Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time returns to the world of the beloved Cartoon Network warrior as a dedicated homage to the character. From the art style to the combat mechanics, Adult Swim has taken a great deal of care to make sure that Samurai Jack translated into a game that provides players with a nostalgic experience reminiscent of watching the show.
Between cutting down hordes of Jack's enemies and hunting for the elusive portal to his own time, your goals during gameplay can accumulate rather quickly, making it harder to spot the little things that make this game special. Here are ten things you didn't know about Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time.
(Warning: Spoilers Ahead)
10 Aku City Easter Eggs
In the fifth chapter of the game, players will come upon a familiar sight: Aku City. Seedy and dingy, it is the first place Jack landed in when flung into the future. Throughout the level, if you look close, you'll see posters hung on the wall. Some are wanted posters of Jack (who sometimes has a hat and other times has a bear). Others are throwbacks to episodes and nods to the show.
There's advertising for "Jump Good", archery classes with the formerly cursed archers Jack freed in episode VII, acting courses presented by the Mako Center for Extremely Awesome Acting (named for Makoto Iwamatsu, who provided the voice of Aku until his death in 2006), and "The Smackback", an allude to episode XVI, in which Jack must fight the Dome of Doom champions, who are pictured on the poster. There's also a bar in Aku City with the transparent fish predator from episode XCV hanging on the wall.
9 Familiar Faces, Familiar Places
Battle Through Time brings back the show's veteran cast, who all return to voice their respective characters. The cast includes John DiMaggio as the Scotsman and bounty hunter Zeke, Grey DeLisle as the Scotsman's daughters and bounty hunter Josephine Clench, Rob Paulson as Sir Rothchild, Tom Kenny as Scaramouche, and many more.
The game also returns to many of the show's unique locations including the undead cemetery, the prison ship, the western train, and Aku's Tower.
8 Combat System
In the game, you don't just use Jack's magic katana to contend with enemies. Battle Through Time gives you vast options for how you want to fight and which weapons to use.
Weapons include the bow and arrows, firearms, hammers, mallets, axes, blades, throwables like shuriken, and Jack's all-powerful fists. The game gives you a lot of freedom in combat and lets you experiment with all the awesome ways Jack can take down enemies.
7 Steam Rating
It seems like fans are very much enjoying Battle Through Time per reviews on Steam. Out of the 416 reviews on Steam, the game has received the "Very Positive" ranking on its review board. Many praise the nostalgic atmosphere, dialogue, and satisfying hack-n-slash gameplay.
6 Jack's Attire
True to the show, Jack's clothes will appear more frayed and disheveled, reflecting his damage meter. As Jack gets rough-housed and beat up, his clothes will rip and come off his body. In earlier levels, the damage meter will shred the sleeves and upper top of his gi and his hair will come out of his top-knot.
Mud will also coat the bottom of his gi. In levels that reflect Season 5, pieces of his armor will break off and he will also lose his shoes. It gives the game a nostalgic feel, with Jack facing countless enemies, taking a hard beating, but always gracefully coming out the victor.
5 Da Sa-Moo-Rai
In the game, fan-favorite Da Sa-Moo-Rai will appear as the shopkeeper, providing Jack with necessary items and upgrades as he continues his journey to the past. Just listen for Da Sa-Moo-Rai's trademark music in each level and you'll usually find him jamming out next to his stereo.
Da Sa-Moo-Rai will sell health items like hot water and the Scottish dish haggis, training on various types of weapons, and special items that provide increases in health, decreases in damage, and other abilities.
4 Tartakovsky's Vision
Show creator Genndy Tartakovsky wanted a direct show-to-game translation, a clean, crisp variation on his beloved story. "...I'm a fan of samurai, martial arts, and all that kind of stuff," Tartakovsky stated in an interview with SyFyWire. "So, to have an authentic game doing that, fighting more supernatural-type villains and obstacles was really what we set out to do, and what I thought would be the most fun to do for me."
Tartakovsky also revealed that while he doesn't play many video games, he was excited to see Samurai Jack in the 3-D realm.
3 More On The Way?
Samurai Jack fans rejoice! Battle Through Time may not be the only game we will get and the game's ending may not be the end all to the series.
In an interview at PAX East 2020 in February, Tartakovsky said, “I don't think we squeezed the life out of [Samurai Jack] yet — [Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time] is just the beginning of it all.” From the sounds of it, Samurai Jack may just be getting started.
2 Samurai Jack In Video Games
Battle Through Time marks Samurai Jack's third stint in video games behind Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in 2004.
The game is available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Apple Arcade, marking the first Samurai Jack game to be playable on Microsoft and Apple.
1 The Secret Ending
Fear not, Jashi fans. It seems that Jack gets to go back to the past and be with Ashi. If you collect all of the Corrupted Emperor's Kamons, the game will unlock a special cutscene. The game ends with Jack and Ashi's wedding but mysteriously skips over Ashi's disappearance. The camera will pan over Jack as he sits solemnly by a tree as a ladybug lands on his hand. The ladybug flies away as Jack looks on smiling. Ashi comes into frame, sitting beside Jack, who leans her head on his shoulder and it seems they are reunited again.
While the game's ending is canon, it isn't certain whether Ashi has truly been brought back or if her spirit has returned to Jack in the metaphor of the ladybug. However, it was cathartic to see Jack finally at peace with the person he loves.