You know, on a raw gameplay level, Jet Set Radio is a fucking disaster. The movement is stiff and nauseating - building momentum is a goofy trial-and-error experience, boosting barely makes a difference unless you're going downhill, going uphill is virtually impossible, and the strict timing on the jumps + grind rails does not mesh with the claustrophobic map design whatsoever. Jet Set Radio's cities are sprawling and surprisingly huge (shoutout to that one city that has an entire sewer underside just waiting for you to explore), but they're so cluttered with tight corridors, uneven terrains, and vehicles that can fucking hurt you that you won't be spending any time admiring the surface-level depth of the map design because you'll be too busy feeling frustrated with the millions of tiny problems that pockmark these stages like a bad case of zits.

There's also the fact that combat fucking sucks, races against characters fucking suck, and rival battles against other teams you're supposed to spray with graffiti REALLY suck because it's nigh-impossible to predict their skate path and even more impossible to finally catch up with them and finally spray the bastard before the timer runs out. Jet Set Radio - sorry, Jet Grind Radio - is a nightmare of game design and open-world movement...

...and yet, Jet Set Radio is so stylish that you almost manage to stop caring after all. The strong, spiky, distinctive character designs, the sick-ass graffiti tags, the immaculately-aged cel-shaded style that defined and pioneered an entire subgenre of game visuals, and the fucking MUSIC, the most badass OST in gaming HISTORY bar fucking none - this is what keeps you playing. Jet Set Radio wins you over with style and presentation alone, and for that, it deserves some serious kudos.