Super Monkey Ball 3D Review

Our first 3DS review isn't the immediate pick on everyone's 'must have' 3DS list when purchasing the console but perhaps you should reconsider? Upon poping in the little white 3DS cartridge and seeing monkey's in ball's happily rolling around the stage I'm reminded of Super Monkey Ball's original debut on the Gamecube and the fun I had when playing it.

If your not used to Super Monkey Ball where have you been? It's a delightful little puzzle game where the object is simple, guide your monkey in a ball to the goal within a minute. A simple premise at first when your tasked with rolling the ball down a simple slant in a straight line, but the further into the game you get the more testing the stages become. Rolling the ball around a swirl with no walls and with springs which fling you off into the distance is not an easy task at all! But Super Monkey Ball 3DS somehow manages to not make you get frustrated, perhaps it's the colours or the loveable monkey's themselves but I never found myself getting annoyed because I couldn't do a level.

The advantage of having a 3D screen helps this game immensely, especially on the latter level's when evading obstacles such as the spring's I mentioned earlier is crucial and the added perception you get really helps. The controls for this game are simple enough, you have the option of using the control stick or the gyroscope in the 3DS itself to control the ball. If you do opt for the gyroscope though make sure you turn 3D off, as moving the system all over the place to control your monkey makes you lose the sweet spot of the 3D very easily and makes viewing a nightmare.

Like every Super Monkey Ball game there are the additional mini-games, not so much this time though. We have Monkey Racing, a delightful Donkey Style kart racer and Monkey Fight which kind of feels like Super Smash Bros, but with monkeys. Each mini-game does a solid if unspectacular job and can take up some of your time but both pale in comparison to puzzle mode which undoubtedly steals the show and it's easy to see where the develops spent the most time perfecting the game.

Super Monkey Ball 3D is a great little starter game for you brand new handheld before some of the more bigger names come to fruition in the summer (who said Zelda?), for now, Super Monkey Ball will delightfully fill your time and provide with a few hours of 3D fun.

7.5