Last December, during the celebration of The Game Awards 2023, SEGA announced the beginning of its “new era”, which will mark the return of several of its most iconic franchises. In the trailer presented, five of the licenses currently in development were revealed: Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Crazy Taxi, and Jet Set Radio. Some of these IPs have gone 12, 15, or even 21 years without receiving new installments. At the end of the video, it was noted that, in addition to this powerful quintet, more games were in development, although no details about them were provided.
Recently, a list of additional, unannounced games in development has begun circulating. According to various specialized media outlets that contacted SEGA itself, new installments of Panzer Dragoon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars) are currently in development.
These Three Franchises and Their History
These three franchises debuted on the Sega Saturn, with Panzer Dragoon being the oldest. It was released on March 10, 1995, in Japan, May 11 in North America, and August 30 of the same year in the United Kingdom and Brazil. Among the three, it has been neglected for the least amount of time, as it received a remake in 2020 developed in Unity by MegaPixel Studio. This remake was made available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Amazon Luna, and Stadia.
Sakura Taisen is another original work created by the studio behind Sonic the Hedgehog. It was released on Sega Saturn on September 27, 1996, exclusively in the Japanese market. On May 25, 2000, it came to Sega Dreamcast, again as a Japanese exclusive. This multimedia franchise encompasses video games, anime, manga, and countless related products. However, its origins trace back to the Saturn game, which was groundbreaking as it combined tactical RPG elements, visual novel storytelling, and dating simulation mechanics, defined by SEGA itself as belonging to the “dramatic adventure” genre. This saga has received numerous installments, the most recent of which was released in Japan in 2019 for PS4. For the first time, this sixth installment, simply titled Sakura Wars, reached Western markets in 2020. It featured the same genre-blending aspects as its predecessors but also incorporated third-person action and platforming elements, making it the most dynamic and entertaining installment in the series.
Finally, the gaming adaptation of Neon Genesis Evangelion, the legendary anime series directed by Hideaki Anno, made its debut in the world of video games on March 1, 1996, on the Sega Saturn, exclusively in Japan. This popular anime has spawned more than 20 games across different platforms, including consoles and PC. Unfortunately, none of these games have done justice to the series or come close to meeting fans’ expectations. Hopefully, this new attempt will finally honor this masterpiece of animation.
Licenses Recently Renewed by SEGA
In addition to the games already announced, SEGA has recently renewed several of the licenses for its most iconic franchises in Japan. According to the specialized media outlet Gematsu, the company behind Sonic the Hedgehog has registered the following licenses:
- Altered Beast
- Eternal Champions
- Jet Set Radio
- Kid Chameleon
- Alex Kidd
- After Burner
- Crazy Taxi
- House of the Dead
- Outrun
- Shinobi
- Streets of Rage
- Super Monkey Ball
