Super Monkey Ball Jr.

This page details one or more prototype versions of Super Monkey Ball Jr..

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

The August 6, 2002 prototype of Super Monkey Ball Jr. is dated over two months before the final American build. It was released by Hidden Palace on January 1, 2022 as part of their New Years 2022 release.

General Differences#

• Some menu elements are placed very slightly differently on-screen.
  • This is also true for some of the text elements on the screens shown between levels during gameplay.
• The ball doesn't travel upwards off the screen when finishing a level.
• Many of the Main Game's levels are different to varying degrees.
• So are many of the Monkey Golf courses.
• The horizontal speed cap present in the final game is either absent, or significantly higher in this version. This allows for much higher speeds to be reached when holding the A button, and makes jumping over gaps easier, but can lead to the player clipping through certain objects or even the goal tape.
• The ball may get stuck to walls when rolling into them gently enough to not bounce off them, and will be unable to move laterally until the ball is moved away from the wall first. This was corrected in the final version by having the ball always bounce off walls on contact with a small amount of speed, even when rolling into them very slowly.
• A dev skip is present in the game, where pressing SELECT will instantly clear the current stage.

Splash Screens#

The trademark and "JR" were later added.

Proto	Final

The Realism logo uses its previous logo in the prototype.

Proto	Final

Title Screen#

The "Press" in "PRESS START" is completely uppercase in the prototype. A trademark would later be added in the final version, and "Build 14" is written on the top right of the screen.

Proto	Final

Graphical Differences#

• The "P1" sprite does not change outline colour when selecting a character.
• The sparkles released by the ball when finishing a stage look more like smoke.
• The "START" sprite that shows where the player starts in a stage is written in full caps rather than small caps, and is fully red instead of being shaded yellow-red.

Proto	Final

Floor Differences#

Beginner 7#

Walls were added.

Proto	Final

Beginner 9#

Walls were removed and the landing platform was made shorter.

Proto	Final

Beginner 10#

The layout was entirely redone.

Proto	Final

Advanced 2#

The ending section was made different, with one bumper removed.

Proto	Final

Advanced 7#

A bumper at the end of the level was removed.

Proto	Final

Advanced 13#

The penultimate staircase was replaced by a slope and the ending curves were made shorter.

Proto	Final

Advanced 19#

The layout and individual sections were changed.

Proto	Final

Expert 3#

The gap was made smaller.

Proto	Final

Expert 16#

The layout and individual sections were changed.

Proto	Final

Expert 21#

Parts of the floor were cut to prevent intense lag.

Proto	Final

Expert 30#

The floor was completely redone. The prototype version also had a spinning cog that presumably functioned as an obstacle rather than a platform to stand on.

Proto	Final

Master 3#

The floor was shortened.

Proto	Final

Minigame Differences#

Monkey Golf#

Mode A#

Hole 4

The slopes were made less steep.

Proto	Final

Hole 6

The hole in the middle was made narrower.

Proto	Final

Hole 8

The second row of tiles from the edges were made slightly sloped.

Proto	Final

Hole 9

The middle bridge moved left and right in the prototype, now just tilts in the final version.

Proto	Final

Mode B#

Hole 3

Completely different course.

Proto	Final

Hole 4

The walls were remodeled.

Proto	Final

Hole 6

The centre piece is narrower and has no hole in the prototype, and makes a full rotation instead of tilting back and forth like in the final version.

Proto	Final

Hole 9

Completely different course.

Proto	Final

Monkey Bowling#

In Challenge Mode, one of the pin layouts was slightly changed.

Proto	Final

Text Differences#

Different wording and a minor grammar fix.

Credits#

To do: There's more.