Jitsu Squad [Review]

There’s something about 2D beat ‘em ups that get me excited and pumped to whip out my fight stick and have that classic arcade feeling right from my home. Fortunately, I have my own homemade arcade system that I used for this occasion. Our generous friends at Tanuki Creative Studio were nice enough to grant us a code for Jitsu Squad for the Nintendo Switch, and boy I was in for a treat.  Booting up Jitsu Squad, you are presented with a super cheesy but great 1980’s-style theme song that perfectly compliments the game. After running through the super vibrant, beautiful menu, the character selection screen is nearly identical to Street Fighter Alpha’s. Honestly,I nerded out instantly. The character I used on my first playthrough was Yamagiwa. 

As players progress through the story, they will visit a variety of locations, including a graveyard and New York style cities, with even a prehistoric environment mixed in. Every location has new enemies as well. Jitsu Squad is fully voice acted and has plentiful story beats. The gameplay is a mix of a standard beat ‘em up and has fast-paced combat similar to a Capcom arcade fighter. From a nicely detailed combo list to assist tokens, this game has more than enough to offer with combat. One cool feature of this game is the ability to pick up extra weapons and swords, and building up your meter lets you unleash a special attack. Players are given standard platforming abilities such as the dash, block, and parry.

Youtuber : Maximilian Dude Dressed as Ken Masters

Jitsu Squad also adds a combo system and move list to those who want more variety in their combat. All characters have access to a variety of weapons once they are picked up, like a greatsword, and you can mix and match combos using multiple weapons.This game can be enjoyed with up to four friends, and if you play on PC, Yooka Laylee and Maximilian Dude become playable characters too! As I mentioned previously, the music in this game is very memorable and energetic. The start screen has a 80’s-90’s saturday morning cartoon vibe, and the overall tracks that play throughout the levels keep you pumped during combat. 

Final Thoughts

Since Jitsu Squad is a beat 'em up, there simply isn't a whole lot to say about the game other than that I like it and it's really good. The game does everything right, and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Jitsu Squad at all. If you like the new Streets of Rage or even the new Ninja Turtles, then you can't go wrong with this game at all. Fantastic vibrant graphics, tight controls, and cool character models make the game near addictive. On top of that, the addition of cameo characters and exceptional music make it perfect to pick up and play with friends. I highly recommend Jitsu Squad for anyone even mildly curious about it.