|
| Foocha! is a non-profit Web site. We do it for kicks, not for cash. If you're interested in writing for the site, click here |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
| Games,
Richard Young,
15 January 2001 |
Rating: F5
|
|
| |
| |
|
While the rest of the world are falling over themselves to get their mitts on Sony’s new tower of power, Sega continue to quietly churn out games that couple unique gameplay with eye-popping graphics. Jet Set Radio is just such a title. You are the member of the hip street gang, The GG’s, and it is your mission to skate, jump and grind around the streets of Tokyo-to (!) spraying groovy graffiti and tags over walls, billboards and cars, much to the chagrin of the city’s baton-wielding police force. Aside from the long arm of the law, you also have to contend with rival gangs who are vying for all the best spots for their own phat designs.
Normally, I tend to avoid games based on ideas that I don’t find that interesting. Football games, for example, bore me senseless. However, despite the fact that I generally find graffiti pathetic and irritating in real life, Jet Set Radio has me hooked good and proper. Now might be a good time to mention the graphics, for they are some of the best seen on the Dreamcast to date. Utilising the rather clever “cell shaded” style of graphics as seen in Wacky Races and Looney Tunes: Space Race, developers Smilebit have created a visual marvel. A living cartoon, if you will. It’s not just the graphical style that will amaze you, but also the level of detail seen in the streets and parks of Tokyo-to. Bicycles clatter to the ground, pedestrians scream and jump out of your way, and signposts wobble when you bump into them.
The game physics are a bit tricky to begin with, especially when you have to learn how to collect spray cans, jump from hand rail to hand rail, and avoid getting hit by passing cars. Give it some time however, and the addictive nature of the game will take over. Another point worth mentioning is the funky soundtrack. Despite feeling a little old-school, the combination of hip-hop, techno and J-pop works very well, particularly as the tracks are seamlessly mixed and scratched in a clever DJ stylee. With titles like Jet Set Radio, it would appear that Dreamcast owners still have access to the best games available on a home console, and will continue to have until developers really begin to tap into the true power of Playstation 2.
Top Home |
|
|
|
|
