Review: Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio (2012)

Developer: Blit Software

Platform: Personal Computer

Induction Date: 09/19/2012

 

November 1st, 2010 was a glorious day for me for it was the day that I picked up Jet Grind Radio for the Sega Dreamcast from the store, a game that ended up being one of the console's greatest releases. The game's clever fusion of roller skating, music, and style felt remarkably fresh and new. The game's original developer, Smilebit, had created a distinctive, unique game worthy of the Sega brand and now, more than a decade later, the game has been re-released with updated graphics. I am a strong believer that great gameplay transcends its initial visual representation and the also ignores the expansive span of time and playing this again via Steam on the PC, that fact is certainly true for Jet Set Radio -  I am very happy that the game is now named appropriately for this release. Jet "Grind" Radio always felt a little forced.

 

Never underestimate the power of pulsating monster hair.

 

Of course it would be rude of me to assume that everyone knows what this game is all about and to those of you who haven't played the game, be thankful that you are now given the ability to do so, with improved visuals nonetheless. Set in a futuristic Tokyo-to, you control a group of roller skating teenagers who got themselves involved in a turf war with other gangs in the three different parts of the city. This all develops into something more grandiose and everything is told through a series of crazy broadcasts from the funky DJ, Professor K, who disperses his message of freedom and groove via the "Jet Set Radio" station. The gameplay involves you skating all over the cityscape, tagging and painting graffiti along the way while the police force is attempting to stop you in your tracks with all sorts of exaggerated violence. Understanding the layout of the stages and then traversing them in style is extremely important in the game not only to make it easy for you to move around them but also to rack up your score total since you are given points for performing tricks. It's also necessary for you to collect spray paints along the way and a certain number is needed to complete the each graffiti type. Every so often you will receive challenges from potential recruits who will become selectable once you are able to show off your skating skills. There are additional modes of play on top of the story mode and there is a leaderboard for them all to keep you playing the game.

 

I like playing as Gum simply because of her cool name.

 

I am still personally convinced that the Sega Dreamcast should still exist today because it is a great piece of gaming console - remember playing all those games via the VGA cable? This Jet Set radio re-release is a testament to that sentiment. Though it is now presented in 16:9 aspect ratio which means you get an expanded view of the action, the game is a basic port of the Dreamcast version, only with the resolution bumped up. The revolutionary cel-shaded graphics as well as the visual style still look incredible today and if you love this game, it is certainly worth upgrading to this version even if you still have the Dreamcast disc. The unfortunate thing here is the low-resolution textures also made it to this version and it is most apparent on the larger graffiti. It would have been great if extra efforts are put into the game to make it a visual perfection because it came quite close to that. At least the soundtrack selection is still as strong as it was before with an eclectic mix of musical genres. I still think that "Hello Allison" by Scapegoat Wax is still the best soundtrack in the Jet Set Radio series but that awesomeness is something that belongs to the sequel.

 

At first the over-reaction of the police force seems comical

but if you think about it, this kind of thing is happening in the real world.

 

I really love the idea of having Sega's modern classics playable on the Personal Computer - a re-release of Nights: Into Dreams... is coming out very soon! - so fans need to show Sega some support so that this kind of trend can continue. This release is worth more than the $9.99 asking price, especially for those new to the game. It's easy to forgive Blit for not further improving upon the game's graphics because the game still looks gorgeous today. At least the game includes a fascinating documentary that is unlocked from the get-go. And oh, there's a cool graffiti editor where you can create your own masterpieces for the game though the option to share them with the rest of the world is not available in this version. Jet Set Radio is a must have title that still feels current and exciting: It will continue to be that way for a long time to come.

 

RATING: 4 out of 5

Steam key provided by developer.