Hannan Mundia 
SEGA has announced that it will be resurrecting many of its original IPs, including a reboot of the early 2000s platforming action-adventure game Jet Set Radio.
SEGA revealed the revival of several of its legacy IPs at The Game Awards. Although classic fighting game Virtua Fighter was not mentioned, a reboot of another fan-favorite series, Jet Set Radio, was showcased with improved fidelity to match the current generation of consoles.
After its announcement at The Game Awards, SEGA has been mostly silent about the idea. However, thanks to slides pulled from the SEGA Sammy management meeting, fans have more information on the title, including some of the new features being introduced to the game.
What is the Jet Set Radio reboot?
The upcoming Jet Set Radio reboot is a resurrection of the graffiti-based platforming Jet Set Radio game series.
The original game was re-released across multiple platformers after it received acclaim from critics and fans alike for its stellar soundtrack and inventive gameplay, with high-definition ports made for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android as far as over a decade later in 2012.
Both the original Jet Set Radio and its sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, have players spray graffiti on walls while avoiding the authorities, with some modes of the game also having players paint over graffiti of rival street gangs. To spray paint, players have to go through a short quick-time event as they parkour through the stage.
The reboot will likely follow in the footsteps of the original games, as SEGA confirmed that the original creators of the IP are involved in the new title. The trailer showed improved visuals for the game and slides from a Sega Sammy management meeting revealed an unfinished promotional image of the game that mentioned an open-world feature.
This would be the first time a game in the series would feature open-world exploration, as previous games in the series only let players move around on small sandbox stages. The subtitle also states, “Make friends, increase your fans, and create a movement,” hinting that players can recruit NPCs to join their street gang. This could also mean the game will have co-op elements, although no information regarding multiplayer has yet been revealed.
When will the Jet Set Radio reboot be released?
SEGA has not announced a release date for the Jet Set Radio reboot yet, nor has it revealed which platforms the game will be playable on.
According to reports from Bloomberg in April 2022, Sega began development on the reboots of Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio at around the same time. Since the targeted release window for the Crazy Taxi reboot is between 2024 and 2025, the same might be true for the Jet Set Radio reboot release date.
The first game was ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360, while the sequel was an Xbox exclusive. The Jet Set game series has never been playable on a Nintendo console. It remains uncertain which platforms the reboot will be playable on.
