Revision Differences

This is a sub-page of Super Monkey Ball Adventure.

Loading Differences#

PlayStation 2	GameCube/PlayStation Portable

• The PlayStation 2 port displays a blue loading bar during the startup. The GameCube and PlayStation Portable ports display "Loading" instead.
• In the PlayStation 2 port, you can skip the Traveller's Tales logo FMV.

PlayStation 2	GameCube/PlayStation Portable

• The Challenge Mode loading screen was given a background in the GameCube and PlayStation Portable ports. The Camera Monkey was also removed.
• Incidentally, the UI in general is dimmer on the PlayStation 2. Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity has the same issue.

PlayStation 2 NPC	Wind Up Key

• In an attempt to mask the load times in the PlayStation 2 port, the game has loading rooms where you have to press a switch around ten times to open the door to the next part of the world for Jungle Island and Zootopia. This mechanic was removed from the GameCube and PlayStation Portable ports where accessing a loading area will display a standard loading screen instead.
• Incidentally, the wind up key function and related NPC text about it are unused in the other versions, with stage mesh lacking collision at the area.

Watch on YouTube

• The Monorail's function in Monkitropolis is exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version, along with elevators, roughly taking about a minute. Controls are locked until you reach the destination.
• Oddly collision for other monorails in the area are still in the other ports unlike the wind up key rooms, noted here.

Watch on YouTube

• MoonHaven has two unique loading zone minigames related to cranking gears.
• Interestingly if cheated, it shows that the loading zones only need about 20 seconds, similar to the other ports.

Screen Differences#

PlayStation 2 Save	GameCube Save

• The PlayStation 2 version shows the warning for manually saving much longer than other ports, and before the save selection unlike other versions.
• The GameCube version also lays out the save files horizontally instead of vertically like on the PlayStation Portable/PlayStation 2.

PlayStation 2/Portable	GameCube

• The PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions contain a Stereo/Mono sound setting in the menu. The GameCube version lacks this setting in the menu, it instead uses the sound setting from the GameCube system menu.

Graphical Differences#

PlayStation 2 Greyscale	GameCube Greyscale

• The PlayStation 2/PlayStation Portable version handles the greyscale toning differently than the GameCube version. In those versions, AiAi and the Naysayer are still saturated, but in the GameCube version, the entire screen is greyed out.

PlayStation 2 Minimap	PlayStation Portable Minimap	GameCube Minimap

• The GameCube version's minimap is noticeably more opaque than the PlayStation Portable version's, which is slightly more opaque than the PlayStation 2 version's. Incidentally, the PlayStation Portable version has fog still affecting the minimap when zooming in/out with the Cross button.
• The icon in the minimap for AiAi's head is incorrectly squished for PlayStation 2/GameCube when set in 4:3 aspect ratio.
• Lighting in general is brighter on the PlayStation Portable port, with ambient colors being more saturated.

PlayStation 2 Facial Expressions	GameCube Lack of Expressions

• For whatever reason, all facial expressions were drastically reduced in the GameCube/PlayStation Portable ports. Characters are unable to blink, and any mouth animation that takes advantage of fangs are gone. Even the main characters have simplified facial animations, at max opening/closing the mouth with no scaling for lips.
• Two sided transparency also is broken for some NPCs on the GameCube version.
• Oddly, legs are incorrect for some NPCs on the PlayStation 2 version.

• The foliage is animated in the PlayStation 2 version. They're static in the GameCube/PlayStation Portable ports.
• Oddly for the model for the PRESS START screen, it's static in all versions.

PlayStation 2 Picture	GameCube Picture

• The Camera Monkey (SiSi) Missions in the GameCube/PlayStation Portable ports have the picture of the entire screen fully in greyscale. In the PlayStation 2 version, it's treated the same way as AiAi when near Naysayers.
• Oddly in Kongri La, the camera mission and Naysayer's don't cause greyscale in all ports.

PlayStation 2 Invisible Ball	GameCube Invisible Ball

PlayStation 2 Pump	GameCube Pump

PlayStation 2 Glass	GameCube Glass

PlayStation 2 Lens	GameCube Lens

• Faux refraction and environment maps on glass in general was removed in the GameCube and PlayStation Portable ports.
• The lens in Kongri La also are one sided for rendering in the GameCube/PlayStation Portable ports.

PlayStation 2 Ice	PlayStation Portable Ice	GameCube Ice

PlayStation 2 Ice	PlayStation Portable Ice	GameCube Ice

• Ice in general looks different in all versions, with the PlayStation Portable version being blatantly yellow.

GameCube Robot Monkey	PlayStation Portable Robot Monkey

• For some reason, the discarded robots in Zootopia are bright pink in the PlayStation Portable version.
• This is more puzzling given the same robot model used in Monkitropolis is correctly shaded/colored.

PlayStation 2 Platform	PlayStation Portable Platform	GameCube Platform

• The color of the tilting platforms are different across all versions.
• For PlayStation Portable in particular this extends even to the Fire/Flying section for all moving metal platforms.

PlayStation 2 ID Tag	PlayStation Portable ID Tag	GameCube ID Tag

• The ID tag to bring to the door is noticeably a lot more detailed in the PlayStation 2 version, while it's a solid color in the other versions.
• For the PlayStation Portable version, it's also white (shading causes it to look blue).

PlayStation 2 Paper	GameCube Paper

• After a couple of seconds, the paper randomly becomes bright in the GameCube/PlayStation Portable versions.

Watch on YouTube

• The Heat haze and smoke effect in Monkitropolis/Kongri La mid section is missing in the GameCube/PlayStation Portable ports. It also makes the area seem yellower with slight bloom.
• Omni lights are positioned differently on the GameCube version. For the PlayStation Portable version, the ambient isn't black like here.

Porting Leftovers#

As all ports were made relatively around the same time, assets from the PlayStation 2 version weren't completely removed.

• In the PlayStation Portable version, the splines for the PlayStation 2-exclusive monorail are still in the files, in addition to other loading areas exclusive to it.
• Other linker segments for loading zones are also still in the game unused.

Other Porting Differences#

• Fog is strongest in the PlayStation Portable version, with the PlayStation 2 version being less as effective, and the GameCube version even less so.
• In party games, framerate is cut in half on the PlayStation Portable.
• Particle effects for collision is lower in other ports compared to the PlayStation 2.
• The PlayStation Portable version has lower draw distance and LODs for objects.
• Flying is far harder on the PlayStation Portable version to minimize sequence breaking.
• Present in throughout the four worlds in the PlayStation Portable port are collectible cards which can be used to play the PlayStation Portable-exclusive minigame, Monkey Trumps.
• The PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 ports can be linked together to transfer save files.
• The Time Traveler is exclusive to the PlayStation Portable version after finishing the game. He tells the player extra lore connecting Adventure to Super Monkey Ball 2.
• Future Aiai is an unlockable character in the PlayStation Portable port, after talking to the Time Traveler in the 4 worlds, then getting all cards with each character (without the cheat code), in addition to 100% a save file. He can be transferred to the PlayStation 2 version.

-This incidentally means he's the most obnoxious character to unlock.

• The PlayStation Portable port has an exclusive series of levels featured in Challenge Mode which can be unlocked after completing the expert difficulty.