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.