Recent reviews by SlothSquadron

Major Order Complete! We did it, Helldivers.

All three of these models lack animations and sounds. They are static models that do not even rotate inside the ball. They can only be used in the Main Game and cannot be used in the Party Games mode. $5 is way too steep for what's on offer here.

This returns the main monkeys to their original Gamecube designs as well as adding a retro look for Yan Yan and Doctor. The models are a tad rough around the edges, looking a bit worse than their original Gamecube versions. Sadly you CANNOT use these models in the Party Games mode. Classic voices would have also been appreciated, but instead they just use the normal voices for these characters. $5 is a bit steep for what's on offer here as the quality isn't great.

$5 is a bit steep for what's offered here. It's all reskins of items in the base game, mostly in pink. These items can't even be used on any of the guest characters, classic designs, or alt costumes. Skip this unless you really like pink and don't mind having to play as the main 6 characters (no alt costume, no classic costume) to use these.

It's strange this isn't part of the base game, but I at least appreciate it's an option.

Certain songs are missing for seemingly no reason:
- Minigames that used to have several songs now only play their Beginner music. (Monkey Race and Monkey Boat are affected)
- Monkey Baseball's music doesn't seem to change at all with this pack.
- Mini-golf's music uses SMB2's golf theme rather than SMB1's
- All bonus stages use SMB2's theme regardless of which game they originate from.

Other than that, it's a good music pack, just odd that it has so many little issues.

Some tips to help you better enjoy this game:
- Use the square deadzone controller config for improved controls.
- Reduce camera sensitivity to 1 and keep the Camera Controls On.
- Don't be afraid to reach for the W key on your keyboard if you want to go perfectly straight. On the original Gamecube games, the notched controller would allow for perfectly straight movement. The W key is an okay workaround.

Unresolved Issues:
- No multiplayer modes available for the main game. Multiplayer is only available for Party Games. These are local only, the game has no online multiplayer.
- Many of the party games are significantly worse than their original Gamecube counterparts. Monkey Target and Monkey Baseball are nearly unplayable in their current state. Almost all of them are lacking polish. The announcer for the minigames sounds very strange and cannot correctly pronounce the word "Foul" (He says "foal")
- Post goal menus are often unresponsive and will often not allow you to skip immediately to the next stage or let you record a replay. (I missed out on being able to record several great clips due to the game just not accepting inputs on these menus)
- Rolling sound effect is grating. Doesn't properly shift its pitch with your speed and is tied to the animation of your monkey stepping rather than the actual spin of the ball, leading to situations where the sound won't play (tethering on an edge) or played when it shouldn't (airborne)
- Camera will fight you sometimes where it wouldn't in the original games. A classic camera option would be appreciated.

Is it worth it?:
The main game is still a blast to play assuming you are using the fixes detailed at the start of this review. It's by no means perfect, but if you're a fan of the original games there's a lot here to enjoy. (new modes, missions, challenge mode for SMB1 stages no longer requires literal perfection to reach the extra stages) Party games are a mixed bag, but some are enjoyable.

Purchase If:
- You are a long time fan of Monkey Ball and want a nostalgia blast. You'll appreciate all the improves over the original games, but some blemishes might get on your nerves.
- You are primarily interested in the main game.

Do Not Purchase If:
- You are primarily interested in the Party Games. These are unpolished and the original Gamecube versions are generally superior aside from Monkey Race and Monkey Boat. Stick to the Gamecube version.
- You are interested in playing multiplayer with friends. There are no multiplayer modes for the Main Game unlike the Gamecube versions. Stick to the Gamecube version.

This game is great for those seeking another challenging Dark Souls style adventure.

#FixTF2