Super Monkey Ball Adventure/Revision Differences

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

Loading Differences

PS2	GameCube/PSP

• The PS2 port displays a blue loading bar during the startup. The GameCube and PSP ports display "Loading" instead.
• In the PS2 port, you can skip the Traveller's Tales logo FMV.

PS2	GameCube/PSP

• The Challenge Mode loading screen was given a background in the GameCube and PSP ports. The Camera Monkey was also removed
• Incidentally, UI in general is dimmer on PS2. Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity has the same issue

PS2 NPC	Wind Up Key

• In an attempt to mask the load times in the PS2 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 PSP 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.

• The Monorail's function in Monkitropolis is exclusive to the PS2 version, along with elevators, roughly taking about a min. 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 key rooms, noted here

• 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

PS2 Save	GC Save

• The PS2 version shows the warning for manually saving much longer than other ports, and before the save selection unlike other versions
• GC also lays out the save files horizontally instead of vertically like PSP/PS2

PS2 Stereo Options	GC Lack of Options

• The GC version strangely is lacking Stereo/Mono options. It's in the PS2/PSP version

Graphical Differences

PS2 Greyscale	GC Greyscale

• The PS2/PSP version handles the greyscale toning differently than GC versions. In those versions, AiAi and the Naysayer are still saturated, but in GC, the entire screen is greyed out

PS2 Minimap	PSP Minimap	GC Minimap

• GC's Minimap is noticeably more opaque than PSP's, which is slightly more opaque than PS2's. Incidentally, the PSP version has fog still affect the Minimap when zooming in/out with the X Button
• The icon in the Minimap for AiAi's head is incorrectly squished for PS2/GC in 4:3 mode
• Lighting in general is brighter on the PSP port, with ambient colors being more saturated

PS2 Facial Expressions	GC Lack of Expressions

• For whatever reason, all facial expressions were drastically reduced in the GC/PSP port. 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 GC
• Oddly, legs are incorrect for some NPCs on PS2

PS2 Foliage	GC Foliage

• The Foliage is animated in the PS2 version. They're static in the GC/PSP port
• Oddly for the model for the PRESS START screen, it's static in all versions

PS2 Picture	GC Picture

• The Camera Monkey (SiSi) Missions in the GC/PSP port have the picture of the entire screen fully in greyscale. In the PS2 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

PS2 Invisible Ball	GC Invisible Ball

PS2 Pump	GC Pump

PS2 Glass	GC Glass

PS2 Lens	GC Lens

• Faux refraction and environment maps on glass in general was removed in the GC and PSP port
• The lens in Kongri La also are one sided for rendering in the GC/PSP port

PS2 Ice	PSP Ice	GC Ice

PS2 Ice	PSP Ice	GC Ice

• Ice in general looks different in all versions, with PSP being blatantly yellow

GC Robot Monkey	PSP Robot Monkey

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

PS2 Platform	PSP Platform	GC Platform

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

PS2 ID Tag	PSP ID Tag	GC ID Tag

• The ID tag to bring to the door is noticeably a lot more detailed in the PS2 version, while it's a solid color in the other versions
• For PSP it's also white (shading causes it to look blue)

PS2 Paper	GC Paper

• After a couple of seconds, the paper randomly becomes bright in the GC/PSP versions

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

Porting Leftovers

As all ports were made relatively around the same time, assets from the PS2 version weren't completely removed

• In the PSP version, the splines for the PS2 exclusive monorail are still in the files, in addition to other loading areas exclusive
• Other linker segments for loading zones are also still in the game unused

Other Porting Differences

• Fog is strongest in the PSP version, with PS2 being less as effective, and GC even less
• In party games, framerate is cut in half on PSP
• Particle effects for collision is lower in other ports compared to PS2
• The PSP version has lower draw distance and LODs for objects
• Flying is far harder on the PSP version to minimize sequence breaking
• Present in throughout the four worlds in the PSP port are collectible cards which can be used to play the PSP exclusive mini game, Monkey Trumps.
• The PSP and PS2 ports can be linked together to transfer save files.
• The Time Traveler is exclusive to PSP 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 PSP 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 PS2 version

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

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