JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R

Anime fighter gets another shot

ElABorAtE posInG, ImproBABlE outfits, AnD punch ghosts - there’s a lot to love about the long-running manga JoJo’s Bizarre ADvEnturE. Known For ovEr-tHE-top Bustups tHAt ArE As EntErtAInInG As tHEy ArE ContrIvED, tHE orIGInAl PS3 rElEAsE oF All StAr BAttlE In 2013 provED A pErFECt mAtCH oF GEnrE to sourCE mAtErIAl. R Is A rErElEAsE tHAt offErs morE tHAn A sInGlE InItIAl.

But first, let’s clarify that ‘punch ghost’ remark, in case you’re not already deep in the JoJo hole. This adventure follows members of the Joestar family as they fight evil forces. Due to past dealings with a vampire, Joestar descendants manifest strange powers in adolescence. Spectral extensions of a person’s will, the punch ghosts in question are called Stands. Here, strategic Stand use means you can cancel and move while your punch ghost applies pressure to your opponent.

ORA ORA ORA!

This is far from All-Star Battle’s only twist on combat, as fighters on the full roster boast vampirism and the power of the sun among their abilities. The series’ iconic posing gets repped by Stylish Evades, offering opportunities to punish moves that would otherwise be a safe bet. R introduces hit stops to drive a blow home, and jump dashes are another addition.

The roster sees the biggest upgrade, the original game’s post-DLC total of 41 characters rising to 50

TRACK Developer CyberConnect2 has a storied anime fighter past. Most RECORD recently it made Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles and some Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja games.

fighters here, drawn from all eight parts of the manga. The novel nine newbies have yet to be revealed (though there’s a good chance we’ll see more fighters from the latest JoJolion arc).

What we do know is that the returning roster’s voice cast has had a shake up. A lot of JoJo has been adapted into anime since 2013, with the most recent being Stone Ocean this year. Because of this, Miyuki Sawashiro is replaced by Fairouz Ai as the Japanese voice of Jolyne Kujoh, Stone Ocean’s protagonist.

IMPRESSIONS

The fighting genre is a perfect fit for this flamboyant series and, with this bizarre adventure enjoying a peak in popularity, we can’t think of a better time for All-Star Battle to make a dramatic reappearance.

“YOU CAN CANCEL AND MOVE WHILE YOUR PUNCH GHOST APPLIES PRESSURE TO YOUR OPPONENT.”