Jet Set Radio is the perfect encapsulation of Sega’s vibe in 2000: It’s fast, loud, and dripping with punk rock attitude, and it nails that iconic balance between arcadey action and top-shelf presentation that many Dreamcast games strike.
Players control various members of a rollerblading street gang, nailing tricks and covering the near-future city of Tokyo-To in colorful graffiti while bopping along to an eclectic soundtrack of hip-hop, rock, and electronic music. Unfortunately, the Dreamcast’s poor sales and subsequent discontinuation in 2001 hampered Jet Set Radio’s commercial success until it was eventually ported to PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox 360 in 2012 as Jet Set Radio HD.
The second game in the series, Jet Set Radio: Future, launched on Xbox in 2002 just one year after the Dreamcast’s untimely demise. Future is equally a sequel and remake, iterating on the original’s gameplay, graphics, and art direction to stand out as one of the best Xbox exclusives. Unlike Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio: Future was never ported to other platforms. However, the team behind both games are working on a spiritual successor, Bombrush Cyber Funk, which is planned to drop in 2023.
Available on: Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5