Super Monkey Ball

 GameCube
Super Monkey Ball Image
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 83 Ratings

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  • Summary: Call your friends and warn your neighbors, it's time to have a ball! Go bananas with 90+ stages, multi-player madness, and 7 cool ways to play! Equal parts "party" and "game", Super Monkey Ball could be the most "well-rounded" game you've ever played!
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Nintendo Power
    100
    Undeniably fun. It's a twitchy test of coordination and precision that'll make a monkey out of any pro, and it's a hard tgame to master and an even harder game to put down. [Nov 2001, p.141]
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  2. Cinescape
    100
    The best party game in history.
  3. GameSpy
    91
    The best arcade-style action / party game to come around in ages.
  4. Game Informer
    85
    For a game that's been billed as a modest little action game, that's a hell of a lot of replay value. [Nov 2001, p.116]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Core Magazine
    83
    Here’s a lesson in elegant game design...as pure and enjoyable a game as any in the GameCube launch lineup.
  6. Cincinnati Enquirer
    80
    A dangerously addictive diversion to monkey around with.
  7. Next Generation Magazine
    60
    Not unlike "Crazy Taxi," you’ll have fun every time you play, but the concept gets tiring pretty quickly and you’ll want to step away for a while. [Dec 2001, p.83]
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See all 28 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. TierneyTalib
    May 15, 2013
    10
    Such a refined and polished game. You can tell they thought a lot about every single detail of this really "hardcore" game. The "escalating"Such a refined and polished game. You can tell they thought a lot about every single detail of this really "hardcore" game. The "escalating" of the level difficulty is really great. The main game is very addictive and it can really make you rage. And if you get tired of it, you also have mini games like bowling, pool or golf. This game is from the era when Amusement Vision made awesome games and the AV on a cover of a game was a seal of quality.… Expand
  2. neojotic
    Aug 26, 2020
    9
    A highlight of Sega's entrance into third party development and this game shows why they dominated at the time!

    Can't help but love the    A highlight of Sega's entrance into third party development and this game shows why they dominated at the time!

    Can't help but love the charm this game provides. Awesome levels and the difficulty increases perfectly as you go through the game!    … Expand
  4. JosieP.
    Nov 29, 2001
    9
    This game is completely NUTS!! It's too fun! Thank you Sega!
  5. MrTacoBob
    Sep 16, 2017
    9
    Sega is not only known for Sonic, well for the time but in the early 2000's this series came around. Super Monkey Ball has so much charm andSega is not only known for Sonic, well for the time but in the early 2000's this series came around. Super Monkey Ball has so much charm and fun gameplay it is probably one of the best Gamecube games.… Expand
  6. BruceC.
    Mar 8, 2002
    8
    A cute lil game - it's essentially Marble Madness updated for GameCube. The mini-games are good too - especially Monkey Billiards!
  7. Justinavery7074
    Apr 1, 2013
    8
    This game made me want to get a Gamecube but instead got the PS2. But when i did get this game, I played it nonstop for so long. They reallyThis game made me want to get a Gamecube but instead got the PS2. But when i did get this game, I played it nonstop for so long. They really need to make games like they had on the Gamecube again. I miss the fun… Expand
  8. GDsReviews
    Jul 9, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is brutally hard with a grating soundtrack.

    You can’t enter Extra in Beginner and Advanced unless you are deathless the whole way, (Up to 10 Floors in Beginner and 30 in Advanced without warping.) and while you can enter Extra and Master by not using a continue in Expert, you are stuck with 3 lives max at start and have to gut through a whopping 70 floors without warping, and at least 50 floors with warping if you make it all the way to Master Floor 10.

    The party games are really terrible compared to its sequel in Super Monkey Ball 2 as well.    … Expand

See all 25 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best GameCube Game of 2001
5
#5 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2001
3
#3 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2001