Jet Set Radio just has the disadvantage of not falling into one of the very few control archetypes that are deemed acceptable for modern mainstream video games. It has it's own controls that you have to adjust to if you aren't familiar, a difficulty curve. I think that's fine but nowadays people are so used to being able to pick up every game and immediately know whats going on. So they tend to dismiss things immediately when they don't line up with that expectation.
It's a shame because the platforming in JSR is great, jumping from rail to rail to a wall-ride, over gaps, to another rail or wall, so satisfying. And it's that, "slow in air" movement with the crazy amount of air control that lets you pull off such crazy shit in those levels, it's so satisfying.
Killzone 2 and LBP get the same shit, and more and more old games are getting it too as the era of design they represent falls out of the norm. It really does suck because these games (in a lot of cases) are still great and hold up fine, you just have to be willing to get used to controls outside modern convention. Reviewers are on deadlines getting frustrated and not giving themselves the adequate time or being reasonably patient to tackle something new that takes getting used to. Sometimes, apparently, they don't even check the menus
It's happened to so many older game re-releases, knew it would happen with JGR just the same. Reading some re-release game reviews, it's incredible, they're just the biggest jokes possible.
