Software:Jitsu Squad

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Short description: 2022 video game
Jitsu Squad
Developer(s)Tanuki Creative Studio
Publisher(s)Tanuki Creative Studio
ININ Games (consoles)
Director(s)Dave Baljon
Designer(s)
  • Dave Baljon
  • Sebastien Romero
  • Pieter Visser
Programmer(s)
  • Pieter Visser
  • Akli Lounés Touati
Artist(s)Laurent Romero
Writer(s)Dave Baljon
Composer(s)Sebastien Romero
EngineGameMaker
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemexA-Arcadia

Jitsu Squad is a 2022 beat 'em up indie video game self-developed and published by Tanuki Creative Studio for Microsoft Windows, and published by ININ Games for home consoles. The game was released on March 29, 2022, for Windows,[1] which was followed by console releases for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, on December 9.[2][3]

Development

Jitsu Squad is developed by Tanuki Creative Studio, an independent game company from the Netherlands.

Development on the game began in 2015 and over the years had two successful Kickstarter campaigns.[4] YouTuber Maximilian Dood and the titular Yooka-Laylee characters, Yooka and Laylee, appear as cameo extras in the game.[5] Several mechanics in the game, such as "Fury Mode" and "big burst attacks", were inspired by works such as Samurai Pizza Cats and Dragon Ball respectively.[4] There were plans of a "Survival" mode and having the character Dash Kobayashi, the first boss of the game, to be a fifth playable character.[6] None, however, were panned out into further update patches as Tanuki Creative Studio rebranded as Blast Zero in 2024 and are working on their next project Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast from the Past![7][8][9]

Audio

Sebastien Romero serves as the game composer.[6] Johnny Gioeli, the lead vocalist of Crush 40, provided vocals on 3 tracks, one of which was "Surfing on the Lava".[1] The other two was its opening theme, "Go! Fight! Jitsu Dreamers!",[10] and its closing theme, "Into the Heart of the Sun".[11]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(Switch) 70/100[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Nintendo Life7/10[13]
TouchArcade7.5/10[14]
GameGrin3.5/5[15]

Jitsu Squad received "mixed or average" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[12]

Scott McCrae from Nintendo Life scored the game a 7 out of 10, praising the "great art style and music" and being "a love letter to '90s Capcom classics" whilst critiquing that it has "performance issues" and is a bit too "short, even for a beat 'em up".[13] In TouchArcade, Shaun Musgrave rated it a 7.5, highlighting its "cartoonish graphics" and "fast action", but felt that there was little "technique" to go off of and that the unlockable tag-team mode was not available from the get-go.[14]

Accolades

Date Award Category Result
  1. REDIRECT Template:Reference column heading
October 6, 2022 Dutch Game Awards Best Debut Game Nominated [16]
Best Art Nominated

Legacy

In 2024, exA-Arcadia released an arcade port of the game, titled Jitsu Squad featuring Samurai Pizza Cats. It features the character Speedy Cerviche as a fifth playable character, with Kappei Yamaguchi reprising the role.[17] The game was previously unveiled at the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas.[18][19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Melchor, Erickson (March 29, 2022). "4-Player Co-Op Beat 'em Up Jitsu Squad Releases on Steam". https://sirusgaming.com/4-player-beat-em-up-jitsu-squad-releases-on-steam/. 
  2. ↑ "2D Brawler From Tanuki Creative Studio Jitsu Squad Launches Today". December 8, 2022. https://gaminglyfe.com/2d-brawler-from-tanuki-creative-studio-jitsu-squad-launches-today/. 
  3. ↑ "Jitsu Squad Gets A New Trailer Ahead of Launch; Squad Up On Dec. 9". November 29, 2022. https://www.gonintendo.com/contents/13027-jitsu-squad-gets-a-new-trailer-ahead-of-launch. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Whitson, Hank (March 31, 2022). "Jitsu Squad Creators Discuss Anime and Arcade Influences" (in en). GameRant. Valnet. https://gamerant.com/jitsu-squad-interview-anime-arcade-influences-capcom-konami-snk/. 
  5. ↑ "Maximilian Dood & Yooka-Laylee Revealed For Upcoming 2D Beat 'Em Up Game: Jitsu Squad!". February 18, 2021. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/377623/MAXIMILIAN_DOOD__YOOKALAYLEE_REVEALED_FOR_UPCOMING_2D_BEAT_EM_UP_GAME_JITSU_SQUAD.php. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Whitson, Hank (April 2, 2022). "Jitsu Squad Interview: Creators Talk Beat 'Em Up Essentials, Fight Fatigue, and Following Your Dreams" (in en). GameRant. Valnet. https://gamerant.com/jitsu-squad-interview-beat-em-up-essentials-fight-fatigue-aspirations/. 
  7. ↑ "Tanuki Creative Studio's website for Jitsu Squad game". Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231003072531/https://jitsusquad.com/. 
  8. ↑ "Dutch Game Industry Directory's entry for Tanuki Creative Studio". Dutch Games Association. https://dutchgameindustry.directory/?company=tcs. 
  9. ↑ Scullion, Chris (February 20, 2025). "A game based on cult anime Samurai Pizza Cats is in development". https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/samurai-pizza-cats-blast-from-the-past-video-game-announced/. 
  10. ↑ Sebastien Romero (December 6, 2022). Go! Fight! Jitsu Dreamers! ft. Johnny Gioeli - Jitsu Squad OST. YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  11. ↑ Sebastien Romero (December 6, 2022). Into the Heart of the Sun (CREDITS) ft. Johnny Gioeli - Jitsu Squad OST. YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Jitsu Squad for Nintendo Switch". Metacritic. Fandom Inc.. https://www.metacritic.com/game/jitsu-squad/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 McCrae, Scott (December 13, 2022). "Mini Review: Jitsu Squad (Switch) - A Joyous Love Letter To '90s Capcom, Held Back By Technical Issues" (in en). Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/jitsu-squad. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Musgrave, Shaun (December 15, 2022). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Wavetale' and 'Jitsu Squad', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales" (in en). https://toucharcade.com/2022/12/13/wavetale-switch-review-crisis-core-eshop-download-price-size-nintendo/. 
  15. ↑ Dunitz, Alana (January 8, 2023). "Jitsu Squad (PC) Review" (in en). https://www.gamegrin.com/reviews/jitsu-squad-review/. 
  16. ↑ "These are the nominees of the Dutch Game Awards 2022!". July 9, 2022. https://dutchgameawards.nl/2022/09/07/nominees-dutch-game-awards-2022/. 
  17. ↑ "New Beat 'Em Up Headed To Arcades In 2022: Jitsu Squad by Tanuki Creative Studios" (in en). February 24, 2021. https://arcadeheroes.com/2021/02/24/new-beat-em-up-headed-to-arcades-in-2022-jitsu-squad-by-tanuki-creative-studios/. 
  18. ↑ "Jitsu Squad Featuring Samurai Pizza Cats Unveiled At Amusement Expo 2024" (in en). March 21, 2024. https://arcadeheroes.com/2024/03/21/jitsu-squad-samurai-pizza-cats/. 
  19. ↑ "JITSU SQUAD featuring SAMURAI PIZZA CATS Available Now!" (in en). December 27, 2024. https://exa.ac/en/jitsu-squad-available-now/?v=0f177369a3b7. 



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