I’m the biggest JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fan on the western seaboard, and I’m adequately abysmal at fighting games. So, who better to review this JoJo fighting game than I? I’m not very tech savvy with fighting games, so this review isn’t going to be the most in-depth. As a fighter, the feel is decent, if overly enigmatic in its controls (or I just suck. Could be one or the other, or even both).

My favorite character in the series, Rohan Kishibe from Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an outstanding shonen/seinen manga/anime series, and if you haven’t read/seen it, I implore you to do so immediately. The series is split into 8 parts, and when this game was originally released back in 2013, Part 8: JoJolion was only 2 years old. Parts 1 and 2 (Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, respectively) focus on characters who utilize a deep breathing ability known as Hamon to imbue their attacks with sunlight energy, while Part 3: Stardust Crusaders onwards features Stands, which are extremely versatile abilities that stem from one’s heart, usually (but not always) in the form of an avatar that can only be seen by other Stand users. Part 7 introduces a third combat type alongside Stands known as Spin, where users throw/fire projectiles (primarily steel balls) in the ratio of the golden rectangle, for massive damage and other useful effects.

Narcisso Anasui (localized as Anastasia), one of Part 6’s best characters.
Hamon can be fun and all, but I love Stands; they make for some of the most unorthodox and inventive battles I’ve ever seen. You’ve got Stands that punch, shoot fire, turn people into books and allow the user to write in commands, appear as an RC plane that heatseeks enemies, manifest as a suit of armor that can also freeze moisture in the air (one of my favorites) – just to barely scratch the surface. JoJo features dozens upon dozens of memorable Stand users, with memorable designs, badass personalities, and very creative abilities, and most of my favorite Stand users are here. The very first DLC is set to fill in a gaping omission, Part 5: Golden Wind’s Risotto Nero (with 3 more to be announced). This remaster includes all the DLC from the original PS3 release, along with 10 new characters (including the main character of author Hirohiko Araki’s previous manga, Baoh), bringing the current total roster count up to 51.

Anasui’s Stand, Diver Down (localized as Diver Drive).
Since Part 6: Stone Ocean is currently in the middle of its anime adaptation, a lot of emphasis was given to it here, adding a character from that part and redubbing their voices with the anime’s cast (Japanese only, there is no English dub for this game). Unfortunately, Part 7: Steel Ball Run and JoJolion get to the short end of the stick in regards to the roster. One new SBR character has been added, which is appreciated, but that part in particular features a cavalcade of the most amazing Stand users in the series, and it’s a damn shame that we only have 4 characters representing it. JoJolion gets hit the hardest, with only ONE character, the main character himself. This series just turned 35 years old, and features so many damn characters (good and bad), that slotting them all here is such an absurdly unrealistic request, but by golly, I’m going to make it anyway.

Yukako Yamagishi from Part 4, best girl in all of JoJo.
The gameplay itself is good, even though I suck at it. There’s a great selection of stages to battle on from all 8 parts, with references galore and arena gimmicks that give careful players an edge in battle. You’ve got all the modes you’d expect from a fighting game, such as arcade, practice, multiplayer (without rollback netcode, so no thanks; also I’d just get curb stomped regardless, so also no thanks). There’s also a campaign mode, but unfortunately, it’s underwhelming. You partake in several iconic battles from the series history, which is a neat idea, but there’s not a whole lot of flourish behind it. The character intros and outros are extravagant, and do a fine job representing this series’ distinct style, but without a connective narrative tying it all together, there’s less incentive for me to play it. I know fighting games are primarily about honing one’s skills to prepare for multiplayer, but as someone who’s never going to put in the time to be competitive, I wish the single-player experience was more robust. This could’ve been a great way to introduce newcomers to these stories with abridged versions of the different parts, but that was likely out of the scope of this remaster.

Best JoJo vs. best enemy Stand user (excluding the main villains).
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R is a competent fighting game that looks, sounds, and feels authentic to the JoJo experience. If you’re both a JoJo fan and competitive fighter enthusiast, you should already own this game. However, if you’re primarily a single-player scrublord like me, who’s not versed into the competitive scene, then the overall package may not grip you for very long, past the novelty of spectacle and fanfic-worthy showdowns. A good, yet obviously niche experience.
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