Quick Look: Jet Set Radio HD

Call me an oldster, but it'll always be Jet Grind Radio to me.

I think I will skip playing Jet Set Radio and just go listen to the soundtrack.

Picked up the PC version and it's great, though I doubt someone without nostalgia for the DC release would be able to get into it. None of the hitching seen in the video. None of that weird flying off to the side stuff with the controls either...

I suspect that was less the game and more Ryan "Silly Thumbs" Davis living up to his classic nickname.

Wow it's super frustrating watching you play this, don't get me wrong the game has some major flaws but it can be so much more fun to play than you guys made it seem. I played the shit out of this on the DC so much that it's hard to remember not finding it easy to flow through a level smoothly and quickly. If its any consolation though I absolutley suck at Tony Hawk games.

@SemiNormal said:

Ryan's problem with Jet Set Radio appears to be, not that he thinks it doesn't "hold up" to modern games, but that it doesn't hold up to Jet Set Radio Future.

Which is like saying that pancakes don't hold up to poop.

(Jet Set Radio Future is the poop in this analogy. Because it is poop.)

You must really enjoy the taste of feces, then, because JSRF is an infinitely better game.

@OriginalGman: If I liked poop, then Jet Set Radio must also be poop, because I like it.

So what you're saying is that JSRF is infinitely better poop. But how do you gauge how much better as poop it is? Volume? Aroma? The consistency of the poop? These are important questions.

@SemiNormal said:

@OriginalGman: If I liked poop, then Jet Set Radio must also be poop, because I like it.

So what you're saying is that JSRF is infinitely better poop. But how do you gauge how much better as poop it is? Volume? Aroma? The consistency of the poop? These are important questions.

It definitely leaves a better taste in your mouth, and is much more consistent than Jet Grind Radio. Also the soundtrack is better, so I guess that counts as volume? Yep, questions answered.

@OriginalGman: YOU'RE poop.

@SemiNormal said:

Ryan's problem with Jet Set Radio appears to be, not that he thinks it doesn't "hold up" to modern games, but that it doesn't hold up to Jet Set Radio Future.

Which is like saying that pancakes don't hold up to poop.

(Jet Set Radio Future is the poop in this analogy. Because it is poop.)

That's pretty piss poor analogy. (just to keep up the excrement theme)

Having bought the PC version and playing it for the first time, I totally get what Ryan is talking about. This game is clunky as hell by today's standards. He's not denying it's groundbreaking effect in 2000, he's just comparing it to how games are played today and it doesn't hold up. Is it fair to compare it to today's standards? Not really, but it's not entirely unwarranted. Sega rereleased it in 2012 so people are allowed to replay it and see how it stacks up. And it doesn't stack up that well from a gameplay standpoint. Visually, it looks stunning. The soundtrack is incredible. But the gameplay is serviceable at best. Ryan is right for hating the tagging opponents thing cause it's a terrible mode. It's frustrating as all hell to get any kind of momentum in order to make big jumps. Yes, dashing before grinding on a rail gets you speed, but it doesn't help when the game magnetizes you to rails when you don't want to and you end up grinding at 1 inch per hour. Half pipe navigation is also bad. You're better off skating down the edge of the half pipe. Honestly even back in 2000, I don't think I'd finish this game. Awesome art and soundtrack can only keep me in the game for so long.

JSRF still has some of the issues that JSR has, but more often than not, I have fun with JSRF. JSR is a game I enjoy looking at and listening to. JSRF is a game I enjoy looking at, listening to, and playing.

So JSR is a pancake that looks delicious, tastes delicious, but when you bite into it, it feels like a rock. You want to eat it and appreciate its taste, but you just can't bite into it. JSRF is that pancake, but edible.

JSRF is only a better game if you're a baby who doesn't like tension in your games and want a more uninspired product. I love the game, but it is in no way on par with JSR's level design, personality, polish, and replay value.

From what I remember of playing Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast, here's my pro-tip for grinding.

Never use the stick unless you want to fly off in a direction other than forward. Pushing forward on the stick does nothing for you. To be fair, I seem to remember having that revelation after playing half-way through the game.

@bonbolapti said:

RYAN, DO TRICKS ON THE RAILS AND THANK ME LATER.

WORD! Also, stop walking up steps Ryan. The rails are there for a reason.

@MiniPato said:

And it doesn't stack up that well from a gameplay standpoint. Visually, it looks stunning. The soundtrack is incredible. But the gameplay is serviceable at best. Ryan is right for hating the tagging opponents thing cause it's a terrible mode. It's frustrating as all hell to get any kind of momentum in order to make big jumps.

Well I too just played the game for the first time (finished it yesterday) and I completely disagree. I enjoyed the tagging opponent missions, beat them all on my first attempt and had no frustrations with building momentum for grinding and jumps (which is not to say that I never made mistakes). Learning how to build and use momentum is one of the keys to the game and honestly I found it becomes pretty natural once you get used to it.

I do agree that the half pipes can be kind of awkward, but other than that I enjoyed the controls and thought the gameplay was fantastic. The final boss sucks though.

Edit: I just saw you posted the following in the JSR forum and I'm going to respond here because I think it's relevent:

"Yeah, the gameplay itself is kinda clunky, though most of it is probably me using keyboard to play it. Certainly takes some getting used to, but it's near impossible to tell which jumps will end up being short jumps and which will be long floaty jumps. Also is there a faster way to grind? I know you have to do a dashing jump on to a rail to get a fast grind, but sometimes you slow down the longer you grind. So if you're grinding slowly, is there anyway to speed up? The tutorial said jumping speeds up your grind, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

First of all, playing with a keyboard (which doesn't allow for analogue movement) is certainly not helping you any.

If you don't have enough momentum to do trick jumps then tapping the jump button while grinding will do a short jump that speeds you up. If you have enough momentum then you'll do the big trick jumps instead. For example if you jump onto a rail without dashing first, tap jump to do a short hop that will build up your speed up and then if you press jump again, you will do a big trick jump. Getting a feel for this is part of the learning process and takes a bit of getting used to, but once I had a feel for it I found it really enjoyable and rewarding. Flying around the levels from rail to rail is a joy.

One other thing to note. When jumping from a rail, in order to control the jump you want to press the jump button _before_ you start pushing in a direction.

I need a new Jet Set Radio!!! Maybe this release can make it happen though. I loved the freedom JSRF had over the first. The first was very level based while the second eliminated the time restraints and connected each area.

I remember really enjoying this game on the Dreamcast and forgetting why I stopped playing it... Thanks for reminding me, yes it did start to get frustrating, 1st few stages were fun though. Thanks for saving me $15, I won't be going down memory lane with this any time soon.

I've heard the comments from the GB crew, as well as other podcasts kind of thrashing the game. I downloaded it myself and I don't really get the criticism I must say. It still plays just as well as it ever did, and I had a blast reliving the DC days with it. Sure there are times when the camera can be a bitch but most 3D adventure games now days have this problem as well so it seems like an overly critical thing to say about a 12 year old game. Graphically it feels as fresh as it ever did. You could argue even moreso today, because a lot of games go for the gritty realism, so its refreshing to play a game with such a vibrant color palette.

Also, people hating on Birthday Cake have no soul.

this game's under arrest for sucking woo woo woo

@Guy_Strider said:

@verysexypotato said:

@PlasmaBeam44 said:

Every time this song came on in JSRF my ears started to bleed.

I love birthday cake.

Nostalgia claims another victim.

I like birthday cake outside this game too. The first Cibo Matto album containing it is amazing. Fun fact: the vocalist is featured in JSRF as the face of one of the skater gangs and one of the main characters.

I DISAGREE WITH THE OPINIONS IN THIS QUICK LOOK

Again, after looking at the nights quicklook - more like a flaming bit with jeff gerstman - it seem like the guys starting to judge games without knowing how to play a game AND while playing and talking at the same time. That's kind of funny but not as professional as it used to be. So: either play the games as bad as you can or want but don' t judge 'em OR get to (re)know them a little bit and talk about it with a little more game-base knowledge.

Also @blurienh is right.

Ryan falls at 666 on the timer. Just putting that out there.

People who seem to think JSRF is a bad game, or worse then JSR might be the best example of a "bad person". It's literally a by the numbers better sequel.

• Runs at 60fps (more responsive and faster because of it)
• Better level design
• Better controls and more options (for tricks, speed boosting, basic movement)
• No Time limit/THAW style open world
• A Lock On System
• A big huge arrow to tell you where to go
• Better 3D map with paths drawn in races

Every problem that Jet Set Radio has (not that it's necessarily a bad game) it addressed here and everything else is more and better, which is the basic thing you want with a sequel. I see either the soundtrack or the tagging brought up as being better in JSR. Those people don't remember trying to tag when you have 10 guys either coming for you or are all standing next to the tag damaging you. Plus like 40% of the songs in JSRF are remixes or are songs by the same artist so yeah keep bringing up Birthday Cake, that song's just goofy anyway.

Maybe the fact I came to the original JSR after playing Future and being aware of it for about a decade put my expectations in check playing this port, I still had fun and somehow finished the main game. Oh but man tagging backs isn't too bad once you realise they loop a pattern and R trigger then jumping constantly is actually the fastest way the move, they are nothing compared to the fucking races.

That trial and error bullshit where you don't know the path and one mistake in the second half of the race is basically an instant game over where you have to wait out to get beaten. Especially that one with Combo where you have to jump up that half pipe exactly right otherwise to turn around and you're done. Fuck that noise.

I got this game from steam last night so I thought I would check out the quicklook. Ryan I miss you duder ;(

tony hawk might play better, but the map designs sure are bland. everything is grey and blurry and ugly. jsr for lyfe :3

i loove how ryan even bombs out of the tutorial ahaha. he was the best

... to be fair, the mechanics of how you build up speed quickly in this game are pretty obtuse