Super Monkey Ball 2 (Nintendo GameCube, 2002)

This game is actually the second one I've had to purchase. I have Super Monkey Ball and the new Super Monkey Ball for the Wii, however, Super Monkey Ball 2 seems to be the favorite in my household. My kids were a bit young when we had our first copy of Monkey Ball 2, so as you'd expect it got scratched beyond repair so I purchased it again because they loved it so much. My son is 7 and my daughter 4, and they both play it for hours. It is amazing to watch them play the regular story mode game and make their way through maze after maze. Each one challenges them a little more as they maneuver around holes or literally balance across tight spaces. Some of the levels my wife could not even pass, but the kids figure it out fast. They have tons of Game Cube games, yet this is one of their favorites. There is no violence which is definitely a plus for younger kids, but the difficulty is perfect for all ages. We can sit down as a family and take turns, without changing a thing, and all of us are easily entertained. The story isn't anything special, but as you progress in the game by passing each maze you earn points that unlock tons of party games that add more multi player fun. Note: I referenced mazes for each level, but I'm not sure what to call them; you maneuver a ball that is sensitive to weight and the laws of physics, and try and get this ball around obstacles and to cross the goal.
So back on track with the party games...These additional games are completely separate from story mode and offer hours of additional fun. The kids love to compete against each other by racing, boxing, hang gliding onto targets, baseball, bowling, boating, and a few more that i cannot remember off the top of my head. Once these games are unlocked, they can play them whenever they want. All of the Monkey Ball games are like this, and I tend to think they get better and better.
My kids are not video game-aholics, but I find it awesome to watch what they can do. After playing this game, they were easily able to pick up on some of the more advanced learning oriented games and even more intense thinking games like Mario RPG. There is not much I can say to complain about Monkey Ball 2. No violence, easy to figure out, mentally stimulating, pretty decent graphics for its platform (Game Cube), and fun for all ages. Plus, it is cheap. Always around $20 or so. Sure, this might seem expensive for a GC game to some, but it has been the same price for a few years, so obviously it is still in high demand; even on Ebay. If you are looking for family fun, or maybe something just to challenge your hand-eye coordination, then this game is definitely it. It keeps you on the edge of your seat; basically nervous if your character is going to fall in a deep hole or if you have it balanced just right. It sounds stupid at first, and my wife made me purchase it, but now i'm glad I did. I wish the same for you.

I see a lot of people complaining about this game for various reasons. One reason is its difficulty...it's really not that hard. If you're expecting a 9 year old to have ease playing ANY game, regardless of it's rating and look...well...you've got your head in the clouds. This game SHOULD be challening and it IS. I love the fact that there are some levels that really make you work and work hard just to get by. If you've never seen this game before, it's quite a simple setup. You play as a monkey inside of a clear ball, the object is to get to the goal....sounds easy, but there's a catch: there's obstacles and such preventing you from just rolling into the goal. Each level is like a mini puzzle, with holes, bumps, moving belts, bouncing balls, etc. trying to make it more difficult. Each level will get harder and involve new tricks and traps. This is a great game for anyone, though, despite what anyone else may say. Yes, I said this game would be hard for younger children, but they will have fun playing it. Someone complained about the story mode not having a real story....well...what do you expect? It's not exactly easy to write a good plot about monkeys who roll around in balls, trying to get through a goal line. The plot to the story isn't well developed, but it's enough to just keep the levels coming. Each level has a different degree of difficulty. The sound isn't the best, the music can get on your nerves and the jibberish voices of the monkeys may want to make you turn it off...but they really don't speak often anyway. So that's the meat of the game, and it is LONG - you'll be playing for quite some time. There's a lot of other modes to play, especially when you get the multiplayer going. There's mini games like bowling and soccer and such...it's actually quite fun. Plus, the story mode will help you earn points to get all the unlockables. Also, if you don't want to play the story mode, you can just play a series of different levels that are ranked by their degree of difficulty. There is also a practice mode, so that you can play the different levels. It's a great game, even though the concept and design is very childish. The only qualm I have with this game is that there are a few levels that involve luck, rather than skill. Pushing those aside, this is a great game that everyone can enjoy. I've had friends and family play this game and they've all loved it, especially the younger children. There is an XBOX version which does remove many of the harder and more luck based levels, so if you own an XBOX, you might want to get the Deluxe version that was released for it - it's an improvement. Either way, you can't go wrong with this game.

I bought this game for my kids, ages 9 and 4 year old twins. Because of the subject matter and cutesy graphics, I thought it would be one they could all play. Unfortunately, the game is very challenging. My 9 year old, who is a very experience gamer, has a difficult time playing it, and often gets very frustrated with it. There is no way that my 4 year olds have the motor skills and hand-eye coordination to keep up with the fast game play. The game consists of cute monkey characters who roll around inside of clear balls. The player has to manuever through increasingly difficult obstacle courses against a timer. Even an experienced adult game player would find this game challenging. I would not recommend it for young children. FOLLOW-UP: I've been meaning to add more for some time. After a couple of months, this game became and continues to be a favorite of all my kids (now 12 and 6). After some time playing, the kids adjusted to the controls and now are very good at the game. A few parts are still hard, but it's amazing to watch them conquer the levels. Some of them seem darn near impossible, but they get past through skill or sheer luck. They also are enjoying all of the minigames that they have unlocked through their progress. There's a lot of variety to the minigames so different kids are better at different ones depending on their abilities. I've even spent hours myself playing some of them. They are indeed addicting! This game develops both hand-eye coordination and puzzle solving skills.

Our kids like this game. They are 9, 7, 5, and even our 2 year old loves to watch! We like that it is up to a a four player game because we have a big family.
This a great game to help hand eye co-ordination. It also strenghtens their visual acuity. It is a great game if you children have a visual tracking problem. It has difficult levels of mazes and takes time to get through them. You can also enojoy bowling, pool, and flying! (yes that is right flying!) A favorite of te kids. It is nice to know a game so fun can actually be good for them.

We as a family recommd this game for those who like to race, and like a spirit healthy of complition.(and family time) Enjoy!

This is a very nice collection of games. Animation is cute and the games are challenging for all skill levels. Hours of fun for the family to play together because up to four can play at once.