Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Jet Set Radio
Dreamcast fans may remember Jet Set Radio by the name Jet Grind Radio when it originally hit the U.S. back in 2000. I recently got my hands on the game's high resolution re-release on PSN and XBLA, and the inventive graffiti-tagging romp still plays and looks terrific.
The goal of the game involves rollerblading around a crisp, vivid cel-shaded world hunting for spots to slap some spray paint. Applying your deviant art to public surfaces is as easy as following the on-screen analog stick movements. Things get a little trickier when the cops show up on the scene. Like any tagger with decent self-preservation instincts, you're going to want to dodge the police and the gun-wielding, pompadour-wearing detective. I'm a whole lot better at the game than I was a decade ago, but tracking down those last spray paint cans to complete your final tag is still tense. I also enjoy being able to control the camera with the right analog stick, something that wasn't possible with the Dreamcast's lone stick.
Sega says that fans of the original track will be happy to know the publisher has secured 80 percent of the original soundtrack. The spirited, pop-centric tracks will keep you toe-tapping while you paint the town. Speaking of painting, Sega is hosting a create-your-own-graffiti contest that artistic gamers can enter to have their creations featured in the game, along with a chance to win some cool prizes.
Jet Set Radio is the same game that blessed Dreamcast owners over 10 years ago, it just has the original Japanese title slapped on it. And if you never got a chance to play the original game, you've got the best chance to catch up when the re-release hits PSN, XBLA, and PC later this year.
Products In This Article
Jet Set Radio
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
