Disclaimer: unauthorized graffiti is bad and should be avoided, particularly when under duress of a disproportionate response of force. You have a clean slate, though, so let’s pack it up, take a head count and book—you did what? Every neighborhood you say? Even the trash cans?
Back in 2000, a game by the name of Jet Set Radio was released for the Sega Dreamcast. Over a decade later in 2012, it was re-released on some of the 7th generation consoles—Xbox 360 and PS3—and saw a port to PC arriving on steam.
The game starts with a young lad named Beat who runs away from home and, like most aspiring young entrepreneurs, decides to start up his own gang called the GG’s. As with any budding startup, he requires assets, so he recruits two members named Gum and Tab, who will form the core of your group and help establish territory for your gang. With this your group begins to indiscriminately tag all inanimate objects and surfaces in sight, slowly conquering the surrounding area through show of artistic force.
During your expansion the GG’s are antagonized by the police, who also have full control over military forces. You too may fully appreciate the consequences of this when you are laughing maniacally and running around in circles with an attack helicopter on your heels. Aside from the police, there are other gangs and corporate assassins who want your heads.
On now to the core topics: gameplay, theme, setting, and aesthetic appeal. Gameplay is structured through missions, in between and before which you can idle in your garage, customizing your sprays, and swaying to the tune any music you’ve unlocked. Missions consist of moving around on roller skates and tagging a number of locations within a time limit while avoiding your adversaries. Some people have voiced distaste with the controls due to an inability to maneuver in the air and the difficulty in changing one’s momentum when already in motion. This coupled with an at-times-unreliable camera can make the game somewhat frustrating to play for first-timers.
The spirit of the game is one of rebelling against the suppression of personal expression in teenagers and young adults. Its setting is inspired by Tokyo, with playable areas being named after cities and wards in the Tokyo metropolitan area: Shibuya, Bentencho, and Kogane. Each area is tied to a specific time of day and different urban areas, so your sights will range from sunset lit water fronts to dank sewers and bustling downhill roads in the city.
Graphics wise, Jet Set Radio was among the first games released in the 21st century to use cell shading. Earlier iterations of cell shading had cropped up in the mid-to-late 90’s in games such as PaRappa the Rapper. On the musical side, the soundtrack is some parts funky, electronic, and hip hop, with other components mixed in here and there.
Even with shortcomings in gameplay, Jet Set Radio is capable of putting a smile on your face with its charming art style, music, and over the top elements. I personally enjoyed meandering around the maps with no intention of completing the missions. The running game time may be low, but even in its brevity it is sweet and, like the sensory candy it is, should be savoured.
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