It's the Monkeys nuts

The last time I heard about monkey balls it was part of a Chinese slimming aid, but that's another story. This game is a reincarnation of the old classic Super Monkey Ball. The object is to roll your monkey through varyingly difficult tracks making sure not to roll off the edge or to get stuck on various obstacles along the way. The game is very simple to control and has a great pickup and go feel. The many levels are interspersed with cuts screens depicting a strange story line about monkeys in ball saving the island where they live from the clutches of an evil master mind. Although these scenes are well animated I found them to be a frustrating distraction from the game and didn't really see the point.

Where this game really shines is as you progress through the levels you unlock more and more party games for 1 to 4 people. This is where the fun really starts. There is monkey ball pool which in itself is a great game of pool and doesn't really need describing; it does what it says on the tin. There is monkey ball ten pin bowling which provides hours of fun, pick your monkey (weight and spin differs per offering) and fling it at the pins. Then there is my favourite Monkey Target 2 this is where you use your monkey as a precision glider with the aim of landing on a target out to sea. If you complete the main game you also unlock Monkey Boat Race, Monkey Shot, Monkey Dogfight, Monkey Tennis, Monkey Baseball, and Monkey Soccer.

I found the party games more entertaining than the game as a whole but as a package its hours of entertainment and well worth putting your hand in your pocket for…….

8.5 out of 10