A brand new Super Monkey Ball game has been announced, and it’s the first all-new console game the series has seen in over a decade.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble was revealed during the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase today (February 21). The upcoming platforming game is set to roll exclusively onto Nintendo Switch on June 25, so there’s not too long to wait.
As shown off in the new trailer, players will be able to customize their monkey in a multitude of ways (over 300, to be exact), and dive into 200 new stages in the story-driven Adventure Mode, either alone or with up to three other friends in local and online co-op.
The multiplayer action doesn’t stop there, though. Up to 16 players can join in online “across multiple game modes,” according to an official synopsis. However, at the time of writing, it has not been confirmed what these modes are. However, we can see a brief glimpse of them in action during the trailer.
Otherwise, a new ability that would make Sonic the Hedgehog proud, the ‘Spin Dash technique’, has been added to the game. This new feature adds a way to speed past opponents or “create new shortcuts to victory.”
Pre-orders for the game are already open. Those who buy in advance of its release will be given the Banana Suit in-game outfit as a bonus, which is certainly rather cute. Thanks to the release of the remakes Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD and Banana Mania, it’s easy to forget that the last time a new console game featuring AiAi and his friends was back in 2012, so here’s hoping that Banana Rumble can live up to fans’ expectations.
As Super Monkey Ball Rumble joins the list of exciting upcoming Nintendo Switch games, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch games for some new titles you can dive into right now.
