There seem to be a lot of unusually weird games that come out of Japan (Space Fisherman, Low Rider, and Ape Escape to name a few). And many don’t even make it to North America. But the select few that do are like a blessing, a relief from all the niche genres and generic titles already out here. Allot of these niche genres and “generic” titles are usually amazing and fun, but they usually all have something or other similar to each other.

That’s were Super Monkey Ball steps in, it’s the most original and diverse game the Nintendo GameCube has seen yet and probably the most unique title out there, period. The premise behind SMB is something only SEGA could have dreamed up. You control a monkey inside a ball through a 3D maze by tilting the platform they is on, while having to collect bananas under a time limit of either 30 or (usually) 60 seconds.

Now you may think 60 seconds seems a bit short for a level. But once you see the levels you are faced with, you’ll start to get the idea that this will be a very long game. This game requires Zen-like concentration, and a steady thumb. Without these skills, you won’t get very far with Monkey Ball, because this game is hard. It’s hard in a good way too, it requires a lot of skill from the player and won’t have you putting down the controller after you die a few times. You’ll always want to get to the next level to see if you can conquer the challenge. And if it’s not the challenge that’s kept you playing, it’s the rewards you get. By playing well, you are rewarded with play points that you can use to unlock many different mini games and party games.

The Mini/Party games could be a game on their own, but Sega really crafted this game with replayability in mind. Because there are 3 different party games Monkey Billiards, Monkey Bowling, and Monkey Golf. And there are 3 different mini games Monkey Fight, Monkey Target, and Monkey Race. And each and every one is so well designed it will take you weeks just to get over one and onto the other. The 3 mini games are unlocked to begin with, while you have to unlock the other 3 party games. You slowly collect all 3 party games by saving up your play points and after you have all the games, your play points go towards extra continues.

Many gamers might not instantly notice, taking it for granted, but the physics in Monkey Ball are outstanding. Everything in each level reacts precisely and appropriately to the environment, and the monkeys roll and bounce exactly as I would imagine a Super Monkey in a ball would. And because of the flawless real life physics you’ll never blame the game for dying or making mistakes; you’ll always be blaming yourself.

There are 3 different skill levels in SMB: Easy, Advanced, and Expert. Easy, presents the player with 10 levels. Advanced, has 30 levels to complete. And Expert has a whopping 50 levels that will take you months to complete. The levels are instant classics, they are so cleverly thought out and challenging you’ll be returning to many of them just to go through them one more time. They’re just so fun, and they’re always testing your skill and making you Play Points that you need.

The music in Super Monkey Ball is very appropriate and keeps the action pumping. It’s basically dance beats, and some ambient techno during some of the more difficult stages. There isn’t much sound considering the monkeys don’t talk, but the few effects and noises the monkeys do make are all cute and funny. The sound effects in Monkey Race, and many of the mini games are also great and appropriate.

There are no major negative aspects about Super Monkey Ball. The only improvement I’d like is more levels, but SMB’s 80 levels (10 easy, 30 hard, 50 expert) are more than enough this time around. But the only negative thing about Monkey Ball worth mentioning is that it’s extremely hard in some areas, but being one of the maybe 5 people in the world who’s beaten it, it’s not as hard as people make it out to be. Only the first quarter is unnervingly difficult, after that the levels become easier but more fun and creative. But as for the levels in the first quarter of expert, they almost seem impossible at times and may get on your nerves. But there are enough levels before that to satisfy players, and there’s always fun to be had in the outstanding mini games SMB offers.

So Super Monkey Ball gets awfully hard at times, but everything else about this diverse title is flawless in all respects. Sega has created yet another classic and one of the best party games on any console to date.