Race (Banana Rumble)

Race is a game available in the Battle mode in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. It is based on the recurring Monkey Race series of Party Games in previous Super Monkey Ball series games.

Gameplay

Unlike previous entries in the series, Race has players and CPUs compete to be the first to reach the end of a single lap, long race course, which functions more like an obstacle course than a traditional race track. There is a time limit of 180 seconds for each course, and any racers who do not reach the end of the course are disqualified. Additionally, for the first time in the series, the Race mode uses the normal gameplay physics, meaning control in the air is possible.

Each course contains checkpoints after each major obstacle, and players will respawn from the previous checkpoint when falling out. As more players pass through checkpoints, the obstacles between the checkpoints are made easier, to assist players falling behind, such as by widening paths, or adding walls. Players can move freely during the countdown before the race starts, but a barrier is present at the starting line during the countdown which knocks back players who touch it.

Controls

• Left stick: Tilt the stage. Wiggling the control stick also helps shake off the effects of certain items when indicated.
• Y Button: Use the item at the top of the queue, or repeatedly use said item for multi-use items.
• B Button: Spin Dash.
• Right stick: Rotate the camera.
• D-Pad: Zoom the camera in and out.
• R Button: Lock the camera.
• ZR Button: Look behind.

Courses

• Cookie Circuit - A race track based on Candy Castle.
• Rose Tower - A race track based on Rose Garden.
• Lightning Road - A race track based on Neon Arena.
• Rustic Temple - A race track based on Golden Temple. Contains set pieces based on stages in Banana Rumble, namely Step Down, Arch Bridges, Floating Panels, Gap Lane, Rail Slider, Building Excitement, Eastern Gates, Tea Party and Perilous Parasols.
• Farm Frenzy - A race track based on Banana Farm. Contains set pieces based on stages from Super Monkey Ball 2, namely Slopes, Junction, Alternative, Folders, Train Worm, Pistons and Mad Rings.
• Sky Highway - A race track based on Caelum. Added in Version 1.10.

Items

Items are obtained both in the traditional way by grabbing item boxes, and by filling the item guage, which fills up as other racers ahead of the player progress, and also fills up each time the player falls out. Only two items can be held at once, the one obtained first will fire first, and it is not possible to switch items anymore. The available items are as follows:

• Banana Peel - Drops a banana peel. Any racer who steps on one will slow down and lose control for about a second.
• Missile - Fires a missile that targets an opponent ahead of the user, that knocks them away if it hits. The missile can be dodged by the target, and a red reticle appears indicating where it will land. The missile can also hit bystanders.
• Bat - Spawns a bat. By repeatedly pressing Y, the user can swing the bat, dealing heavy knockback to any opponent it hits.
• Heavy Ball - Targets 3 players ahead of the user, with a blue reticle indicating where one will land. If it hits, the victim becomes a 16 ton weight, and moves very slowly for a few seconds. Can be dodged.
• Ice Beam - Two icicle guns appear on each side of the user. Pressing Y while the item is active fires an ice beam that freezes opponents hit by it for about a second, preventing movement. Aims in the direction the left stick is held.
• Black Hole - Spawns in a black hole that pulls in opponents with a strong gravitational pull. The black hole can appear in the air, lifting opponents off the ground as well.
• Quake - Allows the user to create an earthquake in an area indicated by a brown circle. Knocks opponents back similarly to a missile.
• Dance - Spawns a spotlight above nearby opponents, which turns into a disco ball after a few seconds, causing the monkey to dance and thus preventing movement. Wiggling the control stick gets rid of the disco ball sooner.
• Phantom Thief Mask - Causes a calling card to appear on an opponent's screen, which turns into a blue mask after a few seconds, blocking their vision for a few seconds.
• Ghost - Turns the user into a ghost for a few seconds, removing their collision and allowing them to pass through other opponents.
• Planet Rings - Makes a ring appear around the user for a few seconds, knocking opponents back on contact.
• Stealth - Makes the user invisible to opponents, but not invincible.
• Barrier - Causes a crystal barrier to appear around the user for a few seconds, blocking the effects of most items, and removing the effects of currently active items.
• Dash Boost - Causes the user's Spin Dashes to charge faster and have almost no cooldown for a few seconds.
• Jump - Causes the user to jump, the user can jump multiple times by repeatedly pressing Y for a few seconds. The jumps are short and seem to reduce momentum somewhat when used.
• Giant - Makes the user grow huge for a few seconds, dramatically increasing their weight, and thus allowing them to deal heavy knockback to bystanders while taking little knockback themselves.