Super Monkey Ball Tip'n'Tilt

If you enjoy a mixture of puzzle and racing games then Super Monkey Ball Tip’n’Tilt could be just what you’ve been searching for.

The SEGA modern classic which has been keeping grown ups and children alike giggling as they try to help their monkey get to the end, whilst gathering bananas along the way is proving to be very addictive. The aim of the game is to move your Monkey Ball (don’t worry no monkey’s harmed in the making or playing of this game) from the top platform down to the target at the bottom. Rather than controlling the Monkey or even the ball directly, you control the platform the Monkey Ball is on. You must use a mix of cunning and skill as well as just that little bit of luck at times to do this task.

So you think ping-ponging your Monkey Ball from platform to platform is an easy job? You’d be wrong! There are plenty of platforms in each level, making it possible to have nearly a limitless and random course from A to B every time.

Now I did tell a small porky-pie about having no control over your Monkey Ball, because when you’re flying/falling between platforms you can veer left or right using the same control.

Controls are pretty decent – and it’s just as well, this game would  be nearly impossible to play and enjoy if it’d been terrible. To gain some height with your character you can use the platform as a bit of a flipper to help launch you a little higher after tilting it fully and releasing.

Bringing it back to the point I made at the start about being quick, although you are meant to be mindful and collect as many bananas as possible, you are supposed to be racing. So the trade off is, get a fantastic score by falling and landing in the middle of the target in the quickest time possible and/or gather as many bananas as possible to boost your score and indeed give you extra lives which will come in handy in the more difficult levels you will encounter.

Fortunately, the developers have given you a number of modes to enjoy. Normal mode is where you have to complete the level before you can progress to the next. Practice mode lets you improve your technique on any unlocked level (unlocked through Normal mode). Time Attack mode lets you skip bothering about bananas – there aren’t any, but you can play against up to three friends in a timed race against the clock. Lastly, in Challenge mode, you get to compete against your friends in a race again, but the banana’s are there for you to collect – but don’t let them distract you too much, it’s still a race!

For every 100 bananas you gather, you gain an extra life and you will lose a life if you let the clock go down to zero. Be sure to try and collect all of the bananas in a level as you will be treated to bonus extra levels for your efforts. To get the most points, you must attempt to land your Monkey Ball on the central red zone, for less points there’s the yellow zone, and for the least points you can land on the green zone.

Overall then, this game is fantastically addictive and highly entertaining. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts throughout the game and given more puzzling levels to master than you could probably ever use.

Rating 87%

Positives

Great graphics

Very entertaining and addictive

Fun and refreshing game which will keep you busy for hours

Negatives

Quite repetitive

A little frustrating at times

Controls are pretty good but could do with a little more improvement