Still, no one can ignore how the developers brought the graphics up to speed while keeping the magic of the classics. Obviously, the graphics have improved in the 20 years since SMB1 released. They are far clearer to see and have more fidelity to them. The developers updated the stages to give them that same style, and the backgrounds are improved as well. Despite Banana Blitz being a game from 2006, 15 years ago, the style holds up incredibly well. In game, the graphics take on the Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz aesthetic. Sadly, standard players must buy the original OST in order to use it, strange considering this remaster acts as a celebration of the SMB series. Players can switch between the original and new versions of the soundtrack if desired, a neat addition.
Thankfully, in the deluxe version of the game (the one being reviewed here), the game contains the original soundtrack from the first two games. The sounds kind of blend into one another when switching between worlds. Sure, some worlds have differentiation with instruments, but a lot of the music is very electronic in nature. They fit well with modern atmosphere of the game, but they have a problem of feeling too same-y. Each music track of stages’ worlds are remixes of the originals. A disappointment given that those things give the game charm and create immersion. Moving fast feels odd and not as satisfactory. Instead, streaks of wind appear on-screen to convey movement. In Banana Mania, the rolling sound stops entirely and goes silent. In the original title, as the monkey moves faster, the sound of the ball rolling gets faster and louder as well as generating sparks at high speed. They simply lack a sense of friction and velocity. One issue that stands out is how the game handles the sound of the monkeys’ movement. Speaking of sound, the movement of the monkeys sounds bubbly and adds to the bounciness of the game’s atmosphere. The music is also complimentary to these elements and always sounds pleasant when booting up the game. At least his design held up really well over the years.
Unfortunately, he’s not an unlockable character for the main game (a missed opportunity). Bad-Boon is not redesigned to fit the new style. Sure, the SMB2 story is not very good, but players could at least comprehend the plot. They all last for a few seconds and, without any knowledge of the original game, new players will find themselves confused with what the story is about. No words, no speaking, just changing character images to convey the plot and the monkeys’ emotions. All the characters appear as cut-outs with no actual voice-acting. Instead, the developers opted toward a comic/slideshow-esque storytelling. In Story Mode, the cutscenes that defined the mode in the original are missing entirely. Considering that the character designs are more cartoon-y than the original titles, the developers really nailed the comic book feeling.
The bright yellow background contrasted with the black makes everything pop with life. The main menu is charming with looping animations of the monkeys for every menu option. Immediately, the design and aesthetic of the menu screens, HUD elements, and the monkeys themselves are that of the remaster released last year, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD.
0 kommentar(er)
