Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu is making a chibified guest appearance in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania.
According to Sega, Kazuma will be an unlockable character in Super Monkey Ball that you can obtain through playing the game normally.
They have also confirmed that Sonic, Tails, and Beat from Jet Set Radio will also be appearing as playable characters.
Each character has slightly different collectibles to collect as they go through the course. Sonic and Tails grab rings, Beat grabs spray paint and Kazume grabs Staminan X.
Super Monkey Ball and Yakuza are actually made by the same developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and both are directed by Toshihiro Nagoshi. In this regard the crossover makes sense.
With all these famous Sega characters getting guest roles in the game, many are joking that this game will be Sega’s Smash Bros are at least a follow-up to Sega All-Star Racing. It does make you wonder who else Sega could squish into a capsule ball.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is a collection that remakes the first three home console games in the series. It will also feature new content including a new story mode and updated gameplay mechanics. It will be available for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and will release on October 5th.
Yakuza is a long-running popular Sega franchise. You can find out more about it in our review of its latest entry, Yakuza Like a Dragon.