a hshieh blog.

I never thought I would purchase an app from iTunes, let alone the AppStore, but alas, I gave in and bought Sega’s 5th-tillioth incarnation of Super Monkey Ball, this time for the iPhone. (I know, I know… a simple SSH hack and I could have had the game for free, but I don’t regret this purchase a bit. And it was only 10 dollars) I am painfully and utterly addicted to Super Monkey Ball for the iPhone.

The Gamecube versions were nice, the GBA version was lackluster, and the Wii version left much to be desired, but somehow, Sega got it right this time. One would think that the iPhone version, with the tilt controls, would be the same as the Wii version. And it is very similar. But the pure novelty of playing a full, uncompromised version of Super Monkey Ball on a small handheld seems to have spread to the Sega team as well.

The boring, uninspired Wii levels are switched out for bright intuitive levels (albeit awkwardly arranged levels) which require patience, care, and thought to complete. The soundtrack, like the levels, are bright and upbeat. Sitting on the train going home on a cloudy day, this game is endowed with almost saccharine uplifting abilities.

Sega said the visuals would be impressive, and they certainly are. The game looks like a very good Nintendo DS game. Sega might finally have done something right in the past 5 years.

My only complaint: I can’t play the game while laying back in bed. Bummer.

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