It probably might sound like hyperbole to say that Streets of Rage 4 will change the
face of gaming, but it’s certainly a sign of things shifting within Sega.
Among the many jewels of the classic era of Sega’s heyday, Streets of Rage is one series
that doesn’t get a lot of love anymore.
Once upon a time, this series was Sega’s answer to Final Fight; a colorful, bombastic
beat-em-up that sees players punch and kick their way through densely packed city streets.
But, as Sega’s star waned at the end of the 16-bit era, Streets of Rage was one of
many game franchises to be cut short.
Following Streets of Rage 3 in 1994, there has never been a successful revival of this
once beloved series.
Until now.
Suddenly, everything has changed.
Sega has partnered with indie studio Lizardcube to create an authentic sequel to the classic
series.
This game, instead of using pixelly sprite art, instead features glorious 2D animation
that really brings the characters to life.
The bold change in art style remains faithful to the original games while updating them
for the technology of the modern era.
And it looks good.
If the name Lizardcube rings a bell, this is because this isn’t the first time the
studio has reimiagined a classic Sega title with beautiful modern 2D animation.
The team’s first game, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, takes a Master System game of the same
name and gives it a dramatic overhaul, turning an aging classic into a modern masterpiece.
If you’re interested in learning more about that game’s development, we did a video
on the team at Lizardcube and how they got started – it’s in the description below.
Streets of Rage 4, then, continues a trend that Sega seems to have almost accidentally
stumbled upon.
Lizardcube remade The Dragon’s Trap, and shortly after, Christian Whitehead and a bunch
of other indie game enthusiasts created Sonic Mania.
Now we’re approaching yet another similar game, again from Lizardcube.
So is this Sega’s new business strategy?
Has the company decided to deal with its classic if somewhat dusty games by letting fans rework
them into something modern?
There are certainly worse things that the company could do!
This kind of game remake or fan sequel building allows for greater creativity and originality
than is possible when Sega’s in-house team attempts to build something nostalgic.
Plus, the games cost Sega very little to make.
Sonic Mania was funded by Sega, but Lizardcube did most of the original work on The Dragon’s
Trap as a hobby project, without even getting official permission for a commercial launch
until the title was nearing completion.
Meanwhile, the fans benefit tremendously.
Sega’s beloved games can be resurrected by the people who care about them the most.
Here’s hoping that this trend continues.
There’s already a fan project in the works that rebuilds an ancient Alex Kidd game with
modern technology.
The democratizing of Sega’s archive could well help to kick off a wave of newfound appreciation
for older games that otherwise don’t get their due.
Sega could even create a specific, organized brand for all these fan works.
If they expand their scope and give more up and coming developers the chance to play with
their toys, there could be a whole series of such titles, all under a unifying banner.
This could help fans easily identify a new remake or sequel that comes from an inventive
group of upstarts.
Of course, Sega will have to be very careful.
If this is the beginning of a new trend, and the company gives their seal of approval to
additional fan projects and indie remakes or sequels, they’ll have to be very selective
about which studios they trust with their games.
Lizardcube and the Sonic Mania team are passionate, but they’re also talented and experienced.
Many of the team members involved with these projects have years of experience working
in the indie gaming industry.
It would only take one or two poorly received officially licenced indie projects before
the reputation of this new series of games could be undermined.
Sega has traditionally been somewhat cavalier with their branding – a lot more so than
their rivals, Nintendo.
This means that Sega will often allow weird fan projects to become official releases,
as with The Dragon’s Trap.
But, it also gives us games like Sonic: The Dark Brotherhood.
If BioWare couldn’t be trusted to make a decent Sega title, then the company will need
to be very, very selective about which unproven indie studios they allow to take the reigns.
All of this aside, the idea of new games from fans, playing with official Sega licenses,
is fantastic.
With any luck, Streets of Rage 4 is just the beginning.
It’s significant that this is a sequel, rather than a straight remake.
Lizardcube is being trusted with a lot of freedom this time around, and the result is
likely going to be something special.
These kinds of projects merge the respectability and polish of official Sega releases with
the passion and enthusiasm of fan game developers.
This match made in heaven ensures that creativity and originality abound, even in an existing
franchise that’s already existed for nearly three decades.
When big companies allow little teams of passionate creators to play with their toys, everybody
wins.
That’s why Streets of Rage 4 is more than just a new instalment in a classic franchise.
It’s also an indicator of just how much originality and flavor can be introduced to
the games industry, if only big companies are willing to take a chance on the little
guy.