SEGA have revived 5 of their classic franchises for new games. In a reveal video at The Game Awards 2023, the publisher has announced that new entries in the Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Crazy Taxi and Streets of Rage franchises are currently in development and showcased some brief gameplay of each title.
The new Jet Set Radio carries forward the cel-shaded graphical style of its previous 2 entries and appears to add new traversal capabilities.
Shinobi stays in the 2nd dimension for a fast-paced game that looks like it plays similarly to Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master. However, it is now sporting a hand-drawn art style that isn’t too far removed from Streets of Rage 4.
Golden Axe is once again going for a 3D action game style similar to its last entry Golden Axe: Beast Rider, but appears to have more playable characters and a return to a lot of the franchise’s key iconography.
Crazy Taxi is probably the game that has decided on the most realistic presentation, but it’s still a colourful continuation of its open-world driving hijinks.
And finally we have a new Streets of Rage game that has interestingly ditched its 2D belt-scrolling gameplay for a full 3D interpretation. It’s actually not a million miles off the presentation of the leaked Streets of Rage game that was being pitched by Ruffian Games back in 2012.
You can watch the full reveal video for these games via the embed below:
There are currently no details on when these games will release, for what systems or even what their final titles will be. At the time of writing SEGA have only revealed that the titles are in development alongside a promise that even more games from dormant SEGA franchises are also on the way.
Webmaster and lead writer at SEGADriven. Likes old games, heavy music and too much pizza. Follow on Twitter @kronkblats
Tags: crazy taxi, golden axe, jet set radio, shinobi, streets of rage, the game awards