The Great Mechanics of Super Smash Bros. meet Shonen Jump

User Rating: 9.3 | Jump Superstars DS
By 4XMegamanX4 | Review Date:
Being the big Anime fan that I am Jump Superstars was a natural choice for an import since many of my favorite characters were playable. When I first opened th box and started the game I was bombarded with Japanese text but thankfully I got the hang of it pretty quickly. As far as learning the game everything is pretty much explained within the first few stages but some of the more advanced tactics have to be learned via FAQ or by just plain luck.In my case I pretty much learned everything in about 45 minutes. The Gameplay is what really makes this game great.You create a Manga page on the third option in the main menu and you can add various anime characters or items. Pages are limited in space so choose carefully and construct wisely.Different sections of the page(or Komas as they are called) can vary in size and take different amounts of blocks(From 1-7 blocks) on the grid of the page.By simply tapping on the desired block you can bring out one of the following:

1 Block=Help Block(Gives a Stat boost to your current character)
2 Block=Support Block(Summons a character to the screen and he/she will either give you a stat boost or do an attack)
3 Block=Bigger Support Block(Summons a character to do a more powerful attack)
4 Block=Character Block(An actual character you can use on screen and can use various attacks)
5 Block=Character Block(Upgrade of the 4 block and usually have different special attacks) 6 Block=Character Block(Again another powerup for the 5 block and are quite strong)
7 Block=Ultimate Character Block(These are unlocked by doing certain achievements and are the most powerful blocks in the game) The fighting is rather simple which usually includes combinations of the Y and B buttons and the occasional super attack via the X button,but not all the attacks are unleashed with buttons.Some of the most powerful attacks can take place by simply tapping a block on the bottom screen which will bring two characters on screen and combine their super attacks.
The AI is rather easy at times but of course later on it becomes far more unfirgiving Graphically this game looks like an above average 2D fighter with great flashy attacks and some that even take up the entire screen. The stages themselves seem pretty flat and follow pretty much the same pattern throughout. The sound is the one real drawback in this game. Stages will cycle the same 4 or 5 BGMs throughout making it pretty bland and a good idea to simply to turn the volume down while playing.

This game has enormous amounts of replay value.With each stage having 5 objectives you may find yourself coming back to stages to try and get every Koma(block).Of course there is also multiplayer as well....

Overall this game is very engaging and can keep you busy for weeks at a time.The gameplay coupled with crazy onscreen action makes this game a musthave for import gamers

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