Let's forego the highly addictive gameplay and superb level design for a little bit. Here was a game so inimitable and stylish that it created an entirely new aesthetic all on its own. Taking the relatively infantile cel-shading technique and innovating it to previously unseen proportions, Jet Set Radio was a prime example of games as art.

But despite its avant-garde appeal and hordes of copycats, Jet Set Radio was a failure in the sales charts. What happened? Were gamers not ready for something so ahead of its time?

Some might venture that the real hindrance to JSR's success was its platform, the severely underdogged Dreamcast, which as any fool knows is now dead. Thus, JSR's torch is being carried to the Xbox in the form of Jet Set Radio Future. All things considered, Sega must have been very proud of Smilebit's creative action/platformer, because it's a small miracle that the Jet Set series is being continued at all.

With that in mind, the screenshots available tell an interesting story about the series' transition from the Dreamcast to the most powerful console on the market. With more than a little help from the Xbox's on-board hard drive, JSRF yields some truly unbelievable draw distances. The game's sprawling metropolises stretch out for miles, and you have the whole thing almost all to yourself. I say "almost" because the levels are densely populated with frightened pedestrians, unforgiving motorists, and flocks of birds that take to the air whenever you threaten their space.

Impressions also indicate that JSRF runs at a quicker pace than its predecessor. This will no doubt change the gameplay in unforseen ways, as catching rails and spray-points (not to mention dodging the legions of cops and firepower) will require more precision. Additionally, the "Simon Says" method of painting large tags by imitating the joystick motions shown to you onscreen is now gone. It's yet to be seen how JSRF will compensate for this, but we're ever faithful that Smilebit won't disappoint.

Gameplay changes notwithstanding, Jet Set Radio Future continues the series' unabashedly stylized visual and aural traditions in grandiose fashion. Everything that made the original Jet Set Radio such a standout is here in spades, from the campy character designs to the neon-shaded levels to the outrageously eclectic soundtrack. If one thing is certain about JSRF, it's that fans of the original game's look and feel won't have any complaints.

Moreover, Future's multiplayer modes will tap both the cooperative and competitive aspirations of wannabe vandalists everywhere. Smilebit have already made more than passing gestures that these aspects will allow cooperative players to discover new gameplay elements accessible only through teamwork.

What's in some doubt, however, is the game's ability to reach the audience that Jet Set Radio couldn't. Make no mistake. JSRF is still in a category all by itself, and nothing spells uncertainty like unfamiliarity. We can only hope that Future gets the kind of push that the first installment wholeheartedly deserved.

  
  

  
  
  

Some screens courtesy of Xbox.com. Art by Mr. Dandy

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