JoJo's Bizarre Adventure will come as a somewhat alien property to most; even among anime and manga fans, Hirohiko Araki's long-running series following generations of martial artists with special powers is largely overlooked. A shame, since this impressive 3D beat 'em up adaptation deserves attention. Using a brand-new game engine, JoJo's beautifully recreates fighters from each period of the original material. Although such fidelity will be lost on many, the resulting roster is appreciably varied, each boasting diverse skills to master. It's also a rare brawler where the solo mode is worthwhile, with objectives to complete in each story stage allowing you to unlock bountiful gallery material and bonus characters.

The biggest frustration here is a tricky block move, leaving characters all too often vulnerable to attacks. But the controls overall may actually prove too forgiving for hardcore fighter fans, with special moves easily bashed out, though that early simplicity does develop to provide greater depth with practice. A solid versus mode and online play round out an excellent title.