A fast, cartoony tag team brawler
Jitsu Squad is a side-scrolling beat 'em up in the style of Streets of Rage and Final Fight, but with the speed and intensity of fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom II, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Super Smash Bros. Battles are wacky and chaotic, with a 1990's retro cartoon feel. You can run or dash everywhere, since there is no walking, and the combat system includes parrying and counters, infinite juggles, and chain-combos that can go past 500 hits. Each playable character has a unique secondary weapon and can be leveled up through an upgrade system, and there are crossover assist characters to call in.
Playing together with your group
The whole game is built for up to 4 players in co-op. One option is for the group to control the entire Jitsu Squad together on a single quest. Another is to split up: two players pick two characters each. The tag team mode lets you switch between your characters mid-fight, which is where the combo possibilities open up. The game also supports Remote Play Together, so friends can join over a connection rather than sitting at the same screen.
Before you start
Soul orbs are worth grabbing during a stage. Collect enough and you can put on the Ultimate Armor, which makes you invincible and boosts all your attacks and special moves for a short time. Fury Mode is another tool in the kit. The stages and enemies vary widely, and the game follows a linear structure, so the group moves through the stages in order rather than picking levels freely. Expect a lot of enemies on screen at once and a lot of screen-filling special moves once everyone starts transforming.