Modder Dr. Thomas Tilley has created the ultimate Super Monkey Ball controller, with a fully articulated AiAi inside.
The controller features a rotating plastic ball, similar to the one out of the iconic series. Dr. Tilley also went so far as to 3D-print an articulated model of the game’s iconic monkey mascot, AiAi.
When attached to a motor, AiAi moves when the controller is tilted. Dr. Tilley then uses this to play the GameCube version of Super Monkey Ball, running on an emulator.
The Monkey Ball series began life as an arcade game in 2001. Its first cabinet featured a banana-shaped joystick. However, this was changed in later cabinets like Super Monkey Ball: Ticket Blitz. This had a trackball to better match the on-screen action.
However, none of these feature a real-life AiAi inside like Dr. Tilley’s Super Monkey Ball controller project.
Speaking to Dexerto, Dr. Tilley revealed that the Super Money Ball controller project wasn’t ever meant for Super Monkey Ball.
It began life as a controller mod for playing an obscure Japanese arcade game, Armadillo Racing. The original controller involved the use of a plain old soccer ball, and three deodorant rollers on a cardboard base. This base held the ball in place, which could roll over an optical mouse.
Dr. Tilley also used this to play the PS2 version of Katamari Damacy, as well as Super Monkey Ball on the GameCube.
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He explains, “When I was making a YouTube thumbnail for the Monkey Ball footage I Photoshopped a monkey ball in place of the soccer ball and thought – I could actually make a monkey ball!”
Pondering my Monkey Orb! Here's the edit of my Super Monkey Ball controller that I'd hoped to have ready in time for the release of Super MonkeyBall: Banana Rumble but I was still working on getting AiAi's feet moving.#gaming #SuperMonkeyBall #Sega #Nintendo pic.twitter.com/i9SaPsSmOt
— Dr Tom Tilley (@DrTomTilley) August 14, 2024
For the new controller, Dr. Tilley utilized the same three-deodorant rollers as before. However, he added another to help pick up the rotation of the real-life Super Monley Ball ball.
As the plastic of the ball was too smooth, it didn’t work well with the mouse setup. To remedy this, Dr. Tilley printed a “small surround” with some bearings and a small rubber ball.
Dr. Tilley explains: “As you rotate the plastic ball, the rubber ball moves and the optical mouse picks up the moment.”
The mouse is then mapped to the original thumbstick controls through the emulated version of the game.
This isn’t Dr Tom Tilley’s first foray into making weird and wonderful tech. The mooder and computer scientist is behind the world’s largest playable Game & Watch device.
This impressive feat even garnered the Guinness Book of Records for the largest playable Game & Watch in October 2017.