App Review: Super Monkey Ball for the iPod Touch

Continuing my series of posts that review App Store apps specifically with iPod Touch in mind, today we review Super Monkey Ball by Sega. My son has Super Monkey Ball for the GameCube, Wii and Nintendo DS, so we are clearly fans of the series (though the Wii version stinks to be honest). If you are a fan of the series you will likely enjoy the iPhone/Touch version. If you aren't experienced with the series, you should be aware that it has always been extremely difficult and frustrating at times - which has led to some undeserved negative customer reviews for this version.

The first thing you will notice when trying the game is that the motion controls are extremely sensitive. This sensitivity is key to the game as the more complex maps take some very fine-tuned control of your character. Nonetheless, the game controls take a little while to get adjusted to and I found them easier to control one-handed. Also, if you know the series, you know that the Baby character tends to be the easiest to control, but is also the slowest.

The graphics, colors and animation are top notch. In some respects I find the appearance of this game to be superior to any of the prior ones I have tried (i.e. GC, Wii, DS). The colors are bright and the animations are smooth. If you are wearing headphones, the audio is standard fare for the series, which means its nothing special. Thankfully for Touch owners though, the audio has no impact on game play, so headphones are not required. On another note, I did have some issues with the game refusing to start on occasion though it fixed itself when I restarted the Touch.

Sadly, there are no mini-games and no story-mode. There are a lot of levels so the game isn't short. Still for anyone, like myself, who enjoyed the race, bowling, flying and other mini-games that were a staple of the series' previous offerings, their absence is a a big disappointment.

In the end, I think this is a great game for the Touch. I find the $9.99 price tag slightly pricey but it is on par with other games of its type in the App Store. Those of you who are fans of the Super Monkey Ball series will definitely enjoy this version and won't be surprised by the difficulty. Those of you who are new to the series may get frustrated early on, but if you give yourself time to adjust to the control sensitivity, I think you will enjoy it as well.