Developer: Byking Inc.
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2
Tested on: Switch 2
MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice (Switch 2) – Review
Earlier this year, one of our fellow writers took an in-depth look at the PS5 release of MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice. The game was deemed a stylish tag-team arena fighter that respected its source material, packed a huge roster, and delivered flashy skill animations. It wasn’t without its stumbles, however, marred by awkward camera angles, bland stage design, and PowerPoint-style static cutscenes during its story segments. The game’s arrival on Switch 2 seemed like a good opportunity to step back into the arena to see how this superhero brawl fares on the hybrid handheld console. Alongside this new port also came a massive free content update across all platforms, so if you’re wondering whether the added goodies make a return visit worthwhile, we also have you covered with our look at the game.
Full disclaimer: All’s Justice is this particular reviewer’s first real foray into the MY HERO ACADEMIA universe, so we apologise for not being able to tell our Dekus from our Shigarakis. We’ll be looking at how the game stands on its own, from the perspective of a gamer rather than a fan of the anime and we won’t be going into the story because we’re not entirely sure what’s going on anyway. Now, taking an arena fighter from a high-powered home console to a hybrid handheld is always a balancing act. On PS5, All’s Justice target-locked its chaotic action at a stable 60fps. This has been dialed back on the Switch 2, with the port targeting “up to 30fps”. While this is inherently a step down for a genre that relies on sharp reflexes and split-second combo switches, the trade-off does feel far more acceptable here than it would in a hyper-strict fighting title like Mortal Kombat.
The core combat mechanics translate surprisingly well to handheld play. Crucially, All’s Justice’s visual presentation stays clean. The Switch 2 renders the game at a crisp 1080p both docked and in handheld mode. The colorful cel-shaded character models look vivid, and the fluid special attack animations retain all their cinematic flair. That said, bringing the game to handheld mode doesn’t magically fix its underlying legacy issues. The frantic 3-on-3 tag combat still suffers from those pesky, chaotic camera angles. When chaos erupts during local or online matches, the camera continues to struggle with tracking who the “active” fighter is, occasionally obscuring the action behind arena geometry. The bland stage design also remains identical to the original release.
The Switch 2 port introduces a few unique platform-specific features aimed at social play. The headline addition is online battle support via GameShare utilizing GameChat, with the caveat that you’ll need a Switch Online subscription to make use of the feature. We’d say that it’s worth it though, as this system lets you jump into matches seamlessly with friends and family even if they don’t own the full experience, though the character roster available via GameShare is somewhat trimmed down compared to the full roster. Given how much fun All’s Justice is when messily working out mechanics alongside friends, this low-barrier multiplayer option is a genuine win for casual match-ups.
Even if you have no intention of buying the Switch 2 version and plan to stick with your PS5 copy, the free update earlier this month brought something substantial for everyone: an all-new minigame mode across all platforms. In our original review, we pointed out that while modes like Team-Up Missions offered decent single-player value, the overall cosmetic reward system felt a bit underwhelming. This new mode injects a huge dose of party-game variety into the package. Narratively framed as a virtual testing environment built by support-course genius Mei Hatsume, the update introduces 10 distinct arcade-style challenges featuring the students of Class 1-A. Standouts here are Dynamight Shot, which puts you in Bakugo’s gauntlets to blast waves of incoming villains, and Recipro Run, which has Tenya dodging obstacles down a busy city street. Bandai Namco also tapped its classic arcade vault for two full-blown PAC-MAN clones in the forms of Mina Survive and Koji Survive. Perhaps the casual brain-teaser games feel the most out of place, with Sugar Memory offering a classic card-matching game, and Hide-and-Seek challenging you to spot invisible Hagakure. One area where neither the Switch 2 port nor the new update makes much-needed changes is in its narrative campaign. The Story Mode still picks up right in the thick of the anime’s Final War arc. If, like us, you were hoping for a refined presentation or additional backstory to help uninitiated players catch up on previous character arcs, you will end up disappointed. The infamous static anime stills remain heavily used during narrative transitions, keeping the presentation feeling cheap compared to those fluid in-engine fighting animations.
Conclusion
The Switch 2 port of MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice is a very capable, visually sharp conversion, even if it doesn’t live up to the 60fps smoothness that is available elsewhere. The ability to jump into 1080p superhero brawls anywhere, combined with GameShare functionality, makes it an exceptionally attractive version for casual fans, though competitive purists are probably better off sticking to the PS5 version. Simultaneously, the free minigame update gives existing PS5 and Xbox/PC players a legitimate reason to boot the game back up. It doesn’t fix the underlying camera quirks or cheap story cutscenes, but the added party-game variety and classic arcade flavor make the overall package feel significantly meatier than it was six months ago. If you enjoyed the base game or were waiting for a reason to jump in, this new era for All’s Justice is well worth a look.
No Comments