There isn’t much better in life than dishing out four pads to mates, settling on the sofa and whacking seven shades out of enemies. From Castle Crashers to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, there’s always a place for good-looking side-scrolling beat ’em ups that emphasise the beauty of killing together. Which brings us neatly to Jitsu Squad.
Developed by Tanuki Creative Studio and published by ININ GAMES, Jitsu Squad is the story of the legendary Kusanagi Stone and the fabled warriors who are out to nab it. It holds the soul of a powerful demon, and that demon can grant godly powers to those who awaken it. The problem is that the fantastically named sorcerer Origami has summoned some ancient warriors to find the stone for him. Which clearly means someone should stop him, which falls to Hero, Baby, Jazz and Aros: namely, the Jitsu Squad.
You can’t fool us, Tanuki Creative Studio. We spy Yooka Laylee in the screenshots, which can only mean that the heroes won’t be limited to those four. It seems that there’s some cross-overing going on.
If you haven’t got four-players, then Tanuki Creative Studio have you sorted. There is a Tag-Team mode that allows you and your mates to cycle through heroes, ensuring that you have enough health to take on the hulking bosses.
As you can probably tell from the screenshots, this is a gloriously over-the-top belt-action game, with an art style that feels ripped from a cartoon series. It’s extremely polished and vibrant, taking you to some fantastic locations, like the Jurassic era, arcades, volcanic regions and ice levels. Jitsu Squad clearly plays fast and loose with believability, which is fine with us.
Expect a review soon, just as soon as we convince three other players to spend a night on the sofa with us.
Jitsu Squad is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and starts at £24.99 from the Xbox Store. It’s also out on PS4, PS5, Switch and PC.
Game Description:
This is the story of the legendary, hidden Kusanagi Stone and the warriors seeking it. Containing the soul of a powerful demon, The Kusanagi stone can grant godly powers to those who awaken it. Now, the wicked sorcerer Origami has summoned and cursed ancient warriors to find the stone for him. Hero, Baby, Jazz and Aros, together they are the Jitsu Squad! Control the entire Jitsu Squad in single-player mode or play with up to 4 people in local couch co-op. Tag team mode makes it possible to play locally with one friend, where each player chooses two characters!
