Jet Set Radio Tags PSN on 9/18 (Available Now For PS Plus Members), PS Vita 10/16

Jet Set Radio is returning in glorious HD on PlayStation Network and PS Vita as part of Sega’s Heritage Collection! Originally launched in the year 2000 on Dreamcast, Jet Set Radio has always been regarded as a true SEGA classic – bringing a genre-bending mix of rollerblading, stylish graffiti, and a soundtrack that people are still talking about to this day.

Set in Tokyo-to, Jet Set Radio is the name of the pirate radio station that fuels the local street gangs called ‘Rudies’. The game follows a group of Rudies called The GG’s, as they challenge the rival gangs for control of Tokyo-to. Powered by magnetically enhanced in-line skates, they grind, jump and tag their way while avoiding the ever present and increasingly ruthless police force.

Our goal with Jet Set Radio (and indeed all the Heritage Collection titles) has been to deliver the closest experience to the original product and, when possible, improve on it. Wait – I know the chill you get when the word ‘improve’ is mentioned in the same breath as your favorite game, and I can assure you that the core of the game is completely unchanged. The levels are just as beautiful as the original, just more so when displayed in full HD, 16×9 resolution.

The music is there, and even more so – we’ve merged the Japanese, European, and North American soundtracks for 28 out of the total combined 30 tracks. We’ve also included all new graffiti by none other than you, the fans! What’s more, we’ve added Trophies to offer additional challenges and bragging rights. Finally, we met with the original art director for Jet Set Radio for a series of interviews you can only get within the game itself!

And for all you PlayStation Vita owners out there, we’ve added some great new features that can’t be found on consoles. The PS Vita version of Jet Set Radio looks stunning on the handheld’s OLED display, and comes with some platform-specific enhancements. Now you can use the touch screen to draw the graffiti in the game, or use the system’s camera to import new tags to the graffiti editor. Both are subtle changes, but add a ton of fun to building new art in the game, or tagging with speed while avoiding the cops. All of these new additions are completely optional, and play off PS Vita’s unique hardware specifics.

We hope you enjoy Jet Set Radio as much as we do when it arrives September 18th on PSN and October 16th on PS Vita! And if you’ve ever had doubts that being a PlayStation Plus member isn’t a great idea, let us give you one more reason to sign up: PS Plus members are getting Jet Set Radio a full week early starting September 11th (THAT’S NOW!) at a limited-time, discounted price. If that’s not enough, we’ll even be throwing in a free exclusive Dynamic Theme and Avatar Bundle to be delivered in the coming weeks.