against each other.
praised the game for its tight and natural controls using the Wii Remote, saying that "you're really controlling the tilt of the environment, not the momentum of the ball". He also praises the increased simplicity in the game with the lack of storyline or boss battles to slow it down. Laura Parker from GameSpot
criticized the usage of the Wii Balance Board in the game, saying that the controls with the board are too sensitive. She notes that the usage of the board is more suited with the minigames than with the main game. Martin Kitts from Computer and Video Games
said that the game added nothing new from the previous games in the Super Monkey Ball series. He also notes that unlike in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
, players can no longer use the analog stick on the Wii Nunchuk to use the ball. Both he and Harris criticize the camera controlling; Kitts says that the camera doesn't switch angles when the player does or when it's necessary. Wiiloveit.com enjoyed the "user-friendly" package, and commented that the Balance Board can be "very rewarding" if you stick with it. Praise was also given to the Achievement system, the "fantastic" music, and the new Marathon Mode. Negative comments were mostly attributed towards the stage design; despite what was stated on the back of the box for the game, the stages were "hardly mind-blowing" and showed "little ingenuity"
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game developed and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. It was released in North America on February 9, 2010; in Australia on February 11; in Europe on February 12; and in Japan on February 25.
Gameplay
Gameplay is similar to the previous games in the Super Monkey Ball seriesSuper Monkey Ball (series)
The Super Monkey Ball series is a series of arcade platform games developed by Amusement Vision and distributed by Sega. It features 4 characters : AiAi, MeeMee, Baby and GonGon...
. Players must guide the ball using the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
to the finish line in 60 seconds without falling off the level. Along the way, players can collect bananas to help increase the number of extra lives remaining. There are 6 worlds, with the addition of one secret world which can be accessed by completing the other six worlds without using a continue. Players can also use the Wii Balance Board
Wii Balance Board
The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
and shift their bodies to control the monkey ball. The new control scheme was an effort by developer Yasuhito Baba "to find a new way for players to experience Super Monkey Ball in order to increase the 'party feel' of the title". The game features 21 minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s which provide different scenarios for players to overcome. The minigames were developed for players to play with three Wii Remotes and one player with the Wii Balance Board; they were designed so that players battle against each other.
Reception
The game received mixed reviews from reviewers. Craig Harris from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the game for its tight and natural controls using the Wii Remote, saying that "you're really controlling the tilt of the environment, not the momentum of the ball". He also praises the increased simplicity in the game with the lack of storyline or boss battles to slow it down. Laura Parker from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
criticized the usage of the Wii Balance Board in the game, saying that the controls with the board are too sensitive. She notes that the usage of the board is more suited with the minigames than with the main game. Martin Kitts from Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
said that the game added nothing new from the previous games in the Super Monkey Ball series. He also notes that unlike in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is an entry in the Super Monkey Ball series, following Super Monkey Ball Adventure. It is a Wii exclusive and was released as a launch title for the system on November 14, 2006 in North America.-Story:...
, players can no longer use the analog stick on the Wii Nunchuk to use the ball. Both he and Harris criticize the camera controlling; Kitts says that the camera doesn't switch angles when the player does or when it's necessary. Wiiloveit.com enjoyed the "user-friendly" package, and commented that the Balance Board can be "very rewarding" if you stick with it. Praise was also given to the Achievement system, the "fantastic" music, and the new Marathon Mode. Negative comments were mostly attributed towards the stage design; despite what was stated on the back of the box for the game, the stages were "hardly mind-blowing" and showed "little ingenuity"