We’ve been positively inundated with news on the upcoming Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania recently. Everything from new characters to extra features is being revealed via the Super Monkey Ball Twitter as part of the lead-up to the Oct. 5th release. The latest bit of news concerns the inclusion — or rather, the lack thereof — of lives.
In order to make the game more accessible, the developers on Banana Mania have removed lives from the game. A carryover from the original games’ arcade roots, it was brought over when SEGA and Amusement Visions ported the titles onto the Gamecube. However, they won’t be making the cut for Banana Mania, and for now, it seems like you won’t be able to toggle lives on in the options menu.
What else is different in Banana Mania apart from the lives?
This is not the only change made to make the game easier for newcomers. Gameplay footage released by the Japanese Monkey Ball Twitter showed how a handful of stages have been altered to remove some annoying stage hazards and gimmicks. It’s been reported that 23 of the over 300 levels have undergone changes. However, we now know that the original designs will be included via a side mode called Original Stage Mode. unlockable through normal gameplay.
With the removal of lives and adjustments to some levels, it seems that Banana Mania will provide the classic Monkey Ball experience we all know and love while trimming out some of the less well-designed elements.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and will be released on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. The game will launch on Oct. 5, 2021. Retail prices are $29.99 USD for standard editions and $39.99 USD for deluxe versions.
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You can pre-purchase the game on Steam as well.
And click here if you want to learn more about what to expect when the game launches this October!
Via Twitter.
