Banana

Alright, so you've booted up Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania and you're probably looking at the little monkeys in balls and thinking, "This is a game for five-year-olds, right?" I get it! It totally looks that way at first glance. But trust me, once you get past those first few stages in Beginner mode, you're going to realize this game is going to seriously test your gaming skills. Beginner mode is actually where you'll start to see just how challenging this game can get!

On top of the main adventure, there are also three awesome party games included, plus three more mini-games you can unlock. So, whether you're playing solo or with friends, you've got one heck of a fun romp ahead of you, no matter your age.

Now, about the story – this is the official tale straight from Sega:

The Monkeys were out and about enjoying some Bananas one day, when suddenly the ground shook from a huge impact! The dust cleared to reveal some open balls on the ground, and the curious Monkeys decided to check them out. After setting foot into the balls, they quickly closed up to jet off into the sky! Where are the Monkeys going, who has sent the balls, and what is the purpose behind all of this? No one knows for sure, but these Monkeys are off to the floors in the sky to find Bananas and have an incredible adventure!

Alright, let's dive into the main crew of Banana Mania! This section is all about getting a feel for who's who and how they all connect. Think of it as meeting your new best buddies before you start rolling through the stages.

AiAi is basically the 'Cool Monkey.' He's the charmer who won MeeMee's heart, even though GonGon was his rival for a bit. Now they're all pals, though! In terms of gameplay, AiAi's your all-rounder – pretty average abilities across the board for Party and Mini Games, so he's a solid pick if you're not sure where to start.

Next up is MeeMee, the 'Pretty Monkey.' She had a tough choice between AiAi and GonGon, but she went with AiAi. In the game, she's known for having good control, which is super handy, but she's a bit of a lightweight. That means she might get tossed around more easily by strong forces.

Then there's GonGon, the 'Strong Monkey.' He was totally in the running for MeeMee's heart against AiAi, but he didn't win her over. Don't worry, though, he's good friends with everyone now and always ready to help out. His strength is his biggest asset, but it can make those tricky, delicate situations a bit harder for him.

Finally, we have Baby, the 'Cute Monkey.' This one's a bit of a mystery! Nobody's quite sure where Baby comes from. There's a rumor going around that Baby is actually AiAi and MeeMee's child, who's traveled back from the future to help out. Baby likes to find shortcuts, but this often backfires, so be careful when trying to speed things up!

Alright, let's break down the main menus in Banana Mania so you know exactly where to go for everything! It's pretty straightforward once you see it laid out.

Start Game

This is your gateway into the game modes. Simple as that!

Options

This is where you'll find a bunch of useful settings and info:

• Replays: You can view saved replays here from your Memory Card.
• Play Point Stats: Check out your current Play Point standing, see which Mini Games you've unlocked, how many points you need for the next one or a continue, and your highest Play Point total.
• Rankings: All your high scores across every game mode, saved to your Memory Card.
• Sound: Toggle between Stereo and Mono sound.
• Split Screen: If you're in a three-player match, you can choose which player gets the big screen view.
• Controllers: Calibrate your Analog Stick and turn the rumble feature ON or OFF.
• Game Data: Load new Memory Card data, save your current progress, toggle Autosave (saves after every game exit), or reset everything to the Original Settings.

Main Game

This is your core gameplay hub:

• Normal Mode: This is the main path through the regular courses. Up to four players can join in.
• Practice Mode: Perfect for solo players who want to replay a level they've already beaten in Normal Mode.
• Competition Mode: A fun race to the Goal for two to four players to see who's the fastest.

Party Games

This section houses the multiplayer madness:

• Monkey Race: We'll cover this in detail later in section eight.
• Monkey Fight: This gets its own deep dive in section nine.
• Monkey Target: You can find the specifics in section ten.

Mini Games

And here are the extra challenges:

• Monkey Billiards: All the details are in section eleven.
• Monkey Bowling: We'll get into this in section twelve.
• Monkey Golf: Check out section thirteen for the full rundown.