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{{Short description|2005 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Death Jr.
| image = Death Jr. Coverart.png
| caption = North American packaging artwork
| developer = [[Backbone Entertainment]]
| publisher = [[Konami]]
| producer = Jessi Harrison
| designer = Micah Russo
| composer = Robert Baffy
| series =
| engine =
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|August 16, 2005<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=David |date=2005-08-16 |title=Death Jr. Swings to Retail |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/16/death-jr-swings-to-retail |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>|EU|February 10, 2006|AU|March 17, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jastrzab |first=Jeremy |date=March 13, 2006 |title=Updated Australian Release Lists, 13/03/06 |url=http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Updated+Australian+Release+Lists%2C+13%2F03%2F06&id=4054&sid=7b6aa57eb03484e07e54922342ab01e8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526145645/http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Updated+Australian+Release+Lists%2C+13%2F03%2F06&id=4054&sid=7b6aa57eb03484e07e54922342ab01e8 |archive-date=May 26, 2006 |access-date=June 21, 2024 |website=PALGN}}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Action game|Action]], [[hack and slash]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
| platforms = [[PlayStation Portable]]
}}
'''''Death Jr.''''' is a 2005 [[video game]] for the [[PlayStation Portable]]. The PSP iteration was the first PSP game shown publicly and advertised as a [[killer-app]]. It was released to a mixed reception and noted for numerous problems about the camera, gameplay and uninspiring graphics, but was praised for its [[Tim Burton]]-esque themes and quirky characters. Slightly better received was the [[comic book]] adaptation by [[Gary Whitta]] and [[Ted Naifeh]], which includes two three-issue miniseries. The game was followed by ''[[Death Jr. II: Root of Evil]]'' in 2006 and ''[[Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom]]'' in 2007.
''Death Jr.'' was conceived during experiments with the engine of the cancelled game ''Prime 8'', a planned [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] to the ''[[Spyro The Dragon]]'' series. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unseen64.net/2009/06/16/agent-9-prime-8-ps2-cancelled/#comments|title=Agent 9 / Prime 8 &#91;PS2 - Cancelled&#93; - Unseen64|date=16 June 2009|access-date=15 January 2020|archive-date=2 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602001239/https://www.unseen64.net/2009/06/16/agent-9-prime-8-ps2-cancelled/#comments|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Plot==
The game and comic book are about the teenage son of the [[Grim Reaper]], named Death Jr. (DJ for short).  His father tried many times (all of them failed) to stop his son from creating chaos at every school he has been in. Now is DJ's last chance. If he creates chaos one more time, he'll be sent to [[military school]]. He meets new friends at this school: [[Pandora's box|Pandora]], a girl with [[Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder]] and a thing for locked boxes; [[stigmata|Stigmartha]], a girl who has holes in her hands and bleeds from them whenever she's nervous; Smith and Weston, [[conjoined twins]] who are very smart and conjoined at the head; the Seep, an armless, legless, foul-mouthed kid in a vat; and the Dead Guppy, a character who speaks for himself.
The friends go on a field trip to a museum, where they find a locked box that Pandora wants opened, so DJ opens it to impress her.  Unfortunately, all [[hell]] breaks loose and demons run amok. It's up to DJ to stop them and revert the town back to normal, all the while making sure Dad doesn't find out.
==Gameplay==
In the game, the player has a variety of guns ranging from pistols to a rocket launcher. The controls are simple. The player moves around with the analog nub and attacks people with the square and circle buttons. There is a lot of emphasis in the game on the combos which can be achieved by linking attacks to each other in rapid succession.
== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| GR = 63.30%<ref name=GR>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/psp/920140-death-jr/index.html|title=Death Jr. for PSP|publisher=[[GameRankings]]|accessdate=2014-01-08|archive-date=2014-01-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108055356/http://www.gamerankings.com/psp/920140-death-jr/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| MC = 61/100<ref name=MC>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/death-jr/critic-reviews/?platform=psp|title=Death Jr. Critic Reviews for PSP|website=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=2014-01-08|archive-date=2014-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422184510/http://www.metacritic.com/game/psp/death-jr/critic-reviews|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 1UP = C+<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/death-jr_5|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140108051825/http://www.1up.com/reviews/death-jr_5|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-01-08|title=Death Jr.|last=Nutt|first=Christian|website=[[1UP.com]]|date=2005-08-16|accessdate=2014-09-14}}</ref>
| Edge = 4/10<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Death Jr.|author=Edge Staff|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|issue=155|date=November 2005|page=113}}</ref>
| EGM = 4.83/10<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Death Jr.|author=EGM Staff|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=195|date=September 2005|page=116}}</ref>
| GI = 7/10<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Death Jr.|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|issue=149|date=September 2005|page=115}}</ref>
| GamePro = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psp/games/reviews/47744.shtml|title=Death Jr. Review for PSP on GamePro.com|author=Ouroboros|magazine=[[GamePro]]|date=2005-08-17|accessdate=2014-01-08|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104163911/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psp/games/reviews/47744.shtml|archivedate=2006-01-04|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| GameRev = C−<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/death-jr|title=Death Jr. Review|last=Reilly|first=Mike|publisher=[[Game Revolution]]|date=2005-08-31|accessdate=2014-01-08|archive-date=2014-01-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108060623/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/death-jr|url-status=live}}</ref>
| GSpot = 6.5/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/death-jr-review/1900-6131197/|title=Death Jr. Review|last=Navarro|first=Alex|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=2005-08-16|accessdate=2014-01-22|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207090654/http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/deathjr/review.html|archivedate=2007-02-07|url-status=live}}</ref>
| GT = 7.1/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/2flnzo/death-jr--review|title=Death Jr., Review|publisher=[[GameTrailers]]|date=August 26, 2005|accessdate=2014-01-08|archive-date=2014-01-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108060703/http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/2flnzo/death-jr--review|url-status=live}}</ref>
| IGN = 7/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/13/death-jr|title=Death Jr.|last=Nix|first=Marc|website=[[IGN]]|date=2005-08-12|accessdate=2014-01-08|archive-date=2014-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223050536/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/13/death-jr|url-status=live}}</ref>
| OPM = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/death-jr_4|title=Death Jr.|author=OPM Staff|magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]]|date=September 2005|page=93|accessdate=2014-01-08|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108055426/http://www.1up.com/reviews/death-jr_4|archivedate=2014-01-08}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''[[CiN Weekly]]''
| rev1Score = 68/100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050921/ENT09/509210343/1063|title=Death Jr.|last=Hruschak|first=PJ|publisher=[[CiN Weekly]]|date=2005-09-21|accessdate=2014-01-08|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201050417/http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20050921%2FENT09%2F509210343%2F1063|archivedate=2005-12-01|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Detroit Free Press]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/game4e_20050904.htm|title=THAT LITTLE DEVIL: In 'Death Jr.,' the Grim Reaper's boy must undo the trouble his mischief caused|last=Schaefer|first=Jim|newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=2005-09-04|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050917233710/http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/game4e_20050904.htm|archivedate=2005-09-17|accessdate=2014-01-08}}</ref>
}}
The game received average or mixed reviews, as [[GameRankings]] gave it a score of 63.30%<ref name=GR/> while [[Metacritic]] gave it a score of 61 out of 100.<ref name=MC/>
{{-}}
== See also ==
* ''[[Death, Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom]]''
* ''[[Death Jr. II: Root of Evil]]''
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{official website|http://www.deathjr.com/}}
* {{moby game|id=/psp/death-jr}}
{{Konami franchises}}
[[Category:2005 video games]]
[[Category:Action games]]
[[Category:Backbone Entertainment games]]
[[Category:Hack and slash games]]
[[Category:Konami franchises]]
[[Category:Konami games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Portable games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Portable-only games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games about death]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Canada]]