JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future

File:Jojo01.jpg

Cover of the Dreamcast version of the game.

Introduction

Based on Part Three of the manga of the same name, JoJo's adds a twist to the action through the use of each characters' "Stand", a supernatural ability or being unique to each character. The game seems like a more ground-focused take on the Marvel vs. formula (There's a good reason for this.), and uses the three-button control scheme seen in more recent games like Akatsuki Blitzkampf.

Though the Dreamcast version is the more accurate port, the Playstation version is still a decent game in its own right.

Notation

Joystick Notation

• F - Forward - Tilt stick forward/towards the opponent. (X-axis)
• B - Backward/Back - Tilt stick backward/away from the opponent. (X-axis)
• U - Up - Tilt stick upwards. (Y-axis)
• D - Down - Tilt stick downwards. (Y-axis)
• QCF - Quarter circle forward/Hadouken/Fireball - Tilt stick downwards, then to downwards and forward, then forward.
• QCB - Quarter circle backward - Tilt stick downwards, then to downwards and backward, then backward.
• HCF - Half circle forward - Tilt stick backwards, then to downwards and backward, then to downward, then to downwards and forward, then forward.
• HCB - Half circle backward - Tilt stick forwards, then to downwards and forward, then to downward, then to downwards and backward, then backward.
• DP - Dragon punch - Tilt stick forwards, then to downward, then to downward and forward.
• 360/FC - Full circle - Complete a full rotation of the stick.
• 720 - N/A - Complete a 720 degree rotation of the stick.
• Charge - Hold a tilt - Hold the stick in either B or D (Depending) then move to F or U respectively.

X-axis functions can be used interchangeably with Y-axis functions and vice versa. X-axis functions cannot be used in conjunction with another X-axis function and vice versa.

Button Notation

• A1 - Light Attack/Jab
• A2 - Medium Attack
• A3 - Heavy Attack
• S - Stand button. This may be used for multiple things depending on character (see Character Types below)
• T - Start/Taunt button

Descriptors

Connectors

• +: Used between two other pieces of notation to signify that they should be performed at the same time. i.e. "X" + "Y", "X" should be performed at the same time as "Y".

e.g. F + A3

• -> (Sometimes > or ,): Indicates the next part of a sequence. i.e. "X" -> "Y" -> "Z", After "X" is performed, "Y" should follow, then "Z".

e.g. Dash -> A3 -> QCB+A3

• xx (Sometimes x): Used between two other pieces of notation to signify that the first should be cancelled (Interrupted earlier than it would finish otherwise) into the second. i.e. "X" xx "Y", "X" should be cancelled into "Y". Moves can be cancelled from in ascending manner in this way: Normals > Specials > Supers.

e.g. A2, F+A3 xx QCF+AA

• ~: Indicates that the preceding action should link (immediately follow with) into the next action. i.e. "X" ~ "Y", "X" should be followed immediately by "Y"

e.g. A1 ~ A2 ~ A3

• /: Used to show when two or more options are available at that point in a sequence, invariably to show that they both produce similar if not identical results.

e.g. A1 ~ A2/A3

State Modifiers

• s. - The following move should be performed in the standing position (neutral in the Y-axis). i.e. s."X", perform "X" whilst standing.
• c. - The following move should be performed in the crouched position (held down in the Y-axis). i.e. c."X", perform "X" whilst crouching.
• j. - The following move should be performed in the "in the air" position (After having held up in the Y-axis). i.e. j."X", perform "X" whilst in the air.
• Son - The following move should be performed with Stand Mode on.
• Soff - The following move should be performed with Stand Mode off.

Gameplay

Character Types

• Active Stand Characters that can activate a Stand that will fight with/in place of the character. The Stand can be called by pressing the Stand button. Doing this has various effects, noted below - a simplified description of turning Stand Mode on and off would be switching stances, but it's really a lot more than that.
• Weapon Stand Characters that utilize their Stand as a weapon. These work in a fairly similar way to Active Stand characters, with some differences.
• Passive/no Stand Characters that have no Stand meter. These Characters use the Stand button as an extra ability or attack. They are always considered to have their Stand off.

Character	Stand Type
Abdul	Active
Alessi	Weapon
Black Polnareff/Anubis Polnareff	Passive
Chaka	Weapon
D'Bo/Devo	Active1
Dio	Active
Hol Horse	Passive
Hol Horse w/ Boingo	Passive
Iggi	Active
Joseph	Weapon
Jotaro	Active
Kahn	Passive
Kakyoin	Active
Mariah	Passive
Midler	Active
New Kakyoin	Active
Pet Shop	Passive
Polnareff	Active
Shadow Dio	Passive
Vanilla Ice	Active
Young Joseph	Passive (none)

¹D'Bo's Stand functions unusually. See his character page for details.

Special Actions

• Block: Hold B while being attacked. Your character will defend against any incoming attacks. This works almost exactly the same way as it does in countless other games, but note that JJBA characters are subject to different rules regarding chip damage (see "Stands", below).

• Dash: Double tap F or B. Your character will make a short dash towards or away from your opponent. All dashes (including back dashes) are cancelable into attacks; some characters may instantly cancel their dash by pressing B/F during the dash; some characters may extend their dash by holding forwards/backwards on the second tap. Some dashes are also faster than others, and some may be hops or jumps as opposed to sliding motions. Characters cannot block during dashes, making it important for a player to learn whether or not dashing away from an incoming attack is any safer than simply blocking it.

A table of characters' dashing abilities follows:

Character	Forward Dash Type	Backward Dash Type
Abdul	Flat distance	Flat distance
Alessi1	Flat distance	Indefinitely Extendable
Black Polnareff/Anubis Polnareff	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Chaka	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
D'Bo/Devo2	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Dio	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Hol Horse	Indefinitely Extendable	Indefinitely Extendable
Hol Horse w/ Boingo	Indefinitely Extendable	Indefinitely Extendable
Iggi	Indefinitely Extendable	Flat Distance3
Joseph	Indefinitely Extendable	Indefinitely Extendable
Jotaro	Extendable	Flat Distance
Kahn	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Kakyoin	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Mariah	Indefinitely Extendable	Indefinitely Extendable
Midler	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
New Kakyoin4	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Pet Shop	Extendable	Extendable
Polnareff	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Shadow Dio	Extendable	Extendable
Vanilla Ice	Flat Distance	Flat Distance
Young Joseph	Indefinitely Extendable	Indefinitely Extendable

¹Note that when his opponent is transformed, Alessi's dash attributes swap (his forward dash can be extended but his back can't).
²When D'Bo is in Stand Mode, his dashes can be held indefinitely.
³When Iggi is in Stand Mode, his back dash can be extended indefinitely, but his normal walk speed is extremely fast anyway.
⁴New Kakyoin's dashes are unusual in Stand Mode - they move him upwards at an angle of about 65 degrees. Note that the dashes aren't cancelable into a jump or an air dash, making them rather useless and annoying.

• Double/Triple Jump: (UB/U/UF during a jump, with Stand Mode on) this allows your character to perform a second jump in the air. The double jump may be performed at any point during the initial airtime, and in any direction. Triple jumps are only possible during a Stand Release (see below). Weapon Stand users, even with Stand Mode on, cannot perform double jumps.

• Pushblock: (A1+A2+A3 while blocking an attack) This action pushes an attacking opponent back a short distance as you block their attacks. This is used to get out of corners or break combos. Unlike in some other games, pushblocking does not reduce chip (block) damage.

• Guard Cancel: (DP+any attack button while blocking an attack) Your character will immediately break from their block animation and will perform an attack (specific attack dependent on character). All guard cancel techniques involve some invulnerable frames, naturally enough for your character to escape

• Recovery: (any two attack buttons pressed at the same time while falling) This technique involves your character righting themselves in mid-air so they can subsequently block/perform attacks/move. Hold a direction while using Recovery to move in held direction. Performing a recovery while close to the ground will result in your character landing on their feet with a different animation (these can be quite fun to watch). Both types of recovery have some invulnerable frames - in the air, this can allow your character to get attack priority on an opponent attempting to juggle you, and recovering close to the ground can help escape crossups/mixups if the opponent hasn't prepared correctly.

• Throw: (A3+F/B while close to opponent) The character will perform an unblockable attack that throws the opponent backwards. The only way to break from an opponent's throw is via a Tech Hit (see below). Throw damage and launching effects depends on the character throwing, as does whether or not the thrown character can recover from the launch after being thrown.

• Tech: (A1 A2 A3 in succession while being thrown by an opponent, or throwing an opponent at the same time as them throwing you) Throw escape - performing this action will result in your character and the opponent bouncing off each other instead of either throwing. Note that unlike in some other games, there is no means of escaping a throw when the throw has already been begun - the tech must be performed extremely quickly and anticipating your opponent moving in for a throw is far more important than twitch reactions due to this. Note that characters cannot escape a throw if they were thrown during a roll (see below).

• "Backlash"/Roll: (A1+A2+A3 with Stand Mode off) Your character will slide forwards a short distance, leaving a trail of shadows. All attacks excluding throws will go right through a character in this state, including projectiles and supers (excluding special/super throws, of course). The character can also go through their opponent. This is a decent means of getting out of a corner or avoiding powerful attacks.

• Stand Attack: (QCF+S with Stand Mode off) This turns your Stand on and performs an attack at the same time. Effects of Stand Attacks vary greatly by character. Some characters' Stand Attacks (Kakyoin, Abdul, Polnareff, D'Bo) have similar effects to a Stand Release (see below).

• Tandem Attack: (QCB+S) When used by Active Stand users, you have a limited amount of time to input commands (as you would when performing regular moves). When the input period finishes, your character's Stand will rush forward and perform all of the techniques you performed during the input period. Your character is controllable separately to the Stand; you can perform your own basic attacks to buffer the attacks the Stand is performing. If the Stand is hit during a Tandem Attack, it will disappear. You can lengthen the time for input by holding the Stand button after inputting QCB+S. While holding the Stand button, your Stand meter will start to drain. You can hold the Stand button until this meter runs out, but you are free to release any time before that. While the initial Tandem input time will give you some time with no interruption, holding the button after the normal allotted time to gain additional time grants you no invincibility, and your opponent is free to attack. When used by Weapon Stand users, the technique is similar to Custom Combos seen in the Street Fighter Alpha series, in which all of your attacks are sped up so that they chain very easily. (Passive/No Stand users cannot perform Tandem Attacks)

• Stand Release: (F+any two attack buttons): Allows your Stand to be controlled independently to your character. You may perform attacks as normal controlling only the Stand, while your character is left completely defenseless. Stands in a Stand Release state may triple jump, and may have access to more techniques (or less). Pressing the Stand button calls the Stand back, but your character is entirely vulnerable until the Stand returns. Only available to certain characters (Kakyoin, Abdul, Polnareff, D'Bo). Note if your character is hit while their Stand is more than one character width away from them, they'll take far more damage than usual.

Basic Strategy/Tips

Stands:

• Learning to use your Stand wisely is an important part of gameplay. Active Stand users have bonuses granted to them with their Stand on. While your Stand is out, you suffer no chip damage from Normal, Special, and Super moves, with the exception of Throws. You gain extra mobility in the air from Double Dump, your attacks do more damage, and you also suffer less damage from attacking opponents. Furthermore, some Super moves cannot be used without your Stand on. However, Having your Stand on also has it's drawbacks. A major one is Stand Break. Every hit excluding normal non-stand attacks will lower your Stand Meter. When your Stand meter is completely gone, you will be in a state called Stand Break. In this time, you are stunned momentarily and are completely vulnerable to most any attack. However, you can avoid this by putting away your Stand. Having your Stand off will refill your Stand Meter. Also important to note, if you are thrown with your Stand on, your Stand will will disappear. While you have your Stand on, your Stand is considered a part of you. Meaning, if someone hits your Stand with an attack, you suffer the damage. Characters that can send out their Stand using Stand Release can have their Stand hit by any attack. Finally, you cannot utilize Dodge while your Stand is on. Weapon Stand users have specific key differences. Weapon Stand users cannot send out their Stand, therefore their hitbox area does not change. Weapon Stand users cannot Double Jump with their Stand on. Passive Stand/No Stand users for the most part, will not have to worry about the weaknesses of Stand on. Passive Stand users will want to look out for one weakness shared by Active Stand users. Rubber Soul, Black Polnereff, and Shadow Dio all have a form of Stand that can actually be hit while they are attacking. Their Stands can appear and attack along with the character, but they also have their own hitbox that counts for damage against the character if hit.

• OCF+S is a necessity during close quarters combat or in the middle of a combo if you want to bring out your stand without any sort of lag.

For example: "Jotaro: j.A3, s.A3, QCF+S":

• In order to reduce chip damage, bring out your Stand before blocking.

Misc:

• Footsies are very important in this game.

• Learn how each character works so you can use their weaknesses against them.

• Tandem Attack is useful, but not to be abused. Choose your moment carefully.

• Countering is definitely useful, but can easily be abused. It doesn't use any meter so you can do it as many times as you like.

Characters

Active Stand

Jotaro Kujo (JoJo)

Muhammed Abdul

Kakyouin Noriaki

Jean Pierre Polnareff

Dio

D'Bo

Iggy

Midler

Vanilla Ice

New Kakyoin

Weapon Stand

Alessi

Chaka

Joseph Joestar

Passive/No Stand

Mariah

Hol Horse

Pet Shop

Black Polnareff

Kahn

Hol Horse & Boingo

Rubber Soul

Shadow Dio

JoJo (Young Joseph)

Game Versions

• Arcade (CPS3)
• Playstation
• Dreamcast

Links

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Official Arcade site (Japanese)
• System Information (Japanese)
• 25 combo videos by SQ (Japanese)

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure