Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz brought to PlayStation Vita the series' simple yet incredibly addictive idea: a monkey enclosed in a transparent ball doesn't move on its own — instead, the player tilts the whole world beneath it, and gravity does the rest. The goal of each level is to reach the finish before time runs out, without falling off narrow walkways, rotating platforms, and moving bridges suspended over empty space. What seems like a trivial task quickly turns into an exercise in fine motor control, since even a slightly excessive tilt sends the ball right over the edge.

The Vita version uses motion controls alongside the stick, tilting the level by tilting the console itself, which is fun but less reliable in the most precise passages. Besides the main progression, the game offers a set of minigames for several players, from races and bowling to accuracy contests, which work as classic party fun for short moments with two or more people. A distinctive feature is the ability to create your own level by photographing an object, from which the game generates a simple track, an inventive though rather supplementary element. Visually, it's a colorful, clear world with cheerful music that's about as far from serious as it gets, and it does a good job of lightening the moments when a single level keeps failing over and over. Levels are divided into sets by difficulty, and progressing further only requires completing a certain number of them, so the player never gets permanently stuck.

Contemporary reception was cooler than for the series' older entries. Reviewers appreciated the return to core gameplay but criticized the smaller amount of content and the accuracy of the motion controls. Today, Banana Splitz is a solid choice for anyone looking for a Vita game they can turn on for five minutes, and at the same time a reminder of just how strong and timeless the series' core idea really is. All it takes is one tilted platform and a countdown timer, and you'll find yourself, ten minutes later, gripping the console in a cramp and tilting your whole body along with it.