In an unexpected but pleasant surprise, Sega confirmed that the creators of Jet Set Radio are involved in the reboot game.
Sega Co-Chief Operating Officer and Sega of America CEO Shuji Utsumi shared the news in a new interview with The Washington Post. "The concept of games like Jet Set Radio is advanced. The original creators are involved again, and it's time now," Utsuimi said to The Washington Post. "It's a good time when people can appreciate all kinds of concepts."
At the 2023 Game Awards last week, Sega revealed that it was developing new games for Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Shinobi, Crazy Taxi, Streets of Rage, and more. While it was big enough news that Sega announced fresh entries in these seemingly dormant franchises, many were surprised to hear about Jet Set Radio in particular.
Jet Set Radio has two entries in the franchise so far: the first one was released in 2000 on the Dreamcast, while Jet Set Radio Future was released on the original Xbox in 2002. Over 20 years since its release, the Jet Set Radio franchise has become a cult classic.
It's got a bit of a unique feel, too. A 3D platformer with a slight fusion of action sports, players traverse the in-game world on skates with an emphasis on graffiti art as part of the core gameplay elements.
"JSRF is one of the coolest titles around. It's unique. The only other title I can think of like it is Jet Grind Radio. That's saying something. The soundtrack is phenomenal and the graphics are pretty to look at," we wrote in our review of Jet Set Radio Future.
In the years following Jet Set Radio Future's release, some indie developers created spiritual successors that tried to recapture the spirit and magic of the Jet Set Radio series - most notably, 2017's Hover and the recently re-released Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. The latter even featured music by Hideki Naganuma, the composer for both Jet Set Radio games.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
