During the 2023 Game Awards, Sega made quite a statement during the presentations. In their trailer POWER SURGE, Sega Reveal, the developer/publisher showcased teasers, marking a return of a handful of dormant intellectual properties. Names like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Streets of Rage were noted and announced as "in development".
For a long time, fans have asked for Sega to bring many of their popular titles from the heyday of Sega's success on the Mega Drive and Dreamcast platforms (the poor Sega Saturn continues to be ignored...). They've even hosted polls over the years. Streets of Rage 4, developed by Dotemu/LizardCube/Guard Crush, saw a return of the brawler series in 2020.
The last Golden Axe game was released in 2008, Golden Axe: Beast Rider in 2008. It was the first 3D entry in the series, as players take control of Tyris Flare, the female barbarian from the first entry. Jet Set Radio gained quite the cult following over the decades, and was prasied on the Sega Dreamcast for its control and stylish graphics. Shinobi began as an arcade-style side-scrolling action platformer, before venturing briefly into 3D on the PlayStation 2, which also saw a spin-off titled Nightshade. Crazy Taxi was a fast-paced race against the clock, and a popular arcade game, when the medium was on its way out of the cultural mainstream of the United States.
While "...and more" was a part of the vignette, it's worth noting that Virtua Fighter, Sega's monumental 3D fighter that coined the medium, was absent. It really feels like this modern incarnation of Sega wants little to do with ingratiating the grandfather of fighting games for a new generation.
What do you think of Sega's revival of some dormant IPs?
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