Review 10: Jet Set Radio/ Jet Grind Radio (Dreamcast)

Hoorah! My 10th review! Well, considering it's been more than a year that I founded this site, it's not a big celebration, but anyways...

Remember my last review? Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is the prequel (unless you don't read titles, for which I pity you). Jet Set Radio was originally released June 29, 2000 in Japan. Its reception? Two words: Sleeper hit. Meaning that, like Jet Set Radio future, it was met with absymal sales, but ended up with a terrific rating for its originality, funky-fresh feel and, possibly most of all, bringing cel-shading to how popular it is now.

Story: 10/10

In Asia, there is a city that cannot be found on any map named Tokyo-to, but people just call it Tokyo. Right now, the two biggest things in Tokyo are the strange punks, nicknamed Rudies, wearing inline skates powered by new Netrium batteries, and Jet Set Radio, a pirate radio broadcast manned by DJ Professor K, which only plays hardcore and non-stop music. The Rudies have gone and tagged graffiti all over Tokyo-to, claiming it's their way of expressing their freedom. But since the Government and the Rokkaku Group combined their efforts to create the "21st Century Project", things have never been the same. Police crackdowns on the Rudies are getting tighter, and the Captain of the Police force, Captain Onishima, wants to put them behind bars ASAP. Tokyo is ready to explode...

You start out as Beat, a Rudie who's looking for people to join his new gang, the GGs. After you complete two sets of challenges presented by two Rudies, Gum and Corn (named Tab in Jet Grind Radio), they join you. Then, the real game begins.

Gameplay: 10/10

For the most part, Jet Set Radio has the same gameplay as Jet Set Radio Future: Skating, grinding, stylish jumps. However, there are some major differences between the two: For one thing, there's a time limit. So here, you have to both get the job done and get it done ASAP. For another, there's a different spraying system: In the sequel, you had to press the right trigger and you would get one part done. Here, you spray over the arrows and move the control stick in the directions indicated by the screen. For example:

And then you would finish one part. There are three areas in Jet Set Radio: Shibuya-cho, Benten-cho and Kogane-cho (though two areas, Grind Square and Bantam Street are added in Jet Grind Radio), where you fight three gangs fighting for their turf: The heartbroken Love Shockers try to take your turf, Shibuya, while you attempt to take Benten from the cyborg Noise Tanks and Kogane from the monster-dressed gang Poison   Jam.

Graphics: 10/10                                                                

Like I said before, the Jet Set Radio games brought cel-shading to what it is now. Just look at the above image: It's as cartoonish as a 3-D 128-bit game can be, and will make you want more games like this.

Some more images:

Music: 10/10

Like Jet Set Radio Future, Jet Set Radio has a full soundtrack filled with smooth tracks, such as Bout the City, my personal favorite, Everybody Jump Around (which makes a bit of a cameo in Fusion Frenzy, a popular Xbox game), and songs that are remixed in Jet Set Radio Future, such as Let Mom Sleep, Rock it On and That's Enough.

Overall: 10/10

Even if you look hard, it's extremely hard to find flaws in this masterpiece. This game is one of the true reasons the Dreamcast was a masterpiece, and another one of the best games Sega ever marketed.