"This is no Jump Superstars. (Review based on import.)"

When I got this game, I had certain expectations for it. I know it is bad for someone who reviews a game to have bias involved, but I honestly couldn't help it so I may as well let you know. I got this game expecting it to be half what a pleasant fusion of Narutimate Hero 3 (PS2) and Jump Superstars (NDS) would be. Unfortunately...

Graphics:
The graphics, although not a terribly important aspect, are still below what I expected from this game. I was expecting Narutimate Hero 3 graphics but these left a sour taste in my mouth most the times, and other times just looked outright bad. The snake in the Forest of Death, for example. Also, I believe they shouldn't have made the close-ups before and after battle so close-up, as it reveals how flawed the graphics really are. Honestly, Narutimate Hero 1 (Naruto: Ultimate Ninja) has better graphics, and that was released in Japan 3 years ago.

Sound/Music:
Can't say I really paid much attention. I hardly noticed the music, and while the voices are good I suppose, I found myself quite annoyed by the shouts and grunts of some characters... when the "Square"x3 combo is done as much as you have to do it, you'll see what I mean.

Also, I thought the theme song was... pretty bad. I'm not exactly a J-pop fanatic, but even so...

Characters:
A whole section for this? Why not? It's a fighting game. Every fighting game has been known for it's characters. This game has 12 initial characters and 8 unlockable ones, 6 from each series plus 2 more for Dragonball (It's got seniority, son.) 20 characters doesn't sound so bad... but when you compare it to Narutimate Hero 3's 42 and the almost uncountable selection and variation in characters in Jump Superstars, it's disappointing. Also, They only used the main characters from each of these series, and alot of Shonen Jump characters look (and fight) alike. Goku and Naruto, for example. The fanboy in me wishes there were more female characters to choose from, like Naruto's Hinata and One Piece's Robin. I know its a 'Shonen Jump' game but only two female characters? It also lacked other favorite personalities like Naruto's Shikamaru and Dragonball Z's Gotenks, both of whom could have had interesting differences in fighting style from the rest of the cast.

Very few characters actually play differently from others. In Narutimate Hero 3, each character had their own distinct fighting style and you could customize characters with a large variety of special and super moves, some which didn't even belong to that particular character. Would it have been so hard to incorporate this? Overall, I'm really disappointed with the character selection in this game and lack of variety.

Gameplay:
Here it is, the meat and potatoes of it. I won't say the gameplay is bad, but I will say it seems like they simply did what was required with this game. The main gameplay involves characters fighting over orbs, each character started with a fourth of what is needed to win, and to win, you have to steal the orbs from the other characters through fighting. The good thing about this concept is that all the players are always in the game. The bad thing is that the game can either end quickly with whoever is about to win getting a burst attack and finishing everyone off, or drag on forever with two or more players making sure they hold on to their orbs through any means necessary. It's different, but different doesn't mean good. Personally, I prefer either Smash Bros. type knockout rules or standard life bar fare.

All the characters control very sluggishly. I was especially ticked off by jumping, but altogether everything about character control seemed like it should have been more... more speed, more controlled combo-ing, more height in jumps, etc.

There are also weapons available, from slingshots to throwing knives to swords. However, they all act either like a projectile or a melee weapon without much variation. An exception being the Power Pole, which I found broken.

In fact, almost everything associated with Dragonball seemed broken. Goku and gang seemed to have a distinct advantage over the rest... not quite 'SNK Boss' cheapness, but it was still enough to make a difference.

Oh, and the unlocking of characters and stages through the slot machine? I found this horribly tedious.

On a good note, I did like the idea of 'burst' status, and especially liked how they were able to incorporate it with certain characters like Rock Lee's Lotus form and Goku's Super Saiyan form.

Overall:
I may have had high expectations for this, but why shouldn't I? As much hype as it got in the manga/import-gaming circles, along with the success of Narutimate Hero and Jump Superstars, I feel justified in my feelings. This game lacks unique characters, and the characters that are here lack uniqueness in fighting. The gameplay is generic, and the unique aspects of it weren't pulled off well with the exception of the 'burst'. I am hoping that there is a sequel that can address these problems, though. (I'm really hoping for a console Jump Superstars, but let's be realistic...)

5/10
I can't recommend this, but if you can find this for a good price (as in, $20 or less. Good luck with that.) and you have a multitap, it is a decent 4-player Smash Bros Melee substitute for PS2 users. If you have a Gamecube, then you already have (well, should have) Smash Bros Melee so stick with it. If you are completely obsessed with Dragonball, One Piece, and Naruto, then what I say isn't going to make you not get it, but empty your mind of all expectations. It's not that it is a bad game, but so much more could and should have been done with it.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/06