First off, let me just say right up front that this is *NOT* a "I can't believe SMB costs $5.99" thread. I am perfectly happy to spend $5.99 on a game. However, I have never played SMB on any platform, so I have no idea if I like the game ... but I am intrigued by it. I read a few reviews on various sites, and pretty much all the reviews say the game is fun, but that the controls are horrible and take a lot of getting used to. Since there is no Lite version available, I was wondering if the folks here could let me know if the controls are really as difficult as the reviewers keep mentioning. Thanks in advance.
The controls were a problem until some update -- they were just too sensitive but nowadays they work imho very well
When SMB first came out there were a lot of complaints that the controls were too sensitive. If I remember correctly, the most recent versions allows you to control sensitivity, and it added visual feedback to make it easier to gauge how much you are tilting. The other issue was the camera, which for many people made it difficult to orient themselves in the game -- I believe this was also improved in later versions. All in all, though, SMB on the iPhone is great game -- beautiful 3D graphic, great animation with high frame rate (even on the original iPhone), and hours upon hours of gameplay. I bought it when it first came out and did not remove it from my phone till a few months ago, and just because I got stuck on Level 20 or something. Definitely worth $5.99, as long as you don't mind a challenge (and are willing to replay some stages over and over again, till you get them right).
It's still one of the best games and has lots (LOTS) of levels. It is a hard game, no casual pick up and play game. The controls are really good, once you get used to it. Regarding the controls one must understand that Monkey Ball was the first game using accelerometer controls. The control method was new to all players. And since the game is hard on every platform the people where complaining. But the game is totally fine.
There used to be a lite version. I checked and it's no longer there. I don't think the controls were that difficult. It takes a little patience at first. I made it through all 100 rounds before they updated the controls. I didn't worry about getting all the bananas for the hidden levels, though. My goal was just to make it to the end of each level.
What you have to keep in mind while playing Monkey Ball on any platform is that slight, very slight movements are necessary. On iPhone/touch, due to the usage of the accelerometer (motion sensing) and some people's inability to wrap their minds around the idea that only slight movements are needed in most games that are accelerometer based, there is often an outcry about controls being "too difficult". Often what we learn is that those complaining are making what i would term too extreme and almost spastic movements. Again, a game like Super Monkey Ball on any platform requires slight movements. So on iPhone/touch one must make slight movements of the wrist in order to properly control the game. This need is where I feel the complaints stem. It's not that the controls are bad at all, but that some gamers just don't "get it".
It's a game that you shouldn't criticize till you get past level 20. My only complaint is that it saves every ten levels, I would have preferred 5, 10 levels are tough in one sitting.
