JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (video game)


JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a fighting video game developed by Capcom based on Hirohiko Araki's manga of the same title. The game was developed by the same team who are responsible for the Street Fighter III series.
It was originally released in the arcade in 1998 on the CPS-3 arcade system; this version was known outside Japan as JoJo's Venture. An updated version of the game was released in 1999 as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future, becoming the sixth and last game released for the CPS-3 board. Console ports for the PlayStation and Dreamcast were also released that year. A high-definition version of the game was released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in August 2012.
The game combines Capcom's trademark anime-inspired graphics, as seen in the Darkstalkers series, with the colorful characters and events of Hirohiko Araki's creation, resulting in a highly stylized and detailed visual style. It also features many of the gameplay mechanics seen on previous Capcom fighting games, such as the use of power gauges for super moves, as well as a brand new Stand Mode, consisting of the series' signature guardian spirits that accompanies almost every character and can be summoned or dismissed at will by the player, resulting in variations in the character's move list and abilities.
Original author Hirohiko Araki served as a consultant for the game and created exclusive pieces of artwork for its promotion and packaging; most notably, he developed from scratch a new character design for Midler, since Capcom was interested in using her in the game and she had been only shown from the waist-down in the original manga.

Plot

Based on the manga's third main story arc, Stardust Crusaders, the game follows a Japanese teenager named Jotaro Kujo, who has developed a supernatural ability known as a "Stand". Approached by his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, Jotaro learns that this power is the result of the influence of the sworn enemy of the Joestar family, a vampire named Dio Brando. As his mother's life is put in danger when she starts developing a Stand that she can't control, Jotaro and Joseph go on a quest to destroy Dio so they can cure her.

Gameplay

Gameplay in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure follows most basic fighting games, in which two fighters battle against each other using a variety of attacks, techniques, and special moves to deplete their opponent's health bar. A super meter which increases as fighters deal and receive damage can be used to perform character-specific super moves.
The unique feature of the game is the inclusion of "Stands", powerful projections of a fighter's energy that are unique to each fighter. Whilst Stands are generally integrated into a fighter's moveset, most characters possess an active Stand, which they can bring into and out of battle using the 'Stand' button. Whilst a Stand is out, the fighter can increase the power of their attacks, use unique techniques, receive enhancements such as double jumping, and even have their Stand attack separately from the fighter character. However, attacking a fighter's Stand will also cause damage to the fighter, which brings a risk to using Stands. A Stand's presence on the field is determined by a Stand Gauge, which decreases if the Stand is attacked and refills whilst the Stand is withdrawn. If the gauge is depleted, a 'Stand Crash' will occur, which leaves the fighter temporarily stunned and open to attack. Other features of Stands include "Blazing Fists" matches, where two Stands clash against each other, requiring the fighters to mash buttons to overcome their opponent, and the ability to program Stands to perform a series of attacks, which can be combined with a player's own attacks for extensive combos. Some characters do not possess active Stands, or any Stands at all, and instead use other techniques.
Along with general modes such as Versus, the game features Story Mode, a single player campaign which follows each character as they face off against various opponents, loosely following the story of the manga. In between certain matches, unique special stages may occur based on scenes from the manga, such as a sidescrolling sequence in which the player has to overcome a water-based Stand and find its user, or a special battle against the Death 13 Stand. Super Story Mode is a single player mode exclusive to the PlayStation port of the game. The mode follows the story of the manga, taking the player through a series of fights as the story progresses. This mode also features various mini-games the player must complete in order to progress, such as driving a car or playing games of chance. The HD versions feature optional graphical filters and online multiplayer.

Playable characters

The original arcade game features fourteen playable characters whilst Heritage for the Future and subsequent ports add eight additional characters, bringing the total to twenty-two. In the English versions, some characters are renamed to avoid copyright infringement in Western territories.
- Boss character
- Introduced in Heritage for the Future

Versions

Arcade

The initial arcade release of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure was December 2, 1998. An English-translated version was released in Asia under the shortened title of JoJo's Venture, which predates the officially licensed English adaptations of the original manga and anime. It was followed by a fully revised version titled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future, released on September 13, 1999, which featured eight additional playable characters. An English version that was released in Europe retained the full Japanese title of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Console

Two console versions were produced. The 1999 PlayStation version is based on JoJo's Venture, but features the additional characters from the second version of the arcade game and an exclusive "Super Story Mode", which covers the entire Stardust Crusaders story arc. The Dreamcast version, also released in 1999, features both the original and revised versions of the arcade game in their original forms. A high-definition port of the Dreamcast version developed by CyberConnect2 was released digitally on PlayStation 3 on August 21, 2012 and Xbox 360 on August 22, 2012. This version features include graphic filters and online multiplayer, thought it does not feature the Super Story Mode of the previous PlayStation port. The game was delisted from the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade storefronts on September 11, 2014.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed JoJo's Venture on their February 1, 1999 issue as being the most-successful arcade game of the year. Game Machine also listed JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future on their November 15, 1999 issue as being the most-successful arcade game of the year. The game was a bestseller in Japan, having sold more than 300.000 units by March 2000. On release, Famitsu magazine scored both the original PlayStation and updated Dreamcast versions of the game a 31 out of 40.
D. Smith, writing in Gamers' Republic praised the Dreamcast version of the game, calling it the best port of the game, and giving it a B- score. He praised the game's diverse and strange cast of characters, comparing the game's weirdness as comparable to the fighting game Groove on Fight. Although he said the game was "not the most technical of fighters", it can still be a valid alternative to Street Fighter III.
Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PlayStation version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "An oddity for Capcom completists only."

Legacy

Despite the game's age, it has retained an active community, centered around online arcade emulator software client, Fightcade. In June 2019, it totaled 9,377 unique players, summing from a grand total of 76,483 all-time unique players.