Now, it's sometimes too precise, especially in courses where you have to roll over extremely thin 'tightropes.' Because it's nearly impossible to find the resting 'zero point' of the controller you'll never get that monkey ball rolling in a straight line without some off-kilter direction.

It feels natural to roll the monkey around with the Wii remote because you're really controlling the tilt of the environment, not the momentum of the ball, and the rocking and swaying of the course matches your subtle hand motions nearly 1:1. The tilt functionality in Super Monkey Ball was, and still is, tight and responsive but there is the inherent camera control issue that's been a part of Super Monkey Ball since the beginning (trying to get the viewpoint to swing around you when facing the player is handled with annoying imprecision). Along with the similar - but subtly improved - visual style (the game still runs at 60 frames per second and widescreen), the sequel's Wii remote controls are virtually identical, both in the way you hold the remote and the sensitivity. Step & Roll clearly has Banana Blitz to thank for its existence and quick development.

Along the way you can collect bananas which will increase your stock of lives, useful for when you get to particularly difficult courses that are next to impossible to roll around without plummeting through a gap or over the side. The Monkey Ball series is a game design where you simply try and maneuver your ball-with-monkey through a series of course challenges, trying to get him to each level's goal in the allotted time and without falling off the edge of the course.

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