We have some members of Team NL that can barely contain their excitement for Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, especially as it continues to add fun unlockable characters like Sonic and Tails. It just got pretty serious, though, as SEGA has confirmed that Kazuma Kiryu, lead protagonist of the mainline Yakuza games, will also feature.
As with all of the other reveals he'll be free and unlockable through normal gameplay from day one, which is a nice touch.
Yakuza is a franchise that has mostly missed out on Nintendo hardware, so this is our gateway - not bad.
Will you be rolling with Kazuma Kiryu in Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania?
Comments 33
If a semi-realistic character like him can get in, then there is no excuse for them to not included other cartoony characters such as Amigo, Nights, Ulala, and Billy Hatcher. Unless they run out of the budget of course.
If only SEGA used their franchises to make actual games, rather than us having to make do with spiritual successors to games like Jet Set Radio, for example.
@RareFan It's probably not gonna happen, but I'd love the Bonanza Bros, Dynamite Headdy, or Ristar in here.
New Monkey Ball games used to make me sad. But this one. This one makes me very happy. Thank you, Sega.
@Noid Ristar would be dope! I always wanted to see him in a proper 3D-Game!
I’m glad we can get a Yakuza game on Switch finally.
@LtSarge and you thought your adventures as Kiryu were over…
Kazuma in Smash now confirmed. lol
I'm happy enough with AiAi and friends but these are nice extras.
If I'm going to replay the stages a hundred times then I might as well change up my character once in a while.
This is, sadly, probably the closest we'll ever get to having a Yakuza game on Switch.
@K1LLEGAL Who needs Judgment when I can play this instead. Kiryu is back baby!
@RareFan just imagine having Billy Hatcher over the ball instead of inside, if only...
Now let’s get a Streets of Rage character in here.
Now give me Vyse from Skies of Arcadia!
I scanned the headline too quickly and my first thought was why is Mechagodzilla in Super Monkey Ball?
Now I really want a Godzilla-Monkey Ball crossover.
Lol, this is so ridiculous I love it!
@RareFan6 Billy hatcher is guaranteed as he can roll on his egg, likewise I feel that Seaman (in a ball) also has a good chance
Lol, I love that even the bananas change to match the theme of the game! Looking good Sega!
The Dragon of Dojima takes on the Monkey of Mania
Alright, can we just put Miis in the damn balls already?
pokemon who, amirite fellas?
Yo. Kiryu-chan!
@Realness I'd make Miick Jagger.
WiiU had Yakuza games. In Japan. So, all is well.
@RareFan
The obvious excuse to include Kiryu over Amigo, Ulala, Billy Hatcher, etc. is that the Yakuza series is much, much more popular and successful than all of those other series combined.
Yakuza gets a new game every year pretty much and it's more popular than ever in the West. Billy Hatcher on the other hand is from a one-game series that hasn't seen a new release (or rerelease) in almost 20 years.
Look at it another way. Adding a character from the popular Sonic and Yakuza series brings attention to this title. Adding a character from the Billy Hatcher or Space Channel 5 series pleases mega SEGA nerds like myself, but really doesn't do much for the broader gaming market.
@NEStalgia
Indeed it did. And unfortunately, SEGA concluded that the poor sales of the Japanese-exclusive HD PS2 ports of Yakuza 1 & 2 on the freaking Wii U means that the much, much, much larger Switch audience just isn't interested in Yakuza games. Sigh....
@RushDawg Grateful as I am that Xbox finally got the whole Yakuza series, it's kind of funny that now Xbox has the whole series, and Nintendo has nothing....
They might be right though. With PC, Xbox, and PS, they have most of the West covered, and I suspect the Japanese Switch market really wouldn't be interested in Yakuza/LaD.
This has been hyped up so much here that I fully anticipate a mediocre review score.
I can see a lot of great mods for this, definitely getting it on PC.
C'mon, Goro Majima and Ichiban Kasuga next!
"Mom, I want Yakuza on Switch"
"We already have Yakuza on Switch at home"
Yakuza on Switch at home: ...
@Ralizah
From a gameplay perspective, i'd say Akiba's Trip is the most Yakuza-like game we have on the Switch.
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