Ok but for real I am SO hyped for this. Monkey Ball is one of my childhood series and I love it so dearly — even many of the entries that are usually considered the bad ones. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
A few thoughts:
-I’m not thrilled by the new artstyle, or look of the monkeys, or whatever you want to call it. It’s not terrible but I definitely prefer the look of Banana Mania’s characters, for example.
-I’m hesitant about the spin dash. It could end up being great, but one thing I love about Monkey Ball is its simplicity and I hope that stages don’t become designed around this new mechanic. I’d prefer if the stages are designed around NOT using the spin dash, but the spin dash can still be used to pull off epic shortcuts.
-Nintendo Switch exclusive… I’m not too surprised since I’m guessing BBHD and BM sold best on Switch (it seems like a series that would appeal foremost to Nintendo fans) but still a shame that it’ll be available to less people.
-HOLY SHIT local and online multiplayer in real time!!!!! When I was a kid, I would think about the possibility of racing through courses with friends, and now that dream is a reality! Woohoo!
-Speaking of online… does anyone know if they’ve confirmed online leaderboards? That’s become a major part of recent Monkey Ball games for me
-I’m so happy that we’re getting an original game and not another remake. BBHD was great for reviving the series and BM was even better for returning it to its roots, but it’s definitely time for an original entry. I’m so excited to roll through brand-new courses for the first time since 2012.
-I seem to recall BM’s director saying in an interview that he wanted to create a game where the monkeys travel across the world, and that seems to have come to life here. If you look at the various world environments, you’ll see each world takes inspiration from a real-world locale such as Rio de Janeiro. I’m glad this vision came to life; it seems like a great way to split the levels apart.
I think that’s all I have for now, other than PLEASE SEGA open preorders for the special edition