25 Years Later, Fans Are Still Waiting for a Follow-Up to This Cult Classic Game

The world of gaming has plenty of cult classics and forgotten masterpieces, a by-product of an industry that is constantly changing, evolving, and growing. That doesn’t mean those fan favorites are gone forever, though. Some games can gain notoriety even if they failed to make a broad impression upon launch, transforming a fun game into something more enduring in the eyes of the few fans it did manage to connect with.

One such game is Jet Set Radio Future, the second entry in the Sega inline skating/graffiti action game. Taking a clever approach to the game design that blended spray paint with quick traversal mechanics and an SSX style of flashy moves, the game’s cel-shaded graphics and rebellious narrative quickly made it a favorite for a generation of gamers and developers. A quarter of a century since it launched on the Xbox, fans are still waiting for a sequel — and with good reason.

Jet Set Radio Future Was Painfully 2002, And I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way

Developed by Sega and serving as a follow-up to the 2000s Dreamcast title Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future remains a cult classic for a reason — and the possibility of a sequel remains an enticing future for the game. Set in a futuristic version of Tokyo, Jet Set Radio Future focuses on players navigating the city streets and alleyways on inline skates, causing chaos and disrupting the plans of both rival gangs and the militarized police forces. Players move around the environment, performing tricks while navigating the city streets and avoiding police patrols.

The true objective is for the player to move around the city, locating graffiti from rival gangs and painting over it with their own work. The gameplay of Jet Set Radio Future benefits from good controls and a fast pace, but it’s the sense of style that made the game so memorable for players. The game embraced a cel-shaded visual aesthetic, lending it a colorful palette that perfectly fit the focus on spray paint as a weapon and tool. Players use spray paint to tag walls, stun enemies, and even break tanks sent in by the local authorities to stamp out their efforts.

Taking just as many cues from games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater as it does from street culture, the game’s fashion sense, flashy visuals, and catchy soundtrack all blend together for a perfectly crafted sense of world-building. Hideki Naganuma provided most of the audio, with a mix of guitars, hip-hop, and techno delivering an exciting tone that matched the colorful characters and quick pace of the action. Even combat was filtered through the use of spray paint, adding another layer of non-violent creative expression to the game. For all the turf war elements of the narrative, there’s a real sense of youthful rebellion and overt fun baked into the concept.

Fans And Developers Have Spent Over Twenty Years Waiting For A Jet Set Sequel

A sequel to the 2000s Jet Grind Radio, Jet Set Radio Future was initially set to debut on the Sega Dreamcast. However, that console’s dwindling success in the market led to Sega moving the game to the Xbox, where it served as a launch title in European and Asian markets. The game was a natural fit for the Xbox, which was able to use the enhanced graphical potential to bring a vivid setting to life. With a greater emphasis on narrative and a more streamlined gameplay loop, Jet Grind Radio was a critical darling when it was released, earning an overall 88/100 cumulative score on Metacritic.

Often ranked among the best games for the original Xbox, all the raves failed to connect with a broader audience. Jet Set Radio Future wasn’t necessarily a flop, but it failed to generate the attention or sales that would have justified a quick follow-up. Despite this, there have been several attempts to bring the game back into the limelight. Kuju Entertainment attempted to revive the series for the Nintendo Wii in 2009, and Dinosaur Games pitched Jet Set Radio Evolution following interest from Sony. In both cases, Sega decided against developing new entries in the series. The series was among the classic Sega franchises that had new games announced at The Game Awards in 2023, but there’s been little movement on the title since then.

There’s a reason fans and developers alike have been clamoring for a sequel, though. While the game may have failed to connect with a broader audience, Jet Set Radio Future was a cult classic almost as soon as it landed. The game’s blend of kinetic action, vibrant settings, and catchy music made it an ideal experience for anyone who loved the likes of Gorillaz or Daft Punk, which in the years since have evolved from experimental swings to groundbreaking tastemakers. Especially in the current political environment, where rebellion against authoritarianism has been reflected in the broader culture, a new Jet Set Radio game would be a perfect fit for the current moment. It would pay off the patience fans have been experiencing for decades and could finally give the series the spotlight it always deserved.