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A video game based on the very popular manga by Hirohiko Araki... for the SFC? Sure, why not? While Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken (or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure to English speakers) has been around since the mid-to-late 80s, it wouldn't get its first official game until 1993, though the characters cameoed or were playable in Famicom Jump I & II for the NES/FC. The video games first garnered some popularity during the late 90s when Capcom made fighters based on Jojo. To be frank however, this game isn't very good, though it IS bizarre.

You'll notice right out the gate that even back in the early 90s, Jojo was sure to distance itself not just in manga form but in video game form too. Based on the third story arc, the majority of the game's actions take place in a small letter-boxed area of the screen, with characters rarely being seen from anywhere below the waist region. The top of the screen encompasses the dialogue via exciting-bubble fashion like in the manga, and the bottom shows character portraits, which change depending on circumstances. The top and bottom of the screen may encompass other things too as necessary, but the middle remains largely unchanged.

The game itself is a brief, super generic RPG/adventure hybrid of sorts with very limited options and generally unexciting battles. I can say that the game tried to represent Jojo well, as the characters look good and the music is great too (though there isn't enough to go around), but the overall gameplay experience is incredibly lacking. The main game has you exploring from left to right, and you can investigate many things for items. You can speak to people, view items, and view stats. That makes up the bulk of the gameplay mechanics. You sometimes fight people and can use items and speak, as well as attack and search for a weakness, which opens a fifth command where characters can execute two special moves.

As you would expect, each character can use a "Stand", and each stand only has two primary special attacks for pretty much the whole game, not to mention attacks don't vary much in appearance. You can also choose a tarot card which may enhance a characters performance in battle if you're lucky. Attacks have different functions, but you'll mainly just fight an enemy, search them, then throw off the same one or two attacks over and over again. The game focuses a little more on exploration and story, but the story is just too condensed to do the manga justice (or, the franchise or Stardust Crusaders OVA) in my opinion and the game kinda feels tossed together, though it is pretty faithful to the source (the things they decide to use anyway).

I'll say it's interesting and Winkysoft/Cobra Team tried to give it the Jojo vibe, but I'd only expect fans of Jotaro Kujo and the Joestars to really get anything out of this one. This is a general game sample of the game ranging from a normal Jojo day to after Jotaro's mother is sickened to freeing Polnareff from Dio's control. Enjoy.