Today, character crossovers are at an all-time high, but J-Stars Victory VS+ shines where many other franchises have faltered: it is genuinely fun, with a story and gameplay that isn't too complex for a newcomer to enjoy. Yes, there is a chance that a less-skilled player might beat a seasoned veteran of fighting games, like myself. But the simple control scheme, character-specific attacks and window into the world of Jump are the charms of the game. J-Stars Victory VS+ is the 7th (8th if you include the original VS) Weekly Shonen Jump crossover video game, so there is a lot of gaming history for this title to compete with. But with 5 modes of gameplay and card-themed character augmentation, J-Stars stands out. 

From nailing Ichigo with a Kamehameha to teaching Kenshiro a new lesson with Koro Sensei, your dream showdowns are now possible…even a few that might appear one-sided could surprise you! Battles in J-Stars happens in large-scale arenas with breakable structures to ramp up the chaos. Nothing pulls you into the action more than having Vegeta bounce you around like a ping-pong ball, then knock you through a building. Although the scale of battle is massive, J-Stars features a simplified control setup; there are light and heavy attacks alongside a special attack button and jump. Throw in dash, block, targeting and a button to call in a third support character and you have the basic controls for playing J-Stars. In no time you will be making your way through all challengers. But the most satisfying moments come from the special moves available after each character powers up: press R3 to unleash your ultimate attack—let the magic happen!!

J-Adventure Mode

For anyone new to the world of manga or Jump, this unique story mode gives a taste of each franchise via the J Battle Festival held in Jump World, which is an amalgam of all the worlds of Shonen Jump characters. Depending on the story arc you choose, you will start with one of Weekly Shonen Jump’s most popular characters. The Dynamic Arc begins with Luffy, the Hope Arc begins with Naruto, the Investigation Arc begins with Toriko and the Pursuit Arc begins with Ichigo. This mode gives you a great tutorial on how to play the game and for new and old fans alike, a tour of the best of Weekly Shonen Jump. In addition to fighting arenas pulled from the pages (or screens) featuring your favorite characters, there are also some unique character interactions that trigger when particular characters are paired. Playing through this mode will prepare you for the other, more challenging modes, and allow you to earn game currency, gather power-up cards, and the chance to hear those unique interactions voiced by their original anime voice actors.

Victory Road Mode

When you have learned the basics of the game you can confidently approach Victory Road, a series of unique challenges set in the world of each character. Some of these you might have to work your way up to, but you will learn skills here that might help you in 1-on-1 battles with friends. Also, remember that in-game currency I mentioned? You will need that to unlock additional characters beyond the initial 6 of Goku, Luffy, Toriko, Ichigo, Naruto, and Gintoki. In total there are 39 playable fighters and 13 support characters.

Arcade Mode

Arcade mode was added for VS + and the Western audience. This mode will be more familiar, since randomly selected tier-based fighting is a regular feature in standard arcade modes. But there is a twist…this mode has an overall time limit and the CPU difficulty is very high. For those that find the basic modes of this game a bit too easy, this is the place to go. I would advise you to build a deck of cards (in game power-ups for characters) to augment your player before taking this on. Seriously.

Free Battle Mode

This is your training ground to try out your new strategies or just to try out a new character you have purchased. You can change elements like time limit, CPU difficulty and more. I recommend spending some time here to learn how new characters work before bringing them into more difficult modes like Arcade.

Online Battle Mode

The time you’ve spent honing your skills will really be put to the test in this mode. You’ll be playing against some of the best players in the world, so this can be quite challenging. But don’t worry; you will not go it alone on this journey. You can be paired with another player of your skill level and take on the world with a new buddy. I recommend this mode for teaming up and making new Jump friends online, while also racking up in game currency. And of course, you get more points for winning… Hey, these heroes are all about rising to the occasion in any challenge—now it’s your turn!

The character renderings in J-Stars are amazing; the characters feel as if they just jumped off the page (or screen!) and into your console. Players are also given the opportunity to enhance the experience through JP points (used for buying characters and boat customizations) and coins (used for character augmentation cards) which are earned by playing through the game’s different modes. You can also enjoy some local play with a friend via Free Battle mode or explore Jump World together in J-Adventure mode! I would recommend this game to the big-time manga fans who will get every joke, and anyone you want to bring into the amazing world of Shonen Jump titles!

Hint: Enemies will be invulnerable for a few moments after being knocked down. It's a good time to charge up your stamina! 

by Nicolas Green