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Xbox | Action | Jet Set Radio Future

Boxart for Jet Set Radio Future
Jet Set Radio Future 42 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 5.0
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.3
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.5
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Hands-On: Jet Set Radio Future

Hands-On by PONGSIFU | 01/31/2002 | 16:50:15 PM PST

With sumptuous cel-shaded graphics and amazing gameplay, Jet Set Radio Future is shaping up to be a must-have title for the Xbox.

Japan, 2024. A sprawling city has been locked down by a repressive regime that has crushed any semblance of civil liberty and personal freedom. The result: a pseudo-utopian metropolis where the oppressed youth have formed tightly knit tribes, roam the streets on magnetically powered skates, and express themselves and their frustration by spray painting art all over the city. Not only do these packs of rebels have to contend with rival gangs, but also with the brutal police force, which is privately owned by the evil Rokkaku group.

Welcome Back to Tokyo-to
A sequel to one of the most visually groundbreaking and insanely fun games on the Dreamcast, Jet Set Radio Future may be the most compelling reason to own an Xbox this year. Developer Smilebit is harnessing the full potential of the console, and the graphics are already spine-crushingly impressive. The first game?s stylish, cartoon-inspired art looked even sweeter in the Xbox preview version, thanks to more fluid animation and gorgeous lighting. For example, Tokyo-to almost leapt off the screen with tons of background details, pedestrians, and traffic, producing a teeming, chaotically realistic city environment with no discernable draw-in.

The Future Is Now
The early build of JSRF also moved much faster than the first game, and the control scheme was more responsive, making it easier to perform stunts like vertically grinding poles and walls. The tagging feature had also been simplified, and instead of executing tricky patterns with the analog stick, you just had to toggle the right trigger. Smilebit will also implement multiplayer cooperative and competitive modes, boosting the replay value well above that of the original. JSRF will also retain its predecessor?s eclectic mix of hip-hop, electronica, and rock music with tracks by Latch Brothers, WaveMaster, Q-Tip, and BS2000. If you?ve never played Jet Set Radio, you won?t want to miss out on Jet Set Radio Future when it explodes onto the Xbox in February.


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