Sega has been on quite the comeback trail as of late, not only announcing two Sonic the Hedgehog games worth getting excited about – Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania – but also bringing back Bayonetta and Vanquish on PC, so a whole new audience can enjoy these beloved classics. And if that’s not enough, the company has also confirmed that it’s looking to bring back several classic IP’s in a whole new light, though it stopped short of confirming just what franchises it intends to bring back.
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This opens up a whole smorgasbord of ideas for the company, as it could literally bring back a number of iconic favorites for older fans to enjoy, as well as new ones to get into again. The company already hit pay dirt with re-releases of games like After Burner Climax, Jet Set Radio and Daytona USA on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, so imagine what could be next with all-new entries.
We’ve got a few suggestions, of course, so let’s jump right in to five big franchises that Sega could effectively bring back for players to enjoy. What we wouldn’t give to make the rounds with these again…
Panzer Dragoon
We haven’t heard a peep from this classic Smilebit franchise since the last game, Panzer Dragoon Orta, flew with thunderous speed onto the Xbox. And it perplexes us as to why, as the Panzer Dragoon series has delivered an original fantasy-based masterpiece with each game released. It especially reached a high point on the Sega Saturn with Panzer Dragoon Orta, a thrilling role-playing adventure that was so well made, it’s literally selling for hundreds of dollars on the open market for a complete copy. A return to this franchise, whether with flying action or role-playing tactics, would certainly be a welcome one.
Virtua Tennis
“A tennis game? Are you bonkers?” Sure, but considering we’re not likely to see NBA 2K or NFL 2K again, we have to go with the next best sports game. Besides, Virtua Tennis was a surprisingly good party game when it came out for the Dreamcast years ago, turning tennis into an exciting sports activity with solid gameplay and fun visuals. We’d love to get back behind the racket for a four-player match again – whether with licensed tennis pros (like Virtua Tennis 4 had) or without. We’re good either way, we just want to make, ahem, a racket.
Streets of Rage
There’s no question that Sega fanatics that owned a Sega Genesis (or maybe even a Game Gear) got a taste of the Streets of Rage series somehow. Alongside Final Fight, this series managed to deliver plenty of punches and kicks to the beat-em-up genre, with a number of outstanding characters. Sure, Streets of Rage 3 was a little weird compared to the first two games, but no matter – it was still entertaining. We’d certainly welcome back the Streets with open arms if Sega gave it a chance – oh, and for that matter, have Yuzo Koshiro return to do the soundtrack!
Crazy Taxi
“YAH YAH YAH YAH YAHHHH!” This arcade racer was truly one of a kind when it hit the arcades in the 90’s, delivering a driving experience unlike any other as you picked up and dropped off customers at a frenetic pace. The Dreamcast version of the original was arcade perfect, and the sequels that followed – Crazy Taxi 2 and Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller – weren’t half bad. Now we need to get behind the wheel of Taxi again, especially now, since there aren’t too many arcade racing games on the market. We just want to fly down the hills of San Francisco while listening to Goldfinger again. Can you blame us?
Jet Set Radio
Out of all the original franchises that Sega produced over the past few years, Jet Set Radio continues to be one of the best. Featuring unconventional trick-based gameplay with humorous objectives (quick, spray paint the gun-toting police captain) and an essential soundtrack that’s still worth listening to these days, Jet Set delivered the goods back on Dreamcast, and later on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Now, though, we need a follow-up to Jet Set Radio Future something fierce, with a trailblazing new soundtrack, insane visuals and even more spray-painting, rail-grinding fun.
BONUS: Phantasy Star
While a lot of players got into the Final Fantasy saga back in its heyday (as well as games like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger), there were an avid few who still loved Sega’s Phantasy Star series. It was truly something else, with its intricate battle system and imaginative worlds. And the series reached a new level of greatness with the launch of Phantasy Star Online, allowing friends to play along with one another. A return to the franchise would be pretty cool right now, especially with so many other role-playing games thriving. In fact, Sega could easily take a step in the right direction and localize the PS Vita Online games, just to give players something to enjoy while they wait for the next big adventure in the franchise. E3 is just around the corner, after all…
