The Dreamcast was
great. Really, really great. The innovative titles Sega was juicing out just made in
unique, in a good way. Jet Set Radio may be one of the more unique titles that really
stand out, and it's definetly one of the best games for the system. I remember counting
days to the Japanese release when I bought the import, and I played it to death. But...the
Dreamcast is the past now, so can Smilebit keep it just as fun now that they've gone
multi-platform?
Short answer: Yes.
I'll brief the stupid, er, uninformed readers what JSR is all about: No, it's not 2D. But
it sure looks that way, doesn't it? The cel-shaded graphics are designed to give the
characters a hand-drawn look but the animation flows seamlessly in the 3D world of
Tokyoto. Getting past the new graphically approve, you'll feel overwhelled at how original
the game is. Your goal is to mark your own territory in a world of gangs by spray painting
marked walls on your jet-powered roller skates. It's easy at first, but soon you'll have
to do this while dodging the law-enforcement officers (i.e. police) at the same time. It
can get pretty crazy, but it's fun at the same time.
The Xbox controller being similar to the Dreamcast's, the controls should feel right at
homefor a JSR veteran. You move with the joystick and can do a short turbo boost with
another button. The biggest difference control-wise between the two games is the fact that
the characters in Future move much faster than before, which makes for a much more
enjoyable game. The city has been upgraded to push the to the edge of geometrical limits
and it certainly pays off. The world is HUGE but is pulled off perfectly with the Xbox's
power. And with your new speed, moving around is more fun than ever!
Another huge addition is a multiplayer feature that is sure to fill the space that several
gamers felt in the original Jet Set (Grind in the US) Radio. Two opposite modes, versus
and co-op, are planned for multiplayer and it sounds like it could be great if pulled of
correctly. Having to work together would add a whole new dimension to the game, not to
mention the fact that it's planned to go online.
With better graphics, bigger levels, and a mess of new tricks, this should be high on your
want list. I only hope they don't ruin the soundtrack *coughDragulacough* but I'm sure it
will be great. An early 2002 release is planned, so don't miss it! |
