Anyone who is anyone has played or at least seen Jet Grind Radio (a.k.a. Jet Set Radio in Japan) has a lasting impression of what it was. Whether you liked it or hated it, one thing was undeniable. That title was defiantly a new breed of game. From the cell-shading to the skating and the graffiti, JGR was the definition of next gen gaming. Well Smilebit is about to hit you over the head again with Jet Set Radio Future for X-box. Now if you haven’t seen this installment in motion, you’re not alone. Sega has kept this game under tight wraps to everyone but a few select media outlets. Luckily for you we here at Gamersmark are USDA select beef, so we got the scoop.
First of all if you’ve played the first JGR, you’ll defiantly have a head start over everyone else, as the controls are very much the same as that of the first (once you get used to the X-box control pad). If you’re new to the world of Tokyo-to, then you’ll probably need a day or two to get used to the control scheme. After you’re done learning the basics it’ll be time for you to *ahem* attempt the new moves. Last game focused on graffiti more than the skating, which left alot of people who thought this was Tony Hawk on skates out in the cold. Well Smilebit has GREATLY improved the trick system, and made it alot more difficult, with vertical grinds and switches available while on rails, and jump tricks right off the ground, to name a few. Tagging seems to be taking a back seat this time, but don’t worry there will be plenty of walls for you delinquents to spray, after all that is the focus of the game.
As far as characters go, most of the friendly faces from the first game are returning to protect Tokyo-to, while there were many that were shown to us that were brand new, and Smilebit of course had "no comment". The confirmed list of returning characters is as follows; Beat, Gum, Garahm, Pots, Dj Professor K, Police Chief Onishima, Tab, and Sugar. While this is the list as of now, don’t worry if you had another fav in JGR, no doubt they will be included.
Finally, Jet Set Radio Future will include online multiplayer support confirmed and a 4-player split screen for offline. Tag icons will be returning, and so will the police and the rival gangs. Look for a February-ish release date in the USA, and stay tuned to Gamersmark for any new info.