Jet Set Radio HD to feature extra levels, incomplete soundtrack

The upcoming HD remaster of Jet Set Radio won't be an exact port of the Dreamcast original. There will be new levels and right analog stick support. Unfortunately, the soundtrack won't remain intact.

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Update 06:50AM - Corrected details about artist availability.

The upcoming HD remaster of Jet Set Radio won't be an exact port of the Dreamcast original. In addition to the new HD widescreen visuals, the downloadable game will have a number of new levels, previously unavailable in North America: Batman Street and Grind Square. In addition, the game will take advantage of the right analog stick on PS3 and Xbox 360 for manual camera controls. (The Dreamcast controller only had one analog stick.)

Unfortunately, the soundtrack won't make the transition to the current generation intact. A Sega representative told Siliconera that they have "70% of the music" confirmed for the HD version, including songs from B.B. Rights, Guitar Vader, and Hideki Naganuma. "Sega is trying to track down rights for other songs, some of which have changed hands over the last decade," the report details.

Sega's inability to get the complete soundtrack is unsurprising, given the legal tangles licensed music tends to face. Activision, for example, is unable to promise the original soundtrack for its upcoming re-release of Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 13, 2012 4:15 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Jet Set Radio HD to feature extra levels, incomplete soundtrack.

    The upcoming HD remaster of Jet Set Radio won't be an exact port of the Dreamcast original. There will be new levels and right analog stick support. Unfortunately, the soundtrack won't remain intact.

    • reply
      March 13, 2012 4:44 PM

      Well isn't this JUST DUCKY.

      All this rage and no tables to flip.

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      March 13, 2012 4:56 PM

      "However, songs from B.B. Rights, Guitar Vader, and Hideki Naganuma will be unavailable."

      Read that part of the Siliconera article again - those are the ones they've confirmed WILL be in the game. They haven't confirmed who won't yet.

      (Also: "Batman Street", as hilarious a concept as that is, should be "Batam Street". You didn't read the article very carefully. ;)

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        March 13, 2012 5:00 PM

        (Also also: the Siliconera article notes those levels are the ones that were ONLY in the American version - not levels that North America didn't get previously. Did you read the article?)

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          March 13, 2012 5:07 PM

          Thanks for this follow up. Had a heart attack thinking they lost all of Naganuma's music rights.

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        March 14, 2012 6:50 AM

        Thanks for the catch! Updating.

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          March 14, 2012 4:44 PM

          Thanks for the fix. The error about the levels (which aren't new to North America) is still there though.

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        March 14, 2012 7:39 AM

        Batman Street is in Batman, Turkey.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman,_Turkey

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          March 15, 2012 10:05 AM

          Darn, I was hoping for the caped crusader to make an appearance.

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      March 13, 2012 7:54 PM

      At least the majority of the soundtrack will be present. If it was the same for Crazy Taxi's re-release, I would've bought it.

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        March 14, 2012 7:42 AM

        Crazy Taxi is still worth picking up on that disc set with the other games, since you should be able to find it for like $10 for all four games.

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      March 14, 2012 7:35 AM

      fuck that shit!!!!

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