Jet Set Radio Future[note 1] (JSRF ジェットセットラジオフューチャー Jetto Setto Rajio Fyūchā?) is the pseudo-sequel to Jet Set Radio (also known as Jet Grind Radio in NTSC regions), and a sort of reimagining and retelling of the game, more specifically the original Japanese release of Jet Set Radio. It features the same basic gameplay dynamics and many characters similar to those in Jet Set Radio, but with improved mechanics, updated graphics, larger open world environments, new characters, a new soundtrack, an altered plot, and multiplayer gameplay.
Jet Set Radio Future is an Xbox exclusive that first released as a launch game in Japan on February 22, 2002, followed by North America on February 26, 2002, and finally Europe, also as a launch title on March 14, 2002. Just like its predecessor, Jet Set Radio Future would also receive critical appraisal for its gameplay, soundtrack, graphics, and was nominated for several awards as well.
Lead art designer Ryuta Ueda and composer Hideki Naganuma have both stated that while many of the characters look similar (though usually not quite the same[2][3]) to those of Jet Set Radio. Jet Set Radio Future's story takes place "(with) other characters, in another world, in another timeline",[4] meaning it is not simply set chronologically after the first game. This is evidenced by the fact that the characters have seemingly never met in this game.
After the initial release, the game would get a dual-game disc bundle with Sega GT 2002 in October of the same year. The game can also be played on the Xbox 360 via backwards compatibility, however an updated is needed for Xbox 360's for the game to work on the system.
The game's tagline is: "Tune into the new revolution!".[5]
Plot[]
Chapter 1[]
Jet Set Radio Future first starts off in the garage, where newcomer Yoyo is attempting to join the GG's, a street gang that was founded by Corn. Corn assumes Yoyo is the pizza man, but notices he's not and directs him towards Gum who proceeds to teach Yoyo, and the player, the basics of the game. After the tutorials are completed, Yoyo is also directed towards Roboy, the game's save state. Once that is taken care of, Corn brings up the pirate radio station, Jet Set Radio, ran by DJ Professor K, who gives the lowdown on the current events of the street.
DJ Professor K, the host of "Jet Set Radio", Tokyo's underground pirate broadcast.
DJ Professor K's first broadcast of the game plays where he goes into detail on what is happening to Tokyo. It is currently revealed that the city is in a state of oppression by the Rokkaku Group, ran by Rokkaku Gouji. Rokkaku has been using money to influence a lot of things in the city and is eyeing certain things like city hall, shaking down the government to pass the "Rokkaku Law", and managed to buy out the police department.
Tokyo's one bad trip.
Despite all of this, DJ-K proceeds to give the rundown on who is tearing up the streets, starting with the GG's and brings up certain events such as the record store attack on Chuo Street, prowlers in Dogenzaka Hill, and a blackout on 99th Street. He also notes that the Rokkaku Expo is around the corner and that the Rokkaku Police crackdowns are getting tighter.
After tagging Dogenzaka Hill, Beat shows his face.
The first objective of the game takes place in Dogenzaka Hill of the Shibuya District, during it, it is revealed that a statue called the Goddess of Dogenzaka Hill was captured. Eventually Beat appears, who challenges the current GG to a race around the area after following him. Beat eventually joins the gang and as soon as he does the Rokkaku Police send a communique to investigate Dogenzaka. Beat warns that the cops are hardcore and skates back to the garage.
Poison Jam makes their debut at Shibuya Terminal.
After defeating the police, DJ-K informs that the GG's should head to Shibuya Terminal, as ugly looking graffiti has been sprayed all over the area. After entering the bus terminal and covering up the tags, it is revealed that they were sprayed by Poison Jam. After following Poison Jam around, they warn that there is someone the current GG do not want to see is coming. Combo arrives to the bus terminal with him accusing the current GG member of spraying all the ugly tags on his turf.
Combo joins the GG's after realizing it was Poison Jam who ruined the bus terminal.
Combo proceeds to challenge them to follow his moves, which gets taken care of quickly. Combo realizes that Poison Jam were the ones who tagged all of the bus terminal and apologizes, joining the gang in response. Immediately the Rokkaku Police proceed another shakedown with their captain, Hayashi, also arriving on the scene. The police are quickly taken care of soon after.
Chapter 2[]
Hayashi, the Rokkaku Police's own "hell on earth".
Chapter 2 starts with another broadcast by DJ Professor K, who gives the rundown on what Poison Jam is up to. As the gang now is causing a ruckus in Chuo Street and Rokkaku-dai Heights of the Rokkaku-dai District. The gang is also heating up their rivalry with Rapid 99, the queens of 99th Street. He notes that if the GG's can find them, they might lend some information about Poison Jam. DJ K also talks about Hayashi and mentions his unstableness as he describes him as "the Rokkaku police force's own personal version of hell on earth!!", as the police captain trashed a patrol car because a subordinate got him the wrong flavored candy one time.
The Rokkaku Police invade Chuo Street with tanks.
In Chuo Street, DJ-K instructs the GG's to bury Poison Jam's nasty graffiti in paint. However, before this can be completed, the Rokkaku Police spot the GG's and Hayashi instructs the police force to send in the Armored Division, with tanks to boot. This leads into a battle against the tanks, which are taken down with graffiti along with the operators of them. After the tank fight, the second Hayashi battle commences on top of building to which he also defeated once again.
Poison Jam challenges the GG's to a race to get rid of them.
Once the police are taken care of, the GG's can go cover up the rest of Poison Jam's graffiti. After ridding of Poison Jam's graffiti, the gang comes out of hiding and challenges the GG's to a race, claiming they will not mess with them anymore. After losing against the GG's, Poison Jam heads off to Rokkaku-dai Heights. However, DJ-K comes in with a quick notice on the gang "getting out of control" in the area.
After copying some of her moves, Rhyth decides to join the GG's.
In Rokkaku-dai Heights, DJ-K tells the GG's to cover up even more of Poison Jam's graffiti and to make matters worse, the Rokkaku Police is already on the lookout for the gang, with Hayashi not being too thrilled. Rhyth also makes her debut in this chapter in Rokkaku-dai Heights, being an optional requirement. If the player follows and finds her, she will join the gang.
If the player tackles Rokkaku-dai Heights first, they will experience a roadblock with DJ-K mentioning that Poison Jam is getting out of hand at Chuo Street instead and is encouraged to head over there. However, if not, then they can cover up all of Rokkaku-dai Heights, with Poison Jam leading to the other side of the area. Just before chasing after them again, the police show up once more, this time with armored units. Just like last time, Hayashi is also with his subordinates, starting another fight again. This raid is taken care of quickly which allows the rest of the graffiti in Rokkaku-dai Heights to be tagged over. DJ-K now instructs the GG's to head to 99th Street.
Rapid 99, the Queens of 99th Street.
When arriving to the 99th Street District, DJ Professor K gives a rundown on the area, stating that it has been one bloody showdown as mafia kingpins keep their offices around here, and that ever since a power outage, there has been some bad stuff happening around the place. He also notes that Rapid 99 made the area their home and tells the current member "to give 99th Street a new paint job!"
If beaten in a flag battle, Rapid 99 promises to reveal Poison Jam's hideout.
The Rokkaku Police instantly follow with an ambush with spotlight trucks, the trucks get taken down, which allows the tagging to continue. If the player climbs up the dragon tail, they will have to face against Hayashi again. After tagging all of 99th Street, Rapid 99 makes their appearance, to which they challenge current GG member to a flag battle and says if the current member wins against them, they will tell where Poison Jam's hideout is at.
Chapter 3[]
Garam mocks the GG for falling down in his sewer trap.
After their defeat in the flag battle, Rapid 99 fesses up Poison Jam's hideout, which is located in the Tokyo Underground Sewage Facility. During his broadcast, DJ Professor K notes that the entrance to the sewers is at Rokkaku-dai Heights, and describes the sewers as being as tricky and twisted as his ex-girlfriend. He also reveals that Poison Jam has a boss and notes them as being one mean dude.
After impressing him with their halfpipe skills, Garam joins the the GG's.
Upon entering the sewers, DJ-K reminds the GG's that it is Poison Jam's home turf and states: "they don't like strangers in their house". After a quick exploration of the sewers the current GG member falls down a pit, unable to get out. This is where Garam comes into play, willing to help them as it was the "30th Sucker Anniversary" of his trap, but would not unless the current member can impress him with their halfpipe skills. After completing the halfpipe challenges, Garam lends down some rails and proceeds to join the gang. This allows the current GG to keep exploring the sewers to find switches to open up the gateway to Poison Jam's hideout.
After tagging all of the switches, the Bottom Point of the Sewage Facility opens up, allowing the current GG member to catch up to the gang. When entering, their leader Cube notes the GG's arrival and states that they were just in time for the destruction of the gang. She quickly instructs her gang into a Tagger's Tag match. After defeating Poison Jam, Cube scoffs at their lost and proceeds to leave the hideout heading off to the unknown.
Chapter 4[]
At the start of chapter 4, Professor K gives a quick summary of the events during chapter 3, noting Poison Jam's defeat and Cube getting away and reveals that they were the ones who kidnapped the statue from Dogenzaka. He also reveals that Yoyo disappeared with the GG's dog, Pots, taking notice of his disappearance. DJ-K also notifies the arrival of two more rival gangs, the Noise Tanks, who are a bunch of cyborgs, and the Immortals, who were forced to give up their turf, the Skyscraper District and Pharaoh Park, to the Noise Tanks. DJ-K reveals that the Noise Tanks are taking over one team after another and will soon control the streets, and states that Yoyo's kidnapping has something to do with them. He suggests to go after the Immortals to have them reveal some information about Yoyo's whereabouts.
The Terror Drone, one of the many vehicles owned by the Rokkaku Police.
The GG's instantly take after the three areas filled with Immortals graffiti: the Skyscraper District and Pharaoh Park, Kibogaoka Hill, and Hikage Street. When the GG's arrive to Hikage Street, DJ-K reveals that the area is already having a mix up between the Immortals and the Love Shockers, as the all-girl gang was trying to protect their turf from them, just the other day. Just before the GG's can clear Hikage Street of the Immortals' graffiti, the Rokkaku Police conducts another raid against the gang once again. The GG's get rid of the police quickly, and are able to cover up more of the Immortals' graffiti, but before they can complete the task of doing so, Hayashi arrives with the Terror Drone, a four-legged machine, meant to rid of the street punks. After taking down Hayashi for the umpteenth time, with him claiming that it is only the "beginning". The GG's are now able to clear the rest of Hikage Street.
If the player is fast enough, Boogie will join the GG's and help them out.
Once the GG's arrive at Kibogaoka Hill, the police force stops by with the Aerial Squadron on both sides of the area. Both get taken down with ease which allows the GG's tag over all of the Immortals' graffiti in the area. Also in this location, Boogie makes her debut and can be recruited if the player catches her on time.
"Yoyo" seemingly betrays his fellow gang members in favor of the Immortals.
At the Skyscraper District and Pharaoh Park, the GG's are once again ambushed by the police and Hayashi, who unsurprisingly fail to stop the street gang. After tagging the Immortals' home turf with the other two locations cleaned up, the Immortals wake up from their slumber and initiate a Tagger's Tag match. After getting their health halfway down, the Immortals quickly bounce to Highway Zero. The GG's chase after the mummy gang and when caught up they proceed to get mocked, as they state that Yoyo will be the next sacrifice. Once again another Tagger's Tag match starts and after defeating the Immortals, Yoyo jumps out of his cage and traps the current GG member, seemingly betraying the gang.
Chapter 5[]
The Noise Tanks have brought various gangs to the Tokyo Rokkaku Expo Stadium.
Chapter 5 begins like usual with another broadcast, with DJ Professor K noting how the GG's fell into the Immortals trap, and wonders why Yoyo would betray his friends. He reveals that the GG's have been hauled off to the Future Site of the Rokkaku Expo Stadium and that the Noise Tanks have jacked the power supply of the stadium, and feels that something wicked is about to go down.
Jazz begs the GG's to tell the Noise Tanks that she is not a member of the gang.
At the Tokyo Rokkaku Expo Stadium, the GG's encounter a skater named Jazz, who reveals that she was kidnapped by the Noise Tanks as they believed she was a member of the gang and requests to tell them that she is not a member of group. A Noise Tank reveals why the GG's were captured as they are participating in a tournament called Death Ball and breaks down the rules of it. The GG's have go up against three rival gangs: the Doom Riders, the Immortals, and the Love Shockers.
After defeating the first two gangs and almost winning against the Love Shockers, the tournament halted, thanks to the Rokkaku Police. Hayashi reveals that someone gave him intel about the GG's whereabouts and decided to crash their little tournament with a revamped Terror Drone. However, to no avail, Hayashi fails to stop the gang once more, with this ultimately being his final attempt at doing so.
Chapter 6[]
The Noise Tanks overrun Tokyo due to their plans being ruined.
At the start of chapter 6, DJ Professor K states that Yoyo's plans were messed up by the police and questions if he was always trying to take down the GG's from the start. He also reveals that the Noise Tanks are on a rampage in the Tokyo streets, rioting everywhere and questions if anyone could stops those machines.
"Yoyo" was revealed to be a Noise Tank all along thanks to Cube.
After destroying 200 Noise Tanks, the GG's head back to the Skyscraper District and Pharaoh Park, where a lone member of Poison Jam reveals that Yoyo was heading towards Sky Dinosaurian Square. After entering Sky Dinosaurian Square, Yoyo is seemingly found, but is quickly revealed to be another Noise Tank by Cube. This leads into a Tagger's Tag round against the Noise Tanks, who upon defeat are destroyed by an unknown claw hand and revealed to be creations of the Rokkaku Group. The Noise Tanks question why the punks care about what goes on in the streets and warns that the syndicates have their eyes on the gang.
Soda joins the GG's after losing a race, and because he has nothing better to do.
Also during this chapter, the player has the chance to recruit Jazz after she challenges them to a race around the Tokyo Rokkaku Expo Stadium. The player can also return to Highway Zero to recruit Soda, who challenges them to a race due to his own boredom.
Chapter 7[]
The Golden Rhinos, a secret branch of the Rokkaku Group.
Chapter 7 begins with DJ Professor K revealing that Yoyo's identity was a Noise Tank the whole time and that the Noise Tanks were built by Rokkaku, stating that they kidnapped the real one and built a fake to take down the GG's. He also reveals that the Rokkaku Police were replaced by the Golden Rhinos, due to their inability to take down the Rudies. DJ-K also reveals that the Golden Rhinos are highly trained assassins brought together by Rokkaku Gouji, the leader of the Rokkaku Group and current mayor of Tokyo. Professor K also notes that Hayashi was kicked out of the police force, along with the Noise Tanks being wiped out, but that the Doom Riders are after the GG's. He ends the broadcast questioning where the real Yoyo is and suggests to defeat the Golden Rhinos and find the missing GG's member.
Clutch makes his debut and runs off with the GG's Graffiti Souls.
After the broadcast ends, a lone skater named Clutch, stops by the garage and asks if the GG's are looking for Yoyo. He takes notice at the Graffiti Souls the gang collected and takes off with them, prompting a chase after him. Clutch is in one of three locations, Kibogaoka Hill, the Skyscraper District and Pharaoh Park, and Chuo Street. After confronting him, he reveals that Yoyo is located at the Fortified Residential Zone and states that he will help out and joins the gang.
Yoyo is saved by his fellow gang members.
At the Fortified Residential Zone, it is revealed that the location is filled to the brim with bombs. The GG's have 30 minutes to take them out before they explode, first targeting a blue devices and then red ones. After clearing all of the bombs, the Golden Rhinos come in with fighter jets to take out the current GG's member and Yoyo but fail leading to Yoyo being rescued.
During this chapter, the player has the option to recruit Cube at the Bottom Point of the Sewage Facility, who challenges them to a race around the area. The player can also run into the Doom Riders in Dogenzaka Hill who challenges them to a race, the Immortals in 99th Street with another round of Tagger's Tag, and the Love Shockers in Hikage Street with a flag battle as rematches against their Death Ball loses.
Chapter 8[]
Major Arms is causing havoc in Chuo Street.
DJ Professor K gives the rundown on the GG's finding the real Yoyo and reveals why he got kidnapped, as he heard rumors about the Golden Rhinos and tried tracking them down himself. DJ-K also reveals that he is at the top of the gang's blacklist due to his info spreading. He also notes that there is some freak that looks like Beat is roaming the streets and is spraying a bunch of weird graffiti and questions if he has any connections to the Golden Rhinos. He ends the broadcast stating that if the Golden Rhinos continue their terror, Tokyo is done for and that someone needs to stop them.
Staff Officer Fire is gleeful at the idea of burning the GG's alive.
Upon leaving the garage, DJ Professor K informs the GG's that someone is rampaging in Chuo Street and that Highway Zero is in a sea of flames. The Golden Rhinos are located almost everywhere targeting the GG's. When headed to Chuo Street, the encounter one of the two bigwigs of the assassination organization, Major Arms, who proceeds to attack the GG's. After defeating him, the bigwig gets taken out by his own teammates via a missile strike and dies. In Highway Zero, the other bigwig, Staff Fire Officer, is located here. She also tries to take down the GG's, but with zero success. Her defeat comes via her setting herself on fire and being crushed by a billboard.
DJ Professor K is kidnapped by the Golden Rhinos as an attempt to censor him.
After the defeat of the Golden Rhinos bigwigs, DJ Professor K tries to inform the GG's on something but gets hijacked in the process, screaming out for help. Based on the little information they received, the gang heads off to the Skyscraper District and runs into Zero Beat who leads them to the Site of Tokyo Line. Professor K reveals that the Golden Rhinos are in his studio and that they brought a train-like machine to this area and urges the gang to shut the damn thing off. After defeating the Golden Rhinos machine, the story heads back to Shibuya Terminal where Rokkaku Gouji is now in control running a radio station called "Rokkaku Banzai Radio" and demands that people come to the bus terminal quickly.
Gouji Rokkaku transforms into A.KU.MU as a final attempt to takeover the world.
At the bus terminal, Gouji thanks everyone for arriving and states that his tower is not finished and that he needs the people's voices to complete it. He proceeds to take the energy away from the citizens of Tokyo to power his tower, and states that Zero Beat are there to guide them. This leads into a Tagger's Tag around against the two Zero Beats. After their defeat, DJ Professor K comes back into the scene and proceeds to rename his radio station to Jet Set Radio Future, and monologues on how the future is one big blank slate. However, this is quickly put to a stop as Gouji reenters, and pulls in the current GG into his tower. This event leads into the final fight of the game where Gouji transforms into A.KU.MU, to which his sanity begins to crack, stating that the world "belongs" to him. After defeating A.KU.MU, Gouji returns back to normal and seemingly disappears with his tower exploding as he laughs maniacally.
Chapter 9[]
A mural showcasing the various forces the GG's were up against.
After the defeat of Gouji, DJ Professor K goes over how money and oppressive groups cannot extinguish the yearning of freedom from mankind, and how Graffiti Souls are the symbol of Tokyo's freedom. He notes that Gouji had been doomed from the start and that his existence was nothing more but the symbol for people's greed and desire. He states that those that seek the truth will fight tooth and nail for it, and that the world is back to normal. However, the graffiti left on the walls will remind people of their inner passions, and that dreams of the city will be carried through the streets, claiming that people are gonna remember it.
The GG's celebrate after saving Tokyo, but do not desire to be reminded of their heroic acts in return.
An unspecified member of the GG's notes Gouji's disappearance and that Tokyo was saved, but the gang does not desire constant reminders of their heroic act, claiming it was not about that. All they wanted was to live freely where people get hyped for fun, with the leader, Corn, stating that it is time to turn on the radio.
DJ Professor K's response to the streets being in trouble again.
After the credits end, DJ Professor K is shocked to learn that the streets were in trouble again, and questions who is going to rise to the call, stating, "that the streets don't wait for no one!"
The Love Shockers are one of the few rematches the player can do in the post game.
During chapter 9, the player has the option recruit characters such as Rhyth, Boogie, Jazz, Soda, and Cube, if they did not do so in the previous chapters. The rival gang rematches against the Doom Riders, the Love Shockers, and the Immortals can also be completed in this chapter if they were ignored in chapter 7. The ability to do side missions, known as Test Runs, also unlocks. Completing these allow for extra characters to be playable.
Gameplay[]
The Graffiti Stop allows players to save their game or change characters while outside of the garage.
The gameplay of Jet Set Radio Future is much more streamlined compared to Jet Set Radio, with the major difference being the tagging mechanic. Instead of having inputs in an arcade-like fashion, graffiti is now sprayed with the right trigger. Most characters can hold up to 30 spray cans with the exception of six. Players also can save their game via the Graffiti Stop mechanic. The trick system was expanded on slightly, as instead of doing tricks automatically while grinding, the player must press the X or Y button to have them be done, with the X button giving off faster tricks with a lower point score, and with the Y button having the ability to turn the character around giving off more points in the process but at a slower pace. If the player has 10 or more cans they can perform the Boost Dash, giving them a burst of speed.
Another major change was getting rid of the time limits during missions, minus the Yoyo rescue mission. Instead, players are now allowed to take as much time as they want to clear objectives, and are no longer ranked for doing so. This makes the game more free flowing than its predecessor. One other inclusion in JSRF were Street Challenges, short tasks that only become available after the player collects a Mystery Tape. Completing Street Challenges will allow for extra Graffiti Souls to appear in locations. Graffiti Souls once again serve the same purpose of unlocking pre-made graffiti in the game. Although this time around, they need to be collected to progress through the story and to unlock the Test Runs for areas.
Gum performing the "Shuffle" move at Shibuya Terminal.
The game has several references to aggressive inline skating. Players can grind on rails and skate backwards. When a player is skating fast, they can decrease their speed by performing an advanced inline-skating move called the "shuffle", known better as the "powerslide". Several characters also appear to have removed the middle two wheels from their skates, a slight modification usually done to make grinding easier. Like before, structures such as the halfpipe and the ability to wallride make a return.
Unlike in Jet Set Radio, the player now has to fight the police instead of running away from them. However, the fighting mechanics are not in depth as the player is simply required to run into the cops at a decent speed to knock them down. For stronger units like armored officers or the Golden Rhino agents, a boost dash is required. Enemies are taken down with graffiti.
The ability to hold onto the back of cars was also removed. This was probably done due to the situational aspect of the mechanic.
A multiplayer mode was included in the game, featuring an exclusive mode called Graffiti Wars, and others such as City Rush, Jet Flag, Tagger's Tag, and Ball Hog. Up to four players can participate in any mode. Items and spray cans are also present throughout matches. The VS. Mode features areas from the story and some exclusive stages such as the Secondary Stadium of the Rokkaku Expo and the Tokyo Underground Sewage Facility Regulatory District and arenas like Showa Park, Raden Park, and Tsuzura Park.
Development[]
Not much is known about Jet Set Radio Future's development but at one point the game was initially coined under the name of Jet Set Radio 2 and was scheduled as Sega Dreamcast game.[6] However, it would disappear shortly after and would be later renamed and changed to Jet Set Radio Future and be put on the Xbox's schedule instead. At one point the game was internally known as Jet Grind Radio Future most likely to stay consistent with the previous release in North America/NTSC regions but the "Grind" part was dropped and the original name stayed.[7][8][9]
According to Ryuta Ueda, when the team conceptualized Jet Set Radio Future, they wanted to do something new and thanks to the more powerful hardware of the Xbox, allowed for more expressions. Due to the Xbox's hardware, Masayoshi Kikuchi had Ueda take charge of the game's graphical style, known as the "magna dimension".[10] A first-person camera was included for improved control and enhanced emersion. In addition to the Xbox's power, the team would also confirm that JSRF appearing on the competing consoles of Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube would not happen, either due to both systems being weaker than the Xbox, or because of the contractual agreement Sega had made with Microsoft in regards to exclusive games on the system, which JSRF was one of the many titles that were part of said contract.[11] Artistic elements from the 1960s to 2000s were chosen because the team believed that those decades were the peak of "street culture". Comics from Marvel and DC along with the concept of multiverses played a role into Ueda's perception of storytelling, which allowed him to reimagine ideas and concepts from Jet Set Radio for Jet Set Radio Future. Ueda would provide an example of this by referring to DJ Professor K's reimagining, by saying: "If we mentioned the multiverse, it'd be an appropriate description".[12] Due to the multiverse approach, this allowed stages to be outlandish and not as realistic and gives the player a futuristic feeling as indicated by the title. Continuing with this mindset, it allowed Ueda to create a setting with dizzying heights and was able to by removing the limitation of realism.[10] In terms of other design elements, senior graphic artist, Yuichi Higuchi, would reveal that heavy construction equipment and German train guns served as inspiration for the mechs players encounter throughout the game.[13]
In an interview of both Ueda and Kikuchi, it was revealed that Smilebit chose to work closely with Microsoft when developing the sequel, and the game was developed on Windows, which was refreshing at the time according to Kikuchi. One of the main goals of the game was too make it faster, according to Kikuchi. These requests came from inside and outside of the company, and eventually led to the Boost Dash to be added in. Due to the increased speed, the locales in JSRF had to be wide to accommodate for this change. Ueda would also reveal that the development equipment arrived in April 2001, 10 months before the game's release, which is similar to Jet Set Radio's development time.[10][14]
Jet Set Radio Future would not be publicly shown until 2001 at the Tokyo Game Show and E3 of that year. The game would eventually release in 2002 in February for Japan and North America, while Europe had to wait until March for the game.
Promotion[]
In 2001, there would be an event called Guitar Vader Meets Jet Set Radio, that was held to promote Jet Set Radio Future at Shinjuku Tower Records. Fans would receive a cassette that featured the original version of "I Love Love You" by Guitar Vader, and a rejected song from Jet Set Radio titled, "Ferry Men". Similar to that of its predecessor, Sega and Smilebit would hold another graffiti contest for the game in 2001 as well. While there are some things supposedly known about it, not a lot was revealed after the contest was over.[15][16] Just like its predecessor, IGN would host a Jet Set Radio Future Week just a few days before the game released in Japan.[17] Additionally, the game was covered by magazines like Famitsu and GamePro, before and after its release.
Website[]
During the pre-release of the game, Smilebit would launch the official website for Jet Set Radio Future, three months after E3 2001. Similar to the Jet Set Radio Official Website, the site contained info about certain topics such as characters, the game's soundtrack, merchandise, and events that players could learn about. However, unlike JSR's website, there would be no English equivalent made.
Soundtrack[]
- For the game's soundtrack click here: Jet Set Radio Future Soundtrack.
The soundtrack for Jet Set Radio Future consists of 34 songs, with 30 of them being able to be heard on the in game radio station. The soundtrack is filled with returning artists from the first game such as Hideki Naganuma, Richard Jacques, Guitar Vader with original and remixed tracks, while some like Toronto, Deavid Soul, B.B. Rights, and Mic Harrison return in remixing roles. Newcomers include the Latch Brothers, BS 2000, the Prunes and Freestyle, Bran Van 3000 along with Summer Rose and Dizzy D, Bis, being remixed by Jason Famous, Russell Simins, Scapegoat Wax, and Cibo Matto. Most of the licensed music came from Grand Royal, a total of 11 songs, along with most of the licensed artists as well. Unlike Jet Set Radio there was no regional differences in the soundtrack, being the same across all region releases throughout.
The main theme of the game, "The Concept of Love", was chosen over "Funky Dealer", because Ryuta Ueda and the "Jet Team" wanted to go for a different sound image for Jet Set Radio Future, according to Naganuma.[18][19] According to JSRF.com's page about the game's soundtrack, the genres that are present include: Techno, Big Beat, Hip-Hop, and Rock.[20]
The game's original soundtrack would release in Japan just little over a month after the game's debut in the country. Just like for Jet Set Radio, customers in the United States would receive a music sampler as a pre-order bonus on the same day the game released. However, unlike the Jet Grind Radio Music Sampler, it contained music strictly from the game. Seven of Naganuma's songs would be incorporated into a second soundtrack release for Jet Set Radio, to promote the HD release of the game. Jet Set Radio Future would receive a Sega Original Tracks album like its predecessor on the same day on October 3, 2012.
Reception[]
Jet Set Radio Future received critical acclaim, with high scores in gaming websites and magazines. IGN gave the game a 9.1/10 and called it "one of the coolest titles around", but found that it fails to reach classic status because it was "not enough of a challenge."[21] GameSpot issued an 8.7/10, describing it as "one of the better Xbox games to date" and disagreeing with IGN, claiming the game "offered a serious challenge."[22] Despite positive reviews, JSRF did not end up reaching very high sales, landing it the title of the most unfairly ignored game in the OXM UK awards the year of its release. GameSpot would also nominate it in their "Best Game No One Played on Xbox" category, and would award it with the "Best Music on Xbox" for their "Best and Worst of 2002" list.[23][24] Due to the low sales in Sega's eyes, solo discs of JSRF would cease production around in June 2002, just four months after release, but this would be remedied by the combo disc that would later release in October of the same year.[25] However, the game still has a fairly large cult following.
Awards and accolades[]
Jet Set Radio Future featured in Edge's Top 100 Video Games list.
Just like its predecessor, Jet Set Radio Future was also nominated for awards such as outstanding animation, art direction, and musical score for National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers 2002 awards. JSRF would end up winning in the "Outstanding Original Sports Game" category of that year.[26] GameSpot also awarded the game with best platformer, music, and artistic graphics. Also like its predecessor, Jet Set Radio Future would be included in the book, 1001 Videos Games You Must Play Before You Die, as one of the eight original Xbox games featured in it. In 2009, the game would be included in Edge's of "The 100 Best Games To Play Today" list at #44.[27]
Credits[]
- Click here to see the credits for Jet Set Radio Future: Jet Set Radio Future/Credits.
Gallery[]
- For more images relating to Jet Set Radio Future see: Jet Set Radio Future/Gallery.
Beta elements[]
- Click here to read about some of the beta elements for Jet Set Radio Future: Jet Set Radio Future/Beta elements.
Trivia[]
- For trivia relating to Jet Set Radio Future, please click on: Jet Set Radio Future/Trivia.
External links[]
- JSRF.com via the Internet Archive.
- Jet Set Radio Future on the Xbox website, via the Internet Archive.
- Jet Set Radio Future on Sega's Japanese website, via the Internet Archive.
- Jet Set Radio Future on Wikipedia.
- Jet Set Radio Future on Sega Retro.
Notes[]
- ↑ JSRF for short and JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future.
References[]
- ↑ Sega (February 2002) Jet Set Radio Future. www.sega.com. Retrieved on January 25, 2025.
- ↑ Hideki Naganuma (@Hideki_Naganuma) on Twitter (August 9, 2015): "Just as Mr. Ryuta Ueda intended. They've grown & become smarter on JSRF. RT @dmarcusbaus: Man YoYo sure slimmed down." Twitter. Retrieved on March 18, 2024.
- ↑ Hideki Naganuma (@Hideki_Naganuma) on Twitter (April 18, 2015): It looks like just as Mr. Ryuta Ueda intended. They've become smarter on JSRF. RT @Spitfire_94: They've grown! #jsrf". Twitter. Retrieved on March 18, 2024.
- ↑ Hideki Naganuma (@Hideki_Naganuma) on Twitter (November 14, 2014): "JSRF is not the future world of JSR. Another story by another characters in another world, in another time axis. @Animase91". Twitter. Retrieved on March 20, 2016. | Direct image. | Direct image.
- ↑ RGTV (October 4, 2019) JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox\Commercial). YouTube. Retrieved on January 18, 2024.
- ↑ Paragon Publishing (July 2001) Dreamcast Magazine Issue 23, page 8. Retrieved on August 7, 2023.
- ↑ Microsoft (March 30, 2001) Sega and Microsoft Team Up for Strategic Xbox Alliance. news.microsoft.com. Retrieved on February 27, 2025.
- ↑ Press release: 2001-03-29: Sega and Microsoft Team Up for Strategic Xbox Alliance on Sega Retro. Retrieved on August 7, 2023.
- ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (May 15, 2001) E3 2001: First Look - Jet Grind Radio Future. IGN. Retrieved on November 9, 2024.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Inamoto, Tetsuya, Wataru Nagayama (March 25, 2024) ［インタビュー］“ショウワ99年”記念！ 「ジェットセットラジオ」開発陣がシリーズ誕生秘話と完全新作への意気込みを語る. 4Gamer.net. Retrieved on March 26, 2024.
- ↑ Smilebit (February 2002) JSRF.com: Letter Introduction. Sega. Retrieved on May 2, 2025.
- ↑ Martinez, Kay (February 22, 2024) The Visionary Mind Behind Jet Set Radio | Documentary. YouTube. Retrieved on February 23, 2024.
- ↑ Martinez, Kay (February 22, 2024) The Visionary Mind Behind Jet Set Radio | Documentary. YouTube. Retrieved on April 6, 2024.
- ↑ SEGA Forever (November 1, 2020) Jet Set Radio Series Retrospective - SEGA 60th Anniversary. YouTube. Retrieved on March 26, 2024.
- ↑ Xbox Addict (October 2, 2001) JET SET RADIO FUTURE: CONTEST. xboxaddict.com. Retrieved on April 2, 2024.
- ↑ Pulley, William (September 19, 2001) JSRF Graffiti Contest. IGN. Retrieved on November 9, 2024.
- ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (February 19, 2002) Jet Set Radio Future Week Part 1: Environments. IGN. Retrieved on November 9, 2024.
- ↑ Hideki Naganuma (@Hideki_Naganuma) on Twitter (September 10, 2014): "'The Concept of Love or Funky Dealer?' I really hesitated to judge which song should have been the main theme of JSRF." Twitter. Retrieved on February 23, 2024.
- ↑ Hideki Naganuma (@Hideki_Naganuma) on Twitter (September 10, 2014): "But Mr. Ueda & the Jet Team told me that they wanted to change the sound image from the original JSR. So I chose 'The Concept of Love'. Twitter. Retrieved on February 23, 2024.
- ↑ Smilebit (February 2002) JSRF.com: JSRF Music. Sega. Retrieved on April 7, 2025.
- ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (February 22, 2002) Jet Set Radio Future review. IGN. Retrieved on December 1, 2023.
- ↑ Torres, Ricardo (May 17, 2006) Jet Set Radio Future Review. GameSpot. Retrieved on December 1, 2023.
- ↑ GameSpot (December 30, 2002) Best Game No One Played on Xbox. Retrieved on December 18, 2023.
- ↑ GameSpot (December 30, 2002) Special Achievement Awards: Best Music on Xbox. Retrieved on December 18, 2023.
- ↑ IGN (June 25, 2002) No More Jet Set Radioooooo.... Retrieved on January 25, 2025.
- ↑ NAVGTR Corp. (2002) NAVGTR 2002 Awards. Retrieved on December 12, 2023.
- ↑ Edge Staff (March 9, 2009) The 100 Best Games To Play Today. Edge. Retrieved on December 18, 2023.
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