I really don't want to be this guy. The Planet GameCube guy who just rags on games. It's not me. I absolutely loved the first Super Monkey Ball, and the bginning of this sequel was great but it turned sour far too quick.

I'm one floor away from level 9 (there's 10 levels) and although the majority of the levels are great tests of skill as were the expert levels in Monkey Ball 1, far too many are only challenging because you can't figure out what to do. The focus has completely shifted in this game to "How do I complete this level," and it's not a change for the good. Monkey Ball is about guiding your ball to the goal, not hit switches to open a goal and easily go through. Seriously, just wait until you guys see level 6-9 "Switch Inferno". This isn't Monkey Ball, it's "The Legend of Monkey Ball".

Even worse are the levels that are truly luck. Being catapulted into the air, only to land on a tiny tower, and being catupulted higher to a tinier tower and hoping you slam through the goal while flying. Again, it doesn't feel like Monkey Ball. No levels in the original Monkey Ball were cheap. You weren't spending time after time trying to figure out WHAT to do next, you knew and were simply trying to DO it. The emphasis was on honing your skill, not puzzle solving. It just seems out of place here.

The good news is, the majority are old school levels that are a joy to tackle. The ones where your body is so tense, but you have to have perfect control to navigate the floor. That's what Monkey Ball is all about.

I've played every new party game and there's really not a whole lot to write about. The sequels to the original Monkey Ball games are much more captivating and seem to be a better choice for multi-player mayhem. The new games seem pretty shallow in comparison. Of course, without playing with 4 people it's worthless to even guess. Just the impression I got from playing the computer.

I'll keep pluggin' away, but so far I'm pretty disappointed with the shift in gameplay.