Jitsu Squad (2022)

Parries are the useful first lesson beneath the enormous combo counter. Read a familiar enemy's attack, stop it cleanly and answer with a short reliable string before attempting the lengthy air sequences. Special moves and character transformations then give you room to grow into a much faster style. Choose it when timing defence into offence sounds exciting; its speed and dense effects make it a less measured starting point than Streets of Rage 4. The colourful spectacle can obscure the next threat.