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Super Monkey Ball 2 arrives for iPhone
Super Monkey Ball 2 [iTunes Link] is now available for the iPhone. There is good news and bad news, and yes, some of it relates to App Store policies which are out of developers' hands. I bought the original Super Monkey Ball [iTunes Link] for US$10 on the first day the App Store was available (July 10, 2008, for those who might some day want to win a trivia contest). I had seen the demo and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I also bought Bejeweled 2 [iTunes Link] for $10 on that same day. Bejeweled 2 is now selling for $3 and the original Super Monkey Ball is selling for $4. If you ask me, Bejeweled is a steal at the price, and the original version of Super Monkey Ball isn't worth $0.99. It was far too "twitchy" for my taste. I tried everything to steady my hands, but I was never able to get enough precise control to be able to enjoy the game. In all the time I've had it, I bet I've played it less than an hour. Every time I tried, it ended quickly in frustration, usually with my shouting "Drown, stupid monkey! Drown!" I wasn't alone in my frustration. Macworld's first look at Super Monkey Ball 2 begins with this look back: "The original Super Monkey Ball was an App Store launch game and sold like gangbusters. Taking advantage of the iPhone's accelerometer controls and already possessing a huge following thanks to its console success, Super Monkey Ball was one of the most highly anticipated apps on the iPhone. The only problem was: it wasn't very good." Macworld went on to say that Sega had (at that point) not announced a cost. Part of me deeply hoped that they would release it as a free update. As I see it, there are two big remaining flaws in the App Store (ignoring, for the moment, the whole approval process): 1) the lack of demo versions (either timed or number of launches), and 2) no way for developers to provide for upgrade pricing. That means that there is no way for people who bought Super Monkey Ball to get a deal on Super Monkey Ball 2. That left Sega with two choices: 1) release it as an update, meaning anyone who bought Super Monkey Ball would get it for free; or 2) release it as a separate app, meaning that anyone who bought v. 1 has to pay full price for v. 2. The App Store does not give them any other choice.
Super Monkey Ball 2 goes bananas on iPhone this year
Sega is preparing a sequel to its App Store launch title, Super Monkey Ball, due out sometime before the end of the year. According to Touch Arcade, Super Monkey Ball 2 will add 115 new levels, multiplayer functions, and, perhaps most importantly, minigames. Monkey Bowling will be included in the download, with Monkey Golf and Monkey Target (also known as the greatest achievement in human history) to follow as free updates. Okay, actually, while great, the minigames aren't the most important part of this sequel. That would be the improved controls, which may render this game playable. Check out Touch Arcade for gameplay footage!
Interview: Super Monkey Ball's Yasuhito Baba
Who would've thought that a simple game about monkeys trapped in plastic balls would go on to become one of Sega's biggest franchises? We talked with Sega producer Yasuhito Baba at Tokyo Game Show about the upcoming Step & Roll for the Wii Balance Board, and talked about the future for the franchise. Will it include support for Natal and the PlayStation Motion Controller? Read on. Joystiq: How long after the Balance Board was announced did you think of making a new Monkey Ball game for it? Yasuhito Baba: So actually, as soon the Balance Board game out, we thought this would be a great match for Super Monkey Ball. But the problem is, because we can't bundle with the Balance Board, we had to wait and see how the Balance Board would do. We had to wait for it to sell and wait for there to be a market for more Balance Board games. Monkey Ball is really well suited for new devices. So pretty much whenever there's a new device or new platform, we're always thinking about if Monkey Ball would work on it or not.
TGS 2009: Feet-on: Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll
It's surprising to think Sega hasn't already made a Super Monkey Ball game for the Wii Balance Board. It seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? However, Sega made the playable debut of the very first Balance Board-enabled Monkey Ball game at TGS this year with Step & Roll.Conceptually, the game is rather easy to grasp. Once again, players are tasked with getting monkeys (that are mysteriously trapped in plastic balls) to a goal by tilting the game world. This time around, the game can be controlled through shifting your weight on the Balance Board -- the translation should be immediately apparent.Perhaps masters of Wii Fit (and subsequent fitness-related knockoffs) should find no problem with Step & Roll. However, a Balance Board novice like myself was a bit overwhelmed by the sensitivity demanded by the game: it takes subtle shifts in weight to carefully control the monkeys. Instead, my exaggerated movements caused the board to jerk around, tossing the trapped simian around haphazardly through the course.
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll into new screens
These latest screens of Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll reveal that, aside from the new Balance Board functionality, this is the Super Monkey Ball we're all used to. Which is to say, it's the cutest thing in the world. We admit we have a soft spot in our hearts for AiAi and his cinnamon-roll-eared pals. Not enough to keep us from throwing them all off of a checkerboard platform, but enough that we, you know, try.We suspect that, by allowing ourselves to be charmed by Monkey Ball and its promise of wonderful minigames once again (some kind of Monkey Landspeeder thing!), we're setting ourselves up for crushing disappointment when it turns out not to be as good as Super Monkey Ball 2, like they all have since Super Monkey Ball 2.%Gallery-70484%
Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll revealed by Sega 'Jackpot' countdown
It's with cautious ... not quite optimism, but cautious lack of total pessimism that we regard the official reveal of the new (and trademarked) Balance Board–compatible Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll for the Wii. Sega's "Jackpot" countdown elapsed today, leading to the site for this new Monkey Ball game and its admittedly cute trailer.We love Monkey Ball, but tilt control hasn't turned out well in previous attempts. Maybe tilting with our whole bodies on the Balance Board will work out better than tilting with just our hands? It has to work out better than tilting the screen while trying to keep our eyes locked on it.
New Monkey Ball trademark discovered, may use Wii Balance Board
Isn't it weird when you wake up in the morning, covered in sweat, waking up from a dream where you are trapped in a plastic ball, forced to roll around in hundreds of deadly mazes -- collecting bananas you have no way of eating? This happens to us all the time. It looks like our dream may be becoming a reality, as Sega looks to be creating a Wii Balance Board-centric Monkey Ball game.The US Patent & Trademark Office has revealed the title of a brand new game in Sega's long-running series, called Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll. While the listing doesn't confirm use of the Balance Board, it seems like a perfect fit for the franchise. The active nature of the title makes us believe this is indeed Sega's attempt at letting players use their real-life balance to navigate the tricky Monkey Ball worlds. It's such an easy concept to visualize, we're surprised it hasn't already been made yet.[Via 1UP, Kotaku]
Sega pleased by 'substantial' iPhone Super Monkey Ball sales
Talk about some serious monkey business. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sega's debut effort on the iPhone App Store, Super Monkey Ball, has racked up 300,000 downloads since it debuted on the service June 11.At $9.99 a pop, that means the game has brought in just about $3 million for Sega, with Apple taking its 30% "upkeep" share off the top to the tune of $899k. Both parties must be quite pleased. Sega certainly is. Based on what SOA prez Simon Jeffery told the WSJ, the future looks to be full of iPhone games from the publisher. Speaking on the sizable sales of SMB, Jeffrey said, "That's a substantial business," adding, "It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform."It's worth noting that these purchases, unlike those via XBLA or PSN, were made sight-unseen, as the App Store does not offer a SMB trial version. Now, if Sega would just release a patch to allow calibration of the iPhone's accelerometer so we can play SMB without staring straight down at it ... that'd be bananas.
First Look: Super Monkey Ball
After the WWDC '08 Keynote, everyone wanted this iPhone game -- it received almost as much hype as the iPhone itself. Super Monkey Ball from SEGA definitely has some good qualities, however it does have some bad qualities as well. First off, this game costs $9.99 -- a little steep at first glance, but totally worth it after you notice that it comes with 100+ levels. The graphics are beautiful, and it definitely pushes the system, but I do have some complaints about the game. First off, the game is extremely hard to control with the tilt-sensors -- perhaps an update with some refined calibration is in order. A bigger complaint about the game: when you have the silent switch flipped on (meaning that the phone shouldn't make ANY noise), the game overrides this and plays the sounds anyway. So, be sure to change the sound settings before you start trying to play this game in a very quiet library or doctor's office. You also cannot pause the game, go to the home screen, and reopen it to start playing again (this might be an SDK issue, rather than a specific SMB problem).Overall this is a solid game with good performance/graphics. While you won't be able to play this game in the car, it still provides hours of fun sitting extremely still so as not to anger the tilt-sensors. This game is available for $9.99 from the App Store.%Gallery-27341%
iPhone 2.0 firmware goes golden master
Gizmodo and GearLive are reporting that the iPhone 2.0 firmware will go golden master (locked for shipping) this week. Golden master does not necessarily mean that Apple will ship the firmware this week (after all, Steve said that it would ship in "early July") but it does mean that the firmware and all the features are complete and ready to head out the door. Both sites seem to agree with the build number on the new firmware: 345. Gizmodo is reporting that 2.0 will boast code signing and a new encryption feature. The iPhone firmware 2.0 is definitely something on every iPhone owner's wishlist, and here's mine (you have one of these, right?): Super Monkey Ball (AppStore) New Mail features iWork support in Mail Exchange support MobileMe support Super Monkey Ball (did I mention this one already?) Scientific Calculator (would it be too hard to add a graphing calculator? c'mon, Apple!) While we wait around the virtual campfire for the next version of the iPhone software, what are you most looking forward to in the new firmware? I think everyone can guess what my favorite feature will be; although I am still waiting for Final Cut Studio 2 for iPhone (we've been hearing rumors that it will be in the 10th generation device).
Sega, Pangea, Digital Legends demo iPhone games at WWDC
Our WWDC liveblog has the story -- Apple demoed a whole slew of apps (more than any one person would ever need) at the keynote today, but for my money, the most interesting were probably the least useful: I bought an iPhone to play games with.Sega was up first, demoing that version of Super Monkey Ball they've been working on. The real key on this one will be the amount of content they can come up with, and the devs have said they're planning to put in lots of levels -- the more the better. It will debut for $9.99 right at launch. Pangea was up next, showing off a few ports they've put together -- Cro-Mag Rally is a "caveman racing game" that uses the accelerometer (surprise) to drive a vehicle. This is, unfortunately, the problem you run into when you get a really innovative set of controls on a gaming device. It takes innovation not only to come up with the controls, but to find new ways to use them. Just as the Nintendo Wii suffers from thousands of useless minigame collections, the iPhone at App Store launch will likely suffer from thousands of "accelerometer racing" games, with only one or two really worth playing.But Apple saved the best for last -- a company named Digital Legends was invited to show off their action/adventure platforming game, and it showed real promise (you can see some good screenshots on Engadget's liveblog). Unfortunately, this one won't be out until "a few weeks" after the App Store launch, but hopefully for every touch jewel puzzler and accelerometer racing game we have on release day, we'll have a truly innovative gaming delight later in the iPhone's lifetime.
Super Monkey Ball for iPhone shown at Apple keynote
In case you're currently not tuned into the WWDC Steve Jobs keynote, Apple's Scott Forstall and Sega's Ethan Einhorn showed off Super Monkey Ball for the iPhone. According to Einhorn, after eight weeks of development, the developers have created 110 stages. While we haven't had a glimpse of the game in action, Engadget had this to say: "Crap, these graphics look unbelievable compared to anything we've seen on a cellphone before. Seriously, these are DS-quality graphics, easily." We'll update with more info and video as soon as we can find it. [Update: video posted after the break!]
Sega producer talks about Super Monkey Ball for the iPhone
You'll remember that one of the game demos on the iPhone SDK was Sega's Super Monkey Ball franchise -- Spore got all the headlines, but Sega did show up with a pretty nice port of a game that could do very well on the iPhone. And when producer Ethan Einhorn sat down to talk to GameCyte about the port, he said all the things I want to hear: casual, pick up and play gaming on the iPhone, with interface innovation akin to the Wii and gaming performance comparable to other handheld gaming devices, even with a team that had never touched Cocoa and Open GL before.There are some nice promises from Sega here for at least one cool game in the App Store in June. We'll continue to hope Sega (and Apple, and all of the other companies stepping up to develop games for the iPhone) can deliver.
Apple shows off iPhone gaming chops
While Apple did not release any games at today's event they did begin to show what's possible with several tech demos. Apparently the SDK has only been available for the last two weeks or so, even inside Apple, which makes what they showed that much more impressive. First up, a team inside of Apple cooked up "Touch Fighter," which appears to be a kind of space-based shooter that you steer by tilting and aim by pointing. The game is 3D and uses OpenGL graphics. Next up was Travis Boatman from EA who showed an iPhone version of the eagerly-awaited game Spore (also shipping for Macs later this year). It's clearly cut down from the desktop version, but as Johnson said of the dog walking on his two hind legs: "it is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all!" Considering that EA had two weeks, this suggests the iPhone has the power to be a serious gaming platform.Finally, Ethan Einhorn from Sega showed off a build of Super Monkey Ball, naturally also using tilt controls. What's interesting there is they actually underestimated what the iPhone could do, and ended up having to bring in another artist to upscale the art from what they had anticipated. Again, the take home message: the iPhone is a real platform for game development.It's worth noting that these were all demos and there are no guarantees that any of them will be released. Nonetheless, it's an impressive showing for two-weeks with the SDK and we can only imagine what things will look like in June when firmware 2.0 is released to consumers.Update: Engadget says that EA has confirmed Spore for iPhone; release in September.
How many labyrinthine games do we really need?
Infendo has taken a snarky poke at the bevy of Marble Madness-y labyrinthine games gearing up for appearances on the Wii, and frankly, we too are surprised at the sheer number of such titles. Super Monkey Ball (obviously) already featured ball-rolling as one of the better parts of an uneven offering, and now three more upcoming games are centered around labyrinth puzzles. You know, we love rolling balls as much as the next guy, and certainly the gametype suits the console on many levels; the controller and the games-for-everyone theme are both well-supported here. But four games in the first year seems a little excessive. The Wiimote is also really well-suited to pointing and shooting, but we don't need four simple shooting gallery games, either. Sure, each game has different features. In Dewy's Adventure, the "marble" can go vaporous or crystallize into ice. Awesome. Except at the end of the day, it's still all about rolling around from here to there. This is really a pretty simple theme, and there are only so many variations on it. How many labyrinth games are we really going to buy? Does anyone expect to own all of these?
Wii Warm Up: So how 'bout the games?
Many of you are just getting your hands on a Wii (at last!) and others are just settling in for more in depth play on your games, so we figured it was a good time to ask: what have you played? What have you skipped? Which games have you liked most so far?This particular blogger has only been a little disappointed with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, due to the controls. Everything else has been pretty engaging. Twilight Princess, Wii Sports, and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (skateboarding games are a longtime habit a girl just can't shake) have gotten the most play on this Wii, though we're always happy to throw down on a variety of other games. More recently, it's been extensive sessions of Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. But hey, we figure everyone's got different tastes ... so how about you? Don't be shy -- tell us what you've liked so far!
Mercury Meltdown Revolution rolls onto Wii
Ignition Entertainment has announced that the Mercury series of puzzle games will arrive on the Wii next Spring, in the form of Mercury Meltdown Revolution. As it involves you tilting the playing field in order to guide a blob of mercury to its intended destination, it doesn't take any sort of scientist to make the mental connection between the game and the Wii's unique controller. Ignition president (and non-scientist), Paul Robinson, explains that "the original game design was intended for a tilt controller. Now gamers can fully interact with the Mercury blob, navigating through the labs with precision and unprecedented speed."The press release is quick to note other key features, such as the presence of over 150 levels, "advanced rendering techniques" and most importantly, "state of the art blob physics." Admittedly, we initially read that last one as something else entirely.
UK preorders are a go
PC World, the self-styled "Largest Computer Superstore" for the UK (we're impressed) has started taking preorders for the Wii -- and they're offering a nice bundle pack. We hope to see similar offerings on this side of the Atlantic, because this is just too good to pass up. The basic console weighs in at £179.99, and there's an option for a Wii with a second controller (but no nunchuk) for £199.99. For those not too savvy with the conversion of currency, don't let those seemingly low numbers fool you -- our pals in the UK are paying nearly $400 in US dollars for the privilege of a console and a second Wiimote.And then there are the bundles. Super Monkey Ball seems to be the order of the day; it's included in two of the three bundle options on PC World's site. You can choose either Red Steel or Twilight Princess to offset your monkey mayhem, and both bundles include the second Wiimote, and all for £259.99, only sixty pounds more than the console plus extra controller. The third bundle includes Wario Ware: Smooth Moves and Need for Speed: Carbon, as well as the extra controller. PC World promises free delivery with any of these preorders (which is a nice bonus), but doesn't guarantee delivery at launch (which isn't nice at all). Keep us posted on other preorder packs and bonuses, and we'll compare and contrast.
More fun than a barrel of Super Monkey Balls
It's been a while since we checked in with IGN's daily dose of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz fun, but their look at Keepy Up was just too good to pass over. So what is Keepy Up? Well, there's a monkey in a ball (you don't say!) and your job, grasshopper, is to bounce him around with a big pink bat. If he hits the ground ... well, we don't have to talk about all that. The poor little monkey looks pretty panicked, so you can imagine what happens. Yes, those are volcanoes in the background. Anyone for roast monkey leg? Don't forget, they're profiling one of the game's fifty mini-games each day. Don't miss out!
Monkey Ball -- Jump Rope fun
Watching the videos for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz makes us realize that the Wii is all about bringing people together and having fun. True, we already knew this but it never really sinks in until we see it in action. Take this new mini game -- who would have thought that jump rope could work effectively in a game? We can see four people struggling to try and keep the rhythm of the rope and we know that there are going to be a lot of cheaters out there wanting to use their actual feet to get you out of the way. We are looking at you younger/older brothers and sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends and way competitive friends! Jump rope doesn't require any button presses, just a flick of the wrist up when you have to make your character jump. The rope changes pace -- some of the players got caught when it went from slow to fast and back down again. Check out the video to see what we are talking about.
