This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2008)

Jet Grind Radio/Jet Set Radio
US Jet Grind Radio Boxart
Developer(s)	Smilebit
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	Shun Arai (Executive Producer) Takayuki Kawagoe (Chief Producer) Osamu Sato (Producer) Masayoshi Kikuchi (Director)
Composer(s)	Yukifumi Makino (Sound Producer) Fumitaka Shibata (Sound Director) Hideki Naganuma (also Sound Effects)
Platform(s)	Dreamcast
Release date(s)	JP June 29, 2000 NA November 1, 2000 EU November 24, 2000
Genre(s)	Action/Platformer
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: T

Jet Set Radio (ジェットセットラジオ, Jetto Setto Rajio^?, Jet Grind Radio in North America), is a video game developed by Smilebit and published by Sega on June 29, 2000. Jet Set Radio was developed for the Dreamcast, although a 2D version of the game was later released for Game Boy Advance and was developed by Vicarious Visions, and published by THQ. Its sequel, Jet Set Radio Future was released 2 years later for the Xbox after SEGA became a software-based company. The game is known for spearheading the use of cel-shaded graphics in video games.

[edit] History

Jet Set Radio was announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 1999 and generated a prodigious amount of press attention due to its use of the then revolutionary rendering technique, cel-shading. Now commonplace in game design, cel-shading allows for a "cartoon-like" appearance of 3D rendered objects.^[1] Jet Set Radio was released in Japan on June 29, 2000.

The US release, re-titled Jet Grind Radio, contained two new maps, various new songs, and other in-game content designed to increase the game's appeal to Western audiences. This version also allowed the user to connect to the Internet via SegaNet and download user-created graffiti tags, or upload tags of their own, as some could also be used to promote other SEGA games. Sales of the game were relatively low, but despite the slumping sales of Jet Grind Radio, it has gone on to achieve a cult following in the gaming community.

[edit] Plot

The game begins in Shibuya-cho, and is introduced by Professor K, the DJ of a pirate radio station based in Tokyo-to, who explains the basics of life in Tokyo-to for a "rudie", the term he uses to refer to young people who roam the streets spraying and skating, as a means of self expression.

The city is split into three parts—Shibuya-cho, Benten-cho, and Kogane-cho, each of which corresponds to a different time of day. Shibuya is a shopping district full of blue skies and daylight, Benten a nocturnal entertainment spot that represents night, and Kogane a mostly residential area, built on the water, where it is perpetually sunset. In each of these areas the player will encounter a rival gang - the Love Shockers in Shibuya, the Noise Tanks in Benten, and Poison Jam in Kogane - that attempts to usurp the GG's home turf. The player starts off forming a skate gang which also resides in Shibuya-cho, and thus forms a rivalry between the gangs in the area. After completing a set of menial challenges, designed to introduce the player to the control system, Gum and Tab join the gang forming the first 3 members of the GG's. The player starts out as Beat, a 17-year-old rudie who ran away from home like many other Japanese rudies. Beat was first shunned from gang to gang over and over again until he decided to start his own gang. Beat is the leader and founder of the GG's. The player first starts out spraying a little graffiti in Shibuya-Cho looking to recruit members. First Gum joins, then Tab.

The initial stage is set in a Shibuya bus station, in which the player has to "tag" various parts of the bus station, as well as spray over existing tags, so as to gain the area as part of their territory. While tagging these places, the player is pursued by policemen and their leader, Captain Onishima. The police, the S.W.A.T team, and Goji Rokkaku's Golden Rhinos are yet another obstacle to avoid while defeating rival gangs. Also, Professor K narrates specific parts of the game via his eponymous pirate radio station called Jet Set Radio.

Other gangs which feature in the game as opponents are the Noise Tanks, who appear to be semi-cyborg otaku, Poison Jam, brutish thugs who wear fish costumes, and the Love Shockers, an all-girl gang made up of jilted lovers. Once the protagonist defeats each gang they hand over their belongings and grant the area to the graffiti gang that dethroned them.

[edit] Soundtrack

The upbeat Jet Set Radio soundtrack includes an eclectic array of original and licensed songs combining the musical genres of J-pop, Hip-hop, funk, Electronic dance music, Acid Jazz, Trip hop, and even (in the NTSC version) metal.

1. B.B. Rights - Funky Radio
2. Castle Logical - Mischievous Boy
3. Cold - Just Got Wicked (North American version only)
4. Deavid Soul - Miller Ball Breakers
5. Deavid Soul - On the Bowl (A.Fargus Remix)
6. Deavid Soul - Up-Set Attack
7. Deavid Soul - Yappie Feet
8. F-Fields - Yellow Bream
9. Guitar Vader - Magical Girl
10. Guitar Vader - Super Brothers
11. Hideki Naganuma - Grace and Glory
12. Hideki Naganuma - Humming the Bassline
13. Hideki Naganuma - Let Mom Sleep
14. Hideki Naganuma - Moody's Shuffle
15. Hideki Naganuma - Rock It On
16. Hideki Naganuma - Sneakman
17. Hideki Naganuma - Sweet Soul Brother
18. Hideki Naganuma - That's Enough
19. Idol Taxi - OK House
20. Jurassic 5 - Improvise (North American and PAL versions only)
21. Mixmaster Mike - Patrol Knob (North American and PAL versions only)
22. Professional Murder Music - Slow (North American version only)
23. Reps - 'Bout the City
24. Richard Jacques - Everybody Jump Around
25. Rob Zombie - Dragula (North American version only)
26. Toronto - Electric Tooth Brush
27. Feature Cast - Recipe For The Perfect Afro (PAL version only)
28. O.B. One - Many Styles (PAL version only)
29. Semi Detached - Funky Plucker (PAL version only)
30. Deavid Soul - Dunny Boy Williamson Show (Japanese version only)

[edit] Alternate versions

[edit] Jet Grind Radio (Game Boy Advance)

A version of Jet Set Radio was released for the Game Boy Advance system in 2003, created by Vicarious Visions, the developers of the numerous Tony Hawk Pro Skater GBA games; and published by THQ. It featured an isometric perspective similar to the GBA Tony Hawk games and, despite the hardware limitations, cartoony graphics were designed to emulate the look of cel-shaded graphics, despite the smaller resolution. Music is reduced to 30 to 45 second samples. The levels ranged from exact duplicates to reminiscent counterparts of the original Jet Set Radio.

[edit] De La Jet Set Radio

After the public reported several bugs in the original Japanese version of Jet Set Radio, Sega decided to re-release it under the name of De La Jet Set Radio ("Deluxe" Jet Set Radio). This version was only sold in Japan via Dreamcast Direct (later renamed Sega Direct) making it one of the more rare Dreamcast titles available. The gameplay in this version was easier to pick up and included the added music from the PAL and North American versions, including the two levels only included in these two versions. The text featured in the game is localized in the main language of your Dreamcast, unlike the original Japanese version, which means that if your Dreamcast system is set to English language, the text in the game will be in English. The same goes for Japanese, German, French and Spanish. However, the voices remain Japanese.

[edit] Reception

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

The game was received exceedingly well from online sources and magazines. Many have praised the style of the game as the matching soundtrack with up-tempo music. Critics also applauded the simplistic "pick-up and play" arcade style gameplay. The lowest review received was a 70% rating (3.5 out of 5) from Independent Gamer. IGN gave the game a 9.6 rating but criticized the camera control, saying, "You'll spend weeks thinking 'Why don't all games look like this?'. Then you'll spend a month wondering why the camera wasn't fixed in the development." The lack of multiplayer was also criticized.

[edit] Sequels and Upcoming Titles

[edit] Jet Set Radio Future

Said to be a sequel, yet also a prequel to Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future, was developed for the Xbox and released in Japan on February 22, 2002, in North America on February 25, 2002 (under the title JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future) and in Europe on March 14, 2002 as a launch game for the console. The game's style and cel-shaded graphics remained faithful to the original, although somewhat improved to take advantage of the Xbox hardware.

[edit] Jet Set Radio Wii

Headstrong Games presented Sega with a concept for a third installment for the Wii, but the concept "did not take". This motion has remained under heavy protest from Gaming news sites such as IGN.^[2]

[edit] Upcoming Releases

As of March 2009, Sega has recently renewed the Jet Set Radio and ChuChu Rocket trademarks in the US. Speculation has lead to believe that both are soon to be rereleased on Xbox Live and/or PSN. ^[3]

[edit] Appearances in Other Games

Two of Jet Set Radio's characters, Beat and Gum, are playable characters in the sports title, Sega Superstars Tennis. Beat will also feature as a playable character in the upcoming Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.

[edit] Awards

• E3 2000 Game Critics Awards: Winner for Best Console Game, runner-up for Best in Show
• 2001 Game Developers Choice Awards: Winner of Excellence in Visual Arts and Game Innovation Spotlights awards, nominated for Game of the Year
• 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (2001): nominated for Game Design, Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Console Innovation, Original Music Composition, Sound Design, and Visual Engineering

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Jet Grind Radio on Gamespot.com
• Smilebit Interview