Sega is a company that really needs no introduction. If you’re here on THIS site, you likely don’t need a breakdown in their history, their successes and failures, and the like. No, you’re well-aware. And if you’re not aware, then crap… I just missed an opportunity to regale you with colorful stories of my love for Sega. I’m not saying Sega is better than Nintendo, I’m just saying that Sega is super rad, and I’m excited for the future.

“What future is that?” You say. Well, I’m glad you asked. Sega’s future appears to involve the revival of at least 5 titles currently in the works + likely 3 more on the way! Sega is definitely having a moment right now. I’m not sure what sparked this moment… Perhaps it was my 2017 article listing 9 Original Sega IPs I’d love to see revived. You can, and should, read the article. But also, here’s a shortlist (in no particular order):

• Shinobi series
• Virtua Cop series
• Streets of Rage series
• Panzer Dragoon Saga (not to be confused with the rail shooters, Panzer Dragoon series)
• Comix Zone
• NiGHTS
• Alex Kidd
• Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio, depending on your region)
• Virtua Fighter series

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Altered Beast
• Golden Axe
• Space Channel 5
• Ristar
• Sega Rally

As you can see, it’s a killer list! But let’s not delve into that too much. Let’s look forward, at the current and the future. Towards the end of 2023, Sega has showed that they’re taking their retro IPs very seriously. More seriously than they ever have before. They recently shared a video trailer that shows not very much, but really whets the appetite. It is quite the teaser. In this video, we see glimpses of the following: Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, Golden Axe, and Crazy Taxi. It’s like, Sega came here to Nerd Bacon and said, “let’s see what Nerdberry (that’s me) wants us to do.” Since my 2017 article, we’ve seen Space Channel 5 get a Hollywood greenlight. And Streets of Rage 4 was released in 2020, in addition to the aforementioned games.

Futhermore, in this Power Surge Trailer, as it’s being called — which features the aforementioned games that are LITERALLY, and CURRENTLY in development as we speak (EXCITEMENT GASP!) — Sega just filed trademarks for Alex Kidd, Eternal Champions, and Kid Chameleon. Cooooome oooooonnn folks. Now THIS is the Sega news we’ve been wanting to see for decades.

Sega has recently seen success in modern day games with Sonic Frontiers, the half-retro / half-modern Sonic Superstars, the Persona 5 series, the Yakuza series, among numerous other smaller published games. So it’s somewhat odd, but not unappreciated, to see them lean so hard into new development of their old franchises. And they’re not just leaning… they are LEANING SUPER HAWRD. It’s incredible.

This moment Sega is having is so exciting for not just Sega fans, but fans of classic games in general. I don’t know a single Nintendo Nerd who wouldn’t be excited to relive the glory days of Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio, two of Sega’s defining games of the late 90s/early 2000s. Nintendo, Sony, Rockstar, Konami, etc may have some bangers out there, but so does Sega. Whether or not these new titles will deliver the goods is beyond me. Too many times I’ve seen Sega flub their software releases, despite high hopes and promising concepts. But from the very little I have seen so far, I have to say… I’m loving the direction.

Shinobi has a really unique art style, but keeping with the classic 2D side scrolling action. Crazy Taxi looks exactly like what I want it to be, AND SOME! Golden Axe appears to be a 3D brawler of sorts, and is the one I’m least compelled by. And Streets of Rage and Jet Set Radio look gorgeous and fun. Overall, 4 of the 5 titles showed look very much like SEGA games to me, and definitively Sega, at that. This is the quirkiness and uniqueness they are known for, and it’s finally showing for, dare I say, the first time since the Dreamcast died?

Let’s go Sega! We love you, and we can’t wait for what’s next!