Still as good as I remember despite the control.
User Rating: 8.5 | Jet Set Radio X360
Most games on the Dreamcast looking back were a tad shallow by today's standards. Jet Set Radio was a niche game that perfected the shell shade art style. Clearly it was Sega's answer to the popularity of SSX and Tony Hawk. Somewhere down the line it ended up something else. You are part of a gang trying to avoid the Po Po while taking back over the streets from rival gangs. Problem is the control hates you and does not want you to accomplish your mission. Tricks are fairly easy but the controller feels like there is some serious dead spots where the analog stick just does not wanna register your movement. To be fair the Dreamcast versions control was always a little off. My guess is Sega decided the animation was more important. The music is amazing. It is one of the few series where I have actually downloaded the songs That is as high praise as it gets. The graphics even today are gorgeous. The shell shade look is amazing and I would love to see JSRF down the line. As for the game itself you basically do trick runs, collecting spray paint cans which you use to tag over rival gangs graffiti. You use the analog stick to do movements on the screen such as turns and z formations. Again, the control is a pain and there is a short delay when you are registering your movement. The cops in the game are actually aggressive and when you also have the ho hum control the game's difficulty raises pretty quick. Also even with on screen hints it is still easy to get turned around or find your next objective. It's fun. But it is frustrating as well. But doing the skating lines to get points is a blast and you always wanna keep going til you beat the run. And afterwards you will feel a sense of accomplishment unlike most games. I highly recommend this mainly because there is nothing like it. It was the old Sega at it's best and unlike most older games, this game actually has depth and it has tons of variety and things to do. The graphics are amazing and opening up new areas is something you want to do just to see how beautiful the next portion of the city is. The control is a sore spot but the animation back then was something you just didn't see often. Sega made the sacrifice and to be honest the difficulty might actually make the game a little better. Today's games are too easy. This game takes me back to the days you had to earn the right to win the game. Plus the story is really cool and the names of the characters are priceless. As in funny. I never put spoilers and the names are so corny I would rather someone play it and just shake their head in the goofiness on the characters. Must buy game folks. JET SET RADIO!!!!!!
