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Jet Grind Radio

Every once in a while, a game containing an excellent and unique concept comes along. It almost seems like an implausible myth, but innovative titles are still abound – you just need to keep your eyes (and mind) open. The sad fact of the matter is that you’re more likely to encounter the ideas present in these frequently overlooked titles in another developer’s game. Originally released on Sega’s failed Dreamcast (later followed by an amazing sequel on the Xbox) to sub-par sales, Jet Grind Radio can be praised or blamed for kicking off the cel-shading craze. Though it hasn’t quite reached the levels of the ubiquitous lens flare, the technique of rendering polygonal objects with black outlines and simply colored textures has since been utilized in everything from racing games to role-playing games. As opposed to using such visual trickery as a mere gimmick, Jet Grind Radio’s style perfectly complemented the gameplay. Most fortunately, the same holds true for the GBA version. Set in the bustling, futuristic city of Tokyo-to, the game follows a rebellious gang of skilled skaters as they fight an oppressive government for freedom of expression. Aided by an underground radio station and gratuitous amounts of spray paint, the superbly designed characters set out to brand the streets with their stylized graffiti.

With “X-TREME!” teenagers running amok, you’d be forgiven for lumping Jet Grind Radio in the same category as something like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Vicarious Visions handled the GBA versions of both titles, but JGR is more like a quirky platformer on wheels. Your goal in each timed level is to cover specific areas in graffiti whilst collecting paint cans and avoiding the long, gun-wielding arm of the law. The ability to grind on pipes, railings and roofs becomes paramount as the bungling cops resort to more outlandish tactics and the areas you’re expected to tag become more and more difficult to reach. Being adapted from the Dreamcast version, the solid level design provides some challenging moments, though never becomes so frustrating as to result in a smashed GBA (a truly horrific sight). Tricks are performed automatically when your character leaps between railings, a simplification that may not be to your liking. Having more direct control would have been nice, but aerial acrobatics are ultimately peripheral to the core gameplay.

The controls are a little weird. Similar to Capcom’s Resident Evil series (and just about every other game in that genre), the directions are relative to the character. In other words, pressing up on the d-pad makes your skater move forward and pressing left or right will turn him/her according to the direction faced. It isn’t best suited to a game that demands hyper reflexes, but it’s a minor problem that can be overcome with some practice. Less easy to avoid is the game’s cruelty towards thumbs. Clearly, someone forgot to tell Vicarious Visions that the GBA has no analogue pad. Just as in the original, larger graffiti requires you to input a sequence of d-pad rotations to have your masterpiece materialize. Proving especially uncomfortable with the GBA SP’s pad, it may have been wiser to adopt the one-button tags from Jet Set Radio Future. Again, it won’t ruin the game for you, but it’s a mechanism that should have been modified from the source material.

Eschewing 3D environments for an isometric perspective, Jet Grind Radio’s visuals come about as close to cel-shading as the GBA will allow. The viewpoint can make it somewhat difficult to gauge distance and height, but the excellent and clear area layout goes a long way towards remedying this. While not as detailed as the diverse and colorful backgrounds, the skaters and police officers are smoothly animated and brimming with personality (and slowdown, in large numbers). One look at the deranged Captain Onishima prancing after you, gun waving in the air, is testament to Vicarious Visions’ success in retaining the original’s spirit and sense of humor. Even more impressive is their conversion of the game’s groundbreaking soundtrack. The samples have been considerably shortened, but the clarity and depth of the music is almost unbelievable – It’s like being hurled into some alternate universe, where Nintendo opts for a better sound chip and a better screen for the GBA. Also, mutant gerbils rule the earth.

Yet another feature that carries over from the Dreamcast version is the ability to create and customize your own graffiti. While it’s not exactly Photoshop, the facility gives you enough tools to engage and release the Picasso within you. You can’t share this art with friends (apart from pointing it out on your screen), but you are able to engage them in one of four multiplayer modes, via the link cable. Running the gamut from racing to territorial battles, there’s nothing here that quite matches the single-player experience. This should come as no surprise, since the bulk of effort clearly went into adapting the Dreamcast game for our beloved pint-sized platform. Unlike the case of Space Channel 5: Ulala’s Cosmic Attack, the developers concentrated less on simply porting the original and wisely focused on making it play well on the target platform. Some slight flaws aside, the game perfectly preserves the qualities of its big brother while being different enough to remain enjoyable on the GBA. A successful port of a great game – What more do you need to know?

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Tags: Jet Grind Radio

Posted by Ludwig on Sep 6th, 2003 and is filed under GBA Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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