Jet Grind Radio is one of the great cult hits on the late Dreamcast. At the time it was one of the freshest, most original titles from Sega. The remake for XBLA, PSN, and PC has been re-branded and restored to not only match the original title, but top it.
The visual style of the game still holds up today, thanks to its usage of cell shading. In general, games done in that style age far more gracefully than contemporary standard 3D titles. In today’s world of browns and grays, the game stands out with its bright and vibrant colors.
The premise of the Jet Grind Radio is the same as the original. The story is complete nonsense as you skate around the city to fight the power and protect your turf from rival gangs all while listening to a crazy DJ broadcast from an underground bunker. You need to zoom around Tokyo on your inline skates and spray paint key locations. The action of the game is over the tops with SWAT teams being called in to stop you as you amass more tags. There is a variety of characters to unlock, each with different stats. The levels rewards memorization and planning. By picking out a route you can quickly amass the spray paint cans you need to finish the stage in quick fashion. The game does not encourage slowing down as the police will continually dog you as you tag more properties.
I played through a level in Shibuya Station and it was just as I remembered it. The game as always is a blast to play. I did not have a chance to listen to the game’s soundtrack. The original title had some great musical selections. Hopefully Sega will be able to restore it to its full aural goodness. With any luck this title will see strong sales and encourage Sega to green light another game in the series.
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