Exploding Judo wants you to focus on your throws on a mine-laden battlefield. Whoever gets tossed first is getting blown up in this tense contest.
An odd extreme sport has become popular in 2067: judo, but with high explosives. The whole field is filled with mines, so the first person to get tossed onto them is going to have a rough day. As such, the winners tend to gain immense popularity throughout the world. The losers…well…die. So, whatever you do, don’t get caught in a throw. Which you have to do while somehow getting close enough to land your own. Tricky stuff.
This fighting game will see you working on footwork and positioning a great deal. Also, since both players know that they’re both vying for a grab, it changes the dynamic of the fight. Every little footstep or whiffed move has so much deeper meaning when you know both players are trying to get close enough to grab. This turns each match into a frantic array of dodge rolls, hesitant steps, and repositioning motions. Not that you can ONLY throw, because you also have access to super moves like lasers, counter attacks, and invincible grabs to add a little spice to things. If someone is purely looking for a grab, it’s nice to be able to surprise them a little bit.
Exploding Judo is pretty tense, even at this early stage. I thought it might be straightforward since both players want that grab, but when everyone is rolling, lunging, and darting around, it makes for some dizzying fights. Especially since the tiniest of errors comes with lethal consequences. It adds a lot of pressure to know a single mistake can be the end of you (not that you don’t see this from high level players in other fighters), and makes every second playing this interesting fighter all the more compelling. I’m very excited to watch it come together.
Exploding Judo is currently in development, but in the meantime, you can grab a playable build from itch.io.