Do you like Naruto Ninja Storm or the 3D arena Dragon Ball fighting games? Then Jump Force is for you. Not only is this game by Bandai Namco a pretty cool tag team fighter that brings massive anime style battles to life, it creates an ultimate, ridiculously cool crossover for anyone who has ever enjoyed a manga or anime from the Shonen Jump publication, and we’re honestly surprised it took them this long to make it, and it’s a prime showcase to get Japanese audiences finally looking in the direction of Xbox.
The arenas are massive, colorful and open, and the combat is brisk, if not a bit stagnant in between attacks (which, I suppose is like an anime). The B button allows for unique character throws; the LB bumper sends in a backup support character attack; the left trigger, switching entirely; and of course X and Y are for performing melee attacks, the strength of which depend on how long they’re held down. The dodging, strafing and countering all feel great when pulled off correctly, and the tag in, tag out is so bombastic and coursing with visual flair that it’s hard not to get caught up in its own hype as you play.
The game allows you to create a team of three characters across multiple shonen franchises, but the only ones visible and playable in the demo were Goku and Frieza of Dragon Ball Z, Luffy and Zoro from One Piece, and Naruto with his most sexually tense rival, Sasuke Uchiha.
These are the characters that were provided in Microsoft’s trailer at the Xbox conference, so it is unclear who else can be expected to be added. Of course, the possibilities are pretty ripe for the picking for the roster, from classics like Rurouni Kenshin to Yu-Gi-Oh and Death Note. The game has no date yet apart from “2019,” so it is very likely this demo will see new iterations moving forward, but the direction seems to be promising. The future is bright for fans of anime video game crossovers and people begging for the impossible feat of asking Sakurai to add Goku to Super Smash Bros. This is definitely the next best thing.
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