3RRDC Jet Radio

Sega, vandalism isn't legal...way to go!

Sega releasing its own games can be a good thing. Heck, look at NFL
2K! But sometimes it's not a good thing…it's a great thing! And here's
an example of Sega coming out on top for with an instant Dreamcast
classic. The presentation is perfect. You live in a pseudo-futuristic city
and you race around on powered skates putting graffiti everywhere.
It's a jive-based game with sweet tunes, style, and simple but superb
gameplay.

When I said the presentation was perfect I meant it. The trippin' style
of the game fits the mood perfectly for reckless skating. Professor K is
going "right through the radio and into your brain" while he narrates
the story with an addictive DJ personality. Even the loading screen is
cool! The characters are really cool (Combo is my favorite).

Now, I want to say that the graphics are great but I have nothing else
to compare it to! The first of it's kind, Jet Grind Radio features "cel-
shaded" graphics. They appear to be hand-drawn giving it a 2D cartoon
feel, but the neat thing is, it's still in 3-D! So, I guess I'll call the
graphics fantastic. The characters move with no slowdown, though I
have to say that jumping is a pain. You tend to float when you jump, so
it's hard to land exactly where you want to. The cities are enormous,
though they tend to get smaller as the game progresses. But when you
complete all the levels in a region the game combines them to form
one gigantic super-city! This proves for a great challenge.

The whole "point" of the game is this: Skate around different cities
putting graffiti on stuff. It might sound boring, but there are a few
twists to it. You start out with no spray paint cans, so you have to race
around the city to find some. But while doing this you have to avoid the
cops. Now, I'm not going to spoil the game for you, but let me say this:
sometimes the cops can really "tank" you! And I'm sure some of you
are asking "but how it the graffiti done?" It's a simple thing that can be
done with the push of a button. You walk up to a space that needs to
be "painted" and there will be a white text bubble over your head. Hit
the L trigger to get it going. You have to swivel the analog stick in
certain combinations in order to complete it. It sounds simple, but
some spots take up more than ten cans of paint! And you have to do
this while the cops are mauling you with clubs. Ah, isn't urban life
great?

My favorite feature in this game is the Tag Creator. That's right, you
finally get to design your own graffiti and test it on various places
without getting arrested! First, you pick a word. Any word. Then you
warp it: twist it and turn it to make it look different. The fun begins
when you color it. A palette of over fifty colors is at your fingertips and
you get different font thickness to use them with. If that's not enough,
you also get to post your graffiti on the Internet. You can even
download new tags you can use in the game!

But no game goes without its faults. My only gripe about this game is
the camera, as it will often shift to a top or side view, which blocks the
important view of whatever lies before you. Why is it that every game is
cursed with a bad camera? But the real problem is that Sega assigned
the center-the-camera button to the L trigger, which is also used to
Tag. You only use the A button! Why couldn't the refocus button be X,
Y, or B? Come on Sega, use your brains!

Here, in my hands, is an instant classic. If you have this game, and you
couple it with NFL 2K, NHL 2K, NBA 2K, Soul Calibur, Crazy Taxi, Sonic
Adventure, and Sega GT, I guarantee, you'll have the perfect DC
collection.

Grades

Gameplay - 95%

Here it is folks, a classic title. It's a one-of-a-kind game with one-of-a-
kind gameplay. If you have this game you are one lucky, and wise,
gamer.

Graphics - 100%

Amazing new cel-shading, huge detailed cities, and colorful graffiti
make this game a work of art.

Sound - 90%

Sweet music, but everything else isn't as good. Although I couldn't find
anything impressing me, I couldn't find anything disappointing either.

Presentation - 100%

Great Jive theme. It fits the mood and the game perfectly. I wish I
could give it an even higher score.

Replay Value - 90%

Tons of cities and rival "battles" make this a long-lasting game. And
don't forget the Internet!

Overall - 95%

The Overall rating is not an average of the preceding scores.

Review by: IronKnux