Super Monkey Ball 2: Master Mode FAQ v1.0
Jeff Dimapasoc aka GForce9x
[email protected]
September 24, 2002
This FAQ is to provide tips and strategies for the 10 floors in
Challenge Mode's master level.
---------------
Version History
---------------
v1.1 - added a much more simple and quicker strategy for floor 10
v1.0 - original FAQ
-----------------------------
General Info and Symbol Guide
-----------------------------
Throughout this guide you might see an asterik(*) on some of the
floors' walkthroughs. These indicate a warp, shortcut, or alternate
route to the goal.
If you see an (s) symbol next to a floor, it means that you will
need to pay close attention to your speed on the said floor.
If you see a (t) symbol next to a floor, it means that timing will
be crucial on the said floor.
If you see a (c) symbol next to a floor, it means that fine control
will be a huge factor on the said floor.
-------------------------------
How to Access the Master Floors
-------------------------------
To access the master level floors, you must complete all 50 expert
and all 10 expert extra floors (warps allowed), without using a single
continue. Once you access the master floors, you can select it from
the main menu instead of having to do expert all over again each time.
-----------
Walkthrough
-----------
1 - CENTRIFUGAL - (c) Drop down off the runway and hold right as you
fall to the bottom of the bowl. You'll eventually come to rest
spinning between the middle sections. Hold up and/or right to move
yourself up the side and down and/or left to move down the side.
The object of this floor is to let the goal come to you. When a
banana passes you by, try to line yourself up in the same row of
checkers that it is in. Use the mini-map to see when the goal is
approaching. It's visible in the medium zoom mode, but hard to
spot if you are moving around a lot. Try to keep yourself in the
banana row and let the goal come and sweep you up. Including the
goal spot, there are 12 banana spots. If you miss the goal, hold
down and use the map to count banana spots until the goal comes
around again. You should have enough time for two tries at the
goal, depending on how much time you spend for each attempt.
2 - SWING BRIDGES - The layout of this floor is similar to JUNCTION
(Beginner Extra 4), except instead of a cris-crossing platform,
you have a bunch of swinging bridges. One thing to note about the
bridges is that they overlap the landing platforms, so after you
land on a platform, move forward to the forward half of the
platform so that the bridge behind you doesn't swat you off.
The first bridge moves very slow, so you can cross it without
stopping. The second bridge moves a little faster with a wider
swing, but is still fairly easy to jump on and off. Stay near
the center as it is turning and work your way toward the edge
as it swings back toward the platform. The last bridge has a
much faster and wider swing to it so you'll need a little bit of
speed when getting on it. The centers of the bridges have the
least movement while the bridges are swinging so they are the
safest spots to wait in. Start working your way toward the edge
as the bridge starts swinging again, keeping your movement in
the same direction that the bridge is rotating so that it doesn't
slip out from under you. Watch your speed as you land on the goal
platform.
*Optional: You can power your way through this one. Just hold
forward immediately as you start. The rotation of the bridges
will cause you to curve a bit, so try to keep yourself going as
straight as possible.
*Warp: (t) As with JUNCTION, the warp is behind the runway, but
you do not need to get a running start for this one. However,
timing is very crucial here when jumping down as you need to hit
the bridge as it is swinging by. I recommend turning around at
the start and staying in place until the clock is around 56:40.
Then hold up and move forward to the end of the runway. Try to
stay a little left of center and angle yourself slightly to the
right so that you have plenty of room to land on. Hit the
brakes as you get to the center of the bridge so that you don't
fall over. When the bridge starts moving again, work yourself to
the edge so that you land on the platform as the bridge is
swinging by. Move up to the forward half of the platform so
that the bridge you just got off of doesn't bat you off while you
wait for the next one. The second bridge will pass by you three
times during each swing. You'll want to jump on the bridge as
the third edge is coming by. Be on the same side of the
platform that the bridge is going to be coming to a stop at.
Get a running start and fall off the platform a little before
the bridge arrives so that you land on it as it is swinging by.
Don't stop on this one. Use your current momentum and run at a
medium-fast speed to the other side as it will be starting to move
again as you reach it. Don't go too fast though because you may
reach the other side too soon and fall over before it reaches the
platform. Drop on to the platform, watching your speed so that
you don't fall over the other side. The last bridge is nasty.
It passes by you five times during each swing. You'll want to
jump on during the fifth pass. Because this one rotates so fast,
you'll want to fall even sooner than you did for the second bridge
or else you'll miss it. Stop at the center and begin working your
way to the edge that will be passing by the goal first. Go full
speed along with the bridge toward the goal platform and hit the
brakes when you land so that you don't fall over the edge. Just
make sure that you stop far enough ahead so that the bridge doesn't
hit you off. Jump to floor 4.
3 - CYLINDERS - (s,c) In my opinion, this is one of the nastiest
(if not the nastiest) floors in the game. It's simple, but far
from easy. You need to be nearly flawless on this floor to make it
to the goal. Even the slightest over or undercorrection on a turn
will send you over the side. Basically what this floor is is a bunch
of spinning cylinders. Think of it as spinning logs in the water.
You can choose either direction to take. I always use the right
path but both of them are equally as hard. The only difference
between the two paths is that you turn in the opposite direction
and the spin of the floor is going the other way. Speed is very
crucial on this floor as it make it easier to keep your balance.
You can go fairly fast along the first cylinder until you reach
the fork. Choose a side and take it toward the goal. You'll want
to make 90-degree angle turns on all of the corners so that you are
in a straight line with the next cylinder. Use the banana bunches
as markers for where to turn. Just make sure you don't come to
a complete stop while trying to turn or else the momentum of the
floor will cause you to turn around, messing up your timing,
camera angle, and pretty much your whole day. Make your turns
quick, but controlled. While going straight on the cylinders,
gently keep the control stick pushed in the opposite direction
of the spin of the cylinder you are on. If the cylinder is
starting to push you over, push the stick down a little harder to
correct. If you find yourself overcorrecting, ease off on the
stick. In any case, never ever let up your forward momentum. Be
careful on the third turn as it drops down to the next cylinder.
It could cause you to bump and lose a little control. The last
cylinder is very narrow so you won't have much breathing space.
Fortunately, you can go faster on that one so it'll help you to
correct a little easier. Do not be surprised if it takes you many
many lives and/or continues the first couple of times when you
reach this floor. Even when you know what to do, you must be
practically flawless on this one.
4 - PASSAGE - This floor is all about crossing gaps on the
corners. The moving beams alternate moving to the other side.
Head forward over the small gap and wait for the beams next to
you to pass through. Jump to the platform to your right. Now
wait for the side beams to pass to the other side. Head to the
right again and jump both platforms to where the bunch of bananas
is. Turn to your left and wait for the beams to pass through
(if they haven't already). You should see the goal now. Head
across the next three platforms and enter the goal.
*Warp: Notice how there is also a lower set of beams. Start
off like normally. Hop on the right platform when the first set
of beams pass you by. This time though, instead of lining
yourself up for the right platform, move to the right edge of
the platform you are on and face the platform ahead to your left.
When the next set of beams pass you by, start moving toward the
left platform, but fall over the edge when you reach the front-
center. Don't go too fast though because if you hit the wall
on your way down, you'll fall off. Try to move near the wall as
you are falling, and once you clear the wall, hold up to land on
the platform below. Wait for the beams to pass by and hop on to
the platform you face when you land. Next, turn to the right and
wait for the beams to pass by. Hope over to this last platform
and turn around to the right and enter the goal, grabbing the
bunches of bananas if you wish.
5 - NOTCH - Wait until the clock is around 43:00 to step on to the
moving platform. Stay to your right so that you don't fall into
the notch. After you pass the first notch, move to your left
and go around the second notch. Try to keep yourself lined up a
little to the left of the left goalpost as the platform starts
bringing you uphill. Keep a slow, but steady forward movement as
the platform begins to rise. When you are approaching the peak,
hold a little harder to the left and move forward a little faster
as you only have a split moment to step off on to the goal
platform. This floor is a slight preview of floor 7.
6 - INTERMITTENT - (s) You'll really need to watch your speed on
this floor. It's basically a series of jumps onto increasingly
smaller platforms to the goal. You can go for the bananas if you
want, but the jumps are easier to make the closer you are to the
next platform. Go at a medium to medium-slow speed on the jumps.
It's hard to set your speed for the last jumps because your speed
flies back and forth on the jumps and landings. If you can though,
try to hit the second to last jump at 30mph. What you want to do
is land on the last platform before the goal and be flush with
the floor as you hit the last jump. This floor is one of those
that you need to play around with to get the right speed for your
last couple of jumps. I've tried to power my way through but I
haven't been able to find a method that works.
7 - LONG TORUS - This floor is a cross between CYLINDERS and NOTCH.
Wait until the clock is at 55:99 (fifth ping) and then head
forward at full speed. Aim for the bunch of bananas and then hit
the bump and jump to your right. Don't hold down right too hard
because the speed of your jump will already give you a lot of
distance. Try to completely skip the corner if possible. Correct
yourself in mid air to land on the center of the cylindrical
platform. Use your bounces to adjust your direction, being as
straight as possible. Keep your speed up full and head to the end
of the torus. There are goals on both sides, but it is easier to
try for the left one and get it over with rather than try to keep
your balance and wait for the right one to come around. Use the
edge of the goal platform as a speed bump if you need to adjust
your speed and direction a little. Other than that, just fall
into the goal.
8 - SPASMODIC - Three small sections of the floor near the goal
flip around. One way to do this floor is to wait next to each
spinning section and move full speed across it as soon as it
stops spinning, coming to a stop immediately after crossing so
that you don't get hit by the nest one.
*Optional: Power your way through this floor. It is much easier
and less stressful. Almost immediately after you drop (when the
clock hits 59:50), hold forward and zip through to the goal.
9 - DOUBLE TWIN - (t) When the clock hits 54:99, move on to the
inner platform on the right side. Move full speed down the center
toward the left side. At 51:99, drop down to the outer platform,
holding down right so that you don't go over the side. Keep your
speed up and head to the stationary platform. Almost immediately,
(46:99) jump on the next inner platform on the left side. Work
your way across the center over to the right side, keeping your
speed up full. Drop to the outer right platform at around 44:50.
Stay on the high (right) side of this plat form as long as
possible and ride it to the goal. Always keep your speed at full
when you are on the moving platforms. There are many ways you can
do this level. The times I used for it is the best working way
I've found so far.
10- CLOCK FACE - Immediately drop down to the black ledge. A
moving red platform with a bunch of bumpers on it should be
starting to pass by. Go to the end of the ledge and drop onto
this platform. You'll see a yellow platform coming your way on
the right. Hop on this platform. You can either turn to the
right a little to face just left of the center of the clock and
move forward to catch the blue platform that passes by, or you
can ride the yellow platform down to the next blue platform.
From there, hop on the first small red platform you can get on.
Step off on to one of the thin yellow platforms and move to the
center. Go left around the clock's face until you reach the
last yellow platform before the hour hand. Hop on that and take
the next red platform that comes around. From there go to a blue
one, then yellow. You don't want a red platform with bumpers, so
ride it until you come across an empty red platform. Ride this
platform down until you get to the goal area. Get on the next
long blue platform and try to get to the goal ramp. Be careful
though because between your direction to stay straight on the
platform, and the platform causing you to spin, it is very easy
to fall off of or miss the goal ledge.
*There are very many ways to do this floor, but the clock's hands
kinda limit your options, so here is how I usually do it:
I won't use fractions of seconds here since it can vary.
Immediately drop down to the black ledge and on to the red
bumper platform. Hop onto yellow platform (54). Move to blue
platform (53). Go on small red platform (51). Move to small
yellow platform (47). Go left around clock face to small
yellow platform before the hour hand (43). Hop on small red
platform (42-41). Move forward to blue platform (40). Wait for
next yellow platform (36). Ride down to empty red platform (32).
Pass over blue platform and onto the goal ledge (30-29).
**After messing around a bit, I found a much easier way to do this
floor. Wait in the beginning until around 50:00. The plain red
platform will come sailing by. Hop on it and take it all the way to
the other side. Try to keep yourself on the middle to the back half
of the platform. As you are passing by the goal, the long blue platform
will begin passing you by. Move onto it and head up the goal ledge.
You should be able to make it with about 40:00 left on the clock.
-----------------------
Copyright/Contact Info.
-----------------------
I am only allowing this FAQ to be hosted by GameFAQS. If you have any
questions about this FAQ or its content, or if you notice any errors,
feel free to write me at
[email protected].
Please be sure that the subject line of your e-mail is easily noticeable
as being related to this FAQ. E-mail that is titled something like,
"Hey GForce9x" or "Hey Jeff" will get deleted as it will look like a lot
of the spam that I get. Also, please let me know if you see any other
site besides www.gamefaqs.com hosting this FAQ.
Happy Gaming
This document Copyright 2002 Jeff Dimapasoc
