Monkey Race (Banana Mania)

For other iterations of this party game, see Monkey Race (disambiguation).

Monkey Race
Game Start
Number of Players	1-4
COMs	Yes
Modes	One Course Race Grand Prix Time Attack
World(s) Featured	Jungle Underwater Arctic Monkey Mall Space Desert Jungle Island Amusement Park Clock Tower Factory Volcanic Magma Under the Ocean Space Colony
Seen In:	Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Monkey Race is a Party Game in Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania. In it, the monkeys race around the course in their balls and use items to gain an edge and place high in the races.

Gameplay

There are three game modes, with two core types of gameplay. If you are playing single-player, there will be a time limit; running out of time causes an automatic loss. A time extension is granted every time a lap is completed.

In One Course Race, eight monkeys race around a single track. Items appear which can help the player, and boost panels and bumpers appear as hazards on the track. The final rankings are determined by the placements in that race.

In Grand Prix, the monkeys compete in the same fashion as with One Course Race, but on a set of four courses, categorized by difficulty. At the end of each race, points are awarded based on placement, and the final rankings are determined by the total number of points scored by each monkey.

In Time Attack, a single player-controlled monkey races around a single track and aims to get the best possible time for all laps combined. Only speed stars appear as items in this mode, and the player starts with three speed star items loaded.

Toggleable rules

• Number of laps (One Course only) - the number of laps for the race. 1-10 laps.
• Assist - whether or not rubberbanding is used to speed up players in lower placement.
• Items - whether or not items spawn.

Controls

Nintendo Switch and Xbox One & Series X/S version:

• Control stick - Rolls the ball. Wiggling the stick helps shake off effects of items. Pressing forward right as the race starts will trigger a start dash.
• A button - Use the currently armed item.
• B button - Switches the currently armed item.
• X button - Switches to rear-view camera.

PlayStation 4 and 5 version:

• Control stick - Rolls the ball. Wiggling the stick helps shake off effects of items. Pressing forward right as the race starts will trigger a start dash.
• X button - Use the currently armed item.
• Circle button - Switches the currently armed item.
• Square button - Switches to rear-view camera.

Windows version:

• W, S, A and D Keys - Rolls the ball. Wiggling the stick helps shake off effects of items. Pressing forward right as the race starts will trigger a start dash.
• Vertical Right Square Bracket Key - Use the currently armed item.
• J Key - Switches the currently armed item.
• K Key - Switches to rear-view camera.

Tracks

The game features tracks from Monkey Race 1 and Monkey Race 2.

Track name	Difficulty	Grand Prix Set	Length	Description
Jungle Circuit	★☆☆	Bronze	777m	A leisurely roll through the jungle. A flat course for beginners.
Charming Banana Road	★☆☆	Bronze	815m	An easy course shaped like a banana. Take care not to fall off at the curve!
Aqua Offroad	★☆☆	Bronze	849m	An underwater course. Watch out for bumps on the ground.
Lovely Heart Ring	★☆☆	Bronze	672m	A heart-shaped course. Avoid the obstacles near the goal!
Frozen Highway	★★☆	Silver	875m	Race through the frozen mountains. Slow down before the sharp curves!
Clock Tower Hill	★★☆	Silver	938m	A race course by a construction site. Roll down the hill and soar through the sky!
Sky Downtown	★★☆	Silver	2007m	Race through a winding city road. Try not to get distracted by the night lights!
Cannonball circuit	★★☆	Silver	1317m	A course within a volcano that's full of ups and downs. Don't lose your cool going over the speed boosts!
Pipe Warp Tunnel	★★★	Gold	1000m	Roll atop pipes and race through huge tunnels. Take care not to fall off the pipes!
Submarine Street	★★★	Gold	1383m	A complicated course under the sea. Follow the map to avoid getting lost!
Speed Desert	★★★	Gold	2351m	Race through the scorching desert. Keep an eye out for sharp curves and paths without walls!
Starlight Highway	★★★	Gold	2168m	Roll through the vast expanse of space. Race as fast as you can, but take care not to fall off!

Items

For negative effects of items that last for a time, wiggling the stick will shorten the duration of their effect.

• Speed Star - grants a very short burst of speed.
• Banana Peel - drops a peel on the floor. If another racer hits one, they will slip around for a time.
• Bowling Bomber - throws the bomb like a bowling ball. If it hits another racer, they will be launched, potentially off course, and then will be stunned for a time.
• Polygon Ball - fires a polygon projectile. If it hits another racer, their ball will be turned into an icosahedron for a time, hindering their movement and control.
• Ice Cube - fires a snowflake projectile. If it hits another racer, they will be encased in ice for a time, reducing their acceleration, and subsequently their speed and steering.
• Big Ball - makes the user's ball bigger. This lets it resist most attacks, other than Banana Peels and Hunter Missiles, and makes it heavier in collisions, allowing it to knock other racers more easily and resist being knocked around. However, the player will be more exposed to Banana Peels and bumpers.
• Gravity Bomber - fires a purple projectile. If it hits another racer, they will be trapped in a gravity field which dramatically reduces their speed for a time.
• Hunter Missile - fires a series of targeted missiles which hit all opponents in higher placements than the user. They have the same effect as Bowling Bombers.

Missions

Note: All Party Game missions award 300 Banana Points.

Name	Description
Path of the Racer	Play Monkey Race
First Victory	Win first place in any Course Race
First Championship	Win any Grand Prix
Time Limit 360	Clear all courses in 360 seconds (Ranking Challenge only)
Course Complete	Play all Monkey Race courses
Item Swapper	Change which item to use next
No Help Needed	Win first place without Assist mode
First Course Race	Play a Course Race
First Grand Prix	Play a Grand Prix
First Time Attack	Play a Time Attack
Mode Master	Play all modes
Speed Demon	Reach 150 km/h and clear the course
Settle it with Speed	Use a Speed Star
Have a Nice Fall	Use a Banana Peel
Big Bang	Use a Bowling Bomber
Twenty Sides	Use a Polygon Ball
Below Zero	Use an Ice Cube
Mega Monkey	Use a Big Ball
Black Hole Formation	Use a Gravity Bomber
No Escape	Use a Hunter Missile
Fully Stocked	Stock up 3 items (excluding the start of Time Attack)
Item Hit	Hit an opponent with an item that shoots forward
No Falling Allowed	Reach the goal of any course without falling off
On the Right Foot	Successfully perform a Start Dash
Bumperless	Reach the goal without hitting any bumpers
Go, Go, Go!	Use a dash pad
Put it in Reverse	Play a Course Race in reverse

Trivia

• As in the original, it is possible to complete laps going backwards. Doing so is actually required to clear the "Put it in Reverse" mission.
• When going the wrong way, Assist will not work, and the player will only receive items available in first place. This is to prevent them from exploiting the reverse lap system to gain extra speed and better items.
• In the Nintendo Switch version of Banana Mania, there are restaurants and palm trees that do not appear in Sky Downtown, and the smaller fish, flora, coral and starfish do not appear in Submarine Street despite some of them appearing in the HUD menu.
• All the 3 original musics used in Super Monkey Ball 2 was not used in Banana Mania. The new song used is an original composition.