Jet Set Radio, published by Sega for Dreamcast

FOR all the young punks out there, this one's for you. Tokyo is in trouble, with hoods everywhere and a police state cracking down on freedom.

So, when the world's going to pot, what do you do? Get your skates on, of course.

Jet Set Radio puts you in control of a teenage gang called the GGs whose only satisfaction in life comes from skating and marking prime spots with their graffiti. Between fighting for the best mark with rival gangs and trying to keep one step ahead of the police, life's pretty busy, but this is a game that rewards style as much as endeavour. Throw a few fancy moves into the mix and you'll rack up the points a whole lot quicker.

The game has attracted some controversy from those who see it as encouraging youngsters to commit vandalism, but there are prominent messages saying vandalism is wrong and it's not as if the story hasn't been told before, most notably in the Judge Dredd comic series.

What Jet Set Radio does offer, however, is strikingly fresh and original gameplay, with clever comic-style graphics and a fabulous soundtrack. It combines the trickstyle gameplay of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding with so many ingenious touches that this becomes a must-buy title for the Dreamcast owner.

Graphics 5/5

Sound 5/5

Gameplay 4/5

Gamespan 4/5

Overall 5/5