Pro Jumper! Guilty Gear Tangent!?

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Pro Jumper is a multiplayer-focused, arena-based Action game first released on the Nintendo DSi via the DSiWare service in 2011, and later grandfathered into the Nintendo 3DS eShop when the Nintendo 3DS released. This game is a spin-off of the Guilty Gear series of Fighting Games starring that series’ odd cartoony mascot character Chimaki, and it bears virtually zero resemblance to the gameplay or aesthetics of the Guilty Gear series as a whole. This game’s silly premise is that Chimaki has been having back problems, and conveniently gets an invitation to visit public baths where he feels the warm waters may soothe his aches away. However, to get there, he’ll have to run, jump, and fight his way across various levels first, with various enemies inexplicably trying to keep him from his relaxation.

If there’s one place beyond this game’s silly protagonist where this game takes after the Guilty Gear series, it is that this game has some absolutely superb animation in its 2D characters. Granted, those characters and the world they live in is cartoony and simplistic, but the animation is excellent. This is all backed by a wacky soundtrack that’s not especially memorable, but it works well enough for the game.

The gameplay itself is largely pretty typical Platforming fare, but unfortunately this suffers from a few serious issues. Firstly, this game’s controls are terrible. Chimaki’s normal movement is slow and plodding, and while players can hold down a run button to gain speed, this makes his movement extremely unwieldy and difficult to control. What’s worse, this game is extremely unforgiving, with players only able to take two hits before dying. As if that wasn’t bad enough, platforming in this game often takes place over areas where enemies wander, meaning that flubbing a jump (which you’ll likely due a lot thanks to the poor controls) could easily mean you land on an enemy and take a hit. What’s more, whenever you do take a hit, the game forces you to sit through the character’s hit animation and faceplant for a moment before you can get up and continue again.

As a result, while Pro Jumper may look great and have a fun sense of whimsy to it, it just is not at all fun to actually play. The poor controls and unforgiving gameplay sap all of the fun out of this experience, and whether or not you enjoy the Guilty Gear series or have any interest in this silly mascot character, you’re not likely to find this game to your liking.

tl;dr – Pro Jumper is a Platformer and a spin-off of the Guilty Gear franchise that features the series’ silly, cartoony mascot. While this game has a delightfully goofy story and some wonderful character animation, the gameplay itself is torturously bad, with poor controls and unforgiving gameplay. Whether or not you’re a fan of the Guilty Gear series, you’ll want to skip this game.

Grade: D+

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