Tanuki Creative Studio is recapturing the heart and raw essence of the arcade brawlers of the early 90s. Games like Final Fight, Streets of Rage, Alien vs. Predator hold a special place close to our gaming hearts. We grew up playing these games endlessly throughout the years and we still find ourselves coming back to the masterpieces we played when we all had missing teeth and cereal breakfast each morning.
Still to this day, it can be hard to find games that can compare to these classic masterpieces. Unknowingly these great memories from the past playing video games with friends bashing it out on the controllers and at times on each other planted the seeds for what was to become what we present to you today.
That’s why we Tanuki Creative Studio are on a mission to bring back heart into the genre! A hardcore game made for gamers, by gamers!
After years of plotting, drawing, singing along with videogame tunes and a lot of hard work, the idea for Jitsu Squad started to take form. Let’s make the NEW OLD-SCHOOL!
There was once a king who lived with his queen in a beautiful castle in the land of Gardenia. The king and queen were expecting their 1st child. However, the queen got very sick and the king feared that both she and their child would not survive. The king begged the gods for help but they did not answer. Feeling betrayed by the gods the king asked the underworld for help and made a deal with a powerful demon.
The queen gave birth to a healthy baby girl but could not be saved… the queen died shortly after. The demon told the king about a ritual that could bring back his wife from the dead. He had to sacrifice exactly ten thousand souls within one year before the last sunset to complete the ritual.
The king who could not bare the loss of his wife, made the deal and promised to complete the ritual. In case the gods interfered, the demon gave the king incredible power and made him immortal in order to fulfill his task. However, the king failed to complete his task by one soul short. The demon demanded the king to honor the deal and sacrifice his daughter‘s soul to complete the ritual.The king was one soul away from bringing back his wife…so he offered his own life instead to complete the ritual.
But the demon betrayed the king, he never intended to bring back his wife from the dead. Now that the ritual was complete the demon regained his true form, making him immortal and very powerful. Starting with killing the king s daughter his reign of terror began…The demon ruled for hundreds of years…
…until four mysterious monks appeared who cast a magic spell that forged and captured the demon into a magical statue called the Kusanagi Stone! This magical statue was like a prison and was locked with a powerful seal of ancient magic, impossible for mankind to break or undo. The monks hid the Kusanagi Stone in a secret temple far away from men and creatures where it would never be found.
Another few hundred years passed and rumors about the Kusanagi Stone became myth… and myth became legend. However, the search for the stone, the search for immortality and ultimate power never stopped, even after so many centuries. Overthese decades, rival clans, mighty warlords and many others have slain and killed each other to find any kind of clue that could lead to the dreadful stone… Today, those who fought and searched for it are long gone and forgotten, but could we say the same about the Kusanagi Stone?
A wicked sorcerer called Origami became aware of the stone, and started searching for it ever since, in hope of gaining immortality and ultimate power to rule the universe. He cast an old forbidden and diabolical spell that brings back the souls of most feared men and creatures from ancient times.
Origami trapped these souls within animal bodies and promised them they could regain back their true human form if the Kusanagi Stone was found and brought to him. The sorcerer believes that after so many centuries the hunger for the stone still lives on within the souls of these men, and that these souls can lead him to the secret temple where the Kusanagi Stone is hidden.
Origami‘s spell did not go unnoticed… A powerful soul was sent through time by a mysterious force to prevent Origami‘s wicked plan. This soul goes by the name Ramen and was transformed into an owl when it was incarnated on earth. Ramen used his powers to summon the souls of four legendary heroic warriors from ancient times and formed the Jitsu Squad!
Ramen gave each warrior a fitting animal body:
The four warriors where grateful to have been brought back from the dead by Ramen, Determined to stop Origami, the hunt for the Kusanagi stone had started once more! Would it be found this time?…and if so…would it fall into the hands of evil?… Go! Fight! Jitsu Dreamers!! The power lies within in your hands!!
Hero Yamagiwa is a Ninpo master armed with the powerful Sakura Katana. He was still young when his father’s village was completely destroyed. A rival ninja clan called the Kitsune claimed the attack. He was the only survivor and was rescued by an old monk who raised him & taught him the Art of Ryushido. Hero swore to avenge the death of his father and his clan.
Weapons: Sakura Katana, Rasetsu Sword, Momiji Blade, Hayakushin Katana.
Don‘t be fooled by her looks, Baby is a true fighting machine. She is seeking the one who murdered her twin sister. She believes that by joining up with Hero‘s team of highly skilled fighters, she will eventually hit the jackpot and avenge the death of her beloved sister. Baby is armed with her two Usagi Kunai and an Umbrella. She‘s the fastest of the Jitsu Squad!
Weapons: Usagi Kunai, Arashiki, Pantera, Todoro Missile
Jazz Amun was once one of the Royal Guards of the Black Lotus. These guards protected a group of Holy Priests who served a mysterious god called Sapphire. Jazz is a fast and skillful warrior. He uses his giant golden pipe called the Kemuri Pipe and the Flame of Amun in combat. Jazz is a well balanced fighter with a serious attitude!
Weapons: Kemuri Pipe, Blue Destiny, Morbid Star, Tiki Stick
This piece of massive muscle is Aros Helgason. He is a legendary dragon slayer Viking armed with a huge sword called Balder. His right arm was once bitten off by a fierce dragon and was replaced with an indestructible magic metal arm. The arm can be used as a shield and is extremely powerful in close combat. Aros is the strongest of the Jitsu Squad.
Weapons: Balder Blade, Blood Maiden, Dragon Roar, Luciendar Hammer
Ramen is an old grumpy owl monk and a martial arts master who formed the Jitsu Squad! He is gives the player advice on how to defeat the enemy. He can be found in the inventory menu where he controls items, gadgets and much more.
Ryugami is a massive dragon armed with a long powerful Katana that he uses to wipe out each and every single enemy on screen with one single slash that cuts them in half. Stronger foes such as mid bosses and even stage bosses take serious damage. The Ryugami Seal is the most powerful weapon in the game!
Leon Chiro is a famous superhero who can be summoned by obtaining the Chiro Emblem of Justice. Once you grab this emblem Leon Chiro will come from the sky and use his powerful Chiro Strike to kill all enemies on screen. He then gives you his trademark Chiro Smile and disappears until his help is needed once again.
Hasassin is a funny looking warrior with a bad temper who can be summoned by grabbing the Pepper of Wonder. Once you grab this pepper the Hasassin will fall from the sky and land flat on his face. He then performs his signature Hasassin War Cry , this gives you time to slice him in half which will make him explode into a pile of hot burning chili peppers which can fill your entire ki-power bar as soon as you pick them up.
You heard it right! There are 5 open slots for backers to help the player as an epic assist character! When you back us choosing the LOOK MOM I AM IN THE GAME Tier, you will work together with the design team on creating your own character to be a part of the game along with Leon Chiro, Hasassin and others! Once a player grabs your emblem you will appear in the screen and save the day!
The gameplay of Jitsu Squad is similar to the beat em ups you know and love. You’ll find yourself smashing through hordes of enemies. Each character brings their own unique playing style. After brawling your way through to the end of the level, you just might find yourself bumping into an epic boss fight.
The combat system in Jitsu Squad is a perfect mix between a beat em up and a fighter. It has the and freedom accessibility of a games like Streets of Rage and Final Fight but the speed & intensity of games such as Dragonball FighterZ, Guilty Gear, Marvel vs Capcom II & Super Smash Bros.
Attacks are performed in a combat system which is very accessible yet, when mastered can be used very skillfully and strategically. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to unleash combo after combo on the hords of enemies coming your way. You can choose to mash down the A button like a maniac, but when you time your basic attacks carefully you will get a stronger hit with a red glow making the game fun for both casual and hardcore players!
Hero Yamagiwa: Basic 4 hit combo
Hero Yamagiwa: Advanced timing combo
Each character can unleash bone-smashing, spine-slicing, heartbeat skipping special attacks by using classic input commands inspired by the old school fighting games we know & love. Special attacks are stronger than basic attacks and can be earned throughout the game by collecting Emaki Scrolls.
Chain combos all the way! There’s nothing more satisfying then smashing your opponents to smithereens with epic chain combos. That’s why we’ve worked hard on creating a combo-system that allows you to reach amazing 100+ combo chains. That is…if you have the skills of a true Jitsu Dreamer.
Feeling swarmed by enemies? Try using your counter attack by pressing A+B at the same time. You will perform a counter attack when timed correctly but beware, if you don’t time it correctly you will be vulnerable to attacks.
In Jitsu Squad you can collect extra weapons for each character and use them with the B button. Each weapon has a different special ability, you can even choose to chain them within your regular combos and special moves to make stylish chains!
Assistance please! Feeling yourself in need of some help? Grab one of the many assist character emblems and they will appear on the screen to help you out! Leon Chiro uses his Chiro Strike followed up by his trademark Smile of Justice™
In Jitsu Squad there are tons of items to collect & harvest. Here is a list of some of the items:
Once you have collected enough red orbs you can unleash an awesome super special which deals massive damage with a single press of a button. Each character has a different supers pecial so be sure to try them all!
Instead of doing your supers pecial you can also choose to charge and burst into FURY MODE which reverts you back to your HUMAN FORM for a short period of time. During this period you are invisible, super fast and your attacks become ultra powerful.
You won’t remain this way for long though. But the more orbs you collect throughout the game the longer your KI-POWER BAR becomes so you can stay in FURY MODE longer. Be sure to collect as many as possible.
In Jitsu Squad you travel from planet to planet. Every level has it’s own unique colorful theme paired with matching music and enemies. We try to bring back the colorful designs of the 90s that we love, but with the HD abilities that are available today.
The enemy designs get as much love as anything else. We make sure that the enemies are funny, colorful and filled with personality. Each enemy has their own unique story and abilities.
Each level ends with a boss fight. The bosses are also warriors cursed into animal bodies. The fights are extreme, intense & epic. Like yourself, they can charge into FURY MODE for a short period of time. After you beat a boss you obtain their SPIRIT JEWEL. You must collect all these to enter the mysterious Twilight Cave.
You cannot make a game based on the golden age of beat em ups without an awesome soundtrack. The soundtrack & sound design is done by Sebastien Romero (who is also doing the animation of the game).
Dave Baljon: Mastermind behind the project, Jitsu Squad’s original concept, art, characters and story are born from the creative mind of Dave Baljon. Growing up with hardcore games, Dave had a crazy idea to make one himself, and by never giving up this idea he was finally able to gather a team and make his dreams reality.
Sebastien Romero: Creative all-rounder Sebastien grew up playing and making video games, with both a degree in animation as well as in music composition he brings the vision of Dave alive. Making sure everything the game has a nice fast pacing and rythm to it is this man’s personal mission.
Laurent Romero: Master of anatomy and funny faces, Laurent understands the art of drawing more then anything. This guy fills up a blank sketchbook weekly. He is also the creator of the legendary Tobudasai webcomic.
Pieter Visser: From beautiful South Africa, Pieter has earned his stars with his epic game Shattered Realms. When he was approached by Dave & Sebastien to work on the coding of Jitsu Squad he did not think twice. This man eats beat em ups for breakfast. Ask him to do something, and he will deliver something even better.
Greg Pillot: Probably the only Frenchman living in Japan who also speaks English in the world. Greg is the man you need if you want something done. With years of experience in marketing and social media, you can’t go wrong with Greg.
The creative pot is overflowing with crazy ideas at the studio, as we try to figure out how to include it all within the current timeframe and budget of completion. We cant do it without you. We are making a game by fans for fans!
If you back us you can get A LOT of Exclusive Jitsu Squad Merchandise! Here is a list of available items:
This cute but badass plush is made with much love and craftmanship. The quality is outstanding and the resemblence to the Emaki Ninja is uncanny! The plush made out of minky fabric, aka microfiber 100% polyester
This is the official Jitsu Squad T-shirt printed using screen printing technology so that the ink is deep in the fiber of the shirt. The T-shirt is of high quality, all sizes available.
This is the limited wooden music box. The music box plays different songs from the game and comes with a book that contains the official sheet music from the game!
We at TCS believe a memorable soundtrack is important. We want to be able to hum along and rock on while you’re on a quest to destroy the enemy! The music is written by Sebastien Romero.
We love to put our games on our shelves with the rest of our pride collection. That’s why we release Jitsu Squad as a physical copy for PS4 & Nintendo Switch*. Jitsu Squad comes with a full colour manual, one that includes character stats, special moves, art and much more.
We wanted to do something special with the art of Jitsu Squad. That is why we have selected two arch enemies and printed them on high quality dibond brushed aluminum. The question is, you choose good or evil?
The drawings and designs of Jitsu Squad are full of color equivalent to the game. We have succeeded in making an artbook that is RGB printed on high quality fine art paper. The book has 100+ pages, a hard cover and is printed with a gold embossed logo. The artbook comes in a brushed aluminum collector case.
This beautiful, gold-printed black limited edition box is made to neatly store all your Jitsu Squad collectibles. The box is equipped with a magnetic closure and has a size of 295x210x60mm
We love arcade games and want to give the players of the game this experience. That is why we have developed a limited edition arcade stick in collaboration with TRFightstick. This stick can be used for both Jitsu Squad or popular fighting games. The stick is equipped with Seimitsu joystick & buttons, Jitsu Squad panel artwork (Your favourite fighter by choice) spray painted with silver powder-coating, 1,5m USB cable for connection and comes in a quality retail box.
Certainly ladies and gentlemen, you got it! This is the real arcade experience as it should be. An original very limited Taito Vewlix cabinet with Jitsu Squad marquee and of course the game! The cabinet is equipped with a two player panel, quality Seimitsu joystick & buttons and a universal power chord. Shipping included
We understand that there is always risk involved in creating videogames, things may work out different than expected, but we as a team always work hard, keep calm and think in smart solutions to make sure that the quality of the game is priority number one! Since we are hardcore gamers ourselves, we demand the game to be as good and fun we envision it, we aim to make the game as big and available on as many platforms as possible and will do everything within our power to make this happen. The more support we get, the easier it will be to make it happen. Go! Fight! Jitsu Dreamers! The power lies within your hands!