Published , by Shack Staff
Published , by Shack Staff
It’s a cool week for old-school Dreamcast fans, and especially fans of Jet Set Radio. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk came out this week, bringing back a wealth of Jet Set Radio nostalgia in its cel-shaded, fast-paced, cyberpunk style. We’re hoping Bomb Rush Cyberpunk was worth the wait, but it also has us wondering about other Dreamcast classic games we’d love to see spiritual successors to. Have a look at which games the Shack Staff picked, and maybe add a suggestion of your own in the Chatty?
I've seen a lot of games that considered spiritual successors to old racing games from my childhood: Mario Kart, Twisted Metal, and even F-Zero. You know what hasn't gotten a spiritual successor? Crazy Taxi! I've yet to see a game that lets me pick up a passenger and take them from Point A to Point B even if that route risks heavy bodily harm. Yes, I realize that Crazy Taxi first hit arcades in the 90s, but the Dreamcast version was such a marvelous translation that cost me so much less money in the long run, I'm using this as my answer.
So come on, Sega, don't forget that you have this series in your pocket. Let me do a mad dash to get people where they need to go. Frankly, in this age of Uber and Lyft, I'm shocked the concept hasn't been brought back.
Also, don't forget The Offspring. It's not a Crazy Taxi game without The Offspring.
Skies of Arcadia is one of those games I’ve heard nothing but good things about, but never got a chance to actually play or see for myself. The team that originally developed it was a who’s who of solid Sega staff, including experience across Panzer Dragoon, Phantasy Star, Sonic the Hedgehog and Sakura Wars. Plus, it was focused heavily on world exploration in which you surf a sky ship through a variety of biomes looking for adventure.
I could always get down with a good pirate RPG, and we don’t have many of those. Sure, there’s things like Final Fantasy 12 or Suikoden 4, but I hardly ever hear as much love for those titles as I heard for Skies of Arcadia. I would love to see that premise brought forward to a new generation where we get to peruse and pillage a much more vast sky and maybe even engage in some ship combat along the way. Whatever form a new Skies of Arcadia might take, I’m here for it, if only because no one else really does that kind of thing and I love a good RPG.
While I realize that Space Channel 5 had a VR release just a few years ago, I believe that the core game needs to be remade for next generation systems. Space Channel 5 featured some novel gameplay mechanics, amazing music, and an iconic main character Ulala. The singing and dancing reporter has been an inspiration to many games journalists for decades. It’s been time for a proper Space Channel 5 sequel. Maybe it is time for Space Channel 6?
Anyone who knows my personal gaming habits will understand why I’m choosing Sega Bass Fishing. I love to play video games with fishing systems in them, from Animal Crossing: New Horizons, to Red Dead Redemption 2, and all the way to the phenomenal Call of the Wild: The Angler. If you want me to get excited for a spiritual successor to a video game, make it a beloved fishing game that’s being brought forward into modern times.
I hummed and hawed over my answer for some time. Jet Set Radio Future is one of my favorite games, so it makes sense I’d love to see another Jet Set Radio title. However, I also recognize that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk sort of fills this gap, scratches the itch, and clearly understands the concept of love. But as much as BRC channels the spirit of JSR, it’s not JSR. I need SEGA to pull its thumb out and deliver another Jet Set Radio title – just make sure to get Hideki Naganuma on board for the soundtrack.
I know this game made its way to other consoles but I honestly do not remember playing this on anything but the Dreamcast. I would love to see a revival. We need fun boxing games! I haven’t been able to scratch the itch with a boxing title since Fight Night Champions which is over a decade old now. At the very least, put Afro Thunder into a fighting game. The dynamic characters and zany special moves were part of the charm. I also think that a new title would be a great addition on Nintendo Switch. Also more celebrity cameos would be fun. Michael Jackson has hands in this game! And hittin’ that moonwalk after a win is the ultimate disrespect. There were truly some awesome games from that era and this was my best attempt to avoid shouting for NFL 2K to make a return, so deal with it.
What Dreamcast classic do I want a new spiritual successor to? I loved the Sega Dreamcast as it had some of the best sports games on any system. That being said, I would love a new NFL or NHL2K game to come out. I know it isn’t going to happen but it’s fun to think about. One of my favorite Dreamcast games was Sonic Adventure and would love to eventually see Sonic Adventure 3. I know people will say that there have been several Sonic sequels over the years but that’s not good enough. I need Sonic Adventure 3 to keep what the series was known for, so-so voice acting and great music.
There you have it. Those are our picks for Dreamcast games we’d love spiritual successors to. What’s your pick? Sound off in the Shacknews Chatty comment section below!