Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Hands-On Preview: "Something Fun For Both New & Old Fans"

blends classic mechanics and new additions to create something fun for both new and old fans of the long-running franchise. From Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio — the same developer behind the series — and SEGA, the upcoming platformer is the first completely original mainline entry in several years following multiple remaster releases. recently got an hour of hands-on time with the title that gave a glimpse into its handling, storyline, and biggest changes.

Ever since making its mark as one of the most beloved Nintendo console launch titles in 2001, the franchise garnered a passionate fan following that has only grown over the years. After a drought of original series content, players will finally have 200 chaotic new courses to roll around in this summer. Though the preview only covered the first handful of these, it still managed to showcase the game's fine-tuned physics, creative design, and powerful Spin Dash move well.

The preview consisted of the first two worlds of: the lush, greenery-filled Banana Farm and the fantasy-inspired Rose Garden. The first world is fairly simple, serving as a sort of introductory set of courses to ease players into the series that slowly incorporates things like ramps and twistier routes. The second begins to add in more tricky elements aligned with the theme, like a hedge maze and drawbridges. The game will have 10 worlds total, though only five of them — the aforementioned pair, Floating City, Golden Temple, and Stone Valley — have been revealed so far.

Though these courses can be completed normally, many are also designed to have shortcuts for players to figure out that allow for portions to be skipped — the hedge maze, for example, can be almost entirely flown over with a strong enough Spin Dash. While there are features like this designed for speedrunning fans, there are plenty of options geared towards making things easier and more accessible too. This includes things like the ability to rewind specific parts of a stage instead of