Super Monkey Ball had its humble beginnings as an arcade game in 2001 before landing on the GameCube that same year. While Super Monkey Ball may not be as popular as other Sega games such as Sonic the Hedgehog or Yakuza, the fact that the franchise is still going on twenty years later is a testament to its solid fanbase.
In celebration of the franchise's anniversary, Sega is releasing Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, which features remastered levels from the first three games in the series, and will release on October 5. In Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, players will see the usual gang of characters like AiAi, MeeMee, Baby, GonGon, Doctor, YanYan, and Jam and Jet. In addition, the upcoming game will also feature guest characters, some of which will be paid, while others will be made available for free.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania - Free Guest Characters
The roster of free guest characters will be coming from other games under Sega's umbrella. Headlining the roster of free guest characters are Sonic and Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Given Sonic is basically the mascot of the Sega brand, it is not a surprise that he, alongside Tails, will be available for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania players as guest characters.
Additionally, players will also be able to see Kazuma Kiryu from Yakuza as a guest characters, which is interesting given that this will be one of the rare times players see Kazuma in a fun, lighthearted setting. Lastly, Beat from Jet Set Radio completes the roster of free guest characters that players should expect from Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. At the moment, it remains to be seen if characters from other Sega games will also be making an appearance, but it it's likely that more could join as free guest characters once the game releases.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania - Paid Guest Characters
Apart from the free guest characters from other Sega games, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania will also feature premium DLC characters from other games and media franchises. Players can expect to see the most famous cat in the world, Hello Kitty, from Sanrio. Out of all the premium guest characters set to appear in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, Hello Kitty's appearance in the game a big deal given her global influence and the massive amounts of money she generates as a brand. Hello Kitty will be available immediately once Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is released for $4.99.
It is no secret that Super Monkey Ball likes to add odd characters to its roster too. A few days ago, Sega announced that the game would feature classic Sega consoles such as the Game Gear, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast. All three consoles are bundled as the Sega Legends Pack, and will be available on October 5 for $4.99. However, the Sega Legends Pack will be available for free to players who purchase the Deluxe version of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania.
Additionally, the one-eyed monster Suezo from Monster Rancher will also be available on Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania as a premium guest character for $4.99 starting on October 19. Next up is Morgana from Persona 5, a mysterious character with ties to Mementos who is on a quest to seek answers by restoring his memories. Morgana will be added to the game on November 2, also for $4.99.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania releases October 5, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.