J-Stars Victory VS+ Guide – How to Play as Ichigo Kurosaki

J-Stars Victory VS+ is now available, and it’s brought along one hell of a roster to the party. Characters who have graced Shonen Jump (a monthly manga publication) over the years are all here to duke it out in a battle for supremacy. Making things even better is the fact that each and every one of them maintains their very own fighting style that made fans fall in love with them in the first place. Of course, that means that there are plenty of strategies and moves to learn as players seek to master J-Stars Victory VS+ and its immense 39 playable fighter roster.

One such character is Ichigo Kurosaki. If you don’t know who he is, you should probably get acquainted. After all, he’s one of the people who’s responsible for keeping all of those evil spirits and other supernatural threats at bay. Did we mention that he does all of this while still going to school, helping to look after his sisters, and sometimes maintaining a job? Yeah, he’s pretty bad ass. But you don’t get to see the half of it until he takes on his shinigami (soul reaper) form. It’s all fun and games until the zanpakto comes out.

From the moment you take control of Ichigo his Tensa Zangetsu (his sword’s fancy name) and you are ready to do some heavy cutting. Ichigo is fast, and powerful, with a suite of moves that make him dangerous from almost anywhere (provided that you can get a grasp on his timing). But, it should be noted that Ichigo is most useful in J-Stars Victory VS+ when used at very close range. His speed and strength tend to keep even the toughest opponents off balance, while he is able to bust out attack after attack.

When using Ichigo in his base mode, it’s best to rely on his Basic Combo and his Pursuit Slash. His basic consists of really fast slashes with his sword and ends with a Getsuga Tenshou which is not only powerful, but can knock the enemy back as well. Of course, distancing yourself from the enemy is counter productive, which is where the Pursuit Slash comes in. This attack closes the gap between you and your J-Stars Victory VS+opponent. This strategy makes it very possible to hold your own even in Ichigo’s most basic form. But don’t worry, you don’t have to remain basic, where’s the fun in that?

To power up, Ichigo goes into Vizard mode. Not only does he don the sick mask that comes along with the process, but he also turns the dial all the way to 11. Speed, power, and even his ability to conduct a violent ranged assault are increased by drastic amounts. The close game is still the best course of action to make proper use of those vicious, energy imbued slashes. But, with the ability to send out wave after wave of Getsuga Tenshou at a relatively high speed is hard to overlook. Going into Vizard mode while under pressure is a good tactic to get out of a bad situation while still keeping yourself in the fight in a meaningful way.

If the going gets a bit too rough, Ichigo Kurosaki has one last ditch effort to still claim victory. Ichigo can use Mugetsu, which is a move that is triggered if you decide to have him change into his final form. Mugetsu sends out a powerful surge of energy that deals an unbelievable amount of damage to any foe in its path, but make sure this damage is enough to win, since Ichigo’s health immediately drops to zero once the attack is complete.

With his intense close-range presence, his ability to get out of danger quickly, and that super powerful last ditch attack, Ichigo Kurosaki is one to be feared on the battlefield. It should come as no surprise, though, since this is a man who has traversed both heaven and hell to defend those he loves.