What started as a crossover ended up lighting the fuse on an entire revival.

When Tanuki Creative Studio (now currently known as Blast Zero) brought the Nyanki into Jitsu Squad (as an arcade version exclusive), it wasn’t just a cameo for nostalgia points. According to developer commentary shared via Netto’s Game Room, the team had so much fun working with the Samurai Pizza Cats characters that they actively pursued permission to do more with the license.

And they got it.

That enthusiasm — the joy of animating them, modernizing their movement, and seeing audience reactions in arcades — directly led to the greenlight for Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast from the Past, a full game built around the Nyanki rather than borrowing them for a guest appearance.

In other words:

Jitsu Squad wasn’t just a crossover — it was the proof of concept.

📌 Source: Netto’s Game Room, developer background on Blast from the Past

https://www.nettosgameroom.com/2025/10/samurai-pizza-cats-blast-from-past.html

⸻

Why this is HUGE (and worth documenting)

• 🕹 Arcade feedback mattered — Nyanki weren’t tested in a vacuum.

• 🎮 Modern gameplay → full revival pipeline actually happened.

• 🧠 This explains why Blast from the Past feels confident, playful, and character-forward.

• 💙 It reframes current merch, collabs, and hype as momentum, not random nostalgia drops.

Honestly? This is one of those rare cases where fandom passion → developer joy → official revival happened in the bestpossible order.

For more info about Jitsu Squad, please visit:

https://exa.ac/en/games/jitsu-squad/?v=0f177369a3b7