Take old school Marble Madness and add the Sega touch and you've got Monkey Ball. I think it's probably the easiest GameCube game on the Spaceworld floor to pick up and play. All you really use is the main analog stick. That's it. Move the floor and lead the Monkey to all the bananas and through the goal. That's it. A simplistic idea, but very addictive.

I got to play about 6-8 levels on the easy setting, but it only took about 5 minutes. From what I could tell on the one player mode, there are three difficulty modes. How many total tracks that are available is still unknown... but what I played of it, I absolutely loved.

Graphically the game isn't mind blowing in comparison to the other titles on the floor, (well except for Animal Leader) but I still think it looks excellent. If you are bothered with heights, let me warn you... this game is vertigo inducing. Hehehehe.

Control is simple, but tight. And you're going to need good control because it's easy to roll of the edge off the playing field and fall to your death. But even dying is a fun thing in this game.

The mini games are going add some more replay value to this game. I saw the billiards and the golf levels, and I think these things alone are a total blast either alone or in multiplayer.

Speaking of multiplayer, I haven't yet had a chance to play it... but I am planning on it for tomorrow. But from what I've seen, I think Super Monkey Ball will be a perfect party game to add to your collection.

For Sega's first title to hit the GameCube, Super Monkey Ball will surely not disappoint. Even though it's a basic concept, it's a fantastic game. I know I'll be nabbin' this the second it hits store shelves.

Multi-Player Update!

On the second day of Spaceworld I went back to play Monkey Ball two or three times, but this time I wanted to concentrate on the multiplayer aspects, and mini games that Sega bundled into the game. The single player Maze aspect of the game is fun, but I think what will give Monkey Ball some serious longevity will be the extras…

Mini Games:

Billiards: Put a bunch of monkeys on the pool table and get crackin! You aim your monkey ball with the analog stick and shoot with the A button. All the balls on the table are different colored Monkey Balls. If you’ve played Pool before it’s not too hard to imagine. From what I could tell, you’re playing 8-ball, where you need to hit the balls in order from 1-8 to win, or shoot the 8 ball in directly. I could be wrong though. I’ll know more when I get my hands on my import copy.

Golf: It’s time to tee off with your monkey! It’s basically Mini Golf with a Monkey Ball. There’s a power meter that’s typical to most golf games, and everything is triggered by pressing A. I only played 4 holes, but you can play a full 18 holes. It’s all about banking and careful shot placement. Hit the ball too hard, and you’ll launch your ball off the platform. You’ll be hitting the ball up and down hills, and banking shots off walls. It takes a little while to get used to, but I can picture myself playing this a lot with friends.

Bowling: Not too hard to picture, it’s another sport that you can play with a ball. You aim with the analog stick, and have a similar power meter to the golf game. I’m not that big of a bowling fan, but it’s another addition that some might like.

Party Games:

Monkey Target: Pilot Wings meets Monkey Ball is the easiest way to describe this mini-game. First off, you spin a wheel that chooses what obstacles you’ll be up against. You could end up with bombs, mines, or even fog. Or you might get lucky and be free and clear of obstacles. You roll your monkey down a ramp and off a jump and launch your ball in the air. You press A and the ball opens and acts as a glider. You fly to one of the islands and try to get as close to the highest point value, and then press A again to close the ball, and drop. What makes this tricky is the fact that you are a ball, and then when you land you’ll roll. If you’re not careful, and come in too fast you’ll roll off the edge. If you drop too early you’ll miss the island and sink in the water. Plus the islands aren’t always flat. Frustrating, but fun and addictive to say the least. The object is to get a higher score than your opponents in a series of rounds.

Monkey Race: Monkey Ball meets Mario Kart! Woohoo! You can play this 1-4 players, and you can have the CPU fill in for absent friends. There are power ups that include boosts and projectiles that can knock your enemies off the track as well zip strips that can either boost you forward or launch you off the track. This sounds a lot easier than it really is. It’s very easy to fall off the side. But what’s also cool is that you can ram into an opponent and knock them off the track. Another addition is pinball style bumpers that you’ll see usually right before the finish line…get caught up in them, and you’ll get passed up or lose precious time.

Monkey Fight: From the title you can pretty much infer that this is the battle mode part of Monkey ball. You’ll be in a small arena rolling around, and attached to your ball will be a boxing glove on a spring. The object is to knock your opponents off the platform. From what I could tell there are some sort of power-ups that increase your punching ability or can help you repel punches some how. I’ll be looking into this a lot more.

Overall Sega has outdone themselves to make Monkey Ball a complete package. The main game is a carbon copy of the Arcade version, but the home version gives you so much more. I have a good feeling that Monkey Ball will be one of the biggest party games to hit the GameCube at launch. Personally, I can’t wait to get the ball rolling. Word.