| Darmanitan Jam | ||||
| ||||
| Developer(s) | VictoryStar (t∣b∣c) | |||
| Publisher(s) | 
| |||
| Platform(s) |  
| |||
| Genre(s) | Action Platforming | |||
| Release Date(s) |  July 24, 2016 June 21, 2016 June 21, 2016 June 20, 2016
| |||
| Mode(s) | Single player Co-op mode | |||
| Age Rating(s) | 
| |||
| Media Included | Wii U disc/3DS cartridge | |||
Darmanitan Jam is a 2.5D side-scrolling platforming action game created by VictoryStar (t∣b∣c) for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems. It is a spin-off/semi-reboot of the Darmanitan Slam series, and is the first game of the Darmanitan Jam series. In this game, Pokémon Island is in a war-torn state, constantly being ravaged by the battles of the Pig War, which is between the Liberators and the Pig Party. Darmanitan is a field agent for the Liberators, recruited because of his immense power and brute strength. He gets sent on what seems to be a simple mission, but it quickly turns into something much more than that.
Boxart blurb
Gameplay
Even as a spin-off/reboot of the Darmanitan Slam series, Jam still stays true to many of the original games' aspects. There, of course, some changes as well. The biggest and most obvious change is the exclusion of Darumaka. Darmanitan still has health, but now he can only take two hits instead of four. This is to compensate for the game being less difficult than previous Slam games. Oran Berries can still be found and used to restore health. Darmanitan still has his Hammer Arm move, which stuns most enemies and can even defeat certain ones like Crustle. Nanaab Berries are back and are as abundant as ever. Collecting 50 Nanab Berries will earn the player a Berry Coin, which can be used in the in-game store to purchase extra health, limited invulnerability, and Puzzle Piece magnets.
S-L-A-M Letters have changed to J-A-M Letters, but their purpose remains the same. Puzzle Pieces no longer vary in number; each level has six Puzzle Pieces. Mine cart rides have returned, as well as bobsled sections. Just like in Slam U, when Darmanitan passes through a checkpoint, his health will be fully restored. The checkpoints are run by Archen, and each level has two to four of them.
The Zen Mode transformation from Slam U is absent. This is to further implement Jam's emphasis on action. However, Braviary makes a return. He gets a health bar of his own, and he is granted two hits, just like Darmanitan. Another buddy is introduced as well: Tauros. He operates similarly to Rambi from the Donkey Kong Country games.
The environment now plays a big role in the gameplay. With this game taking place during a war, there is always a battle going on in the background. Many times the battles will play a role in how a level is designed. For example, a cannon might destroy a wall or a bridge, changing the level's path. These environmental "events" were added to give the game more life and personality. "Massive Destruction" sequences from Slam U make a comeback. See the description of the levels below to go more in-depth on how the environment affects the make-up of the levels.
Darmanitan also has a new move: Ember. This move works similarly to yarn balls in Yoshi's Woolly World. However, Ember cannot KO enemies, only stun them. The player can also use this move to help Darmanitan grab certain items that are high above him.
At the end of each boss battle, Darmanitan and the boss will go into "Close Combat", where they engage in a fistfight. If the player beats the boss in Close Combat, he or she will have defeated the boss, but if the player loses, Darmanitan will lose a life and the battle will start over. Close Combat requires the player to read the boss's attacks and find openings, then assault the boss with a flurry of punches. This feature was added to show Darmanitan's strength and hand-to-hand capabilities.
Characters
Main cast
|
Darmanitan One of the main characters, and the only one that is playable. He's still a Nanab lover, but these days, his true passion is fighting for peace on Pokémon Island with the Liberators. He is incredibly powerful, and his strength is definitely integrated in gameplay. |
|
General Cobe This Legendary Pokémon is the leader of the Liberators. He loves only three things: truth, justice, and the destruction of the Pig Party. He can inspire anyone just by standing in his or her vicinity. His hatred toward the Pig Party leader seems quite personal... |
|
Infernape Darmanitan's rival. He's rude, cocky, arrogant, loud, and nearly idiotic. Whereas Darmanitan has his massive strength, Infernape possesses blistering speed. He is extremely envious of Darmanitan, and that jealousy actually culminates near the end of the game. |
|
Staraptor Staraptor is the commander of the Liberators' aerial armada. He is a borderline sociopath that loves to see the destruction of his enemies. But, no matter how sane he may or may not be, he has proven time and time again to be a huge asset to the Liberators. |
|
Empoleon Empoleon is the commander of the Liberators' naval forces. He is mostly stoic and quiet, but he is known to have quite the temper when pushed to the limit. He is able to swim as ridiculous speeds, and his wings pack quite a wallop. |
  
|
Pan Brothers This trio stays close to Darmanitan as he treks through Pokémon Island. They will always lend a hand when Darmanitan needs them to. They sell items, and sometimes they'll even grab J-A-M Letters or Puzzle Pieces for him. |
|
Emboar A ruthless, merciless, power-hungry, selfish, gluttonous warmonger. He is the leader of the Pig Party. He loves everything about war: the death, the destruction, the fear, the chaos etc. He started the Pig War just because he was bored. His strength barely surpasses Darmanitan's. |
|
Pignite Emboar's 23-year-old son. Pignite dreams of becoming just like his father one day. Although he's not as bloodthirsty or power-hungry, he is certainly just as evil. |
Enemies
Bosses
Story
Levels
There are eight worlds in this game: six regular worlds and two special worlds. While previous Darmanitan Slam games had themes and motifs for each world, Jam does not. Most of the levels have either a jungle, desert, or cliff design (some levels even have all three), but none of the worlds have a specific theme, except possibly for World 6, which holds mostly volcano- and lava-based levels. Rather, the worlds in Jam are used to separate the story segments.