There are very few video games with a premise as far-fetched as Super Monkey Ball. A game where players roll a ball with a monkey in it may not seem like an obvious hit, but the Monkey Ball series 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 the Super Monkey Ball series for its fast-paced, arcade style gameplay, and the upcoming Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is proof of that.
Banana Mania is a remake of the series' first three console games and will release this October in celebration of Monkey Ball's 20th 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 from Sonic the Hedgehog and Jet 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 in Banana Mania would either make sense or make for fun gameplay.
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First released in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast, Space Channel 5 is 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 of Friday Night Funkin'. Besides being one of Sega's more iconic characters, Ulala has appeared in a number of Sega crossovers already, including Sega Superstars, Sonic Riders, and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. Beat's Banana Mania redesign demonstrated how human characters can be reworked into Monkey Ball's iconic 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.
Reactions to Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg when 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 in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. His cartoony appearance, similar in build to Sonic the Hedgehog, lends itself to the over the top world of Monkey Ball. Moreover, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg's gameplay revolves around rolling eggs, so thematically he would fit right in. There are plenty of ways Sega could riff on a crossover between Billy Hatcher and Monkey Ball, even with the former's limited source material.
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While it may be an indulgent idea, but a Super Monkey Ball and Shenmue crossover would certainly be entertaining. Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast broke new ground when it released in 1999, and it received two sequels: the Dreamcast's highly successful Shenmue 2, and the crowdfunded Shenmue 3 for the PC/PS4. Its relatively mature themes are at odds with Monkey Ball, sure, but Sega has subtly acknowledged the absurdity of Shenmue in the past. Take Sonic & All-Stars Racing, for instance, which featured Shenmue's protagonist, 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 to Super Monkey Ball crossovers with other Sega IP, but there's no guarantee any additional characters will be included besides Sonic, Tails, and Beat. Regardless, Banana Mania is shaping up to be a true celebration of Super Monkey Ball's chaotic fun, and surprising new characters would undoubtedly please fans. Some are more obvious than others, like Nights and Alex Kidd, but Sega has a wealth of games from which to draw inspiration. Such twists on the Monkey Ball formula might just be what it needs to spawn a new, original sequel.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania releases October 5, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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