Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Some starting notes:

1. Buy the Jump for 30 000 in the point shop, turn it on in options. Many stages can be skipped/shortcut by learning the jump momentum (jumping after landing from a jump, while rolling forward, increases the height of the next jumps).

2. Use the Helper Function for the missions in story that task you to get the harder goals, time limits, or number of bananas. I encourage all of the above. This isn't Gamecube Monkey Ball controls or physics, after all.

2A. Use the Helper to learn any levels giving you trouble in the special modes.

2B. You can spend 2000 points to skip any Story or Special level giving you HEAVY grief, to continue onto to other stages. Said stages will be marked "Helper" in the level menus.

3. Realize that some of the individual missions will make you want to pull your hair out.

4. I'm going to assume you're already familiar with SMB, and some of the tougher stages. There are no lives to worry about for a general clear, but challenge mode has missions for clearing X difficulty in Y number of fall outs/time overs. Example: Marathon with 99 or less failures.

5. You need to bring a high level of skill into this to achieve, even with all the tools the game gives you.

6. I would try to knock out some of the harder goals (noted in this guide) before clearing the easier stuff. No sense leaving the hard for last. If you bail on this achievement. I would blame no one for doing so.

7. If you play with thumbstick grips, I'd advise to remove them.

Story:

Nothing really of note sticks out as super difficult. Use the Helper to hit the red/green goals, and for the time limits and bananas if you're struggling. Use the helper to practice problem stages before going for a perfect clear.

Challenge:

-A perfect clear is for clearing every difficulty without the helper, but you CAN use the jump
-You need to clear every difficulty with # of fails or less. 10 on beginner, up to 99 on expert and marathon. I recommend clearing each difficulty at least once, and then keep track of your fails on paper for every run after. Master and Marathon are pretty tough, you've been warned.

Special

Golden Banana Mode:

-STRATA. if you can do this level without helper, the rest aren't a problem. The camera is free in replays, if it looks weird here.


Reverse Mode:

-Nothing to really note here. play the 10 stages in reverse.

Dark Banana Mode:

-#8 Twin Basin is frustrating. The rest were pretty decent. Here's a run on YT:


DX Mode:

-The levels added to Deluxe back on PS2/Xbox. Nothing really difficult here.

Original Mode:

Lots of tough cookies in here. May expand this section soon.

The edited version of STAMINA MASTER in SMB1 Challenge is the hardest level in the collection. Here, you must do the unedited, even harder original. The following skip is NOT easy to do, but it is an option. I've left 2 fails in prior to succeeding on the third.


Exam-C with the original 60 second timer might be tricky, you can jump skip twice right, to the final skinny snake bridge to save time.

Long Torus is another to be aware of. Build your speed and jump momentum to hop up on the longer cylinder, jumping to help keep yourself on it until the goal comes back around.

Party: You can't unlock any missions with multiple players. Solo only.

-Race: Nothing too hard, but I will NOTE that to do the reverse mission, just start a course with 1 lap, and go the WRONG WAY around it backwards to complete that mission. There is no Reverse mode.

-Target: None of the missions I found hard, you just need to learn the controls. Holding down on the left stick just slightly for the whole time you're in the air, ball open seems to be the key.

-Billiards: To beat the strong/pro CPU, you can play 9-ball and sink the 9 early IF you pocket it after hitting the designated ball. So if you have to hit the 4, but knock the 9 in after hitting the 4, it's an auto win.

-Bowling: Sucks. You need a Turkey, which is 3 strikes in a row. Took me close to 3 hours with the current physics. Hitting just a bit to the left or right of the center pin is where I always aimed for. The rest are okay.


-Golf: Complete a full game in 72 PAR or under. Get as many birdies in the first 9 as you can, the early back 9 are awful. The last 3 holes you CAN birdie, if you're that far at a +2 or +3 I would try for it.

-Soccer: Pro/strong CPU can be quite hard. I found setting position to defensive with LB the whole time, the best option.

-Shot: Play the jungle stage, it's the easiest to hit 70% accuracy and defeat all enemies. For the latter, use auto aim to locate some enemies off screen/behind obstacles, seems their spawns are glitched? Took 3 attempts even after I knew this.

-Baseball: AWFUL GAME. For the win by 5 runs or more mission, I'd do 5-7 innings. Always move the monkey to the top inner corner to the plate, depending on swing side. For strong/pro CPU, play 1 inning and hope for the best.

-Tennis:: Felt like it had Terminator AI Day 1. Seemed easier after a 400mb patch. You have to play Tennis for a while, The tournament and normal mode are quite long. For strong/pro CPU, Doubles mode recommended. If the return shot has a monkey in a star, try to hit it back from that location for a SMASH hit. CPU will miss most of these.

-Fight/Dogfight/Boat: Nothing of note here, you should have them all done in 3-5 games.

If you can think of anything to add or I've forgotten something, let me know and I will credit you!