Johnny makes his first playable appearance in the PS3 game. He was confirmed alongside Jonathan Joestar and Will Anthonio Zeppeli. As a Part 7 character, three parts of the Holy Corpse appear scattered on stages when he, Gyro, and/or Valentine are being played, which they can pick up to receive blessings that boost their performance in combat. Corpse Parts are obtained by crouching while over them.
Along with Gyro, Johnny is one of the only two characters in the game who uses the "Mounted" Style. This Style allows him to get on and off his horse, Slow Dancer, slightly changing the moves available to him. Johnny must be unmounted in order to pick up the Corpse Parts but is slowed to a sluggish crawl due to his paraplegia. Exclusive to Johnny is a "Tusk's Growth" icon that appears above the Heart Heat Gauge, which displays Tusk's current ACT. Johnny has 950 HP.
Costumes
Gameplay
Johnny is capable of battling at range using his variety of nail bullet-related skills to attack the opponent from various distances, trading some speed for power for his individual projectiles and other ranged attacks. When mounted, he gains above-average maneuverability and sizeable normal attacks, as well as a great combo tool in "I can make it!", which coupled with his projectiles make it especially difficult for his opponent to get him into their effective range. The Holy Corpse Parts also offer Johnny boons that naturally enhance his playstyle, the most prominent of which is super armor when utilizing his nail bullets.
However, due to having to manage his nail bullets past ACT1, the need to continuously evolve Tusk to gain access to more of his moveset, and his severe vulnerability unmounted, Johnny is very technical and possesses a dramatically steep learning curve, seen as one of the most difficult characters to grasp. Particularly, being unmounted leaves Johnny a mostly immobile target with short-ranged melee attacks, meaning he is easily overwhelmed if the opponent does not give him the opportunity to return to Slow Dancer's saddle and remain there. Running out of Golden Spin nail bullets also induces a heavy loss of a large majority of his moveset for the time being, thus aggressive overuse of Johnny's special skills can make him even more vulnerable.
While Johnny begins the match rather subpar, steady evolution of Tusk gathers him more and more abilities until he becomes a force capable of performing well and dealing great damage at any range, even up close. Careful application of his resources and maintaining superior mobility, range, and power with Slow Dancer, Tusk at ACT4, and the Holy Corpse Parts makes Johnny an extraordinarily tricky and formidable combatant.
Command List
Along with Enrico Pucci, Kosaku Kawajiri, Hol Horse, Koichi Hirose and Giorno Giovanna, Johnny is a character who can utilize more than one Stand during a match as part of his move set, being the character with the most Stand forms: All four Tusk Acts.
Johnny begins a match with ACT1. Most of his moves consists of him shooting off his nails as basic projectiles. Unlike Tusk's later Acts, all moves related to ACT1 are lost upon Tusk evolving.
If the Style input () is chained from normals while unmounted, 'Quick Mount' is triggered at the cost of Heart Heat, whereby Johnny mounts Slow Dancer much faster and the act of flipping onto his horse can knock the opponent into the air. This provides an easy and quicker method of mounting as well as transitioning Johnny's unmounted combo into a mounted one.
- Johnny's attack power is boosted, increasing his damage.
- Any of Johnny's skills that fire off nail bullets gain super armor, allowing him to shrug off most attacks aside from Throws/HHA/GHA.
- The rate at which Johnny's Heart Heat Gauge fills is increased.
It is possible for Stand users to be hit by this HHA twice, taking double damage, but the Stand must be hit first in a counterhit order for this to occur.
Once Johnny reaches ACT2, a Tusk Icon will appear above the Heart Heat Gauge, showing the amount of Golden Spin nail bullets he has left from 10. One of the nail icons will darken every time Johnny fires one off, and they will only regenerate after all ten have been spent.
If the Style input () is chained from normals while unmounted, 'Quick Mount' is triggered at the cost of Heart Heat, whereby Johnny mounts Slow Dancer much faster and the act of flipping onto his horse can knock the opponent into the air. This provides an easy and quicker method of mounting as well as transitioning Johnny's unmounted combo into a mounted one.
- Johnny's attack power is boosted, increasing his damage.
- Any of Johnny's skills that fire off nail bullets gain super armor, allowing him to shrug off most attacks aside from Throws/HHA/GHA.
- The rate at which Johnny's Heart Heat Gauge fills is increased.
- Light - Johnny fires downward. Allows Johnny to hit short or crouching opponents while mounted, otherwise only hitting at close range while unmounted.
- Medium - Johnny fires forward. The attack doubles as an anti-air while mounted, but misses most standing characters otherwise.
- Heavy - Johnny fires at an upwards angle. The attack functions as an anti-air while unmounted, but otherwise misses most characters while mounted with the exception of close-ranged juggling purposes.
As the hole moves slower than the nail bullets, it is possible, after traveling a certain distance, for both to be able hit the opponent at the same time. It is also possible for Stand users to be hit by this move twice, taking double damage, but the Stand must be hit first in a counterhit order for this to occur. (Flash Cancel comboable)
Once Johnny reaches ACT3, he unlocks two more abilities that involve transportation via the holes created by Golden Spin Nail Bullets, aiding him in unmounted mobility.
If the Style input () is chained from normals while unmounted, 'Quick Mount' is triggered at the cost of Heart Heat, whereby Johnny mounts Slow Dancer much faster and the act of flipping onto his horse can knock the opponent into the air. This provides an easy and quicker method of mounting as well as transitioning Johnny's unmounted combo into a mounted one.
- Johnny's attack power is boosted, increasing his damage.
- Any of Johnny's skills that fire off nail bullets gain super armor, allowing him to shrug off most attacks aside from Throws/HHA/GHA.
- The rate at which Johnny's Heart Heat Gauge fills is increased.
This skill consumes two Golden Spin Nail Bullets per use; One to create the hole, and a second to fire in the actual attack. The attack will not complete if Johnny has no more than a single nail left.
Once Johnny reaches ACT4, he unlocks two more abilities that involve Tusk ACT4 directly attacking the opponent with a barrage of fists, granting him more raw power and improving his ability to engage in close-ranged combat.
If the Style input () is chained from normals while unmounted, 'Quick Mount' is triggered at the cost of Heart Heat, whereby Johnny mounts Slow Dancer much faster and the act of flipping onto his horse can knock the opponent into the air. This provides an easy and quicker method of mounting as well as transitioning Johnny's unmounted combo into a mounted one.
- Johnny's attack power is boosted, increasing his damage.
- Any of Johnny's skills that fire off nail bullets gain super armor, allowing him to shrug off most attacks aside from Throws/HHA/GHA.
- The rate at which Johnny's Heart Heat Gauge fills is increased.
Johnny launches off of Slow Dancer and fires a singular powerful nail bullet imbued with the power of the Complete Golden Spin Energy as ACT4 appears. If it lands, the nail bullet will drill into the opponent's torso, before ACT4 flies at and rapidly pummels them. ACT4 finishes by spinning and funneling itself into the hole created by the nail bullet. As its head appears from behind the opponent, the entrance of the Stand into their bodies generates a massive pink burst. Throughout Tusk's assault, Johnny calmly and quietly thanks Gyro.
Johnny's GHA is altered when used against Valentine. Valentine attempts to protect himself from the Complete Golden Spin Energy nail bullet with D4C Love Train, only for Tusk ACT4 to forcefully rip the dimensional wall open and fly past, recreating the climactic scene from the battle in the manga. When beating Valentine, a slow-motion close-up of Tusk punching D4C in the face and the hit reflecting in Valentine is shown.
Story Mode
Steel Ball Run
(回転のLESSON Kaiten no Ressun)
Gyro: Spin lessons are hard work. Can you keep up?
(気高き飢え Kedakaki Ue)
Johnny: You are the inheritor! You have to starve if you want to win. Starve nobly!
(試練は流される血で終わる Shiren wa Nagasareru Chi de Owaru)
2. Land a Heart Heat Attack. (1500 G)
3. Land a Great Heat Attack. (1500 G)
Valentine: This will be a sacrifice, Johnny Joestar! It will end with your blood spilled!
(回転のLESSON Kaiten no Ressun)
Gyro: Spin lessons are hard work. Can you keep up?
(気高き飢え Kedakaki Ue)
Johnny: You are the inheritor! You have to starve if you want to win. Starve nobly!
(試練は流される血で終わる Shiren wa Nagasareru Chi de Owaru)
2. Use the "Back from the 'other side'" special. (Mounted Johnny Joestar Publicity Art)
Valentine: This will be a sacrifice, Johnny Joestar! It will end with your blood spilled!
JoJolion
(スティール・ボール・ラン Sutīru Bōru Ran)
Josuke 8: I'm trying to find out who I am. Anything you can tell me?
(スティール・ボール・ラン Sutīru Bōru Ran)
Josuke 8: I'm trying to find out who I am. Anything you can tell me?