Crazy Taxi DLC Revealed for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble

Earlier this month, Sonic the Hedgehog DLC was revealed for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. However, it seems Sonic and friends won’t be the only Sega icons appearing in the Nintendo Switch game! In a newly released trailer, Sega has revealed that Crazy Taxi’s Axel will also make an appearance. Axel will appear alongside his convertible taxi, which will be inside a clear Monkey Ball. Axel will have unique stats compared to other characters; Sega’s trailer notes that he’s crazy fast, makes quick turns, and he’s a precision driver. When selecting Axel, the game’s bananas will change to coins, similar to the way they’ll swap out for Rings when picking Sonic and friends. 

The Axel trailer for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble can be found below. 

Guest Characters in Super Monkey Ball

Axel will be playable in both the Adventure and Battle modes. Like the Sonic DLC, Axel will be available for purchase in multiple ways. Crazy Taxi fans can purchase him separately, or get him as part of the Sega Pass DLC. The Sega Pass DLC can be purchased separately for $24.99, or obtained through Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble‘s Digital Deluxe Edition, which will cost $69.99. 

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania featured a number of guest characters from various Sega franchises, so it’s not surprising that we’ll be seeing the same for Banana Rumble. The previous game in the series featured characters like Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, as well as Beat from Jet Set Radio. It remains to be seen whether these playable characters will return in Banana Rumble, or if we’ll see Sega’s old systems come back; the previous game allowed players to roll through levels as the Game Gear, Saturn, and Dreamcast. 

The Future of Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi has long been a beloved Sega franchise. The series began in 1999, and has appeared on various platforms. Over the last two decades, the Crazy Taxi series has continued on solely through mobile titles and ports of older games. However, at The Game Awards last year, Sega revealed that a new entry in the series is in development. Details about the game are slim at this time, and rumors suggest it won’t be coming out for several years. Thankfully, diehard fans of the series can see Axel a lot sooner; Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble will release June 25th, on Nintendo Switch, while the Axel DLC will be arriving this fall. 

Are you excited for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble? Do you plan on snagging the Sega Pass DLC? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!