quite possibly the worst game ive ever played. pure AGONY
we all love jet set radio, the style and soul motivates me to go outside and be the coolest person of the week, but playing it is some horrible tortue technique id imagine used in guantanamo bay. the levels absolutely do not compliment the character movement and vice versa. you know the grunts AVGN makes? ive finally felt that now. holy shit this game is bad
edit: so i came around to beating it and it finally clicked with me, will have another review coming but im leaving this up cuz this was my first impressions
we all love jet set radio, the style and soul motivates me to go outside and be the coolest person of the week, but playing it is some horrible tortue technique id imagine used in guantanamo bay. the levels absolutely do not compliment the character movement and vice versa. you know the grunts AVGN makes? ive finally felt that now. holy shit this game is bad
edit: so i came around to beating it and it finally clicked with me, will have another review coming but im leaving this up cuz this was my first impressions
TheCriticalThinker: "Why Precision Platformer "Wall Jumper" (game built around its controls that are designed in a way to be perfectly matched for the level design) Has The Best Game Feel" (video review, 40 minutes)
TheCriticalThinker: "Why Jet Set Radio (game built around its controls that are designed in a way to be perfectly matched for the level design with the goal of feeling like rollerskating) Just Hasn't Aged Well And Shouldn't Ever Be Replicated Without Fixing The Dogshit Jank Outdated Controls" (video critique, 4+ hours)
TheCriticalThinker: Why Do Modern Games All Feel Samey? (video analysis, 5 minutes)
Un-self-aware pretentious jab at un-self-aware pretentious videos aside, I have some thoughts to give for new players to maybe help with what doesn't click at first, or just to offer perspective. Context is a defining factor of enjoying almost anything; you wouldn't want to go in for what will be called a buffet only to find out it's actually a buffet of assorted rocks, dirt and shit; cause while it's not like you're being told there isn't rocks, dirt and shit in the buffet, it's not exactly what you're expecting by default, and Jet Set Radio's context in the modern era might do it a disservice; it's a clear-cut cult classic with a smooth and funky perception, and you're gonna head in and feel like you're controlling the least reliable guy ever brought into the medium. These controls are not hindering your ability to be smooth and bring out your sense of style, but they are designed to be an initial obstacle to your ability to immediately achieve satisfaction, and this is because Jet Set Radio isn't a game about vigorously showing off your delirious biznasty funky skills in a vacuum but rather a pretty intense time-attack game where the smoothness comes from the act of "not losing" instead of "winning".
So here's my advice: skip the tutorial, it's not helping you, it shows techniques you'll never need and makes out the game to be more complicated than it is. Instead of immediately thinking of doing tricks (assuming you're still able to get down with the time attack gameplay) try to think about the context of what this is; it's an arcade-y skating game, it's simulating an (exxaggerated) set of physics tied to skating, there is weight and momentum; you cannot jump and get anywhere without build-up and walls are a death sentence for your speed, but there's actually a significant degree of leeway given the "floaty jumps" are pretty much a life-saver in terms of pulling off long trick sequences. Try to enjoy the learning process, fuck around and try to naturally discover the techniques you can pull off. Jet Set Radio, at it's core, is a time-attack game where you're trying to gain territory while skating, and it's fundamentally faithful to all these ideas, and with this context you can better know if it'll appeal to you. Sloppy physics are there not to be forever be sloppy, but to make you feel the growth of your ability (hell, fucking around to learn will even help you find collectibles most likely) and the quick-time event graffiti? Notice how the timer beats down on you while you do it, and notice how cops come in to punish and hunt you as you're actively spraying; it is meant to put the heat on you. You're a punk, not a hippie!
TheCriticalThinker: "Why Jet Set Radio (game built around its controls that are designed in a way to be perfectly matched for the level design with the goal of feeling like rollerskating) Just Hasn't Aged Well And Shouldn't Ever Be Replicated Without Fixing The Dogshit Jank Outdated Controls" (video critique, 4+ hours)
TheCriticalThinker: Why Do Modern Games All Feel Samey? (video analysis, 5 minutes)
Un-self-aware pretentious jab at un-self-aware pretentious videos aside, I have some thoughts to give for new players to maybe help with what doesn't click at first, or just to offer perspective. Context is a defining factor of enjoying almost anything; you wouldn't want to go in for what will be called a buffet only to find out it's actually a buffet of assorted rocks, dirt and shit; cause while it's not like you're being told there isn't rocks, dirt and shit in the buffet, it's not exactly what you're expecting by default, and Jet Set Radio's context in the modern era might do it a disservice; it's a clear-cut cult classic with a smooth and funky perception, and you're gonna head in and feel like you're controlling the least reliable guy ever brought into the medium. These controls are not hindering your ability to be smooth and bring out your sense of style, but they are designed to be an initial obstacle to your ability to immediately achieve satisfaction, and this is because Jet Set Radio isn't a game about vigorously showing off your delirious biznasty funky skills in a vacuum but rather a pretty intense time-attack game where the smoothness comes from the act of "not losing" instead of "winning".
So here's my advice: skip the tutorial, it's not helping you, it shows techniques you'll never need and makes out the game to be more complicated than it is. Instead of immediately thinking of doing tricks (assuming you're still able to get down with the time attack gameplay) try to think about the context of what this is; it's an arcade-y skating game, it's simulating an (exxaggerated) set of physics tied to skating, there is weight and momentum; you cannot jump and get anywhere without build-up and walls are a death sentence for your speed, but there's actually a significant degree of leeway given the "floaty jumps" are pretty much a life-saver in terms of pulling off long trick sequences. Try to enjoy the learning process, fuck around and try to naturally discover the techniques you can pull off. Jet Set Radio, at it's core, is a time-attack game where you're trying to gain territory while skating, and it's fundamentally faithful to all these ideas, and with this context you can better know if it'll appeal to you. Sloppy physics are there not to be forever be sloppy, but to make you feel the growth of your ability (hell, fucking around to learn will even help you find collectibles most likely) and the quick-time event graffiti? Notice how the timer beats down on you while you do it, and notice how cops come in to punish and hunt you as you're actively spraying; it is meant to put the heat on you. You're a punk, not a hippie!
Commonly acclaimed as one of the Dreamcast's gems, Jet Grind Radio provides us a concept with a lot of undeniable style and promise, however the rough control schemes coupled with the less-than-perfect Dreamcast controller makes this a bumpy ride to go.
The soundtrack and the aesthetics are what will likely keep you wanting for more, alas underneath those elements there could be a lot of room for improvement that wouldn't be seen until its re-imagining on XBOX.
The soundtrack and the aesthetics are what will likely keep you wanting for more, alas underneath those elements there could be a lot of room for improvement that wouldn't be seen until its re-imagining on XBOX.
JSR is one of those games that is really tough to get into, but is crazily satisfying when it all clicks.
The cons:
The controls are a bit clunky and seem to go against you some times.
Whose idea was it to assign the spray action and the camera reset action to the same button??
I don't like how you can't do a short hop while going full speed.
You can slide on some walls. Which ones? Just guess.
The way the momentum works is weird. There's no way to gain momentum while sliding, unless you're moving downwards. This is realistic of course, but screw realism. It would've been more fun if you gained some speed while grinding. Also when you jump onto a moving object, you basically gain that object's momentum instead (if that makes any sense). Basically if you jump onto a car going in the opposite direction that you're going and you immediately jump off the roof, you'll go the exact opposite way that you were originally going. Is that how physics work in real life? I don't know, but it feels weird.
The pros:
This is one of those games that hasn't aged a day. Its soundtrack and general aesthetic is candy to both my ears and eyes.
The gameplay is super satisfying when you start to understand how the character movement works. Furthermore, once you get a feel for the the stage layouts you'll get around quicker and more efficiently, while simultaneously pulling off more sick tricks and combos.
The plot was surprisingly entertaining, due to the fact that it goes absolutely bonkers towards the end. Gunning down kids with choppers and tanks because they go around tagging the city? Seems reasonable.
As it stands, Jet Set Radio is a really fun game. I'm glad I played in now, because I'd imagine that I'd have a hard time plowing through it if I'd played its spiritual successor Bomb Rush Cyberfunk first. As such, I can't recommend it to players who expect a flawless game with tight controls. But I gotta give credit to the game for holding up so well all these years later.
The cons:
The controls are a bit clunky and seem to go against you some times.
Whose idea was it to assign the spray action and the camera reset action to the same button??
I don't like how you can't do a short hop while going full speed.
You can slide on some walls. Which ones? Just guess.
The way the momentum works is weird. There's no way to gain momentum while sliding, unless you're moving downwards. This is realistic of course, but screw realism. It would've been more fun if you gained some speed while grinding. Also when you jump onto a moving object, you basically gain that object's momentum instead (if that makes any sense). Basically if you jump onto a car going in the opposite direction that you're going and you immediately jump off the roof, you'll go the exact opposite way that you were originally going. Is that how physics work in real life? I don't know, but it feels weird.
The pros:
This is one of those games that hasn't aged a day. Its soundtrack and general aesthetic is candy to both my ears and eyes.
The gameplay is super satisfying when you start to understand how the character movement works. Furthermore, once you get a feel for the the stage layouts you'll get around quicker and more efficiently, while simultaneously pulling off more sick tricks and combos.
The plot was surprisingly entertaining, due to the fact that it goes absolutely bonkers towards the end. Gunning down kids with choppers and tanks because they go around tagging the city? Seems reasonable.
As it stands, Jet Set Radio is a really fun game. I'm glad I played in now, because I'd imagine that I'd have a hard time plowing through it if I'd played its spiritual successor Bomb Rush Cyberfunk first. As such, I can't recommend it to players who expect a flawless game with tight controls. But I gotta give credit to the game for holding up so well all these years later.
Loads of fun with a unique sense of style brimming with charm and personality down to its quirky 90s skater vibe and funky music and visuals. It does however feel really clunky trying to make perfect landings and the overall loop of roaming around and spray painting while evading police with the limited variety of stages and gameplay ideas does bring it down. Still a promising formula worth expanding on
Has a bunch of weird little quibbles - the pointless time limit, the stinginess of spray cans on certain stages, stricter collision detection for grinding - that hold it back, but it has such a clarity of vision that when they made Future two years later, they kept the structure, story, and core gameplay loop essentially the same.
The controls are kinda janky and take a LOT of getting used to. The "enemies" are just frustrating and the game would be better without them.
That said, this is now one of my favorite games of all time. I absolutely loved playing through it and getting JET on every level except for the last couple which are...just terrible in my opinion.
That said, this is now one of my favorite games of all time. I absolutely loved playing through it and getting JET on every level except for the last couple which are...just terrible in my opinion.
Been fascinated with this since I was a kid, and it took until now for me to finally get a Dreamcast and track down a copy. Some of the most clunky controls of all time aside, this is a thrilling feelgood artistic masterpiece and no game (besides Future) has EVER been this full of personality. It also has what I will crown as my favorite video game soundtrack of all time, and singlehandedly got me into hip hop.
Very few games mean as much to me and my development as this and Future. Despite being a chore to control and play sometimes, I love this game and I always will.
Very few games mean as much to me and my development as this and Future. Despite being a chore to control and play sometimes, I love this game and I always will.