There are very few video games with a premise as far-fetched asSuper Monkey Ball. A game where players roll a ball with a monkey in it may not seem like an obvious hit, but theMonkey Ballseries has nonetheless been successful. More than fifteen titles have been released since its debut in 2001, ranging from original entries to remakes and spin-offs, and its influence on modern games cannot be understated. Players love theSuper Monkey Ballseries for its fast-paced, arcade style gameplay, and the upcomingSuper Monkey Ball: Banana Maniais proof of that.
Banana Maniais a remake of the series' first three console games and will release this October in celebration ofMonkey Ball’s20th anniversary. The game will feature three hundred stages, a story mode, twelve multiplayer party games, and all eight playable monkey characters. Sega also announced crossover characters fromSonic the HedgehogandJet Set Radio: Sonic, Tales, and Beat will all appear as playable characters. In light of this announcement, speculations have been made about the inclusion of other famous Sega characters. Here are a few whose inclusion inBanana Maniawould either make sense or make for fun gameplay.
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Space Channel 5
First released in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast,Space Channel 5is rhythm game in which players take on the role of Ulala, a reporter who works for the titular news channel. Gameplay consists of matching the correct input to the movements and vocalizations of characters on-screen a la Simon Says, which younger gamers might compare to the likes ofFriday Night Funkin'. Besides being one of Sega’s more iconic characters, Ulala has appeared in a number of Sega crossovers already, includingSega Superstars,Sonic Riders, andSonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. Beat’sBanana Maniaredesign demonstrated how human characters can be reworked intoMonkey Ball’siconic chibi style, so Ulala’s character design shouldn’t be a problem. She may be one of Sega’s older characters, but seeing Ulala roll around in a Monkey Ball collecting hearts or microphones would make a lot of sense.
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
Reactions toBilly Hatcher and the Giant Eggwhen it released for the GameCube in 2003 were mixed at best. The game’s camera, physics, and story were all subject to criticism, and sales of the title were underwhelming. Despite numerous technical problems, however, many players have fond memories of this title and its charming personality, and the eponymous Billy Hatcher would be right at home inSuper Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. His cartoony appearance, similar in build toSonic the Hedgehog, lends itself to the over the top world ofMonkey Ball. Moreover,Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg’sgameplay revolves around rolling eggs, so thematically he would fit right in. There are plenty of ways Sega could riff on a crossover betweenBilly HatcherandMonkey Ball, even with the former’s limited source material.
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Shenmue
While it may be an indulgent idea, but aSuper Monkey BallandShenmuecrossover would certainly be entertaining.Shenmuefor the Sega Dreamcast broke new ground when it released in 1999, and it received two sequels: the Dreamcast’s highly successfulShenmue 2,and the crowdfundedShenmue 3for the PC/PS4. Its relatively mature themes are at odds withMonkey Ball, sure, but Sega has subtly acknowledged the absurdity ofShenmuein the past. TakeSonic & All-Stars Racing, for instance, which featuredShenmue’sprotagonist, Ryo Hazuki, driving various Sega arcade cabinets instead of a car or motorbike. It’s not clear exactly how Sega could fit Ryo into a Monkey Ball, but the results would almost certainly be comical.
The sky’s the limit when it comes toSuper Monkey Ballcrossovers with other Sega IP, but there’s no guarantee any additional characters will be included besides Sonic, Tails, and Beat. Regardless,Banana Maniais shaping up to be a true celebration ofSuper Monkey Ball’schaotic fun, and surprising new characters would undoubtedly please fans. Some are more obvious than others, like Nights andAlex Kidd, but Sega has a wealth of games from which to draw inspiration. Such twists on theMonkey Ballformula might just be what it needs to spawn a new, original sequel.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Maniareleases August 01, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
