JET SET RADIO
Released: US, Europe. Japan as Jet Grind Radio 2000 SEGA |
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Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio in other territories) is one of the Dreamcast's many unique titles. At first glance being a skating title the overall product contains something for everybody.
The city of Tokyo-To is broken up into multiple portions, each of which is controlled by a different gang of inline skating graffiti artists. You control a gang called the GGs, and you must protect your turf from being sprayed up by rival gangs and venture into the other sections of the city to mark up your rivals' turfs. The game is tied together by Jet Set Radio, a pirate radio station run by DJ Professor K. K appears between levels to advance the plot.
Your tasks are to tag points in the local area by spraying your signature graffiti within a time limit. You will encounter resistance from rival gangs and the police. Law enforcement becomes more of a problem as the game progresses. Later new challenges are presented.
The game starts of relatively simply. You must pass a few simple tests showing you the basics of skating, stunts and painting to be inducted into the gang. Once done you take to the streets.
The gameplay is simple and you do not need to learn a load of moves for pulling off tricks and stunts. For example, if you gain enough height in a jump your character will automatically pull off moves earning you points.
For more help there is a tutorial option where you can practice some of the basics further.
There are no additional play modes outside of the normal game. There is a tutorial option where you can learn through some of the basics of control. There is also a graphics editor where you can even create your own signature graffiti.
Graphically the game is stunning. When the game was released in 2000 it premiered the use of Cell Shading – the technique of colouring polygons to give them a hand drawn look. This became somewhat popular and seen in many recent games such as Viewtiful Joe and X III.
The soundtrack to the game is superb and probably the best on the system. The collection of Hip-Hop and funky beats fits the onscreen action really well. The tunes can be listened to via the options screen.
This is an essential item to anybodies Dreamcast library. It can be bought for about £5 which is a steal for such a fantastic game.
SCREENSHOTS
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The sequel Jet Set Radio Future was released in 2002 for the XBox (and is playable on the Xbox 360) and the original (this version) has been ported to the Game Boy Advance.
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In September 2012 (Confirmed) Jet Set Radio was released on Xbox Live Arcade, PC, PSN and Vita. Its upgrades include the HD visual treatment, fan-created graffiti, and 10 playable characters.
An integral part of the game was the soundtrack and the new release has better audio loosing only one track than the original Dreamcast release.
It has been very well received with high review scores eschewing plenty of fondness for the Dreamcast as a console with individuals commenting on just how creative and unique games in the Dreamcast library were.
Check out more information at the official website: http://www.sega.co.uk/games/jet-set-radio/
CHEATS AND TIPS
Hear the Sega Scream
Tap A as the game boots. When the Sega logo appears, you'll hear the famous "Sega!" scream instead of the normal music.
Unlock Noise Tanks
To unlock the Noise Tanks, beat the Benten-Cho levels with a Jet ranking.
Unlock Poison Jam
To unlock Poison Jam, beat the Kogane-Cho levels with a Jet ranking.
Unlock Prof. K
To play as Prof. K, beat the game and save.
Unlock the Love Shockers
To unlock the Love Shockers, beat the Shibuya-Cho levels, getting a Jet ranking.
Related
Games Of the Month Archive (May 2004)
LINKS
Jet Set Radio Theme - Let Mom Sleep [128Kbit MP3]
Download the Soundtrack at SEGA Xtreme
http://segaxtreme.net/community/topic/15599-dreamcast-jet-set-radio-ost/
MISC INFO
- The character Beat appeared is a playable character in SEGA Superstars Tennis. The game features Jet Set Radio in one of its Superstar Zones which also includes the likes of Space Channel 5 and NiGHTS.
