J-Stars Victory VS
J-Stars Victory VS (ジェイスターズ ビクトリーバーサス, Jei Sutāzu Bikutorī Bāsasu) is a tag team fighting game featuring characters from 32 franchises of the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The game was created to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Shonen Jump and was released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita on March 19, 2014.
A limited edition Anison version of the game was also released on the same day, including 21 anime openings from series in the game which players can set as the theme playing during battles.[1]
J-Stars Victory VS was 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. The new edition also included game balance adjustments based on feedback from Japanese players.[2]
Summary
Shueisha and Bandai Namco Entertainment announced the game as Project Versus J in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine's second issue of 2013, which released on December 10, 2012. Promoted as the "ultimate Jump game", it was announced with Monkey D. Luffy, Son Goku, and Toriko as the first three characters.
Hironobu Kageyama, Akira Kushida, and Hiroshi Kitadani sang the game's theme song "Fighting Stars." Those 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 allows players to see the Jump heroes in their surroundings on the PS Vita.
Gameplay
J-Stars Victory VS lets up to four players battle it out against one another. 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.
Opening Video
The opening video begins with pages of Weekly Shonen Jump flipping, quickly showing pages of Naruto with shadow clones, Luffy about to punch, and Goku reacting.
It transitions to a shot from behind of all of the protagonists of the series featured in the game running. The camera then switches between slow-motion side shots of various protagonists: Bossun, Gon, and Arale; Naruto, Bobobo, and Hinata; Allen, Tsuna, and Kenshin; Luffy and Seiya; Ryotsu, Taro, and Saiki; Kenshiro, Chitoge, and Oga with Baby Beel on his head; Jonathan, Nube, Jaguar, and Medaka; Lala, Korosensei, and Neuro; Gintoki, Luckyman, and Momotaro; Yusuke, Kuroko, and Ichigo. Lastly, it shows Toriko and Goku before zooming out backwards to show a frontward shot of the characters running toward the screen.
Pages flip again, changing the scene to the Hidden Leaf Village. Goku and Toriko are battling on top of a building. Their fists collide and Goku blocks Toriko's "Fork" and "Knife" attacks. Naruto creates shadow clones to hit Luffy away, though Luffy blocks it and dodges his follow-up to land a counter. However, Naruto manages to kick him away. Naruto then appears behind Goku and Toriko, using Rasengan on them. As it's about to hit Goku's back, Luffy comes running and stretches his fist to intercept the blow. Meanwhile, Saiki lifts his glasses in the background, while Bobobo and Korosensei are atop other buildings. Gintoki and Ryotsu race through the streets on their scooter and bicycle. Korosensei flies past them, and the two swerve past Jonathan who is standing by a store.
Arale is poking Poop-Boy with a stick while Baby Beel watches with Oga crouching by him. Suddenly, Gintoki and Ryotsu nearly crash into them but manage to evade them causing them to ride up stairs and fly across a building.
Meanwhile, Ichigo is fighting Kenshin in a sword battle. Ichigo uses Getsuga Tensho but Kenshin blows it away. Medaka pushes Lala toward Chitoge and the two hug while an explosion occurs in the background. Ichigo jumps toward Ryotsu, who grabs his arm and throws him toward Gintoki, but Gintoki parries his attack with his sword. Naruto transforms into his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode while Goku transforms into Super Saiyan and fires a Kamehameha. Naruto then creates two shadow clones and jumps to dodge it, causing the Kamehameha to head toward Gintoki and Ichigo. Luffy then transforms into Gear 2nd and jumps in front of them, countering the Kamehameha with his Gum Gum Jet Bazooka, making a large explosion in front of him.
Finally, the pages flip again to show characters doing various poses. Yusuke is with Gon; Ichigo and Baby Beel are with Tsuna and Reborn; Bobobo is with Saiki; Seiya is with Momotaro; Taro is with Luckyman; Kenshiro is with Nube; Hinata is with Bossun and Kuroko; and Allen is with Jaguar and Neuro. It ends with a flash to the logo.
Anison Edition
The songs included in the Anison edition are the following:
- "We Are!" (One Piece)
- "GO!!!" (Naruto: Shippuden)
- "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" (Dragon Ball Z)
- "Smile Bomb" (Yu Yu Hakusho)
- "Guts Guts!!" (Toriko)
- "*~asterisk~" (Bleach)
- "departure!" (Hunter × Hunter)
- "JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~" (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- "Sobakasu" (Rurouni Kenshin)
- "Pegasus Fantasy" (Saint Seiya)
- "Ai wo Torimodose!!" (Fist of the North Star)
- "Dadada" (Beelzebub)
- "Pray" (Gintama)
- "HAPPY CRAZY BOX" (Medaka Box)
- "Katsushika Rhapsody" (Kochikame)
- "Waiwai World" (Dr. Slump)
- "Yogorecchimatta Kanashimi Ni..." (Sakigake!! Otokojuku)
- "Luckyman Song" (Tottemo! Luckyman)
- "Bari Bari Saikyou No. 1" (Hell Teacher Nube)
- "LISTEN TO THE STEREO!!" (Reborn!)
Game Modes
Story Mode
The story mode of J-Stars Victory VS is split into four different modes: Dynamic Arc, Hope Arc, Investigation Arc, and Pursuit Arc. The Dynamic Arc primarily focuses on Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace, and Pegasus Seiya. The Hope Arc focuses on Naruto Uzumaki, Yusuke Urameshi, and Gon Freecss. The Investigation Arc focuses on Toriko, Zebra, and Son Goku. The Pursuit Arc focuses on Ichigo Kurosaki, Tatsumi Oga, and Hiei.
Each mode involves a "Mysterious Voice", proclaiming itself as the "God of the Jump World", inviting the protagonists of each arc to take part in a tournament. The player starts off with one character in a small boat and can travel around the map recruiting allies, taking on side quests, and progressing the story through main quests. After arriving at Korin's Tower to register for the tournament, the player is awarded with a Jump Ship. The ship requires multiple upgrades in order to travel to various spots throughout the world, such as requiring a Sail of Charity to reach other islands, Propeller Feathers to break through cyclones, a Cannon to break boulders and shoot monsters, a Dragonbone Hull to fly over tall mountains, a Passion Jewel to fly over magma, a Ninja Prow to cleave through glaciers, a Destiny Blimp to reach sky islands, and a Dream Compass to access the Darker Reaches in outer space.
Victory Road
Victory Road is a mode where players can select their team and fight through a variety of predetermined battles to conquer an area. As the player progresses through each area, the difficulty of the battles increase. Some battles may have optional challenges which reward the player with J-Points for achieving them.
Arcade
Arcade is only available in J-Stars Victory VS+. Players can select a difficulty level and fight through six battles. There are eight different arcade courses a player can choose. Initially, only the "Technique", "Brave", and "Strong" courses are unlocked.
- Technique (Difficulty: 8★): This is a course where players can fight against characters who have mastered their techniques and use tricky attacks.
- Brave (Difficulty: 9★): This is a course where players can fight against characters who can take flexible approaches to battle in any given situation.
- Strong (Difficulty: 10★): This is a course where players can fight against characters who are known for their great power and physique.
- Elite (Difficulty: 12★): This is a course where players can fight against characters who appeared around 2010. Unlocked by clearing all three initial courses.
- Master (Difficulty: 13★): This is a course where players can fight against characters who appeared around 2000. Unlocked by clearing all three initial courses.
- Extreme (Difficulty: 14★): This is a course where players can fight against characters who appeared during the 1980s and 1990s. Unlocked by clearing all three initial courses.
- Random (Difficulty: 8★): This is a course where players can fight against random characters. Unlocked by clearing any course.
- Ultimate (Difficulty: 16★): This is a course where players can only fight the best of the best. Unlocked by clearing all courses within a certain time. When certain conditions are met, special "WARNING" battles can be initiated. Winning these allows the player to earn time bonuses to shorten the time of the next battle.
Versus
The Free Battle mode allows players to either fight against the computer or another player in offline 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2 matches, optionally including a support character as well. Online Battle mode allows players to fight against each other but it is limited to 2 vs 2 only, with or without a support character. Players can either have another player as their partner or the computer.
Characters
There are 39 playable characters in the game. 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 in the Store using the in-game currency.
Additionally, there are 13 different characters who are only available as support. These characters appear on the screen and perform an action 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 in the Store. All of the playable characters can be used as support as well.
Miscellaneous
All the characters who make a cameo appearance either in Story Mode or as part of some character's moveset.
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)
Reception
The Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the game 32/40, with all four reviewers giving the game 8/10.
Trailers
Gallery
Jonathan Joestar's render
Joseph Joestar's render
J-Stars Victory VS Logo
Jonathan's Luck & Pluck Sword
Jonathan's Sunlight Yellow Overdrive
Joseph's Clacker Volley
Jonathan and Joseph Confirmed
Concept Box Art
Zebra and Jonathan promo
Gintoki and Joseph promo
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. Jotaro, DIO, and Dai were going to be playable, whereas Yoh was going to be a support character.
- Jotaro and DIO, along with Dai, would later become playable in Jump Force, with Jonathan and Joseph being absent.
- In the game's third 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 eighth trailer, Gintoki returns Joseph's trick by saying "Joseph...your next line's gonna be: My... special trick..." and Joseph replies "My... special trick...!!"
- In the game's eighth 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).
References
- ↑ Official Website - Special (Archived)
- ↑ "Fighting Game J-Stars Victory VS+ is a Fun Eye-Candy Filled Fan Service", IGN, December 23, 2014.
