Super Monkey Ball: Banana Maniawas something of a surprise. There was a time when Sega releasedSuper Monkey Ballgames every year in the early 2000s, but in the 2010s the series largely fell off the radar. Now, between 2019’sSuper Monkey Ball: Banana BlitzHD remake andBanana Mania, Sega seems determined to restore the franchise’s presence. What’s more, Sega clearly wants to celebrateSuper Monkey Ball,as 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of theseries. Thus, it makes sense for Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio to go all out, but the extent of the celebration is still surprising.
Banana Maniaisn’ta wholly newSuper Monkey Ballgame; it’s a compilation of tons of classic levels and game modes from the series. However, Sega is still pulling out all the stops.The game is loaded with all kinds of guest characters, both unlockable and puchasable as DLC. Some of these characters are Sega mainstays who seem like shoe-ins as guest characters, but others are more surprising and unpredictable. Unexpected as the huge guest list may be, it’s great to see Sega dedicated to celebrating theSuper Monkey Ballbrand.
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Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania’s Guests
Some ofBanana Mania’s earliest revealed guest characters wereSonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Tails. It’s no surprise that Sega wants to put theseSonic the Hedgehogstars inBanana Mania,as they’re the faces of Sega and their history of racing and platforming makes them appropriate inSuper Monkey Ball.Even so, Sonic and Tails didn’t telegraph the surprising nature ofSuper Monkey Ball’s other guest characters.
Some other Sega characters from very different franchises will be playable.Long-timeYakuzafranchise protagonist Kazuma Kiryuwill be inBanana Mania.What’s more,Persona 5hasSuper Monkey Ballrepresentation with the Phantom Thieves' catlike companion Morgana.These two are iconic Sega characters, making them well worth aBanana Maniacameo. However, the game also features Beat fromJet Set Radio,Sega’s acclaimed but long-dormant action platforming IP. Sega is clearly happy to invite all of its most beloved characters toSuper Monkey Ball’s birthday celebration, but the guest list doesn’t end there.
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There’s a couple of notable guest characters on the way from outside Sega’s realm. For instance, Sega just revealeda Suezo from theMonster Rancerseriesby Koei Tecmo will be unlockable, adding a rather strange and quirky creature. Perhaps more surprising, Sanrio’s Hello Kitty will be playable inBanana Mania.As an extremely valuable character with a worldwide impact, it’s surprising that Sega could get Hello Kitty into the game, but she’s a perfect guest for the colorful platforming franchise.
Super Monkey Ball Strikes Back
Sega shows a lot of confidence inSuper Monkey Ballby bringing so many recognizable characters together inBanana Mania.Super Monkey Ballmay not have a major presence in the games industry nowadays, but Sega clearly believes that it can return to its former prominence if it’s willing to invest so much time and effort in arranging all of these guest characters.
There’s still a few weeks to go beforeSuper Monkey Ball: Banana Maniareleases, meaning Sega has plenty of time to surprise fans with more guests.Hello Kitty and Suezoset an interesting precedent as the newest characters, since they’re not Sega characters. Maybe there’s some more outside friends of Sega coming together forSuper Monkey Ballsoon.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Maniareleases July 15, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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