Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Lore & Background

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is set in the fictional city of New Amsterdam, where human implant technology allows people to switch body parts at will. The city is known for its graffiti writers, who compete to become All City by painting all five boroughs. The story begins after the mysterious death of Felix, the only writer to achieve All City, leaving a power vacuum. The player controls Red, a member of the Bomb Rush Crew, who seeks to reclaim his lost head and become All City. The plot involves rival gangs, a corrupt police force, and a supercomputer called Project Algo used to mind-control authorities. The game's cel-shaded visuals, music, and gameplay draw heavily from the 2000s Jet Set Radio and Jet Set Radio Future, with a soundtrack featuring indie artists and Hideki Naganuma. The game received positive reviews for its gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack, though critics were divided on its similarity to Jet Set Radio, with some praising its faithfulness and others calling it unoriginal. Criticism also targeted its combat and simple tricking mechanics.

Reader's Guide

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is significant as a modern homage to the Jet Set Radio series, reviving its distinctive cel-shaded aesthetic and graffiti-based traversal for a new generation. The game's release across multiple platforms in 2023, including a physical edition, helped it reach a broad audience. Its soundtrack, featuring contributions from original Jet Set Radio composer Hideki Naganuma alongside indie artists, was widely praised. The game's narrative, involving cybernetic heads, a corrupt police supercomputer, and a twist where the protagonist is revealed to be the legendary writer Felix, was noted for distinguishing it from its inspirations. However, its legacy is tempered by mixed reception to its combat and tricking mechanics, with some critics finding the gameplay repetitive and overly derivative. The game's faithful recreation of Jet Set Radio's style sparked debate about originality versus homage, but it succeeded in capturing the spirit of its predecessors while introducing its own story and setting.

Did You Know?

• The game's protagonist Red is later revealed to be the legendary writer Felix, whose head was replaced with a cybernetic one.
• The soundtrack includes tracks from Hideki Naganuma, the composer of the Jet Set Radio series.
• The game was initially revealed as a timed exclusive for Nintendo Switch in August 2021.
• The story involves a supercomputer called Project Algo, which uses a human head as its CPU.