Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll

Gameplay

Gameplay is similar to the previous games in the Super Monkey Ball series. Players must guide the ball using the Wii Remote to the finish line in one minute without losing a life. Along the way, players are given four lives to begin with. There are six worlds, with the addition of one secret world which can be accessed by completing the other six worlds. Players can also use the Wii Balance Board and shift their bodies to control the monkey ball. The new control scheme was an effort by developer Yasuhito Baba "to find a new way for players to experience Super Monkey Ball in order to increase the 'party feel' of the title". The game features 21 minigames which provide different scenarios for players to overcome. The minigames were developed for players to play with three Wii Remotes and one player with the Wii Balance Board; they were designed so that players battle against each other.

Reception

The game received mixed to positive reviews from reviewers. Craig Harris from IGN praised the game for its tight and natural controls using the Wii Remote, saying that "you're really controlling the tilt of the environment, not the momentum of the ball". He also praises the increased simplicity in the game with the lack of storyline or boss battles to slow it down. Laura Parker from GameSpot criticized the usage of the Wii Balance Board in the game, saying that the controls with the board are too sensitive. She notes that the usage of the board is more suited with the minigames than with the main game. Martin Kitts from Computer and Video Games said that the game added nothing new from the previous games in the Super Monkey Ball series. He also notes that unlike in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, players can no longer use the analog stick on the Nunchuk to use the ball. (You can not control the ball this way, only the camera.) Both he and Harris criticize the camera controlling; Kitts says that the camera doesn't switch angles when the player does or when it's necessary. Wiiloveit.com enjoyed the "user-friendly" package, and commented that the Balance Board can be "very rewarding" if you stick with it. Praise was also given to the Achievement system, the "fantastic" music, and the new Marathon Mode. Negative comments were mostly attributed towards the stage design; despite what was stated on the back of the box for the game, the stages were "hardly mind-blowing" and showed "little ingenuity"