Viewtiful Joe

Classic 2D action titles of old still retain a soft spot in the hearts of many gamers today. Although the games industry has evolved dramatically, that isn't to say that a developer can't return to it's roots. Some time ago, Capcom wholeheartedly realized this and began crafting a brawler set on the X and Y plane that contained a good deal of this generation's effects. That game was Viewtiful Joe. If any game can illustrate the extreme entertainment and playability that those side-scrollers of the past contained, it's Joe's viewtiful beat em' up. But before we start, I'd like to answer a few questions that a curious mind might seek to ask:

Does Viewtiful Joe revolutionize the way we play games? Hardly. Can you roam a living, breathing world at will? No. Will it remind you of why games are so fun to play in the first place? Most definitely.

The story basically revolves around Joe's attempt to rescue his girlfriend Sylvia after she is strangely sucked into a movie by a demented villain--the same outlaw who defeated Captain Blue, famed superhero and Joe's idol. The ailing Captain bestows Joe with the necessary powers to find Sylvia and slay the person who kidnapped her. You progressively learn that a gang of creatures living in Movie Land plan to escape their homeland and take over the real world. Though not exactly riveting, the plot isn't the predominate factor in the game's entertainment.

Besides a very solid fighting engine to begin with, Viewtiful Joe also grants the player with powerups, upgrades, and moves that greatly enhance how you kick ass. Once Joe's VFX meter is full, you can perform your three main powers: slow, mach speed, and zoom, which add to the game's style and also increase it's entertainment. By activating slow, enemies' weak spots are often revealed; dodging bullets a la Matrix is possible; the spinning of heli-platforms decreases, allowing you to hop on; and so on. Mach speed turns things into a blur, allowing you to dominate opponents with insanely fast punches and kicks. In 'zoom' mode, the camera pans forward, upping Joe's strength and also creating special moves that allow our hero to break through select ceilings and floors. Each of these powers can be utilized in tandem throughout a given battle. For instance, dodge an enemy's attack, hit 'slow' to reveal it's weak spot and send em’ flying, and hit 'zoom' to finish your enemy off with a powerful kick. Not only will moments like these impress on-lookers, they will earn you extra points to purchase goodies between levels. None of these are required to advance in the game, but some turn out to be especially useful, such as more health and lives and a few snazzy moves.

Viewtiful Joe's gorgeous visuals will catch your eye the second you begin play. The levels take on a side-scrolling perceptive, but don't think for a second that a mainly-2D game means less-impressive graphics. Thankfully, every on-screen character and portions of the environment are rendered in 3D, which is proof that the developer actually took pride in crafting polygonal models rather than tossing in poorly animated sprites. A good number of cool effects are thrown in as well and the action never dips in its framerate. This is one of the few titles that I have played in which the technical aspects of the visuals completely coincide with the astounding art direction. Viewtiful Joe literally looks like a comic-book in motion.

The audio didn't impress me quite as much as the graphics, but what's here is easily better than average. Characters speak their dialogue fine, but I noticed alot of the bosses' voice acting was barely audible above their heavy accent (the Australian shark, anyone?). Joe himself sounds appropriate, and a good deal of the lines are quite comical, which is a testament to the game's lighthearted demeanor. The sound effects are the true winners in Viewtiful Joe. It is just plain neat to hear the exaggerated sounds that punches and kicks create in slow motion.

Viewtiful Joe is the type of game that could warrant buying a GC. It has style; it has pizazz; it has entertainment. Titles this refreshing in gameplay come around rarely. But is all perfect in Joe's little world? Not quite. I can sense many players becoming discouraged with the difficulty level. Even on Kids mode, this game is no pushover. Chances are, however, you'll have it in you to keep going and discover all Viewtul Joe has to offer. In fact, persistence leads to some excellent replay value--the game just extends above the call of duty on every level. And that, my friend, is just plain viewtiful.