Jump Ultimate Stars

Imagine a crossover where Goku meets Luffy, Naruto and dozens of other heroes from Shonen Jump magazine on a single screen. Jump Ultimate Stars from 2006 offers exactly that: a celebration of the legendary Japanese comic magazine in the form of a fighting game for the Nintendo DS.

The game is the successor to Jump Super Stars and pushes the concept even further. At its core is the so-called comic system, where you place blocks representing characters onto a panel arranged like a manga page. Battle characters you control directly, support characters you summon into action, and helper characters provide passive bonuses. The fights take place in multi-layered arenas with an emphasis on fast action and clever team building, so the depth lies not only in the combat but also in constructing your roster.

Development of the game was handled by Ganbarion, and behind it stands enormous licensing work: Jump Ultimate Stars includes dozens of characters from many Shonen Jump magazine series, from Dragon Ball through One Piece, Naruto and Bleach to older and lesser-known titles. This breadth makes the game a literally interactive encyclopedia of Japanese manga and is the main reason for its cult reputation.

Culturally it is a phenomenon above all in Japan, where Shonen Jump is an institution. The game never officially released in the West, which made it a sought-after import title among fans outside Japan, often accompanied by fan translations. For manga connoisseurs it is a dream come true.

Jump Ultimate Stars remains one of the most ambitious crossover fighting games of all time and proof of how rich the tradition of the magazine that shaped generations of readers is. Even years later it is a title that collectors and anime fans still seek out.

Why play: A giant crossover fighting game with dozens of characters from Shonen Jump, a dream come true for every fan of manga and anime, albeit at the cost of importing it.