Game Boy Advance

Super Monkey Ball Jr.

While kids will love the cheerful graphics and cute characters, adults can marvel at the simple but polished 3D levels?such as the reflective floors in Monkey Bowling. The music is refreshingly subdued, and in a pleasant surprise, the bouncy sound effects come straight from the GameCube original.

Super Monkey Ball Jr. is definitely one of the finest Game Boy Advance games released during this year's holiday season. It not only offers a hell of a challenge in its main game, it also encourages replays by awarding points that will unlock well-produced mini-games. Monkey Bowling is a surprisingly excellent title by itself, with its super-smooth use of the GBA's sprite and background capabilities to recreate the same mode that appeared in the GameCube original. It's also a wonderful title to take advantage of the GBA's link capabilities.

Overall SMB Jr. is great. The levels are nicely planned out and the game is definitely worth getting. The controls do let it down slightly but with time you’ll begin to understand them, definitely a game that will keep you playing for ages.

The junior moniker doesn't really mean this game is geared towards children (it only appears to affect the monkeys' appearances). They'll have to be pretty crafty kids to get through some of the expert levels, unless the kids you have in mind are the ones who keep beating you at every game out there. But the overall presentation will undoubtedly lure adults and kids alike. There's simply so much to like about Super Monkey Ball Jr. based on its presentation and design alone. In that sense, it's no wonder this title has reached so many platforms. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary or a la carte for your Game Boy Advance, Super Monkey Ball Jr. is an exceptional choice.

Super Monkey Ball Jr. is the kind of game you want in your collection, even if you don't generally enjoy puzzle games. It's easy enough so that anyone can play it but challenging enough to stump even the most intellectual of players. It's also an excellent game to use to show off the graphical capabilities of the Game Boy Advance to friends that have yet to buy the system.

För upp till fyra spelare är Super Monkey Ball Jr. ett riktigt roligt tidsfördriv. Men om det är det numera klassiska, bollrullande huvudspelet man vill åt så blir man mest ledsen. Så nära, men ändå så långt borta.

Super Monkey Ball on the GC was an experience anyone could pick up and play; Super Monkey Ball Jr. is the sort of game no one will play for more than a few moments -- and to describe them in the broadest terms, they're identical. SMB Jr. is a flawed attempt to create an experience that simply could not be replicated by the GBA. As a technical achievement, SMB Jr. is impressive.