Monkey Ball is a 2001 Japanese arcade game by Sega. It is the origin of the Super Monkey Ball series and is best known for it's banana shaped arcade stick.
Gameplay
The player must transport one of three monkeys; AiAi, MeeMee or Baby encased in a gacha like sphere known as the monkey ball across an assortment of platforms placed high in the sky to the goal.
The player must collect as many bananas as possible before heading to the goal whilst avoiding falling off the stage or running out of time. This is done by the player controlling the level around the monkey ball, causing it to tilt rather than controlling any of the monkeys themselves.
Trivia
- This is the only game in the Super Monkey Ball franchise where GonGon is absent.
- Each and every banana is sponsored by Dole.
- The game was originally prototyped with a plain ball but this proved visually unappealing and made the direction the ball was facing hard to interpret. AiAi, MeeMee and Baby were designed and placed in the balls, with that leading to the decision to make the pick ups be bananas and the stick be made banana shape.
Gallery
AiAi in the starting screen
AiAi rolling down a slope
AiAi carefully waiting to make his move
MeeMee collecting as many bananas as she can
Baby grabs a bunch of bananas
Baby carefully rolling across a precarious ledge
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Super Monkey Ball series | 
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| Characters: AiAi · MeeMee · Baby · GonGon · YanYan · Doctor · Jam · Jet · Palette · Dr. Bad-Boon · Easel · Fes · Tee · Val | ||
| Games: Monkey Ball · Super Monkey Ball · Super Monkey Ball 2 · Super Monkey Ball Deluxe · Super Monkey Ball Jr. · Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll · Super Monkey Ball Adventure · Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz · Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition · Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll · Super Monkey Ball 3D · Super Monkey Ball: Ticket Blitz · Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz · Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD · Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania · Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble | ||
| Creator: Toshihiro Nagoshi | ||