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J-Stars Victory VS (ジェイスターズ ビクトリーバーサス, Jei Sutāzu Bikutorī Bāsasu), originally titled as "Project Versus J", is a crossover fighting video game that combines the universes of several Weekly Shōnen Jump manga series, including former series and some that have been transferred to other magazines. It was released in Japan by Bandai Namco on March 19th, 2014 for the PlayStation 3 and Vita in celebration of Weekly Shōnen Jump's 45th anniversary. It was re-released for western territories as "J-Stars Victory VS+" for the PlayStation 4, 3, and Vita, with an additional Arcade Mode for the international release. It was released in Europe on June 26th, 2015 and in North America on June 30th, 2015. A follow-up game, Jump Force, was released on February 15th, 2019 to tie in with the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shōnen Jump. Banpresto also released prize figures of the J-Stars characters in 2013 to celebrate Jump's 45th anniversary.

Overview[]

Context and Development[]

The game was first announced in December 2012 under the title of "Project Versus J", in Weekly Shōnen Jump's second issue of 2013. It was made to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Jump, and has been presented as the "ultimate Jump game." J-Stars Victory VS features main characters and settings from various Jump manga, both past and present, ranging from older properties such as Dragon Ball, YuYu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, and Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo, current long-running series such as Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Hunter × Hunter, Toriko, Gin Tama and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, to newer series such as Medaka Box, Assassination Classroom, and Beelzebub.

The first three characters that were unveiled and used to promote the game: Son Goku, Monkey D. Luffy, and Toriko, are also featured in a Toriko, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z collaboration which aired on Fuji TV on April 7th, 2013.

Also in December, it was announced that fans could vote for some of the characters that they want to be included in J-Stars Victory VS. Several other characters were announced over the following months via the Weekly Shōnen Jump and V Jump magazines, as well as characters' transformations which would be available as special moves. The game's adventure mode also features other non-player characters from the various series.

Producer Koji Nakajima stated that getting the rights to the multiple franchises was not hard, but rather determining which actions the characters make in the game was the most difficult part. Since some of the characters do not fight in their series, their actions and motions had to be approved by each licensee after many negotiations. He also stated that he originally hoped to include a much larger roster of characters.

A limited edition "Anison" version of the game includes the theme songs from the player characters' television series, such as Cha-La Head-Cha-La and We Are!, as music that can be played in-game during battles. The game's own theme song is "Fighting Stars", performed by Hironobu Kageyama, Hiroshi Kitadani, and Akira Kushida.

J-Stars Victory VS+[]

In December 2014, Bandai Namco announced that the game would be released in North America and Europe under the name J-Stars Victory VS+. Released in summer 2015, VS+ retains the original Japanese voice-over track and adds an additional single-player Arcade Mode not present in the original release. VS+ also marks the game's first appearance on the PlayStation 4, in addition to the PlayStation 3 and Vita as with its predecessor. The new release features an identical character roster to the original, while also incorporating game balance adjustments based on feedback from Japanese players. A J-Stars Victory VS+ Compendium art book and set of PlayStation themes were offered as a pre-order bonus.

Gameplay[]

J-Stars Victory VS lets up to four players battle it out against one another using a gameplay and graphical style similar to those of Dragon Ball: Zenkai Battle Royale. A team of two characters has the possibility to have a third support character in the battle. Fighters can move and fight in all directions on one of twelve 3D battlefields (which are partially destructible), each based on a location from a different Jump series. Characters have their own playstyles too; for example: Goku and Ichigo are mobile fighters that specialize in battling in the air, Luffy and Toriko prefer to rush into combat and unleash barrages of attacks against their enemies, and Kenshin and Naruto specialize in fighting two opponents at the same time. Players should learn the lay of the land and formulate a battle plan with a character suited to it.

A defeated character comes back after a set amount of time passes. To win the battle, all three sections of the WIN gauge at the top of the screen have to be filled; the gauge fills one section each time an opponent is defeated. The meter on the top left is Player 1 team's Win gauge and the meter on the top right is the opponent team's Win gauge, the bottom left shows the controlled character's life and stamina meters, and the bottom right has a map of the stage. Fighters can use regular attacks, power attacks, area-based attacks, and finishing moves. Regular attacks are the main part of the battle, and all combos begin with them. Power attacks leave the user open, but they have a big impact if they connect and their power can be increased by charging them up. Area-based attacks allow hitting opponents over a wide area. By using different techniques, the player can lead his team to victory; learning each character's different power, range, and effects is the first step towards being unbeatable.

Fighters can use regular attacks, power attacks, area-based attacks, and finishing moves:

  • Normal Attacks: fast attacks that do not consume stamina. They are the main part of the battle, and all combos begin with them.
  • Power Attacks: slow, but powerful strikes that can break an opponent's guard. They use stamina and leave the user open, but they have a big impact if they connect and their power can be increased by charging them up.
  • Ranged Attacks: long-range attacks that deal a lot of damage. They use stamina, but allow to hit opponents over a wide area. Enemies can sidestep these attacks, however.
  • Special Moves: are super special techniques activated when the Voltage Meter fills up. It expands when team members deliver (or get hit with) attacks, and it packs enough wallop to decide the match if it can be pulled off. An example of a signature character move is Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshou.

By using different techniques, the player can lead his team to victory. Learning each character's different power, range, and effects is the first step towards being unbeatable.

Playable game modes include "J-Adventure", a multi-player story mode divided between four campaigns in which players explore a world map, battle various opponents, and collect in-game cards to power up their characters; "Victory Road", a multi-player battle mode in which players must complete certain predetermined objectives during battles; and a free-battle mode which supports up to two players in local offline play and up to four players via online multiplayer. An additional single-player Arcade Mode is exclusive to J-Stars Victory VS+.

Plot[]

The game's story mode, "J-Adventure," takes place in Jump World, an amalgamation of the different characters' universes. As the story begins, each of the characters is preparing for the Jump Battle Tournament, a fighting competition organized by the God of Jump World, who promises to grant the wishes of the team that wins. The narrative is split between four different arcs, each focusing on a different team exploring Jump World, gathering more teammates to compete, and working to achieve their own personal goals. The Dynamic Arc focuses on Monkey D Luffy, Portgas D Ace, and Seiya; the Hope Arc on Naruto Uzumaki, Yusuke Urameshi, and Gon Freecss; the Investigation Arc on Toriko, Zebra, and Goku; and the Pursuit Arc on Ichigo Kurosaki, Tatsumi Oga, and Hiei.

To progress, each team defeats tournament examiners to acquire upgrades for their ships so they can reach the arena; they also acquire additional allies in the wake of a mysterious enemy that can possess them. When one of the teams wins the tournament, the God of Jump World reveals the true purpose of the competition: to gather warriors to combat the Dark Phantoms, an evil force capable of impersonating strong fighters. Using the keys of Effort, Bravery, and Friendship, the heroes travel to the Dark Phantoms' world and seal them away.

With the Dark Phantoms defeated, all the heroes are offered a wish. They collectively wish to have another tournament so they can fight again and get stronger. Granting it, the God of Jump World rewards the heroes with a feast.

Characters[]

The game features 52 characters from 32 different Jump series. 39 of these characters are playable, while 13 of them can be summoned by players to provide support.

Playable Characters[]

Hunter × Hunter
Assassination Classroom
Beelzebub
Bleach
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
Chinyūki: Tarō to Yukai na Nakama-tachi
Dr. Slump
Dragon Ball Z
Fist of the North Star
Gin Tama
Hell Teacher Nūbē
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
Medaka Box
Naruto
One Piece
Reborn!
Rurouni Kenshin
Saint Seiya
Sakigake!! Otokojuku
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Tottemo! Luckyman
Toriko
YuYu Hakusho

Support Characters[]

In addition to these characters, Gin Tama's Shinpachi Shimura (Daisuke Sakaguchi) can be heard providing commentary to some of Gintoki's battle actions and pre-fight dialogue. Other characters from each series make non-playable cameo appearances in the game's story mode.

Miscellaneous Characters[]

Characters making a cameo in the game as either attacks, in the background, etc.

Chinyūki: Tarō to Yukai na Nakama-tachi
  • Babaa
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
Medaka Box
Naruto
Toriko
YuYu Hakusho

Stages[]

Image Gallery[]

Videos[]

External Links[]

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