Target Acquired: Jitsu Squad

Jitsu Squad, from Tanuki Creative Studio, is a high-octane brawler with colorful charismatic characters and up to 4P co-op. Players take on the role of one of four anthropomorphized animals, each of whom is an expert in a different style of martial arts. The mohawked raccoon is a shinobi on a mission to get revenge for his father's death, the bunny is a cyber ninja who is also on a mission of revenge following the murder of her twin sister, the afro-sporting frog is a master of kung-fu and fights using a Goemon-style pipe along with magical attacks, and the boar is the beefy (porky?) one of the bunch in his role as dragon slayer, and he carries a sword and has a magical metal arm. The game allows for all of the fast-paced brawler shenanigans you love, with the ability to perform huge combos, unleash over-the-top special attacks, call in assist characters (including Yooka-Laylee), juggle enemies, and perform transformations. You fight your way through vibrant environments and colorful enemies that take the form of other animal creatures, zombies, martial artists, and some big bad bosses.

The game is now available for PC via Steam.

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Target Acquired: Itorah

Itorah, from Grimbart Tales, is an action-adventure with a terrifying premise: You are the last remaining human in a world populated by masked creatures. You take on the role of the eponymous Itorah who explores the cursed world of Nahucan, which has been overcome by evil and is threatened by a great plague. Itorah traverses some traditional genre locales as she ventures through lush forests, darkened spider lairs, and ancient temples, battling beasts and bosses with what appears to be a large handmade axe, which she can use to string together combos or toss Thor-style to hit enemies at a distance. Itorah gains new abilities that aid in environmental traversal and help her to uncover the mysteries around what has happened to the human species.

The game is now available for PC via Steam and GOG.

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Target Acquired: Roar of Revenge

Roar of Revenge, from Seep (developers of Adventure Bit), is a Rastan-inspired actioner set in a fantasy world filled with dark creatures. You take on the role of Keel, a barbarian whose village was destroyed by the minions of Leomhann, the man-lion tyrant who rules the kingdom. Keel sets out to acquire four ancient artifacts that will imbue him with the power needed to take down Leomhann and his cursed titans. You start out with just a sword, but winged boots let you jump and eventually fly through the sky, while a merman's headgear allows you to swim underwater. Eventually, you'll be firing magic projectiles, dashing through the sky, and slicing your way through beasties and bosses as you tromp through ten 8-bit-style worlds.

The game is now available on PC via Steam. Check our coverage here.

To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our 2D Watchlist.

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