Had more mainstream gamers taken notice
to Sega's incredible lineup of innovative games (like this one), maybe they would've
passed on the Playstation 2 and nabbed a Dreamcast instead, saving Sega from it's grim
console future. Despite the bad news, it's nice to see Sega isn't going without a
fight, and games this good should keep the system afloat until they're all sold out of the
stores.Jet Grind Radio allows players to join a group of graffiti artists called the "GG's" and take over the unknown city of Tokyo-to. Marking their territory by spray-painting certain areas of the city while on their "magnetically" powered in-line skates is only half the appeal. Dodging the cops who are protecting precious city landmarks and beating the rival gangs efforts to call each of the areas home is the other half, and where the meat of the game lies.
The game's appeal not only lies in it's original gameplay, but with its completely new
look. Taking a newly coined cel-shaded look for all of its characters and putting them in
realistically detailed cities creates one of the coolest-looking games ever. Sega's
character design is also impeccable - making for a game you'll always recognize whenever
you see it.
Music blares throughout the game, courtesy of the
Grinder's resident DJ. The catchy tunes take a piece from every musical style making each
song just as memorable as the last. The cops shout at skaters when caught and the bumbling
police chief himself is absolutely hilarious.
Even a game this good has to have some flaws. The camera is at times sporadic, but by no means hindering to the gameplay. Also, the control can be hard to grasp from the start, frustrating those with little patience. Otherwise, Sega has created the world's most innovative game in at least five years. Anyone who owns a Dreamcast owes it to themselves to see what the fuss is about.
