Jet Grind Radio (Game Boy Advance)
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''Jet Grind Radio'' (released as ''Jet Set Radio'' in Europe) is a video game for the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
system, which is based on the
Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...
title of the same name. The game was developed by
Vicarious Visions Blizzard Albany (formerly Vicarious Visions, Inc.) is an American video game developer based in Albany, New York. The studio was acquired by Activision in January 2005. After releasing its last game as part of that company, ''Tony Hawk's Pro Ska ...
and published by
THQ THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initi ...
.


Gameplay

''Jet Grind Radio'' is an action platform game based on the Dreamcast version. The gameplay of ''Jet Set Radio'' differs in several key areas from its Dreamcast counterpart. Instead of being a 3D game using
polygons In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
, the game is a 2D game with an isometric viewpoint. The goal of the game is to traverse through neighborhoods and find key locations to tag them with graffiti under a specific time frame. Players can grind on rails and perform tricks. When a key location is reached, players must tag it with graffiti that may require a single press of a button, or a sequence of buttons that need to be pressed at the correct time. The game offers a graffiti editor to customize and create unique graffiti tags. Players can collect hidden icons scattered throughout in order to expand the number of graffiti tags. After completing the story mode of a specific neighborhood, three new time attack modes are unlocked for that neighborhood. The three modes involve tagging an entire city, racing, and performing tricks. ''Jet Grind Radio'' also offers 4-player multiplayer that allows players to compete within the unlocked time attack modes.


Plot

Like in the Dreamcast version, the player assumes the role of one of the GG's, a
graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
gang, led by Beat (who is also the first playable character in all versions apart from ''
Jet Set Radio Future is a 2002 action game developed by Smilebit and published by Sega for the Xbox; it is a sequel to the Dreamcast game ''Jet Set Radio'' (2000). As a re-imagining of the original game, it features improved gameplay mechanics, updated graphics, larg ...
''. The Rokkaku group and the Tokyo-to construction conglomerate have teamed up to clamp down on the "Rudies", the game's term for the Graffiti spraying teenagers. The object of the game is to "Tag" certain surroundings with graffiti before the time limit runs out or "before the indomitable array of cops arrive".


Development and release

''Jet Grind Radio'' was developed by
Vicarious Visions Blizzard Albany (formerly Vicarious Visions, Inc.) is an American video game developer based in Albany, New York. The studio was acquired by Activision in January 2005. After releasing its last game as part of that company, ''Tony Hawk's Pro Ska ...
who previously developed the GBA demakes for '' Tony Hawk Pro Skater'' and published by
THQ THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initi ...
. The game utilizes the same engine and isometric perspective as the ''Tony Hawk Pro Skater'' GBA titles. Despite the hardware limitations, cartoony graphics were designed to emulate the look of cel-shaded graphics. The music count was reduced from more than 21 to around 8, and the songs that remained were reduced to 30 to 45-second samples. The levels ranged from exact duplicates to reminiscent counterparts of the original ''Jet Set Radio''. Soundtrack was developed by Shin'en and recreated six tracks from the original game into repeating, 1-minute long songs The game was released in North America on June 26, 2003, and in Europe on February 20, 2004, under the name of the original Dreamcast version, ''Jet Set Radio''.


Reception

''Jet Grind Radio'' was received with positive reception among critics. The game has an aggregated score 74 out of 100 based on 22 reviews. The game was featured in ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
s'' as a runner up for their "Game of the Month" of June 2003, and was also the runner up for "Best Extreme Sports" category in IGN's 2003 Awards. When it came to the game's presentation and accuracy to the original Dreamcast version, the game received high praise among critics. ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' praised the game for being matching the quality of the console version stating: "''Jet Grind Radio'' is just as enjoyable on the GBA as it was on meatier consoles". ''
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' complimented the visual style, stating the environments were beautifully detailed and ripped straight from the original. ''IGN'' gave a more lukewarm response, but still praised the game and developers for attempting to stay as faithful to the original. ''GameZone'' gave a similar response, stating that the game doesn't deserve as much praise as the original game, but still thought the game was unique enough to stand out against other Game Boy Advance titles. ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' magazine, in contrast, was more critical and preferred the game sacrifice more authenticity in favor of utility. ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' praised it for staying true to the game design and retaining the gameplay and levels of its predecessors. ''Game Informer'' also had criticisms regarding the control-scheme of maneuvering the character in the isometric perspective, concluding: "All told, this GBA edition is done well enough that fans of the series will be satisfied with the on-the-go experience, but don't expect to be blown away".


References


External links


Vicarious Visions official page (archived)

THQ official page (archived)
{{Jet Set Radio 2003 video games Action games Game Boy Advance games Game Boy Advance-only games Graffiti video games Platform games Sega video games Single-player video games THQ games Vicarious Visions games Video games developed in Japan Video games developed in the United States Video games with isometric graphics