Jet Set Radio Tags Its Way To Digital Release This Summer

It can be argued that the SEGA Dreamcast was perhaps the greatest console to ever grace this world (I most certainly believe that), and it is a testament to the console that even over a decade since the console died out, fans still clamor for SEGA to re-release games from the Dreamcast’s wildly popular game library over just about anything else. We’ve seen a few Dreamcast titles hit a digital release, such as Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5, and SEGA Bass Fishing, though isn’t it about time we get another release?

Well, SEGA has answered the call by announcing that Jet Set Radio will be the next Dreamcast title to have a digital release, with the game arriving on the Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC platforms this summer. Originally released back in 2000, Jet Set Radio was a graffiti-based adventure game where you play as Beat, the founder of the GG’s (Graffiti Gang), as he traverses various cities in the futuristic Tokyo-to to gain footing and have other people join your gang, while also dealing with an oppressive police force. Jet Set Radio was distinctive for its cel-shaded art style (which was revolutionary at the time), as well as its incredibly varied soundtrack that perfectly set the mood of the game.

As of now, no specific release date has been given, other than the initial Summer 2012 announcement; furthermore, SEGA has not given word of the game’s soundtrack and whether or not it will comprise solely of the music found in the Japanese version, or if the additional music from the North American release will be added in this re-release. Either way, this is a big win for fans and I will most certainly be picking this up when it is released.

Finally, for nostalgic purposes, here’s the classic and outright weird TV commercial for Jet Grind Radio (this was the North American name for the game) when it was originally released for the Dreamcast back in 2000: