Bring on the nostalgia. During The Game Awards 2023, SEGA of America unveiled an initiative to produce brand new titles from the publisher’s treasure trove of beloved IP. New games are currently in development for five of the company’s legacy franchises: Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi and Streets of Rage – all reimagined for modern audiences. I mean, even beloved doesn’t seem like a stong enough word to capture the space in pop culture each of these titles takes up.
The upcoming projects, spanning a range of genres, are currently in different stages of development and will release over the next several years. The first of these games will be based on the following legacy franchises:
- Crazy Taxi franchise – A whacky, high-octane driving adventure series where players must weave through traffic in an open play environment to deliver passengers to their destinations before time runs out.
- Golden Axe franchise – A “hack and slash”-style series with close melee combat set in a fantasy world of beasts, swords and magic.
- Jet Set Radio franchise – This franchise combines action packed traversal around vibrant Tokyo-to with skating, self-expression through graffiti, street culture and rebellious themes.
- Shinobi franchise – A series that utilizes ninja shuriken, ninjutsu, special attacks and more to defeat enemies in a mix of side-scrolling action and challenging environments.
- Streets of Rage franchise – A “beat ’em up”-style series that pairs fast-paced fist fighting with fresh music set in a lawless urban environment.
More details on each of these upcoming games, including official game titles, release dates and platforms, will be shared in the future. To stay in the loop, fans can visit nextlevel.sega.com to sign up and receive all the latest updates on these SEGA projects and more.