UPDATE - Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz annonceret!

Skrevet af BonusNinja - 26-04-2006 09:49

Så er det officielt. Sega har netop sendt en pressemeddelelse ud, hvor der står at de er på vej med spillet Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz eksklusivt til Nintendo Revolution!

Følgende informationer er blevet sluppet løs:

* Single-player puzzle-spillene er blevet innovativt designet, så de vil udfordre spillerens evner som aldrig før.

* Man kan få AiAi og hans venner til at hoppe ved at bevæge Revolution-controlleren i en opadgående bevægelse. Muligheden for at kunne hoppe i spillet, har givet spillets designere en helt ny dimension, hvormed det udvider gameplay-oplevelsen og gør at spillere vil kunne interagere på en helt ny måde end hidtil set i et Monkey Ball-spil – denne gang på ægte 3D-manér.

* De Party Games, som Super Monkey Ball-spillene er kendt for, vender tilbage med mere variation end nogensinde før. En masse nye Party Games er blevet lavet og designet kreativ, så de udnytter Revolution-controlleren på en masse forskellige måder. Spilleren vil kunne konkurrere i et traditionelt spil ”møntkastning”, eller endda slå på muldvarper i et spil ”Whack-a-Mole”. De mange Party Games i Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, skal nok inspirere til venlig konkurrence til hver en tid.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz bliver på nuværende tidspunkt udviklet af SEGA Studios.

Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc udtaler følgende:

“The Nintendo Revolution presents a totally unique avenue for our developers to explore the art of game design. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will present a mind-boggling array of gameplay innovations that will excite and challenge gamers while pushing the boundaries of imagination forward.”

Pressemeddelelsen nævner at der skulle være screenshots og artwork inde på Segas FTP, men det lader til at de endnu ikke har haft opdateret derinde. Vi håber på at der snart dukker billeder op fra spillet.

Pressemeddelsen kan læses her.

UPDATE
1UP har skaffet et interview med Toshihiro Nagoshi fra Sega, og her fortæller han lidt om spillet uden at afsløre for meget:

1UP: What can you tell us about how the game’s control system will differ from past Monkey Ball games, thanks to the Revolution controller?

Toshihiro Nagoshi: The operation itself is the same when controlling the game. Once you get your hands on the game you’ll realize how natural it feels…instead of tilting the controller lever, players will be tilting the controller itself to tilt the game board. I’m sure you will realize how perfectly this operation matches the game.

1UP: Were there other control schemes you tested for the new game that you decided not to use?

TN: There were many, but this is a secret. I’m sorry, but I can’t disclose schemes which were not successful.

1UP: How challenging has it been on the development side to adapt an existing game like Monkey Ball to the Revolution’s controller?

TN: It was easy for me to imagine how it would feel playing with the Revolution controller. So I tried it right away, and the result was just as I expected. I think I was able to create the perfect operational feeling smoothly.

1UP: Given that this is a next-generation game, does it take a much larger staff to make the game than it has with previous Monkey Ball games?

TN: No, not at all. Really.

1UP: Are you using a new graphics engine for the game, or is it based on the previous games?

TN: It’s a customized version based on the previous engine. We’ve been able to exploit it in ways that I’m sure will make players happy.

1UP: Why do you think Revolution is a good home for the Monkey Ball series?

TN: It is because the operational feeling matches the gaming system directly. It almost feels like the Revolution was created for Monkey Ball to be played on.

1UP: What kinds of mini-games can we expect to see in the game? How are you planning to use the Revolution controller in unique ways for these mini-games?

TN: Of all the series, this title contains the largest number of unique mini-games ever. Of course, the controller system has been changed a lot and gameplay experiences which we weren’t able to accomplish in the previous games can be experienced in this title.

1UP: Have you given any thought to letting players control the older GameCube Monkey Ball titles on the Revolution using the new Revolution control scheme?

TN: We have no plans for that, but if there are many demands from the users, it might be an interesting feature to think of. And I’m sure it will be a perfect match.