Jet Set Radio HD is a wonderful update of one of my favourite games.
Aside from some minor flaws and a few design decisions that may
irritate the newcomer, JSR is damn near perfect. It’s not, I
concede, as good a game as its sequel, Jet Set Radio Future,
but even today, JSR has a freshness and a coolness about it that’s
never really been matched.
It was the first game to really use cel-shaded graphics, a style that perfectly suited its wacky hyper-comic world and characters. It also has a fantastic, varied soundtrack, that not only complements its gameplay, but is seamlessly woven into it.
It was the first game to really use cel-shaded graphics, a style that perfectly suited its wacky hyper-comic world and characters. It also has a fantastic, varied soundtrack, that not only complements its gameplay, but is seamlessly woven into it.
If you’ve never played JSR before, you may find the controls fiddly, the time limits irritating and the spray mechanics annoying. JSRF pretty much removed these issues altogether, but personally, having played the original on release, I don’t really mind them.
.jpg "Platforming, exploration, tricks, graffiti, tag battles, races...JSR has a varied selection of modes which unlock as you progress.")
.jpg "Cube is my favourite.")
The game has a certain ‘score attack’ vibe to it, as you endlessly replay levels to attain the highest ratings and unlock an extensive collection of extra characters. This new HD version of JSR looks great and includes some nice little bonus features – some music tracks from JSRF (hopefully an indication a HD remake is in the works) and a short, but good documentary about the making of the game.
Jet Set Radio is a fantastic, funky blend of varied gameplay, music, style and art. It’s just pure video game joy.
8/10
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