Super Monkey Ball had its humble beginnings in 2001, in arcades and Nintendo GameCubes across the globe. The bananarama Sega classic returns in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, the brand-new entry on the Nintendo Switch. This party platformer is a rumble in the jungle that I mostly enjoyed rolling through.

Ai Ai and the OG monkey bunch return, joined by a new friend, the adorable Palette, in an adventure full of twists and turns and, most importantly, the Legendary Banana. I enjoy a bit of potassium, though this clan is brave and goes to extremes for a tasty, nutritious treat. It’s a perilous journey spanning several worlds, with 7 artifacts to collect and 200 stages to complete. The gang will meet a few friends and foes along the way, all chasing after the ultimate banana prize.

With a simple pick-up tutorial, I swiftly learned that being a monkey in a gatcha ball is more complex than it seems. For those familiar with retro tilting puzzles where a ball needs to follow a path without falling through holes, it’s the same concept but much more involved. Facing various obstacles, the monkeys must reach the end goal while overcoming obstacles, suspended above seemingly nothing below the playable platform.

During the 200 levels, I spun through their jungle home, weaved through the adorable pastel Rose Garden, and braved platforms above the beautiful Floating City; no two stages were the same, and it was always a joy to see what ridiculous hurdles Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble would throw at me next. The music has a total vibe and is catchy – from the strange traditional Japanese temple music weaved with a few wubs for good measure to a concert in the Neon Arena, complete with pumping beats.

Palette brings new smooth moves to the table with the Spin Dash Technique, which proves incredibly useful for an extra boost when pressed for time. Speaking of time, the monkeys have just a single minute to complete each stage. It’s most certainly a challenge weaving through spinning mechanisms, moving platforms, and a massive assortment of other obstacles, but given how short each stage is, if time runs out or the monkey falls off the board, I found that trying again didn’t feel as frustrating given the limited time investment per attempt. Some of the more straightforward levels I managed to get through in mere seconds, but mainly, they were difficult enough to keep me coming back for another attempt, but sometimes the time limit felt too short, and there was no room to be cautious.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble may seem cute, but the gameplay does not match its adorable exterior. Stages are punishing and not for the faint of heart. Each is more challenging than the last, and since no two are the same, mastery of the art of rolling is paramount. Controls are straightforward. Moving in all directions and moving the camera are done with the left stick and right stick of the JoyCons or Switch-compatible controller. When confronted with ramps or jumps, the Spin Dash technique is vital for additional momentum. The Accelerometer motion controls can be used for ballers up for physically having to tilt the handheld Switch to move. Still, I found that after a time, my thumbs got sore enough to go through the stages without the added tension of frantically tilting the device. There are plenty of customisable control and camera options to fine-tune to your liking.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is surprisingly difficult, but the Helper Functions are a lifesaver when times get tough. While points won’t be counted and stages aren’t considered cleared for Stage Missions, it helps just to get through. There were times when using the feature saved me a lot of stress; with a ghost guide monkey showing the optimum path, a rewind feature, and checkpointing, it can make a massive difference in a pinch. A word to the wise. Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to step away. The fast-paced gameplay can get quite overwhelming at times.

Beyond playing Adventure mode solo, there are many other modes to enjoy; Adventure mode can be played by 1-4 players co-op (locally/offline or online). Battle mode can be played split-screen with 1-2 players, and players can play local wireless with 1-4 people, each playing on a separate Nintendo Switch, or online with 2-16 players or with the addition of several CPUs. Stages can be revisited with a time attack for an extra rush.

Battle mode includes party games; Banana Hunt, where the monkey that collects the most bunches of bananas wins. A self-explanatory Race mode and Goal Rush, that involves teaming up and rolling through as many goals as possible. Ba-Boom is all about trying to weave around other players trying to offload bombs to one another, and Robot Smash is an exercise in the destruction of large automations. All the mini-games are chaotic and the more players, the more the mayhem. With over 300 fashionable clothing items and accessories, each character can be decked out however you see fit to stand out amongst other players. Completing in-game missions earns points that allow you to buy more new gear in the Shop. Each playable character also has different stats, like having more braking power or being speedier than others.

The stages and cutscenes are crisp, cute, and colourful, though they looked much nicer on the smaller handheld screen than on a big screen. Playing handheld and docked, there were no real notable performance issues other than the issue of me not being a Monkey Ball master.

Fast-paced, fun and funky, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble captures the arcade-like charm of the originals and turns it up a few notches. I was surprised at how challenging the game would be, but it’s a challenge I can see myself coming back to again and again.

Written by: Yasmin Noble