PlatinumGames has made quite a name for itself in 2010. Hot on the heels of its irresistible, over-the-top actioner, Bayonetta, the team is readying the release of the thrilling shooter, Vanquish. Both of those games feature one or more odes to classic Sega titles, such as After Burner and Hang-On. Which makes us wonder: What if Platinum applied its development magic to other tried-and-true Sega franchises? Here are ten examples that could use the Platinum touch.
Space Harrier
Sega’s classic third-person shooter has already undergone a cosmetic change in the ’90s with the arcade-only release, Planet Harriers, but we think it’s time that the Harrier got his due with Platinum. It could easily produce a wild space epic in which the proton cannon could fry enemies both in the air and on the ground, all while avoiding incoming fire. A free-roam game would be a nice spin, though we’d prefer a classic shooter in the same style as previous Harrier games. “Get ready!”
Panzer Dragoon
Though we did receive a Panzer Dragoon title a few years ago for the Xbox with Orta, seeing what Platinum could do with the Panzer Dragoon franchise would be simply awesome. Platinum Games knows a thing or two about frantic, fast-paced shooters (we point out the shooter level from Bayonetta as an example), and they could easily apply this science to the Dragoon and the talented girl riding on top. Besides, we’re due for another entry anyway.
Otogi
Keep in mind that, before PlatinumGames came to be, the employees worked on a number of titles for other companies, including the adventurous Okami. We’d love to see that same style of gameplay (minus the painting) applied to the Otogi series. It’s not like From Software did a shabby job on the previous two games, we just want to see more combo-styled gameplay and exquisite art style applied to a new adventure. And Platinum is just the team to do it.
Vectorman
At one point in time, Sega was hard at work on a Vectorman revamp for the PlayStation 2. However, development issues soon caused the project to be scrapped. Still, the pixelated hero deserves a return of some sort, and who better to handle it than the same folks who brought us the transforming beauty of Bayonetta? V-Man could easily handle his own in a third-person shooting adventure, complete with morphing abilities and better weapons within his reach.
Streets of Rage
There’s still a lot of interest in the Streets of Rage franchise, between the trilogy’s inclusion in Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection and the release of Streets of Rage 2 for Xbox Live Arcade and Virtual Console on the Wii. So, with that, why not have Platinum work side-by-side with Ancient Studios (Yuzo Koshiro’s team) on a new version of the brawler, complete with an arsenal of new moves, a kickin’ new soundtrack and multiplayer action? We’d love to see the sexy Blaze make a return…as long as it’s not in a silver skirt.
Astal
One of the main reasons we picked up a Sega Saturn in the first place was the gorgeous 2-D platforming adventure Astal. We miss the glory days of the gem-throwing hero, so we think it’s only fair that Sega and Platinum consider him for a return. His throwing abilities would do wonders in the 3-D realm (activating switches, throwing into other enemies) and the art style would certainly be welcome, especially with 3-D capability. We can only imagine how pretty it would get. Wow.
Yakuza
No offense to the team that handles the Yakuza games now (or the actual Yakuza themselves, of course) but the series needs a boost outside of its “run around and occasionally beat up folks” mantra. PlatinumGames is the appropriate team to inject something new into the formula, with improved combat capabilities, wider towns to fight your way through and a number of new side missions to prove you’re worthy of running the clan. After the release of To the End, Sega should think about trying out a new direction.
Alisia Dragoon
If you missed out on Alisia Dragoon back in the good ol’ Sega Genesis days, you missed out on quite an adventure, with her powerful magic attacks and her other superb abilities. PlatinumGames could easily translate those into a modern adventure, perhaps even getting Alisia powerful enough to overtake the Bayonetta girls. Of course, she’d need to summon up a few animals and learn to kick butt up close and personal before that happens…but there’s plenty of room for training.
Jet Set Radio
We mentioned Jet Set Radio previously as one of the ten Dreamcast games we wanted to see re-released, and for good reason. Its art style and soundtrack are funky beyond belief, and the skating and graffiti are an extraordinary amount of fun. Platinum Games could interject this formula with some new life, perhaps even implementing multi-layered cities, new characters, online functionality (besides sharing art) and more challenging enemies. Let’s do the Jet Set again!
Shinobi
Finally, we come to Joe Hisashi, the warrior who deserves a spot right next to Ryu Hayabusa in the ninja hall of fame. His Shinobi adventures have been nothing short of incredible, even though the last release in the series, for the PS2, was a little tougher than expected. Platinum should relaunch the brand Ninja Gaiden style, with extreme ninjitsu magic attacks, an addictive control scheme and multi-screen sized enemies that would take lots of technique for a ninja to cut down. Hey, if anyone can do it, it’s Joe.
If PlatinumGames was to work on a Sega franchise next, which would you like to see them tackle? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
