While Sega has not released a newJet Set Radiogame in 18 years, the franchise’s impact can still be felt echoing in many games still being released today. Be it the likes of the 2014 Xbox One exclusiveSunset Overdriveto Nintendo’s smash hitSplatoonmultiplayer shooter series, the funky style and colorful pop-punk aesthetic ofJet Set Radiois still an inspiration for artists and game developers to this very day. Despite this, Sega has not shown any interest in bringing the franchise back, which caused franchise composer Hideki Naganuma to leave the company in 2008. Since then, Naganuma has apparently tried to compose soundtracks for Nintendo on multiple occasions.
Despite leaving Sega well over a decade ago, Naganuma has continued to collaborate with the company on multiple projects, even being tapped at one point to compose the soundtrack forStreets of Rage 4, before leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts. While Naganuma has not been attached to many major projectssince 2005’sSonic Rushfor the Nintendo DS, he recently revealed that he has tried to collaborate with Nintendo on multiple occasions since leaving Sega, however Nintendo refused his proposals.
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Naganuma revealed this after fans had been rallying for years for Nintendo to feature music from him inSplatoon,the online multiplayer shooter first introduced on the Wii U in 2015that shares some similar art direction and music genres withJet Set Radio. Replying to a fan on Twitter, Naganuma stated “To tell the truth, I tried to be an employee of Nintendo twice in the past, after I left Sega. But I didn’t pass. They said that there’s no position that I can display my ability to the full. That’s the reason whySplatoondidn’t need my music.”
Interestingly, Naganuma’s comments imply that Nintendo have an appreciation for his work, however they may not have believed that simply collaborating on aSplatoontrack would justify bringing Naganuma on board for a collaboration. It is worth mentioning that Naganuma has worked with Nintendo in the past, as he isone of the many supervisors on the soundtracks of theSuper Smash Bros.franchise, with some of his tracks fromSonic Rushfeatured inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii UandSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. With this in mind, it may be possible that Naganuma could play a bigger role in composing some of the nextSplatoontitle’s soundtrack or another project for Nintendo, should the company reach out to him.
While it doesn’t seem likely Naganuma will be composing for Nintendo in the near future, he is composing forBomb Rush Cyberfunk, the upcoming title from Team Reptile, the Dutch independent studio behindLethal League Blaze, which Naganuma also composed the soundtrack for.Bomb Rush Cyberfunkis intended to be a spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio, featuring an art style lifted straight out of the 2000 Dreamcast game and its 2002 Xbox sequel.
