I want to start this review out that the second I started playing this game, I got so obsessed that I finished it in about 2 days. I played it so much on the TV in the bedroom that my wife started mumbling "Jet Grind Radiooooooooo" in her sleep (okay, it was only once but it was funny as fuck).

There's a lot to say about Jet Set Radio, or well, Jet Grind Radio, as that's what I played. Overall, I would say that I really enjoyed it, but thinking it through I understand the complaints people have with it. I will say though that many things people complain about are just aspects of older games that kind of aged out of what we see in modern gaming. The Dreamcast is not the most old-school gaming console, but it's definitely at that awkward stage of having more retro gameplay mixed with more modern graphics, resulting in attracting a lot more modern gamers who in turn get turned off by the gameplay.

Jet Set's gameplay focuses on being difficult, much like retro games. In order to ensure the player doesn't finish the game in 2 hours (or need to rent it for longer than one weekend from the store), they make sure the game has a certain difficulty you need to practice to achieve. While annoying for some, I find it incredibly satisfying how retro games always start with you being terrible at the game until you essentially are forced to "get good". Seeing something that used to be a struggle for you turning to a total walk in the park is so deliciously satisfying, especially with the how cool the grinding and spray-painting combo result looks in Jet Set Radio. But anyways, lets get down to business on rating this game.

Control/Gameplay: 2/5
Yeah, it's not great, but it's not as horrible as people make it out to be. The biggest issue is that the Dreamcast controller only has one analog stick, resulting in the camera control AND the spray paint mechanic being on the same left back trigger. I didn't have too many issues with this except for Tag & Die, which for some reason LOVED to just change my camera angle instead of spraying the wall murals when I rail grinded past. While I eventually got used to the controls and actually got pretty good at them, it still never felt good. I would be doing what I was supposed to with little to no issue, but it still didn't feel good, always like I was fighting against the analog stick, never the smooth gliding sensation you wish for. The boost from the back right trigger also never made me feel like I was going much faster, mostly needing to rely on jumping to gain speed. Overall, controls aren't terrible, but they're definitely something to get used to, and in the end when you do have the controls mastered, it still doesn't feel that great.

Story: 3/5
Jet Set tells it story through comic book panel cutscenes in between its three chapters. There's also a radio show host narrator who fills stuff in between missions too. Both are fun, and help keep up the energy that the game wants to have throughout the game. But what even is the story? I don't really remember it that well. To be fair, who plays Jet Set Radio because of that amazing story everyone talks about? Yeah, that's what I thought. It's a rebels vs cops story, that turns into a rebels vs "the man" story. I think there's something involving a record being stolen, too? Fairly basic, kind of what you expect from looking at the cover of the game. Though the final boss was so insane and out of nowhere, I couldn't help but fall in love with it.

I would argue that the game gives you WAY too many playable characters to choose from, but the fact that each character is so uniquely cool in their own style (minus Mew just being a blue Gum) makes it worth it. The fact they all play pretty differently is nice too. In the end, who cares about a large cast when every character they give me is even cooler than the last. The only character design I dislike is believe it or not the protagonist, Beat. He looks cool enough on the cover, but holy shit he looks like SUCH a nerd in the game, I couldn't take him seriously. His redesign for Future is way better looking. More variety on the female characters would have been cool, but whatever, not that big of a complaint from me.

Graphics/Visuals: 5/5
Easy 5/5 - everyone knows that stylized games are the sexiest games, and holy shit Jet Set did not disappoint. I'm sure it's the reason why anyone gives a shit about the game today (cause its definitely not the gameplay lol) because not only is the game insanely cool, colorful, and attention grabbing, but it's unlike anything we've really seen before with video games, mixing it's art design with comic books and graffiti art. It's fucking awesome, with each stage never boring me and not one character coming off as uninspired and bland. I want to take this game and shove it into every modern AAA game to show them that you CAN have color and still make your game cool as fuck.

There's also this "make your own graffiti" section that's super fun to fuck around with. Of course, I made mine hot pink with the Japanese word for dyke smack in the center, which worked best with the gold rhino statues, giving them little lesbian shirts.

Soundtrack: 5/5
Another banger, and another reason for why Jet Set got its cool reputation. The music is hip, and INSANELY good, especially for a sort of arcade style game like this. You need good music to keep people motivated, at the risk that unfitting music can get people to stop playing the game entirely. I can make a joke here that I hope the music creator isn't being annoying on twitter right now, but that's so overdone I'm just going to post some of my favorite songs from the game instead: 1 2 3

Overall, I give Jet Grind Radio on the Sega Dreamcast a 4/5, based on the stuff I talked about above (well, it rounded out to 3.75/5, but I'll round up). I got to give credit when credit is due, and that's the fact that the most impressive thing about the game somehow took the geekiest most uncool sport ever (rollerblading) and convinced people it is actually super awesome and rebellious.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is a game that gets more flack than it deserves. It has an incredibly interesting story of starting as this very bare bones potential Mario 2, only for Fuji TV to ask Nintendo to help promote their "Dream Factory" festival thing in the 80's, where Nintendo used their base Mario game but now with the mascots given by Fuji for the festival.

The festival was focused around children of the future, as the children of the 80's would be adults when the new millennium came, and hence, our future. Fuji decided it would be best to represent this all with a multi-cultural dream factory theme thing (I don't know either, guess you had to be there to really get it). The mascots to best represent this worldly theme was settled with an "Arabian Nights" inspired family. This festival was apparently a really big deal as Fuji was advertising this EVERY WHERE !!! (Can't really blame them... I mean they do own a massive TV station.)

But! After all this, they still needed a Mario 2 in Japan. I mean, he's the most popular game character since... well, since Mario! So Nintendo did the good honest thing and slapped together something more similar to the original game with some extra challenge and sent it out. That should keep 'em busy.

Though for Western fans this wasn't a problem. What the hell is Dream Factory? No one in the West could give less of a shit about some festival they can't participate in. But you know what the West loved? You won't believe it, but it's that same guy in Japan. All the kids will not shut. up. about Mario. So what did Nintendo do? They just finished their base game, with now added elements inspired by the Dream Factory, as hey, why not? The levels are already finished, aren't they? Mario is already in this crazy world fighting with turtles and saving princesses. Putting him in a dream environment with some desert themes and elements shouldn't be THAT out of place. Anyways, that other Mario game we made too hardcore for Western audiences.

And now we have the beautiful creature that is Super Mario Bros. 2 - or as they call it in Japan: Super Mario USA. Cause believe it or not, people in Japan were upset they didn't get the Mario version of Doki Doki Panic. Friends in Japan told me that most people (or maybe my friend circle is a little funny, wouldn't be the first time) actually prefer Super Mario USA to what they got as Super Mario Bros. 2. I mean, it's not too hard to envision. There must have been a big enough rumble within the Japanese fanbase for Nintendo to put an effort into having the Western game on the Famicom.

And now this is where I argue my main thesis to you. What is that? My thesis? Yes, this whole time my argument I want to make to you is how Super Mario Bros. 2 is one of the best Mario games EVER made and why it deserves that title. Yes, the so called "re-skin" of Doki Doki Panic that people in the West received. Oh, woe is us. We're so dumb that instead of getting the insane not-fun Mario 1 on crack sequel to Mario Bros. we got a game much closer to Miyamoto's original vision of Mario Bros. 2, with crazy fun bosses, new action techniques, and beautiful graphics, boo hoo.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is an amazing follow-up to the first Mario Bros, a game that often came packaged with your new Nintendo Entertainment System. Three years later, we get its sequel, and Holy. Crap.

This shit rocks.

First thing you probably notice is ~graphics~, because holy shit that screen gives ya some color now. Not only are the environments insanely more varied and fun to figure out, but they were challenging. Like honest to God challenging. Something you want in an NES game. Something that frustrates you at first, but once learning its patterns, is easily now wrapped around your finger. Just compare these two maps. Partial to just me, I also enjoy the art style change they go with in SMB2 and how it's a bit more chibi, with a dark indigo color to outline the characters now too (oh my, how Osomatsu ).

I guess you can say there's controversy on the change from jumping on enemies to throwing them, which at the time I can imagine wasn't the biggest deal. Sequels to old video games experimented with the formula all the time. Just look at Zelda II and hell, even the original Super Mario Bros. and how much it differs from its original arcade game. I personally liked the change, but in the end, I guess most people didn't as moving forward it became secured as a staple for Mario to stomp. Don't get me wrong though, the game was definitely still influential with us continuing to see Birdo, Shy Guys, and Luigi's famous high jump in future Mario series games.

If you're still on the edge of what to think about Super Mario Bros. 2, I like to note that Miyamoto states it is his favorite Mario game. Not his favorite Nintendo game, but his favorite Mario game, further settling on if we should even see Super Mario Bros. 2 as a true Mario game, when it's "just a re-skin". Clearly, you can see the love that was put into it. Mario or not. 真実は、嘘偽りのないこと、本当のことを意味する。

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