Exam-A
Exam-A is the 10th and final Beginner floor in (Super) Monkey Ball.
In Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, it is the 25th Beginner and Ultimate stage in Challenge Mode, as well as World 2-7 in Story Mode.
In Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, on top of its original position, it is also the 10th SMB1 Marathon stage.
Description
The stage consists of a series of rectangular platforms connected by moderately narrow bridges. The bridges get progressively harder to cross, going from having raised edges, to being flat, to being a downwards staircase, then to being sloped upwards, and finally to being a curved S-shaped path to the goal. Additionally, the platform after the third bridge has a section in the middle which is split into two short parallel bridges, and the platforms after the second and fourth bridges have concave and convex square indents respectively.
The bridges have a width of 1.0, using the scale used on Choice.
Strategy
Completing this stage requires careful movement of the control stick to balance on the bridges without falling off the edges. Extra care is needed on the final bridge to follow the curves. The stage's length makes this stage the first major instance where the time limit is a threat as well, as if not moving quickly enough, one may find themself running out of time.
Many of the rectangular platforms are close enough together that it is possible to use the lips around the edges of the platforms to gain air and "jump" over the gaps to skip large parts of the stage. For example, the first two bridges can be skipped by immediately turning right at the start of the stage, and the next two can likewise be skipped by building up speed to cross the next gap.
Reappearances
This is the first of the 'Exam' series of stages, the others being Exam-B and Exam-C, found in Advanced and Expert respectively. As for Exam-A itself, it has reappeared a few times throughout the series, namely:
- In Jr. as Beginner Floor 10
- In N-Gage as Beginner Floor 10
- In Touch & Roll as Menacing Conclusion
