Sega Has Forgotten and Neglected These 15 Game Franchises

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - December 6th 2025, 11:00 GMT+1

Shenmue cropped processed by imagy — Shenmue

There’s something almost mythical about how long *Shenmue* fans waited for the story to continue – entire consoles came and went before *Shenmue III* finally arrived, only for it to land with the thud of a half-finished dream. The early games were atmospheric wonders: slow, moody, obsessed with tiny details, and packed with more personality than most modern blockbusters. But after *Shenmue II* in the early 2000s, the saga froze for nearly two decades, leaving its big narrative hook dangling. When the third game finally appeared, it felt strangely outdated, like someone tried to preserve the past in amber instead of pushing the series forward. Sega’s silence since then adds a bittersweet edge – the world still feels rich, but the journey seems stuck on pause again. | © Sega

Jet Set Radio 2000 1 — Jet Set Radio

Anyone who played *Jet Set Radio* remembers the electric freedom of skating through brightly painted cityscapes, tagging walls, escaping the cops, and soaking in that iconic soundtrack. For years, the series lived only through ports and remasters, like a beloved poster taped to the wall instead of something fresh and alive. Sega has finally confirmed they're working on a new entry, which is a huge step, but until we’re actually playing it, the franchise still sits in that limbo between nostalgia and promise. Its rebellious charm, cel-shaded swagger, and relentless sense of style deserve a full comeback, not just teases and wishful thinking. When the new installment finally lands, maybe Tokyo-to will feel alive again. | © Sega

Skies of Arcadia cropped processed by imagy — Skies of Arcadia

There’s a reason *Skies of Arcadia* still pops up in conversations every time fans talk about dream revivals – its sense of discovery was unmatched. Airships drifting through vast skies, islands floating in bright blue voids, sky pirate crews that felt like family… the game had a rare warmth that stuck with players long after the credits rolled. The original Dreamcast release (and its later enhanced port) remains the only true entry, leaving the entire world suspended in place as if frozen mid-voyage. It’s strange how a game built around exploration has been grounded for so long, waiting for the chance to take off again. The emotional connection people still have to it says everything: the skies are empty, but nobody’s forgotten what once flew there. | © Sega

House of the dead msn — The House of the Dead

There was a special thrill in stepping up to an arcade cabinet, gripping a plastic gun, and blasting through waves of zombies in *The House of the Dead*. Its mix of campy horror, goofy voice acting, and frantic shooting made it perfect for smoky arcades and late-night marathons. While remakes and odd spin-offs have surfaced over the years, the core series hasn’t really evolved since the early 2000s, leaving that old-school energy bottled up. Modern horror games lean toward drama and atmosphere, but there’s still nothing quite like the chaotic charm this franchise delivered. Instead of walking corpses, what we’ve got now is a series waiting quietly in its own haunted mansion. | © Sega

Cropped Crazy Taxi — Crazy Taxi

There was nothing subtle about *Crazy Taxi* – it was loud, fast, and gloriously reckless, tossing you into city traffic and encouraging the kind of driving that would bankrupt real insurance companies. The original arcade-style formula had a spark that later reattempts never quite matched, and despite Sega announcing a big new project, the wait has dragged on long enough to qualify as its own side quest. The memory of weaving between buses, launching off hills, and hearing customers yell at you still feels fresh, which makes its long disappearance even stranger. If Sega gives it a proper revival, the city streets could feel wild again. Until then, the meter’s running, but no taxi has shown up. | © Sega

Eternal Champions cropped processed by imagy — Eternal Champions

Back in the 16-bit era, *Eternal Champions* felt like Sega’s bold attempt to build its own signature fighting universe – full of bizarre characters, over-the-top finishers, and a lore that leaned harder into weird sci-fi than most fighters even attempted. But after the *Challenge from the Dark Side* update in the mid-90s, the franchise simply evaporated. Its cast of time-tossed warriors never received the modern evolution that so many other fighters enjoyed, even though the premise practically begged for a comeback. It’s one of those series that seems custom-built for a flashy reboot, yet Sega hasn’t touched it in decades. For now, all those arenas and dramatic narrative hooks remain a frozen time capsule of what could’ve been a long-running icon. | © Sega

Sakura Wars 2019 cropped processed by imagy — Sakura Wars

The world of *Sakura Wars* blended strategy combat, steampunk vibes, and character-driven storytelling long before that mix became trendy. The most recent main entry, launched in 2019 as a soft reboot, revived the spirit of the series but never led to the full return many fans hoped for. Earlier games had this theatrical charm – part visual novel, part tactical adventure – wrapped in a cast that felt like a troupe of performers you genuinely got attached to. But once that 2019 revival came and went, everything went quiet again, leaving the franchise dangling between legacy status and unfinished potential. It’s strange to see a series once considered one of Sega’s signature properties drifting without momentum. | © Sega

Golden Axe Beast Rider cropped processed by imagy — Golden Axe

A generation of arcade-goers still remembers the satisfying thud of a beast rider charging into enemies or the chaotic magic blasts that made *Golden Axe* so iconic. After dominating the late ’80s and early ’90s, the franchise gradually lost steam, eventually resurfacing with *Golden Axe: Beast Rider* in 2008, a game that missed nearly everything people loved about the originals. Since then, outside of occasional compilations or nostalgic nods, the world of Yuria has remained silent. It’s baffling that a series built on simple, visceral fun hasn’t been revived in an era obsessed with retro action. Warriors, beasts, and giant skeletons are practically begging for a modern revival, yet they’re stuck in pixelated stasis. | © Sega

Virtua Cop 3 cropped processed by imagy — Virtua Cop

Ask anyone who grew up near an arcade and they’ll tell you how *Virtua Cop* made them feel like action-movie heroes with a plastic gun in hand, neon targets popping up, and that chunky Sega arcade look bringing pure adrenaline. The last true entry, *Virtua Cop 3*, hit arcades in the early 2000s, and since then the series has practically vanished, overshadowed by newer shooters and the decline of arcades themselves. Yet its clean mechanics, stylish simplicity, and straightforward fun would fit perfectly in a modern light-gun revival or even a VR adaptation. Instead, it’s stuck as one of those names people mention wistfully when talking about Sega’s glory days. The precinct doors have been shut for way too long. | © Sega

Phantasy Star iv cropped processed by imagy — Phantasy Star

It’s easy to forget that before *Phantasy Star Online* became Sega’s long-running multiplayer pillar, the franchise began as a set of ambitious single-player RPGs that pushed storytelling and world-building in ways few console titles managed at the time. The classic, turn-based branch effectively ended in the ’90s, while the online sub-series has carried the brand name ever since. Fans who grew up with Alis, Rolf, Alys, and Chaz still talk about the old saga with the kind of reverence usually reserved for genre-defining epics. But despite the ongoing life of the online games, the traditional narrative-driven Phantasy Star line has been stuck in deep hibernation. It’s a rich universe divided in two with one half thriving, and the other frozen in time. | © Sega

Altered Beast 2005 cropped processed by imagy — Altered Beast

Back in the early days of Sega’s arcades, *Altered Beast* had you rising from the grave, muscles bulging, screaming “Rise from your grave!” as werewolves and zombies closed in. It felt primal, raw, a simple but visceral rush that hooked you on gods, transformations, and undead hordes. Over the years it got a handful of ports and minor re-releases, but nothing that truly returned to that brutal, blood-pumping form it once had. Watching the franchise sit idle so long is weird, especially when the appetite for old-school beat ’em ups never seems to die. That raw energy, that undead roar, it’s still out there, but the console versions have fallen silent. | © Sega

Headhunter Redemption cropped processed by imagy — Headhunter

There was a time when *Headhunter* stood out by merging gritty detective noir with action-packed third-person shooting – you weren’t jumping into fantasy or sci-fi this time, but a world that felt violent, gothic, and a little too real. Its last major release, *Headhunter: Redemption*, came out in the mid-2000s, and since then the series has mostly faded behind flashier franchises. The mix of moody environments, morally ambiguous characters, and a story that didn’t shy away from darkness gave it a flavor unlike anything else Sega offered. It’s odd that this kind of edgy, mature narrative has never made a comeback for the company, especially now, when darker games seem to resonate more than ever. Instead, *Headhunter* hangs in memory as a detour Sega once dared to take. | © Sega

Panzer Dragoon 2020 cropped processed by imagy — Panzer Dragoon

Dreaming in dragon-mounted flights across alien landscapes used to be one of Sega’s most ambitious rides – *Panzer Dragoon* combined haunting music, surreal visuals, and rail-shooter mechanics that felt forward-thinking and cinematic. After a few storied installments, the brand went quiet for years before a reboot surfaced, but that attempt landed with mixed reactions, and no follow-up ever came. There was something magical about soaring across dunes or frozen seas on a dragon’s back while lasers cut through the sky, and the lack of new entries feels like a lost invitation to return. In a time when indie developers revive strange classics, it’s strange Sega hasn’t dusted off this one; the dragon’s till wings remain folded. | © Sega

Nights Journey of Dreams cropped processed by imagy — Nights

Floating through dreamscapes as Nights was pure Sega whimsy at its most playful and surreal: drifting between starlit paths, looping around festive clouds, gathering orbs while music pulsed and colors danced. The original *Nights into Dreams* on Saturn was a short but unforgettable dream sequence, and a sequel followed on more modern hardware. Since then, though, Nights hasn’t returned to the skies. For a concept grounded in imagination, mood, and simple joy, it seems absurd that no reboot or remaster has taken off yet. The dream world stays unvisited, as though Sega packed away the stars but forgot to close the door. | © Sega

Sega All Stars cropped processed by imagy — Sega All-Stars

Once upon a time, *Sega All-Stars* served as a celebration of the company’s many characters: an ensemble mash-up where you could race, fight, or party with heroes drawn from all corners of the Sega multiverse. It was playful, chaotic, and often hilariously mismatched, just like a reunion you didn’t know you needed. But after its last outings in the late 2000s, Sega gradually let the concept fade. The idea of seeing Alex Kidd, Sonic, Panzer Dragoon’s dragon rider, and more sharing the same playground hasn’t been touched in years, even as cross-overs and nostalgia reboots have taken off in other companies. It’s sad to think that someone green-lit the party once, and now all the guest list names just gather dust. | © Sega

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It’s funny how Sega can pump out new Sonic content every other week, yet half its classic series are stuck in a time capsule, quietly collecting dust while fans keep shouting into the void. Some haven’t had a proper sequel in decades, others returned only to get a quick-and-cheap spin-off, and a couple came back as “remakes” that felt more like lightly shaken leftovers than real comebacks. Sega’s vault is overflowing with iconic names… they just seem to have misplaced the keys.

This list digs into those once-brilliant franchises Sega hasn’t truly touched in ages – the adventures that deserved full sequels, not rushed side gigs or half-hearted reworks. Each one had something special, something worth revisiting, and yet here we are, watching them blink in the dark like unplugged arcade cabinets. If Sega ever decides to dust off its forgotten legends, these are the 15 that most deserve their spot back in the spotlight.