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Super Monkey Ball 2 FAQ           - by Jason Wishnov -
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Table of Contents
I.    Introduction
II.   Guide to this...guide...
III.  Controls (heh) and Gameplay Tips
IV.   Back to the Basics of BEGINNER
V.    Wait, there's more! BEGINNER EXTRA!
VI.   ADVANCED. Uh-oh.
VII.  You guessed it...ADVANCED EXTRA!
VIII. Holy EXPERT Difficulty, Batman!
IX.   You've gotta be kidding...EXPERT EXTRA!
X.    Embodiment of Pure Evil - MASTER
XI.   NO @#!(*$&(@*#ING WAY! MASTER EXTRA??!!
XII.  Story Mode World 10 Floors
XIII. Beginner 3's Hidden Braille Message
XIV.  The Actual Frequently Asked Questions Section
XV.   Personal Review and Feelings on Super Monkey Ball 2
XVI.  Contributors, Special Thanks, yadda yadda yadda...
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I. Introduction
Hi, guys! Miss me? Glad to be back, writing FAQs. I wrote my first
one some months ago when the original Super Monkey Ball was released,
when some unknown force possessed me and forced me to contribute. Well,
that unknown force (it must be the bananas) is back, and this guide's
gonna be better, bigger, longer, and sexier than the last. Just like
the game. So sit back, rub your probably aching thumb joint and let me
guide on the road to victory!
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II. Guide to this...guide...
This guide is for Super Monkey Ball 2's main mode, more
specifically, challenge mode. Each floor has its own little separate
section, along with strategy from me, the floor's difficulty (rated by
me, not the game), warp possibilities, comments on the floor name,
whatever. Keep in mind, I use the terms "floor", "stage", and "level"
interchangeably in this guide.
Let me get something across to you people. I hate Story Mode.
DESPISE IT. What the hell was Amusement Vision thinking when they
thought this up? A pathetically written and ridiculous plot, attempting
to explain exactly WHY monkeys are rolling around in translucent
spheres across insanely-designed mazes while failing to do so
completely. I mean, who WANTS to know? It adds to that quirky charm SMB
has, just having no plausible explanation for the game. Anyways, it's
also missing some levels and I don't like the ten-at-a-time thing; it
does, however, have a unique ten-stage world, World 10, which does not
appear anywhere in challenge mode, and thus, I am obliged to cover it.
(MAN, that was a long sentence.) Actually, these particular ten stages
are very well designed and extremely enjoyable.
I go through the levels of difficulty in order, trying to give
hints and solutions for all the game's mazes. I encourage you to try
and figure some of the levels out for yourself, but hey, we all get
frustrated sometimes. Enjoy!
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III. Controls (heh) and Gameplay Tips
Yeah. This is Super Monkey Ball. Who needs controls? The analog
stick moves the floor (this is actually, technically what happens, but
you can just think of it as moving the monkey) and the A button zooms
in and out on the map, which actually can be useful sometimes. Don't
dismiss it as useless. Here are some gameplay tips, which you should
always keep in mind:
- VIEW THE STAGE. Thanks to a new starting zone that never varies,
it can be very difficult to see the level in its entirety before
recklessly killing yourself. Press start and just check out the
stage for a second. Sure it's got flaws; you can't change the
point the camera rotates around and the zoom feature is
terrible. Still, it can be very helpful.
- FAST FORWARD MAKES THE CHALLENGE HIGH, BUT ALWAYS THERE'S A PLAY
NEARBY. Corny poems aside, a ground rule in SMB2 is that for
every fast forward switch in a stage (usually triggered
automatically), there is also a play switch to slow the action
down. Usually, it's just behind the starting point, but they do
appear in some stranger locations...just search for it. It's
there. Trust me.
- GRAB BANANAS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Seriously, even taking the
lightest chance with your monkey's life over some measly
bananas is completely unwarranted. With the opportunity to gain
extra lives per continue later in the game, bananas become
fairly worthless. Most likely, even ten to twenty bananas won't
make a difference in the long run. Of course, there ARE
exceptions...like if you have 94 bananas, one life left, and
the next stage is very difficult. Use your judgment.
- PRACTICE UNTIL YOUR EYES START TO BLEED. Do I even need to say
this? As cliche as it is, you better believe practice makes
perfect in Super Monkey Ball 2.
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IV. Back to the Basics of Beginner
Ah, beginner mode. While I believe the learning curve in Super
Monkey Ball 2 is higher than the original, Beginner mode still does a
good job of introducing basic concepts to new players without
overwhelming them. Players of the previous game, of course, should whip
through this with their eyes closed, as gameplay is essentially
unchanged. So. Ready? Go!
Beginner 1 - "Simple"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Welcome to Super Monkey Ball. Take a moment to admire the REALLY
cool waterfall background. Anyways. A more apt name I couldn't dream
of, because this is as simple as it gets, folks. If you're a newbie,
take some time to play around and see how the monkey ball reacts to
different conditions. To beat the level, go straight forward and
directly through the goal. No problem.
Beginner 2 - "Hollow"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Level 2! Almost as simple as the last. Just go forward and follow
the path around to the goal in the center. Experiment with the curved
surface here; these things appear a lot in SMB2. As a shortcut, you can
also hold forward from the start, launch off the ramp a little to the
right, nab the banana bunch in mid air and land directly on the center
platform. Be smart and play it safe, folks.
Beginner 3 - "Bumpy"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
"Bumpy" actually has a dual meaning here. It mainly refers to the
little speed bump type things you have to jump over (by the way, just
go straight and take your time over these to beat the level), but it
also refers to the tiny raised marking in each of the squares here.
Wait, they look like...it can't be...it is! Braille! To find out the
hidden message, go to section XIII!
Beginner 4 - "Switches"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 6 / 10
This stage introduces you to the concept of switches, something in
SMB2 that I'm not too fond of. There is an impassible gap in front of
you, but lo and behold! The play switch makes a bridge come down. The
second play switch removes the central bridge, so watch out for it.
Or...
Warp! Hit the second switch, go to the left, face right and go off
the edge right into the goal. This needs to be done fairly accurately,
and should not even be done for a bonus run, as it skips a bonus stage.
Why bother?
Beginner 5 - "Bowl"     ** Bonus! **
Keep in mind you cannot die on bonus stages. The point of these
things are bananas and bananas only, so don't fret too much. The bonus
levels in SMB2 are much harder than the original and are very difficult
to perfectly complete, so you should just concentrate on getting as
many as possible; the best strategy for this level is to get the
bananas on the curved edges of the bowls. The straight edges are
impossible to remain aloft on. After getting all the edge bananas, go
back and forth trying to get the rest.
Beginner 6 - "Floaters"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Don't get the wrong idea here; these aren't the floaters you're
thinking of. = D This level is, for lack of a better description,
really stupid. The floaters don't serve any purpose. Just weave between
them right for the goal on the opposite side.
Beginner 7 - "Slopes"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Familiarize yourself with inclined planes, 'cuz they're gonna show
up a LOT. Leisurely roll across the level to the upward slopes to the
goal, take them, and break that ribbon. We hate that ribbon. We want to
maim it and destroy every atom in its...ahem.
Beginner 8 - "Sliders"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
First stage I died on in SMB2 = D This level consists of a bunch
of ever shortening, ever steepening half-pipes. Be sure to hold back on
the control stick on the later ones, otherwise you'll go too fast and
bounce out of the half-pipe to a watery doom. Let gravity align you
with the goal; don't try to move yourself.
Beginner 9 - "Spinning Top"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Cool, isn't it...anyways. Move forward and go up either of the two
ramps; then navigate by the spinning top. The danger zone of this top
moves in a circle, where it comes close enough to the ground to hit
your monkey ball. Even if it hits you, the lip around the level should
save your life. Reach the goal and rain confetti!
Beginner 10 - "Curve Bridge"     ** Final Stage! **
Difficulty - 3 / 10
The final and most challenging floor in beginner, curve bridge
forces you to navigate a long, winding path fairly quickly, and then
cross a vertically shifting gap. At the end, the two bridge segments
move up and down in opposite directions. You'll want to start rolling
onto the first when it is slightly below level, that way, you'll be
above the second when you jump. Roll forward (you should be rolling
uphill at the end) and break the goal ribbon. Woo! You're done with
beginner! Too easy? Don't get too cocky...
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V. Wait! There's more! Beginner Extra!
Ah yes. Super Monkey Ball 2 rewards players who complete a
difficulty level without using a continue with ten extra stages. These
stages are usually much harder than the originals. Beginner shouldn't
be too difficult to complete, just take your time and focus on the
strategies above. If you're still having problems, you can always
purchase more lives per continue after all the party games are
unlocked. Okay, you're here now? Good to go? (nod)
Beginner Extra 1 - "Conveyers"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
This level gave me some problems, until I realized you could just
hold up from the beginning of the level and easily make it into goal.
(smacks head) Should have thought of that earlier...
Beginner Extra 2 - "Bumpy Check"
Not much to this level. Those bananas on the middle platforms are
NOT worth getting; just go around the edge of level, navigating the
easy bumps and roll into everybody's favorite structure, the goal.
Beginner Extra 3 - "Alternative"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
This level features 9 moving squares, the corners all moving
together and the edge squares all moving together. There is a fast-
forward switch, but for obvious reasons, you don't want to press it.
Remember, Monkey Ball physics dictate that if your monkey ball is on a
moving object, that object's motion will NOT move the monkey ball. In
layman's terms, you have to move with the platform. Alternate squares
until you reach the goal. Bam. Next level.
Beginner Extra 4 - "Junction"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 8 / 10
Conjunction junction, what's your func...oh. My bad. This level
consists of a slightly downward path that diverges and converges on
itself. Take it slowly and you should be fine. However, this stage
features a...
Warp! This one is fairly difficult to get and only warps you to
Beginner Extra 6, so I don't recommend taking it. However, if you want
a high score or something, this is how ya do it. At the start, turn
around and get to the upper layer of the starting platform. Then, turn
around AGAIN and go all the way to the end of the starting platform,
staying on one of the sides. Turn around once more, and charge at full
speed towards the other side (the side where you started) and veer to
the center just as the bottom layer meets the upper layer. The
resulting bounce should get you high enough to reach the other side of
junction, which is no more difficult than the original. It does feature
a dead end, but the tilt is not strong enough so that you can't turn
around and go upwards. With some practice, it's fairly reliable. Warp
at your own risk, people.
Beginner Extra 5 - "Bead Screen"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Hey, check out the VCR. = D Anyways, the only button you need
concern yourself with is the pause button; wait until all the platforms
are lined up horizontally, and roll on it. Follow the banana trail to
an easy goal.
Beginner Extra 6 - "Fluctuation"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Reminiscent of Beginner 6, Floaters, the vertically moving boxes
have no real point. Journey around them and at the end, wait for one of
the boxes next to the goal to rise or fall. Finish the level and watch
the monkey rise at speeds that should cause his frail body to be
crushed under the weight of many Gs.
Beginner Extra 7 - "Folders"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
This level is basically done by disregarding the folders
themselves, and rolling across either metal border of the level. It's
fairly wide, but don't let the moving platforms distract you. When you
get to the end, wait for the final folder to flip up, and quickly jet
into that pretty blue ribbon for a shower of multi-colored, two-
dimensional squares.
Beginner Extra 8 - "Quick Turn"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
"Quick Turn" apparently refers to the U-turn you make in the
beginning of the level to hit a play switch behind the initial fast
forward. The level isn't too difficult if you do it normally, but who
wants to do that? In what appears to be a continuing trend (and it is),
here's another level where you just hold straight up from start and
watch as your monkey miraculously passes all seven rotating triangles
unscathed. Wow.
Beginner Extra 9 - "Linear Seesaws"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
Not much to this level. Quickly roll across the first two seesaws;
the lift created by your weight on the first half of these seesaws
makes the second half high enough to roll off of. After those, stop
before the final, two-pronged seesaw, pick a side, and just go straight
to the end.
Beginner Extra 10 - "Birth"     ** Final Stage! **
Difficulty - 4 / 10
Ah, birth. Not in the organic sense, as cubes of varying size are
birthed out of a really big sphere. The trick here is to find the pause
button; go forward from the start and take a right at the fork. Follow
the path until you reach the pause button, hit it, bolt back to the
other path as fast as possible, get on the big ramp and maneuver onto
the goal platform. If you want the X2 time bonus, you'll need to
quickly hit the play button behind the start, and navigate the ramp
with the cubes moving on it. Hmph. Beginner Extra? Piece of cake!
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VI. Advanced. Uh-oh.
All right, the kid gloves are off. Advanced mode, which features
thirty stages, is a lot tougher than Beginner or even Beginner Extra.
It features two of the most hated stages by all SMB2 players (Launchers
and Arthropod) and can be a HUGE challenge to unlock Advanced Extra
without getting some more lives. If you're not insanely good at Super
Monkey Ball, you're going to need to start using Practice Mode on these
stages. Get into the habit of practicing troublesome stages; it's the
only way to master them. I salute you!
Advanced 1 - "Banks"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Advanced starts off almost as easy as Beginner, but don't worry,
your simian skills will be tested soon enough. This level features a
slightly curved floor covering two U-turns, one where the floor pushes
you inside and the other where it pushes you outside. Just go slowly
and all will be well.
Advanced 2 - "Eaten Floor"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Ugh. "Eaten Floor"? Couldn't they at least have called it Swiss
cheese or something? Anyways, either carefully maneuver around the
holes or take the easy route - follow the edge of the triangle
clockwise. This is good practice for pinpoint maneuvering on a static
surface.
Advanced 3 - "Hoppers"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Ah, the mystery of the hoppers. What are they made out of? What
force continually drives their motion? Exactly WHAT are they
reflecting? Avoiding philosophical questions such as these, hold
forward from the start and easily coast into the goal.
Advanced 4 - "Coaster"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Easy, as long as you take it slowly. The many bunches of bananas
WAY behind the goal are tempting, but are extremely difficult to grab;
I've only done it once. Play it safe, guys...
Advanced 5 - "Board Park"     ** Bonus! **
A version of "Bowl", but with more inclined surfaces and two
"rails" to boot. Start off by "grinding" the first rail, and then going
around trying to stay on the edge at banana level. Extremely difficult
to do, and don't worry about the bunch of bananas on the lower rail;
they're too difficult to obtain.
Advanced 6 - "Swell"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
This simple level features two skewed peaks; you may need to
experiment with this one a few times before you get it right. This is
good practice for later levels; try and get a feel for how you need to
control the monkey ball on uneven vertical rises.
Advanced 7 - "Gravity Slider"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
This level is big. REALLY big. Luckily for us, all you need to do
is hold forward from the start. Though you inexplicably go slightly to
the right, it's not enough to keep you from the wonderful goal we all
know and love.
Advanced 8 - "Inchworms"     ** Warp! **     ** Second Warp! **
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 5 / 10
Second Warp Difficulty - 9 / 10
Three long runways reside here, each folding in on themselves
faster than the others. Immediately turn around and hit the play button
when the level starts, and steadily make your way across the first
Inchworm into the normal goal. Or...
Warp! Same tactics on the second, faster Inchworm. Take this to
Warp to Floor 10. Or...
Second Warp! Once again, same thing, but the final Inchworm moves
VERY rapidly; I strongly discourage you from taking this one. Simply
not worth the two levels you skip. Good luck.
Advanced 9 - "Totalitarianism"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Totalitarianism - n. - a system of government in which one
political group maintains complete control, esp. under a dictator. What
this has to do with this level, I'm not really sure. It consists of a
bunch of randomly placed poles with donuts on them, periodically rising
and falling. Donut + Fall On Monkey = Death. Don't depend on the
shadows as guides, use your judgment to try and stay as far away from
the poles as possible when stopped. Maneuver through and hear that
corny announcer yell "Goal!"
Advanced 10 - "Leveler"     ** Bonus! **
Possibly the easiest bonus stage in the game, Advanced 10 features
a long stick with a goal in it that moves around in a counter-clockwise
direction around the level, fills with bananas and square holes. Follow
the leveler around picking up bananas, starting from the outside and
working inward. This is the only bonus stage I have successfully
completed.
Advanced 11 - "Organic Form"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Yeah. Don't be thrown off; no matter what switch is activated, the
thing DOES slow down and speed up at regular intervals. Of course, you
want to hit the play button, so just take it easy down the center and
there shouldn't a problem.
Advanced 12 - "Reversible Gear"
Difficulty - 5 / 10
Stupid gear...I don't like this level. My personal method is to go
forward from the start, and to the left to where the corners meet. See?
---
/   \
___\  |     |
/   \   /
---
MAN! I rock at art. Anyways, just practice the timing at that point to
go directly into the center; if you don't make it, chances are you'll
die. Be careful in the center.
Advanced 13 - "Stepping Stones"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
While not exactly difficult, Stepping Stones requires a bit of
practice to master. Take the left path, the right is MUCH harder and
all you have to show for your efforts are some measly bananas. Go
straight off of the platform and turn in mid-air for the best results,
and at the end, don't charge wildly into the goal, stay on the left
side and slowly move you way onto the square before the goal, THEN go
through the goal. Good?
Advanced 14 - "Dribbles"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
While not exactly basketballs, these ellipsoid objects WILL kill
you if you get caught under them. Negate the fast-forward with the play
switch, and carefully proceed along the linear path, timing your rolls
so as not to be crushed. Be wary of the very large ones and watch your
time; sixty seconds should be sufficient, but don't dawdle. Next!
Advanced 15 - "U.R.L."
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Hey! This isn't a level; it's a cheap way to advertise Amusement
Vision's website! Well, there isn't much that's interesting at
http://www.amusementvision.com anyways. Go straight forward from the
start and after the high bounce, move immediately to the right to avoid
being pushed off. After the letters recede, go all the way to the edge,
quickly roll up the little ramp and proceed. Lather, rinse, and repeat
until done.
Advanced 16 - "Mad Rings"     ** Warp! **     ** Second Warp! **
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 4 /10
Second Warp Difficulty - 9 / 10
Rings go crazy! You can't predict their motion, but from the
start, go straight. Holding up the whole time won't work, but close
enough. Too easy. Or...
Warp! The second ring moves twice as fast as the first, but can
still be avoided with the right timing. It's a bit risky, and floor 17
is hella easy, so I discourage taking this warp. Or...
Second Warp! This one sucks; the third rings moves too fast to be
anything but luck. Simply not worth the pain.
Advanced 17 - "Curvy Options"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Choose your difficulty. Follow the path. Go through the goal. You
shouldn't be reading this. This level is way too easy for that.
Advanced 18 - "Twister"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
This level can be done one of two ways; first, you can just move
when the twister is properly lined up and wait on a strip until it
lines up again, or do it my way. Wait at the start until it lines up
perfectly once, and then wait some more until it lines up at 45-degree
angles (when it changes directions). At the exact moment of the
direction change (or slightly before), slam the control stick forward,
and stay to the right side of the twister. You should clear it 90
percent of the time, but even if you don't, there is still a good
chance of surviving.
Advanced 19 - "Downhill"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
A bunch of circles with ramps connecting them, this stage gives
you plenty of time to complete it. Watch your speed on the initial
stairs; inertia and velocity are harder to control on steps than ramps.
Take a left, follow the circle around and go down the ramp. Do this
four or five times, and carefully go through the goal.
Advanced 20 - "Rampage"     ** Bonus! **
Get it? Ramp-age? Ha ha. Be sure to grab the two banana bunches in
the corners first, then go back and forth between the quarter pipes
grabbing single bananas. Easy pickin's.
Advanced 21 - "Pro Skaters"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 9 / 10
Copyright infringement! Err...I guess not. Take a moment to admire
the steam in this level. It's actually just a light, ubiquitous
volumetric fog effect, but whatever. = D Move forward and hit the pause
button when the first "skater" is horizontal; if he's too far up the
ramp, hit play and try again. When you feel the goal is easily
attainable, drop down and roll through. Or...
Warp! You cannot freeze the second, warping skater, so this is
massively difficult. Good luck.
Advanced 22 - "Giant Comb"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
The teeth are the only things that can kill you on this hair-
styling equipment gone wrong, and there are lines on the floor
indicating the path of the teeth. Use a stop-go rhythm, passing one
line every half-rotation, and continue doing so until you're clear. If
you're having trouble with the half-rotation thing, you can slow it
down by going every full rotation. It depends on how impatient you are,
really. Goal = confetti party!
Advanced 23 - "Beehive"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
With a hexagonal configuration, this level does indeed look like a
honeycomb. Start off by moving down the first half to the left or
right. There are four bridges to get across, two on each side. Use the
corner of the hexagon to naturally line up with the bridge, and cross
it. Move up the second half and pass the final bridge in the same way
to say goodbye to Advanced 23.
Advanced 24 - "Dynamic Maze"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
This level is so cool! Anyways, my method of beating it (I'm sure
there are many) is to go forward from the start. You should see a short
wall blocking your path, go the left past it, then turn about 60
degrees to the right, and go as far as you can. You should be at a
corner that looks similar to this:
_______________
*             |               |         * = Banana
_______________|      _________|
|
|
From this point, wait until the wall lifts up that allows you to reach
the banana. Grab it, and face the goal. Go as far as you can (which is
extremely close) and wait for the final wall to lift. If done
successfully, you'll hit the goal at about 33 seconds.
Advanced 25 - "Triangle Holes"
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Heheh. This floor WOULD be really difficult, that is, if you
couldn't hold up the whole time and make it into the goal. You can. Do
it. Next.
Advanced 26 - "Launchers"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 9 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 10 /10
Ah, the dreaded launchers. Perhaps you are reading this FAQ just
for this level here, looking for some surefire way to do this hellish
level. Most people believe it's pure luck. IT. IS. NOT. Practice this
level, like I have, and you should be able to do it 90 percent of the
time, if not better. Here's what I do - I fall off the starting
platform, right in front of the first launcher. I line myself up (it is
not crucial to be perfectly lined up) and face the column. When the
launcher hits me, I hold back the entire way up the column, until I'm
above. AT THIS POINT, YOU NEED TO USE THE MAP TO LINE YOURSELF UP WITH
THE TOP. The best map magnification is the medium one. Do not even LOOK
at the main screen; all you should be concerned with is the map itself.
It is a little difficult to read at first, but you should get used to
it. Line it up and you'll hit the top and bounce, but staying on after
that bounce seems to be harder than hitting it the first time. Land on
it again and stabilize yourself. Zoom the map to the closest
magnification to see where the goal is (it rotates) and carefully line
your monkey up with it and fall in. PRACTICE. It's the only thing that
will make you successful on this level. If you do it my way, you should
get about three attempts before time runs out. Come on, guys! I know
you can do it! Or...
Warp! Located on the BOTTOM of the rotating platform, this green
warp is utterly impossible. I've gotten once by sheer luck, but cannot
be done consistently; I don't care HOW good you are. Give it up.
Besides, why would you want to skip Randomizer?
Advanced 27 - "Randomizer"     ** Warp! **     ** Second Warp! **
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 4 / 10
Second Warp Difficulty - 7 / 10
To complete this level normally, you can hold straight up from
start or simply take your time going across the raised squares. Or...
Warp! The chances of getting of both warps in this stage are (duh)
random, so the difficulties for these are sort of moot. I recommend at
least trying; I hate Advanced 28. Change speed just a little while
rolling on the starting platform, then hold up and hope to get that
lucky bounce up to the second tier where the first warp goal is, or...
Second Warp! Keep holding up on the second tier to try and make it
onto the third. Make sure you don't go to fast while up there, or
you'll bounce off the top of the goal and die. May the force be with
you.
Advanced 28 - "Coin Slots"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 6 / 10
Eight coins bounce around this V-shaped level, successively
falling into their respective slots. Though it's boring, I usually go
to the absolute last coin slot and wait for it to fall; the further
away the goal is from the starting point, the slower it moves. Wait for
it to fall, and try and time it right so that your monkey breaks the
ribbon before the goal completely falls through. Or...
The warp in this level is the first "coin". It moves very fast and
should not be attempted in normal circumstances; just try and time it
right if you really want to.
Advanced 29 - "Seesaw Bridges"
Difficulty - 6 / 10
To begin, go forward and make the wide U-turn to the first bridge.
Start on any side you'd like, and weave in and out of the thingies
(which will henceforth be referred to as thingies) to keep the bridge
balanced. Throughout this level, you'll want to back up to edge of the
platform before each bridge to get a running start; this speed
decreases the tilting effect. On the next bridge, start on the left
side. Weave between the gaps in the bridge while maintaining a decent
speed. On the final bridge, start on either side, and immediately go
forward to the other side. You need to get this side far down enough
that the next weave doesn't kill you, but don't overdo it. The next
weave, the widest of them all, affects the bridge the most; do it as
quickly as possible. Complete the final weave and bolt into the goal.
Advanced 30 - "Arthropod"     ** Final Floor! **
Difficulty - 9 / 10
This level SUCKS. No other way to describe it. I've heard a
million strategies for this, but I've decided to list just two - my own
and SnapDragon's perfect timing. For the perfect timing, you'll need to
pause the game during this interval (inclusive): 41.08 to 41:18. If
not, then quickly unpause it and pause it again. Hold up when the game
is paused and press start (start does not choose anything, it just
exits the menu). Continue holding up and use the pause-unpause strategy
again to stop the game (while still holding up) at 36.16 to 36.26
seconds left. Unpause while holding up-left, and WOO! Right in there.
My way is to turn around and get on the upper layer of the starting
platform. Face the level on the left side, and wait right before the
narrow path until there are 40 seconds left (does not have to be
exact). I'm about 80 percent with this. It takes practice, but I really
don't like using Snap's exact timing; I think it's cheating. = P Sorry
Snap. Anyways, congratulations! You beat Advanced! WOO!
***********************************************************************
VII. You guessed it...Advanced Extra!
Yeah, Advanced Extra. This is WAY harder to obtain than Beginner
Extra; chances are you'll need to buy more lives before successfully
completing this challenge. Super Monkey Ball 2 is kind of annoying in
the fact that warps have been shrunk down to almost useless; they just
don't skip enough stages or the right stages for the effort put into
them. The only warp I whole-heartedly recommend taking in Advanced
would be either warp in Randomizer, but of course, those are...random.
Inchworms green warp may be a good one also, if you have trouble with
Totalitarianism. Practice Launchers and Arthropod a LOT, and you should
have Advanced Extra unlocked in no time. Now, on to the strategies!
Advanced Extra 1 - "Auto Doors"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
A series of 8 doors which open and close at progressively faster
speeds. Turn around and hit the play button; subsequently, the only
doors you might have problems with are the final two. When they're
closed, hold forward into that little V-notch thing in the center, and
when they open, you should be fast enough to clear them. No problem.
Advanced Extra 2 - "Heavy Sphere"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Heavy Sphere features a Heavy Sphere with the words "Heavy Sphere"
inscribed on it. Roll forward and hit the button, then roll backwards
to get some room to build up speed. You want to hit the folding
platform JUST when it's at its lowest point; practice makes perfect.
Don't let the Sphere nail you dead-on, because it WILL kill you.
Control your speed when rolling off the other end.
Advanced Extra 3 - "Stagger"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Hold forward (though you will need to make some slight
adjustments) and stop on the first hexagon. Don't attempt to switch
platforms while they are moving, as they all come together for a short
while. When they do, move onto the furthest platform and wait for it to
match up with the nearest triangle platform. Get on it, and wait for
these to line up to bolt into the goal.
Advanced Extra 4 - "U.F.O."
Difficulty - 4 / 10
You foe. Go forward to the flying saucer and drop down into its
center. Hit the play switch and watch your monkey get carelessly thrown
around the inside of the U.F.O. as it inverts. As quickly as you can,
race toward the center and through the goal before it invert itself
again. Be sure to not fall in the hole in the center, but it is not
imperative to do this the first time. If you don't, be sure to hit the
play button again.
Advanced Extra 5 - "Ring Bridge"
Difficulty - 5 / 10
I like this level. = D Proceed onto the first ring bridge and roll
off the edge when the next ring bridge is directly below you. The trick
to this level is that when you hit the next ring, NEVER hit the slanted
sides. These WILL bounce you off at an oblique angle and kill you. Be
sure to hit the center of the ring, and you should make it with ease.
Advanced Extra 6 - "Domes"
Difficulty - 9 / 10
Oh my GOD, is this floor annoying. You must navigate a long series
of domes on a narrow platform that constantly changes your direction
and speed, making it VERY difficult to stay on. Many people prefer to
take it slowly, but this just creates more sweaty palms and heart
failures than you need. I prefer to take the level at a constant, slow
speed, trying my absolute best to just stay in the center. Try not to
stop, but if you see yourself about to fly off of the edge, don't
hesitate to pause in the center of some domes if you need to. Luckily,
you have lots of time. You will NEVER visit the Dome of the Rock after
this.
Advanced Extra 7 - "Amida Lot"
Difficulty - 5 / 10
The term "Amida Lot" refers to a Japanese form of lottery or
decision-making. A number of vertical lines are drawn, and horizontal
lines are randomly placed throughout, provided no two horizontal lines
are in the same plane. As something (a pencil in most cases, in SMB2
they use bumpers) moves down a vertical line and reaches a horizontal,
it switches. For a more complete explanation, go to
http://www2.edc.org/makingmath/mathprojects/amidakuji/Links/amidakuji_l
nk_1.asp. Anyways, the journey to the moving goal is complicated by
moving bumpers. For an easy roll-in, go forward and wait just before
the second right. The bumper will take that second right; after it
does, move forward and take the third right before the goal knocks you
off. Stay on that platform and turn around IN THE CLOCKWISE DIRECTION,
so the camera faces the goal. Line it up and use your Monkey Ball
intuition to hit the ribbon as the goal passes by.
Advanced Extra 8 - "Long Slider"
Difficulty - 6 / 10
Ouch. Unlike the original, this slider is longer, steeper, and
missing a quarter-pipe. Don't attempt to roll straight on, take it from
an angle. Hold down the WHOLE time when moving on the sliders, and to
ensure a clean U-turn, hold left as soon as you reach the horizontal
part. Woo.
Advanced Extra 9 - "Grid Bridge"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
(bored sigh) Hit the play switch...then, the fun begins. Get on
the grid when a corner is close enough to roll onto, then cut across
the grid at a decent speed to your left. Avoid the two wall thingies
and carefully navigate this soundly spinning stage to successfully span
the super ... aw, forget it.
Advanced Extra 10 - "Teapot"     ** Final Floor! **
Difficulty - 4 / 10
Hit play and wait for the goal cube to almost land. Roll off the
platform and use the bounce to get into the cube. Quickly roll in
before the teapot knocks it away. You can also do this by dropping down
and getting under the spot where you think the cube is going to fall,
but it's not nearly as reliable. Bring it on, Expert. Bring it on.
***********************************************************************
VIII. Holy Expert difficulty, Batman!
Yes, Expert. These levels are HARD. These level are BRUTAL. And
these levels will take MANY LIVES to beat. Yes, Expert is indeed for
those of us who are...experts. Don't be discouraged, however, as
playing these levels is basically the only way to actually become an
expert. Big thing in Expert is PRACTICE; this is when you'll really
start to use it a lot. Floors like Vortex and 8 Bracelets will need
some definite time to master, but I'll do my best to help you out. MAN,
is this game fun or WHAT?
Expert 1 - "Wormhole"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
This level introduced the player to the concept of a Wormhole, a
fancy name for a teleporter, which in turn is a fancy name for thingies
that take you to any place in the level while simultaneously disobeying
the laws of physics. Roll forward and watch the cool effects as you go
through the watery surface of the wormhole, roll forward some more and
navigate the thin walkways to the goal. Not much I can help you with
here, except to tell you to practice those walkways.
Expert 2 - "Freefall"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 6 / 10
Roll straight off and across the wire. Using the map, roll off
just before the big circular platform beneath you. Control your bounce
and stabilize, then go across the next wire to the horizontal goal.
Or...
Warp! Get to the second wire as outlined above. However, using the
map once again, fall off onto the even smaller circle. This is much
harder, but for some people, skipping Expert 3 is a good idea.
Expert 3 - "Melting Pot"
Difficulty - 7 / 10
Keep in mind that this floor has a thirty-second time limit,
unlike all other floors. Roll forward immediately into the box and try
your best to make it to the other side without hitting any of the
balls. The best strategy is simply to hug the wall and get a feel for
how the box's motion affects your monkey ball. A bit of practice will
be instrumental here.
Expert 4 - "Mad Shuffle"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
There's the FF button, but where's play? Quickly roll around the
wormhole to the hidden play switch behind, then come back again and go
through the wormhole. The pattern here is three crossovers and then a
switch of direction, so line yourself up and floor it just before it
switches. Stay on one side; don't follow any particular platform. If
you go fairly fast hitting the play switch, a direction change should
occur just as you hit the platforms, on the left side. Practice a bit,
and you'll get it.
Expert 5 - "Partition"     ** Bonus! **
Stupid bonus levels. This one features a floor split into two
parts joined by a wormhole, with stupid little maze-like walls and
single bananas scattered throughout. Try and collect them all, but
don't waste too much time going for only one or two that are WAY out of
your way. Don't kill yourself over this.
Expert 6 - "Jump Machine"     ** Warp! **     ** Second Warp! **
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 4 / 10
Second Warp Difficulty - 5 / 10
A crazy-looking structure with pop-ups to boost you to the next
level up, Jump Machine requires a bit of practice. Then it's a piece of
cake. Move forward to the center circle, staying on the south side but
a bit off-center. In the air, turn around and land on the south
platform. The goal is here, but be sure not to get accidentally popped
while going for it. Or...
Warp! Jump on more level, to the platform to the southwest. The
warp goal is here. Or...
Second Warp! Jump a final time to the extreme top of the jump
machine, where a pretty red goal awaits. Woo!
Expert 7 - "Zigzag Slopes"
Difficulty - 5 / 10
Surprisingly steep slopes. So. Begin by picking a side, then
heading back to the center on the next fork. Pick up some speed and
tilt the control stick up and against the slope to make it, and keep
that speed to stay on the final, downward slope. Whew.
Expert 8 - "Tower"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Roll forward, under the gravity-defying tower and through the
wormhole to the top. Roll off slowly to the right, holding forward
after you fall to maintain and slower speed. Gently roll down this
platform to the next, holding right on the control stick to once again
maintain a slow speed. On this final platform, use the map to see where
the goal is, and fall into it. If you mess up, you should have enough
time for one more try.
Expert 9 - "Toggle"
Difficulty - 8 / 10
The first time I did this level, I tried to do it the "real" way,
as in, try to time going across the thing, stopping on individual bars.
Took me forever. I should have just randomly dashed across it as fast
as I could, recklessly, like this level SHOULD be done. Seriously,
don't move at the start or move back a bit to gain some initial speed,
and charge forward when the bars are lined up. Aim for the right side,
and hold up the whole time. When the bars match again (around the
middle), move from the right side to the left side. If lady luck is
with you, you'll make it to the goal and be able to stop your forward
momentum. Perfectionists won't like this level, but...oh well...
Expert 10 - "Pachinko"      ** Bonus! **
Pachinko is a Japanese form of gambling where a coin of some sort
is dropped into a device with many pegs and blocks, randomly tossing
the coin into certain slot. This level is my absolute most-hated bonus
stage, as you can only go down once. Bananas are extremely difficult to
obtain, and getting into the goal is even harder. Oh well. At least you
can't die.
Expert 11 - "Combination"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Fairly easy, if you know the trick. Quickly roll into the
wormhole, then turn around and go behind it. Fall down onto the
platform with the play switch, hit it, and fall back down onto the
original platform. Warp again, and hopefully you've done that quick
enough to see the goal on the opposite side of the stage from you. If
not, wait a bit until it is again. When the goal is on the opposite
side, you need to roll onto the set of platforms that does NOT have the
goal on it. Stay on as they rotate, and the goal should appear right in
front of you.
Expert 12 - "Punched Seesaws"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 3 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 4 / 10
Similar to Seesaw Bridges, this level features a seesaw with
small, medium, large, medium, and small holes punched in it, in that
order. Weave between them to make it to the goal. Or...
Warp! Just go past the goal and do it one more time. Same seesaw,
same everything. Except that it's a warp. = D
Expert 13 - "Opera"
Difficulty - 5 / 10
I guess it's called Opera because that's the way stairs at an
opera are aligned. (?) Anyways, basically blow through the first two
levels, and slow down a bit on the third. You want to get to the top of
the fourth and final set with at least 25 seconds left. Take your time
going down these stairs, keeping a nice, constant speed without the
bumps getting too out of control. Land on the lowest stair and roll
through the curtain...err...goal.
Expert 14 - "Brandished"
Difficulty - 6 / 10
This level is fairly inconsistent. The best strategy I try to use
for it is get close to the spinning...thing...fairly early, and try and
position yourself JUST outside of the last swing. The next swing, which
should come out more, has a good chance of breaking the ribbon on you.
If you want to use Snap's exact timing, don't move until 59.41 to
59.30. Keep pausing and unpausing to get to the right time, then tilt
the control stick up and press start to exit the menu. Once again, I
consider this cheating, but there really is no other surefire way to
beat this floor.
Expert 15 - "Tiers"     ** Warp! **     ** Second Warp! **
Difficulty - 4 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 8 / 10
Second Warp Difficulty - 10 / 10
This level consists of five levels, or "tiers" you can choose to
complete. The lower you go, the easier it is; the fifth and lowest tier
goes straight to the normal goal. Once on the tier of your choice,
maintain a decent speed to stay on the tilted wire and keep that speed
all the way to the goal. The fourth tier is a bit harder than the
first; it has more bananas but goes to the same goal. Or...
Warp! Go on the third or second (more bananas, more difficulty)
and cross these significantly thinner wires to reach the first warp
goal. Or...
Second Warp! The uppermost tier features an incredibly thin wire,
and it's almost impossible to successfully navigate. Don't waste your
time.
Expert 16 - "Cliffs"
Difficulty - 4 / 10
To begin, roll forward to the edge and turn to the left. Staying
as much in the center as you can, roll down and use the horizontal step
to bounce to the next cliff. Stop as quickly as you can. The steps get
thinner and thinner, so be sure to stay in the absolute center. Use the
map if you have to. Don't end up like Wile E. Coyote, folks.
Expert 17 - "Narrow Peaks"
Difficulty - 6 / 10
Veterans of Super Monkey Ball 1's Expert 7 or (shudder) Master 3
should blow by this level, but newcomers will definitely need some
practice. The left path is far easier than the right, so unless you're
a score freak, go lefty. With as much initial rolling room as possible,
line yourself up with the center of the V and jam forward, only making
MINOR adjustments to the left or right. Always have some speed while
traversing these peaks of death.
Expert 18 - "Detour"     ** Warp! **
Difficulty - 1 / 10
Warp Difficulty - 8 / 10
Yes, this level is far too steep to reach the goal directly, so
roll down, warp through space, and breeze into the waiting goal. Though
it may seem logical to hold up the entire time on this stage, it
actually impedes progress, and the timer is blocking what you need to
see. Just leave the control stick be, except for minor left and right
adjustments. Or...
Warp! This one is difficult. You need to take the detour while
building up speed, and use the horizontal step next to the regular goal
to launch yourself out to a goal platform in the middle of nowhere.
There is NO way you can stop before the goal; it's do or die. Practice
lining up big mid-air jumps, as it becomes a very useful skill.
Expert 19 - "Switch Inferno"
Difficulty - 3 / 10
This is quite possibly the worst level in Super Monkey Ball 2. It
involved a grid of switches with absolutely nothing to indicate the
correct ones to raise the goal. There are a few switches that raise the
goal, but the closest and thus most preferable is the far right switch
in the second-to-last row. Quickly hit it and roll into the goal; don't
worry if you hit any other switches on the way.
Expert 20 - "Earthquake"     ** Bonus! **
This would have been cooler if it actually shook. Hit the play
switch and roll onto the lower side of the platform to avoid immediate
death, and move up and down with the bananas collecting as many as you
can. Some bananas will fall off on their own, but you shouldn't have
any problems staying on.
Expert 21 - "Spiral Bridge"
Difficulty - 5 / 10
Feeling clean? Yes, you're above a washing machine. No, you can't
fall in it. Anyways, roll forward and get on the whirling helix. The
camera will try to shift backwards; stop it by making forward progress
the whole time. Even if the camera is backwards, it still isn't too
hard to make it up. Once on the flat part, stay on about the middle
(the edge moves a bit too fast) and when the goal platform comes up,
dash for it. Yeah, you just smacked up that floor.
Expert 22 - "Wavy Option"
Difficulty - 2 / 10
Super Monkey Ball 2 has taught me the difference between "wavy"
and "curvy". See? Video games ARE educational! Choose the path and have
at least a bit of speed to make it onto the wave; continue to the end.
Tch.
Expert 23 - "Obstacle"
Difficulty - 2 / 10 (After figuring it out)
An enjoyable logic puzzle, Obstacle has been known to irk
challenged (read: stupid) Monkey Ball players everywhere. Worry not, as
long as you tried. If you didn't, leave right now. Leave. Gone? Good.