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of feeling like rollerskating) Just Hasn't Aged Well And Shouldn't Ever Be Replicated Without Fixing The Dogshit Jank Outdated Controls" (video critique, 4+ hours)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!