SEGA announced through a short video the beginning of its new era, developing several new installments of its most beloved and iconic franchises. During the celebration of The Game Awards 2023, the world premiere trailer was unveiled, making all fans of retro games jump with excitement. Just 90 seconds of video were enough, even though only a third of it was gameplay footage of titles in an alpha state. Still, with the five names that appeared, we couldn’t hide our joy.
What Games Is SEGA Developing in Its New Era
Shinobi
Among all the titles announced, this is the most long-standing and has the highest number of iterations. Shinobi was originally launched in arcades in 1987 and was later ported to multiple systems over the decades. This series was one of the most prosperous in the industry during the ninja craze of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Unfortunately, it didn’t fare as well in the 2000s. The last installment in the franchise was exclusively released for the Nintendo 3DS more than a decade ago, in 2011.
Golden Axe
This classic arcade Beat’em Up, developed by Team Shinobi, debuted in arcades in 1989 and was ported to several systems, with the Mega Drive version being the most popular. It was the company’s flagship title during the early years of its 16-bit console as it brought the arcade experience home, albeit with certain compromises. It had two sequels on consoles, a spin-off on Master System, and in 1992, the arcade version got a sequel on the System 32 platform. Fans of this medieval action saga waited 15 years for a new sequel on consoles in 2008 for Xbox 360 and PS3. Unfortunately, this version failed to win over players and critics. Another 15 years passed before we got any news of the franchise. Hopefully, this time SEGA can deliver a game worthy of this legendary series.
Streets of Rage
Another iconic series of Beat’em Ups, possibly the greatest of all time, with a brilliant soundtrack composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro (who also composed the Shinobi soundtrack), published by SEGA as a competitor to Capcom’s Final Fight. The original Streets of Rage trilogy was released for the Mega Drive between 1991 and 1994. However, it fell into obscurity for many years. Thankfully, it made a triumphant comeback in 2020 with its fourth installment, developed by DotEmu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games. While all previous entries were side-scrolling Beat’em Ups, this time, SEGA is opting for a 3D Brawler-style mechanic. We’ll have to wait and see if this change in style manages to win us over.
Crazy Taxi
This incredibly fun arcade-style driving game debuted in arcades in 1999 and was ported to Dreamcast the following year, with PS2 and GameCube versions arriving a year later. Over time, it was also re-released on modern systems. Thanks to its popularity, it had four sequels, including two for handheld consoles, the most recent being Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for PSP in 2007. Afterward, two mobile games were released that had little to do with the original formula.
Jet Set Radio
The youngest franchise on this list, with the fewest installments, Jet Set Radio was released in 2000 for the Dreamcast and re-released a year later with additional songs. The original game was ported to Xbox 360, PC, and PS Vita in 2012. The only official sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, was released exclusively for Xbox in 2002 and was never ported to other platforms. The series’ last release was a reimagining of the original game in 2D isometric format, launched for the GameBoy Advance in 2003.
