I've joked/mulled about this point ever since Sega announced they would remake the original, okayish Jet Grind Radio: we need a damn remake of Jet Set Radio Future. Someone know if Smilebit's rights to the game got sent back to Sega when they shut down and sent to Sports R&D (of the Mario and Sonic Olympics "fame")? Didn't people like and actually buy the JSR remake? Shouldn't that justify a current gen JSRF?

Ugh I didn't realise that was what happened to Smilebit. You've bummed me out now.

Am I right in remembering that JSRF was not well received? I certainly seem to recall a lot of people being unhappy about them taking out the analog stick motions for tagging stuff. I haven't played either game in a long time, but I do remember playing JSRF and being confused as to why there was so much negativity around it (that did happen, right? Maybe just my friends were super down on it, I can't remember) and I've got this idea in my head that JSRF is the superior game...

I guess the thing to recognise is that Sega did a bunch of HD rereleases at once with this and Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi etc etc but there was never anything more after that. So maybe you could read how successful it was from that. They did overcharge on them a bit, didn't they?

I dunno if I like our chances of seeing a JSRF update any time soon. I'll pour one out for you, Gum :(

Weren't the HD releases simply ports of games that were already ported to PC a long time ago? That might a reason why Sega haven't tried porting over their other Dreamcast/XBox releases.

@damodar: I think most people remember Jet Grind more fondly although I think top down Jet Set is a better game. At the time it had really stylish graphics and great character design. As for gameplay they basically made a Sonic game out of it, albeit a fun one. Tagging an entire wall 'piece' or 'masterpiece' while grinding down labyrinth shaped city plumbing felt awesome.

It was the game that made me buy an Xbox, a decision I later regretted but I'm glad to have been able to play it and would love an HD remake.

Sega releasing something that isn't Sonic or Hatsune Miku in the west?

Ha!

I have to laugh. Now, if any of you guys need me, I'll be in my room, curled up in the foetal position, crying uncontrollably

@humanity: Yeah, I think the decision to simplify the tagging was a good one. The game is at its best when you're maximising momentum by stringing together big grinds and wallrides and all that good stuff. Although I did actually think the little QTE for tagging in Jet Grind was pretty awesome at the time, it did kill that momentum.

It was part of the xbox bundle I got, which came with Halo and a disc that had both JSRF and Sega GT on it, and between getting wrapped up in Halo and the negative things that I'd heard about Future, it might have been a while before I even got stuck in to it. Which I guess actually ended up being a nice surprise even though I really liked the original, since I went in basically expecting the worst.

@damodar: I bought the exact same bundle with my hard earned high school money.

Talking about Jet Grind there is a pretty decent bundle on Amazon happening right now for any interested

Jet Grind

Hell Yah

Nights

Renegade Ops

The Cave

--------------------------------

$9.92

LINK