Nintendo DS

Jump Ultimate Stars

In the end the good far outweighs the bad with Jump Ultimate Stars. If you’re an anime or manga fan, it should practically be a crime for you not to own this game. Pretty much every mainstream anime that has been made famous in the US with the exception of Pokemon is in this game. Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, Bobobo-bo bo-bobo, Kinnikuman (AKA Ultimate Muscle), Rurouni Kenshin, Yu-Gi-Oh, Shaman King, they’re all here. Even if you think anime is the spawn of the devil, I still strongly urge you to throw away your bitterness and at least give this game a try because you would be hard pressed to find a better fighting game on a portable system unless Nintendo finally decides to bring an online enabled Smash Brothers to the DS.

Needless to say, DS owners and fighting game fans have a new game to consider. So the game isn’t available in the United States aside from import shops. So the game is entirely in Japanese, possibly hindering you from fully understanding the mission objectives. Big deal. Jump! Ultimate Stars has 300 of the most famous anime characters ever to be shown in a Shonen Jump issue. The sheer amount of possible options and deck building strategies ought to keep you occupied long after you’ve unlocked everything. All of the characters have been redone with new moves and fighting styles, making the game seem refreshingly deep for both veterans of Jump Superstars and new gamers alike. But above all else, the extensive online multiplayer will keep you coming back for more. And who says handheld fighting games are lame?

Okay, for those who don’t like spoilers, this game is probably not for you. But if you just like a good fighting game, or licensed games done right, Jump Ultimate Stars is easily the best pickup you can make for the DS. It keeps the flavor of each original series intact, and it revels in the kind of geeky debates that have captivated comics fans for ages. It replaces the first Jump game as the pre-eminent fighting game experience on the DS, and its online capabilities give it replay well beyond that of most fighting games. While the online interface needs tweaking, the only two things that could improve this game are more fighters and sharper art more closely resembling the originals. About the only disappointment this game has is the fact that it gives you the sinking feeling they’ll make an even better one for the Wii, and the country lockout will keep importers from enjoying it as readily.

Cette seconde rencontre de toutes les licences Jump gomme tous les défauts du premier opus et rajoute un mode multijoueur incroyablement réussi. Plusieurs modes de jeux sont disponibles et tous trouveront leur public. Aussi, à noter la présence de licences comme Cobra ou Ken le Survivant qui feront pleurer de bonheur les fans de la première heure. On pardonne même à ce jeu une certaine répétitivité et un manque certain de finesse dans son gameplay tant l'extase est grande et le plaisir de jeu au rendez-vous. On n'avait pas vu cela depuis… Smash Bros Melee ? D'ailleurs, à quand un Jump Stars sur Wii ? On en rêve !