The levels are certainly the largest I've seen for a PSP game. They're generally linear gauntlets with platforming sprinkled in between, but they're still great to play. Meat world has to be the zaniest one and is thus a personal favorite. The carnival-like atmosphere is accompanied by a matching soundtrack. Leaping from steak to steak on an enormous grill to reach a cow-boss with a machine gun udder is certainly a fun and slightly disturbing experience.

The other environments featured include a cruel school and a twisted suburbia. In the final level of suburbia, you are tasked to defend your home. The onslaught of enemies comes from all directions at a constant pace. It is a challenge at first, but with the right weapons, it is not too hard. As mentioned earlier, it is nice to see all of those enemies on the screen at once, especially when toting your trusty Electric Gun. It would have been nice to see more of this type of gameplay that is unique from the rest of the game.

Most of the story is told through text dialogue, but there should have been more conversations and interplay between the unique characters that were created. The paltry amount of spoken dialogue is mostly in the first and final videos. Greater musical variety would have been welcome, but this is likely a compromise for faster loading times as well.

Replay Value
This game is fairly short. It can be easily completed in about 7-10 hours. After that, there is little replay value in the game, save for a chance to rack up better grades on levels. Some levels are tremendous fun, such as the Meat World levels and defending DJ's house, and would warrant a few more play-throughs, but I'd imagine it would wear thin. It would have been nice to see minigames or even higher difficulty levels to prolong the life of this game.

Summary
This character-based action game could have been so much more, but somewhere along the way, it lost its soul. The charming story and wit of the original concept as depicted by the comic books, is only a faint glimmer in this game.

The gameplay is still pretty fun though and the worlds are kooky enough for you to want to see what is around the next corner. The repetitive action can get old though, since it is a fairly short game. The addition of minigames could have helped flesh out the game world and also prolong the life of this title. More work on the camera controls, especially during platforming sequences would have helped a lot.

I only hope that Death Jr. can appear in a sequel with all the wit and charm of the original concepts.

Another Take
Ryan Olsen

We love DJ. It's a great game and it reminds me of why I play game, because they are fun. Remember, it is easier to pick on games that don't have an established franchise because we can't chart the progress over time. Don't get us wrong, we think DJ rocks hard but some of the flaws hurt, like the length. Come to think of it, wanting more of a game is a good thing. Think of these criticisms as more of a wish list for Death Jr. 2 more than anything.

Like Vance has stated, more of a fleshed out storyline would have been really nice but that is not the case so I'll put that on a wish list for Death Jr. 2. The few cinemas that are in the game are really funny and give life to the game, more of those would have helped too.

The levels ooze with character. The Meat World was by far the most original level I have come across in recent memory and it transported me to a time when I played Earth Worm Jim for the first time. Even the more mundane levels like the school have unique twists in them as you progress in them.

While the game may get repetitive as the same formula is applied to each level, there were a few surprises like defending DJ's house. The controls work well enough that destroying the forces of evil is a breeze. The camera is a little hard to get used to because of the aggressive snapping effect.

Minigames would have also been a huge plus for DJ. Seeing what the minds behind DJ could have come up with for minigames would have been awesome. Again, on the list for Death Jr. 2.

DJ was a good game experience. While not perfect, for instance, it could have been a few levels longer and had more interaction between the characters. With all that is said, the game is intensely fun and should not be missed for gamers who love games that take a little different approach to things. The majority of the game is solid to warrant a look see.