I've got to admit the advance word on Jet Set Radio Future, namely that it was 'dumbed down' and 'annoying shrill music' got to me. Rumors of the Jet Grind Radio's complex analog tags replaced with one simple pull of the analog trigger and the funky beats replaced with girls screaming about MSG at the top of their shrill voices pushed this down from 'must play' to 'might play'.

Sega knows what they're doing right? They wouldn't screw up the sequel to one of the best Dreamcast games ever would they? Would they???

No...and Yes.

One thing is readily apparent when the first level of JSRF loads up: this is the equivalent of the 6-million dollar JGR...bigger...better...faster. Every aspect has undergone an overhaul and been expanded by a huge factor.

The levels have gone from 9 nice-sized enviroments, to 14 massive areas that now reach into the sky with the roller-coaster rail-laden Sky Dinosaur Park, span between massive buildings in Skyscraper District or are simply much bigger than ever before. To get every tag in the Fortified Residential Zone, you'll have to grind high above on telephone wires, run along the tops of buildings, and even climb down access tunnels to go underneath the city. Yeah, it's that expansive.

This time around, with the levels so large, the game plays more like an exploration-based platformer than all in one simple action game. A lot more time is devoted to finding where the tags are actually located (as the non-zoom able 3D map will testify to) rather than dodging police and rival gangs and tagging in a small area.

The In's and the Outs:

Some elements have been removed completely, while others have been modified. Both boosting and Wall Ride Jumps have been changed, with the former requiring 10 spray cans to do and the latter now only possible on specific billboards. The complex tags are gone as well, replaced by that single right trigger pull, but given that the majority of the time a series of up to 8 or so sprays are needed to complete one massive graffiti while grinding, there really is no other way to do it and make it functional at the same time.

Tricks have now been refined, and even Tony Hawk'ed a bit, giving 2 different buttons for different style grinds (normal and reversed) and multiplied combos if done in succession. You'll also discover several 'special rails', which yield much more points per trick. Moreover, JSRF boasts a healthy smattering of multiplayer games thrown in, which do well to pass the time and hint at the potential coolness that the 'no chance in hell of seeing creation' JSR Online would bring.

The biggest change is by far the layout of the game. Gone are the days of finding the love shockers spraying a part of Tokyo-to (now Tokyo in JSRF), bumping into them while spraying then Capitan Onishima and the police popping up half way in the level.

Levels now consist of spraying all tags, periodic police encounters (now segmented off with Jurassic Park style electric fences and pitting you against every thing from men in bunny suits wielding machine guns to a massive robotic spider), chasing down 3 rivals and painting them and finding a secret tape with a list of 5 Tony Hawk-style level goals (such as X number of consecutive grinds or points). Those 5 goals each unlock one graffiti soul, which allows you to choose one more graffiti to tag with. And if you've got the pseudo-Photoshop skills, you can also create your own custom tags.

It's got the look...

Even with many returning GG's and rival gangs, every character has undergone a massive overhaul. They look refined, are motion captured amazingly well (with what might be the best idle animations ever) and have some of the most kick ass designs ever. Roboy, Zero Beat and the Immortal mummies look nothing short of amazing. If you can't find a few of the 24 standard and hidden characters appealing, it's time to put down the controller and walk away.

Smilebit's also done their damn best to bring the cel-shaded world to life, and stack it to the brim with a massive number of pedestrians, cars and environments that breath digital life. They've worked out each maddening detail, be it the crows that scatter off a telephone wire when you grind on it, buses and cars that shriek till they stop if you get too close or the ability to simply see each scandalous nuance and curve on a mini-skirted female character. Even with the sub-worlds in similar themed areas (like a sewer or in the sky), it's tough to see any direct carryover from one area to the next. Innovative, I say.

Not all is golden...

Only a few small things prevent JSRF from truly emerging as a "must buy an Xbox" for. It does feel rushed, just a bit. With some of the secret tapes requirements still in kanji-laden Japanese (and giving a very specific level in the location, no less) and the repeating text of 'which is chosen' seem to indicate that the game was rushed to the US market. Clipping and character bogging out on certain obstacles can also be seen, much more so than any decent bug testing would rectify.

I've also got to give the music a mixed review, with some tracks, like Concept of Love quite good, while Birthday Cake (and that aforementioned shrill MSG lyric included) wear on me faster than people who abuse the word 'teh'. (Editor's Note: I've always thought that was just an unconscious typo.) Why the simple option to take advantage of the Xbox's hard drive and rip you're own music wasn't included (or connect to the internet and save any picture as a potential tag wasn't included), I'll never know.

The difficulty has also been heavily toned down, no longer requiring Jedi-like mental awareness to get hidden characters, but rather patient and repetitious actions. Spray painting the backs of rivals can be done in as little as a few seconds, and hunting for all graffiti's can take upwards of 20 minutes.

In the end, Smilebit and Sega have produced a superlative sequel, better than the first in many ways, chipped by a few issues, but ultimately worth the cash. If you've got a Xbox and buy only one action game, this is it.

· · · MVS