J-Stars Victory VS

J-Stars Victory Vs is a tag team Fighting game featuring characters from the various franchises of Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. The game is meant to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Shonen Jump and was released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita on March 19, 2014. It was re-released for western territories as J-Stars Victory VS+ for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita, with an additional Arcade Mode for the international release. It was released in Europe on June 26, 2015 and in North America on June 30, 2015.

Overview
First announced in the second issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine of 2013, Namco Bandai Games stated that they would be releasing the "ultimate Jump game." Previously named Project Versus J, it was made to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Jump.

Hironobu Kageyama, Akira Kushida, and Hiroshi Kitadani sang the game's theme song "Fighting Stars." People who pre-ordered the game received the J-Stars Victory Book, a volume bound like a Jump Comics book and filled with information and visuals of Jump heroes over the years. The localized version of the game came with a digital compendium. A free augmented-reality (AR) app lets you see the Jump heroes in your surroundings on the PS Vita.

Gameplay
J-Stars Victory Vs lets up to four players battle it out against one another in a gameplay and graphical style similar to those of Dragon Ball: Zenkai Battle. Fighters can move and fight in all directions of a 3D battle field. Players should learn the lay of the land and formulate a battle plan with a character suited to it. A defeated character comes back after a set amount of time passes. To win the battle, all three sections of the WIN gauge at the top of the screen have to be filled; the gauge fills one section each time an opponent is defeated. Fighters can use regular attacks, power attacks, area-based attacks, and finishing moves. Regular attacks are the main part of the battle, and all combos begin with them. Power attacks leave the user open, but they have a big impact if they connect and their power can be increased by charging them up. Area-based attacks allow to hit opponents over a wide area. By using different techniques, the player can lead his team to victory; learning each character's different power, range, and effects is the first step towards being unbeatable.

Playable Characters (39)
All the playable characters. At first, only Luffy, Toriko, Naruto, Gintoki, Goku, and Ichigo are available at the start. The rest of the characters must be unlocked through the Story Mode or purchased at the Store.
 * JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE
 * Jonathan Joestar
 * Joseph Joestar
 * ONE PIECE
 * Monkey D. Luffy
 * Portgas D. Ace
 * Boa Hancock
 * Akainu
 * DRAGON BALL
 * Son Goku
 * Vegeta
 * Freeza
 * TORIKO
 * Toriko
 * Zebra
 * NARUTO
 * Naruto Uzumaki
 * Sasuke Uchiha
 * Madara Uchiha
 * RUROUNI KENSHIN / SAMURAI X
 * Kenshin Himura
 * Makoto Shishio
 * GINTAMA
 * Gintoki Sakata
 * BLEACH
 * Ichigo Kurosaki
 * Sōsuke Aizen
 * HUNTER X HUNTER
 * Gon Freecss
 * Killua Zoldyck
 * ​YU YU HAKUSHO
 * Yusuke Urameshi
 * Hiei
 * Toguro (Younger)
 * HOKUTO NO KEN / FIST OF THE NORTH STAR
 * Kenshiro
 * Raoh
 * BEELZEBUB
 * Oga Tatsumi with Baby Beel
 * KOCHIRA KATSUSHIKA-KU KAMEARI KŌEN-MAE HASHUTSUJO (KOCHIKAME)
 * Ryotsu Kankichi
 * MEDAKA BOX
 * Medaka Kurokami
 * KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN! / TUTOR HITMAN REBORN!
 * Tsuna Sawada with Reborn
 * JIGOKU NUBE SENSEI / HELL TEACHER NUBE
 * Meisuke Nueno
 * ANSATSU KYŌSHITSU / ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM
 * Koro-sensei
 * SAINT SEIYA / KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC
 * Seiya
 * DR.SLUMP
 * Arale Norimaki
 * BOBOBO BO-BO BOBO
 * Bobobo
 * SAIKI KUSUO NO PSI NAN
 * Kusuo Saiki
 * TOTTEMO! LUCKYMAN
 * Luckyman
 * SAKIGAKE!! OTOKOJUKU
 * Momotaro Tsurugi
 * CHINYUKI: TARO TO YUKAINA NAKAMA TACHI
 * Taro Yamada

Support (13)
All the characters who appear as support (characters who appear on the screen and do something such as an attack or recovering the player's health before disappearing). None of the Support characters are available at first. They all need to be unlocked in Story Mode or purchased with the in-game currency via the Store. Additionally, all of the playable characters can be used as support as well.


 * HUNTER X HUNTER
 * Hisoka
 * BLEACH
 * Rukia Kuchiki
 * GINTAMA
 * Kagura with Sadaharu
 * HAIKYU!!
 * Shōyō Hinata
 * MEDAKA BOX
 * Misogi Kumagawa
 * NISEKOI
 * Chitoge Kirisaki
 * MAJIN TANTEI NOUGAMI NEURO / BRAIN EATER DEVIL NEURO
 * Neuro Nōgami
 * KUROKO NO BASUKE
 * Tetsuya Kuroko
 * SKET DANCE
 * Bossun, Switch, Himeko
 * D.GRAY-MAN
 * Allen Walker
 * TO LOVE-RU
 * Lala Satalin Deviluke
 * PYU TO FUKU! JAGUAR
 * Jaguar Junichi
 * SAKIGAKE!! OTOKOJUKU
 * Edajima Heihachi

Miscellaneous
All the characters who make a cameo appearance either in Story Mode or as part of some character's moveset.
 * Babaa (Chinyuki: Taro to Yukaina Nakama Tachi)
 * Ohara Daijiro (Kochikame)
 * Keiichi Nakagawa (Kochikame)
 * Reiko Katherine Akimoto (Kochikame)
 * Don Patch (Bobobo bo-bo Bobo)
 * Heppokomaru (Bobobo bo-bo Bobo)
 * Beauty (Bobobo bo-bo Bobo)
 * Tokoro Tennosuke (Bobobo bo-bo Bobo)
 * Korin (Dragon Ball)
 * King Kai (Dragon Ball)
 * Master Roshi (Dragon Ball)
 * Nami (One Piece)
 * Usopp (One Piece)
 * Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece)
 * Shimura Shinpachi  (Gintama)
 * Katsura Kotarou  (Gintama)
 * Otose  (Gintama)
 * Aoi Kunieda (Beelzebub)
 * Hilda (Beelzebub)
 * Alaindelon (Beelzebub)
 * Sunny (Toriko)
 * Coco (Toriko)
 * Komatsu (Toriko)
 * Leorio Paladinight (Hunter X Hunter)
 * Beans (Hunter X Hunter)
 * Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter)
 * Kyōsuke Tamamo (Hell Teacher Nube)
 * Kyōko Inaba (Hell Teacher Nube)
 * Miki Hosokawa (Hell Teacher Nube)
 * Shun Kaidou (Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan)
 * Riki Nendou (Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan)
 * Kokomi Teruhashi (Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan)
 * Tetsuya 2  (Kuroko no Basuke)
 * Taiga Kagami  (Kuroko no Basuke)
 * Riko Aida  (Kuroko no Basuke)
 * Kaoru Kamiya  (Rurouni Kenshin)
 * Sanosuke Sagara  (Rurouni Kenshin)
 * Yahiko Myõjin  (Rurouni Kenshin)
 * Hatake Kakashi (Naruto)
 * Gaara (Naruto)
 * Haruno Sakura (Naruto)
 * Kyoya Hibari  (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
 * Hayato Gokudera  (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
 * Kyoko Sasagawa  (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
 * Hammer  (Pyu to Fuku! Jaguar)
 * Hamidento  (Pyu to Fuku! Jaguar)
 * Billy  (Pyu to Fuku! Jaguar)
 * Sasuke Tsubaki  (Sket Dance)
 * Sõjirõ Agata  (Sket Dance)
 * Moe Yabasawa  (Sket Dance)
 * Kon  (Bleach)
 * Yoruichi Shihõin  (Bleach)
 * Kisuke Urahara  (Bleach)
 * Saori Kido / Athena (Saint Seiya)
 * Aries Mu (Saint Seiya)
 * Libra Dohko (Saint Seiya)
 * Koenma (Yū Yū Hakusho)
 * Botan (Yū Yū Hakusho)
 * Genkai (Yu Yu Hakusho)
 * Sawamura Daichi  (Haikyuu)
 * Nishinoya Yuu  (Haikyuu)
 * Kageyama Tobio (Haikyuu)
 * Hitoyoshi Zenkichi (Medaka Box)
 * Shiranui Hansode (Medaka Box)
 * Yu Kanda  (D Gray-Man)
 * Leenalee Lee  (D Gray-Man)
 * Lavi  (D Gray-Man)
 * Katsuragi Yako (Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro)
 * Shinobu Godai (Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro)
 * Eishi Sasazuka (Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro)
 * Tadaomi Karasuma  (Assassination Classroom)
 * Nagisa Shiota  (Assassination Classroom)
 * Irina Jelavic  (Assassination Classroom)
 * Senbei Norimaki (Dr.Slump)
 * Gatchan (Dr.Slump)
 * Turbo Norimaki (Dr.Slump)

Battle Stages

 * Alabasta (One Piece)
 * Namek (Dragon Ball Z)
 * Konohagakure (Naruto)
 * Vegetable Sky (Toriko)
 * Dark Tournament Stadium (Yu Yu Hakusho)
 * Soul Society (Bleach)
 * Hall of the Flaming Hell (Rurouni Kenshin)
 * Katsushika City (Kochikame)
 * Yoshiwara Paradise (Gintama)
 * Athena's Temple (Saint Seiya)
 * Penguin Village (Dr.Slump)
 * Thunder Echo Needle Battleground (Sakigake!! Otokojuku)

Reception
The Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the game 32/40, with all four reviewers giving the game 8/10.

Trivia

 * Despite not having any specific interaction between each other, Jonathan and Joseph have certain dialogue said depending on the opposing character:
 * Jonathan to Lala: "Hehe...shush, don't say another word. Ahh girls are so cute".
 * Jonathan to Bobobo: "Forever descend into the darkness of history!!".
 * Joseph to Taro Yamada: "You do say some interesting things... Come over here so I can beat you up!".
 * Joseph to Kirisaki Chitoge: "Are you ignoring me, that kinda pissed me off... Ok, let's get a more extreme response from you shall we...".
 * Joseph to Boa Hancock: "That...that woman's eyes... It's similar to a pig farms eyes...so cold...so cruel...".
 * Joseph to Akainu: "Huh? Are you talking to me? Who the hell are you? Exactly what are you talking about? Is something wrong with your head?".
 * Incomplete data for Jotaro Kujo and DIO (alongside Yoh Asakura from Shaman King and Dai from Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken) was found within the game's disc, suggesting that the two were planned for inclusion before being scrapped during development.
 * In the game's 3rd trailer, both Jonathan and Joseph appear as the rivals of Gintoki Sakata (from the GINTAMA franchise). With their battle named "Kettou vs Amatou" (Kettou meaning "family lineage" and Amatou meaning "a person who loves candy").
 * Interestingly, both Joseph and Gintoki share the same voice actor, Tomokazu Sugita. They even make a joke about it, where Joseph says "Your next line's gonna be: Hey, where do I know you?" and Gintoki replies "Hey, where do I know you...WHAAAT?".
 * Also in the 8th trailer, Gintoki returns Joseph's trick by saying "Joseph...your next line's gonna be: My... special trick..." and Joseph replies "My... special trick...!!"
 * The TV anime's first opening, Sono Chi No Sadame, appears in the game's special edition, called ANISON SOUND EDITION. It contains several famous openings from every series in the game, which can be listened to during battles.
 * In the game's 8th trailer, several characters have special interactions with each other. During Jonathan's part he says "Let the darkness of history sink to the depths!!" and Bobobo (from BOBOBO BO-BO BOBO franchise) replies "The history of the Afro will always sink!".
 * Interestingly, both DIO and Bobobo share the same voice actor, Takehito Koyasu.
 * Unlike some other characters in the game, both Jonathan and Joseph's attacks heavily features Japanese Sound Effects (SFX) commonly seen in manga. This was presumably done to capture the series' unique use of onomatopoeia and match the style of the anime.
 * Both Jonathan and Joseph are the only playable characters from the same franchise to appear on the game's cover.
 * The appearance of some characters are taken from their most popular sagas instead of their current ones at the moment the game was launched. For example, this includes Seiya (from Sanctuary Saga), Yusuke (from Dark Tournament Saga), Ichigo and Rukia (from Aizen Saga), and Goku and Vegeta (from Cell Saga). Some others are taken from the current anime saga at the moment instead of the current manga saga. This includes Joseph Joestar (from Battle Tendency Saga), Toriko and Zebra (from Four Beast Saga), Gon and Killua (from the Chimera Ant Saga), and Naruto, Sasuke and Madara (from Ten-Tails Saga).