Jet Set Radio coming to XBLA, PSN, PC this summer

Last week, Sega released a video teasing the announcement of something, which appeared to be something related to Jet Set Radio. Nearly a week later, now we know what that teaser trailer was all about.

Sega announced today that Jet Set Radio (or, as it was called outside of Japan, Jet Grind Radio), one of the most beloved titles on the Dreamcast, will be getting the HD re-release treatment on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network (PS3 only) and PC later this summer.

In case your Jet Set Radio knowledge is a bit rusty, or you never got around to playing the game, Sega wrote up a story primer to get you up to speed with the goings-on in the Jet Set Radio universe. Here’s the rundown:

Jet Set Radio lets players join the GGs, an up-and-coming street gang in the futuristic city of Tokyo-to, fighting for the right to self-expression against an overbearing, corporate-controlled police force. Rolling and leaping through crowded urban environments on magnetically driven inline skates, players take control of gang leader Beat and his growing posse of deviant artists as they steal turf from the local gangs by covering the city with colorful graffiti. Guided by Professor K, DJ for the hottest pirate broadcast in town – “Jet Set Radio” – the GGs will ultimately uncover the sinister plot hatched by the controlling powers of Tokyo-to.

Sega hasn’t said just yet whether or not the HD-ified Jet Set Radio would be receiving any new features, but the company did say that the game has been upgraded a bit in the visuals department, making it better suited for its new HD environment.

Additionally, Sega announced an upcoming contest which allows Jet Set Radio fans in the US and UK submit their digital graffiti work for a chance to have their work featured in the full game. Winners will also receive a prize pack, including a solar-powered Bluetooth sound system and more still.