Jet Grind Radio

Jet Grind Radio is one of them games that isn't afraid to be different. This game, like the characters that reside inside it, continually marches to the beat of its own drum while simultaneously flipping off the statas quo. I just got my Dreamcast, (my collection of consoles is almost complete) and I figured what better way to break in my new system, than with one of it's greatest games. So strap on those skates, and turn the volume to 11, because we're gonna go for a ride.

Background: Jet SET Radio was unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show in 1999. It received a generous amount of attention due to it's revolutionary Cel-Shaded graphics, which give 3d graphics a "Cartoonish" look. Jet Set Radio was developed by Japanese game company Smilebit, and published by SEGA for the Dreamcast. It was released November 1, 2000 in North America, retitled Jet Grind Radio.

Jet Grind Radio sold relatively well, but failed to leave it's mark in history on a console that was slowly fading into obscurity. I never got a chance to play this game back in the Dreamcast's glory days, but I do remember seeing commercials of it on TV, and actually commenting on the "3d cartoon style." So far only one sequel has been released, JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future, for the Xbox. Sporting better graphics and better controls, JSRF is considered by many to be just as good (if not better) than it's predecessor. Recently talks of a third game in development for the Wii have sprung up. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but seeing as how the Wii has become a haven for original (and fun) games, I think it's only a matter of time before we'll be tagging the streets again.

Story: This is defiantly the weakest point of Jet Grind Radio, but that doesn't mean much. To me, a good game is defined by good gameplay or a good story, preferably it would have both, but I would still like a game if the gameplay was awesome and the story wasn't that great, or vice versa. That seems to be the case for most people who play Jet Grind Radio, they play for the gameplay. Don't get me wrong the story isn't terrible, just don't be expecting anything too epic or complex. This game, however, isn't about having storytime, it's about fun. The way I see it, a complex story attached to this game would only harm it's fun and carefree atmosphere. So don't read too much into it and just have fun. Well with that out off the way...

Beat, a 17 year old runaway, decides to start his own gang of skaters and graffiti artists after being shunned by every other gang. After proving himself, he eventually gets his first two members, Gum and Tab. The game takes place in the city of Tokyo-to, a city that resembles Tokyo but isn't. Beat's gang is known as the GG's, and their home turf is the shopping district of Tokyo-to, Shibuya-cho. Benten-cho, and Kogane-cho are the two other sections of the city, and are home to the rival gangs the Noise Tanks, and Poison Jam respectively. Another rival gang, the Love Shockers, resides it Shibuya-cho.

You start the game by battling the Love Shockers, an all girls gang made up of heartbroken lovers, as they tag your turf with their graffiti. Soon after, you challenge Poison Jam, a group of thugs that wear fish costumes, kinda like Kratos in Cod of War. While you were away in Kogane-cho, the technophile otaku gang, the Noise Tanks, kidnaps your dog and attaches an Ipod to his brain. All the while you're in battle over the right to run the particular area, the police, led by Captain Onishima, are out to arrest you by any means necessary. The majority of the story is narrated by Professor K, the DJ of the pirate radio station Jet Set Radio.

Okay, so I probably made the story sound more complicated than it really is... oh well.

Gameplay: The gameplay revolves around skating and graffiti. The object of each level is to find all the red arrows, which represent where a rival gang has tagged, and cover up their graffiti with your own. You skate around grinding on rails and doing crazy tricks while picking up spray paint cans. When you reach a red arrow, you pull the left trigger on the controller to start spraying. There are three sizes of graffiti you can spray, small, large and extra large. With the small graffiti all you have to do is pull the trigger and your art is complete. The large and extra large take some more work and more paint, but also give your more points. When you press the trigger, you will enter a mini game. Arrows will appear at the bottom of the screen, and you must move the control stick in the way the arrow designates. If you mess up, you waste a can of paint, and lose some points. Boss battles play pretty much the same way, only the object here is to spay your opponent while they run away from you.

The gameplay is extremely fun and satisfying, but can be frustrating at times. The biggest problem I have is the camera control, in which you pull the L trigger to position the camera directly behind you. This creates a split second jump in the gameplay and can be disorienting at times, especially if there happens to be something behind you. What's even more annoying is the fact that the L trigger is also used to initiate the graffiti scenes. This normally isn't too problematic, until the boss battles. In each boss battle there are three opponents that are running away from you, each of them must be sprayed ten times in order to defeat them. The problem is if you go to spray them but aren't close enough, the camera moves. So what do you do? You pull the trigger again, and you're still too far away, and the camera jumps again. So all the while your trying to tag your enemy, the screen is doing this strobe effect; it doesn't really give me a headache or make me nauseous, but it makes the game look cheap, and takes away some of it's shine.

My only other problem is the weird controls. There not bad, but they take some getting used to. So overall the gameplay is good, nothing spectacular and I was a little disappointed when I found out that all you have to do in order to do a trick is to have enough speed and jump, no complex mid-air controller inputs. There are a lot of other cool features Jet Grind Radio has. For one it has a cast of ten playable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. You also have the ability to change up graffiti, create your own, or download more from SEGA or other players, so the artwork never gets old. Anyone who plays this game will probably play with a smile on their face, I know I did. Even though the gameplay has it's short comings, it's still overall an enjoyable experience.

Graphics: Now we're talking. Few games before, and few games since have had such a unique and colorful style to them. Jet Grind Radio is considered to be the first game to feature cel- shaded graphics, a technique that has now become synonymous with unique games. Not only that the game has a very "Japanese" feeling to it; From Beat wearing goggles, to the anime billboards spread all over Tokyo-to. Usually I state graphical errors that I have noticed, but I haven't run into any. What more can I say? At the time of it's release, Jet Grind Radio showcased some of the best graphics the video game industry had ever seen, and certainly showed off the Dreamcast's capabilities. So, from a graphical stand point, this game is, at least for me, flawless.

Music: This is definitely Jet Grind Radio's greatest achievement. The music is undoubtedly some of the best I have ever heard in my 15+ years of gaming. Every song is like a funky ride into euphoria. It's a combination of rap, hip-hop, funk, techno, rock, metal, pop, soul, and god knows what else the artists of these songs threw in to make an awesome tune. Hell I could almost just turn the game on just to play around with the sound test. The music fits so well with the carefree nature of the game and it's characters, and also goes well with the scenery of the city. If you like any of the genres of music listed, you're sure to love the upbeat music featured in this game.

Originality: SEGA has always had a knack for creating original games, (**cough NiGHTS Into Dreams cough**) and Jet Grind Radio is one of their best. We need more games that feature this much color and style, instead of the dark and dreary post-apocalyptic environments that seem to be in every game as of late. Hmm... if only some company that starts with an S and ends with a EGA would make a new console, we might see more of games that aren't afraid to take a chance. Please SEGA....no? Damn.

Overview:

Story: 3/5

Gameplay: 4/5

Graphics: 5/5

Music: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Difficulty: Medium

Learning Curve: Slightly High

Length: Average, About 5 Hours

Best Part: Funky Music

Worst Part: Camera Control

Total Score 4.4 Worth Every Penny

Conclusion: The Dreamcast may be a thing of the past, but it's games like Jet Grind Radio that keep it alive ten years later. While it hasn't aged as well as some of the other Dreamcast titles, back at the start of the new millennium, this was top of the line. Jet Grind Radio is a game that should by no means be taken seriously. It's about having fun and listening to some good tunes, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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