Squad up!
Man I love a good beat ‘em up game. The gaming world has been kind to the genre lately too with the return of Streets of Rage and the latest TMNT game. Jitsu Squad is a game that landed on my radar recently thanks to some videos online and now it is finally making its console debut. Originally released earlier this year on PC, Jitsu Squad is a colorful romp featuring four outlandish characters that implements a number of fighting game style moves and mechanics to make it one of the most in-depth and enjoyable beat ‘em ups in a while. It also balances the line between accessible and hardcore well with its difficulty options making it an easy recommendation.
Jitsu Squad has no issues wearing its inspirations on its sleeve. The game was developed by Inin Games and Tanuki Creative Studios and started its life as a successful Kickstarter campaign. The game focuses on four anthropomorphic animals all being taught by their sensei in classic TMNT fashion. We have Hero the Racoon, Aros the Boar, Baby the Rabbit, and Jazz the Toad. Each one has their own unique style and special moves and the game can be played with up to three friends.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
From the minute I booted this game up I knew it was special. The first impression it gives is very satisfying. The colorful visuals just pop off the screen. Everything is so vibrant and it never gets messy. The character animations are fantastic and the design is just oozing with style. It looks and feels like a violent Saturday morning cartoon and I adore its visual flair.
The game is a standard left-to-right fighter with varying attacks and an underlying amount of depth for those that want it. Each character has a standard attack and a set of mechanics, but as you progress the game opens up more. There is a parrying system that is easy to do and fun to master. There are special attacks that involve some of the best guest characters including Yooka Laylee and even Maximillian, who should be familiar to anyone in the fighting game community. You can also use dash cancels into new moves which is a feature that people looking for a more involved challenge will adore. This game borrows the best of both the beat ‘em up and fighting game genres and mashes them together splendidly.
The game spans eight stages and they fit the classic mold. Each one is themed with a snow and lava stage for good measure. Each stage ends with an impressive boss fight. There is even a vehicle stage a la TMNT. This game brings all the classic feel of those games while adding its own flavor to the mix. Combine that with the buttery smooth controls and fantastic visual style and this is a must-play game. I cannot stress enough how this came out of nowhere and failed to impress at every moment.
Jitsu Squad is the definition of a pleasant surprise. I only learned about the game a month ago, the console launch has brought it to more platforms and I had an absolute blast playing through it. If you are like me and cannot get enough of the genre Jitsu Squad is a must own. I find myself revisiting this game over and over and learning the nuances of combat. That is a great sign of a great game. Definitely do not sleep on this colorful brawler.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
