Viewtiful Joe is slick, smooth and polished; and it has everything any Beat-Em Up Superhero fan would want in any game.
The Bad: The game is rather short, voice acting could have been louder.
Introduction: Viewtiful Joe was a very surprising game when it was announced at E3; its graphical style caught attention by many as well as tbe bright wacky characters that are represented in the VJ Universe. Well this game is as viewtiful as it can get, which of course means a beautiful view. Now maybe you can get where Viewtiful Joe got its name, hence the beautiful and stylish graphics. This game is to be remembered by many, and its still coming along quite well. New sequels are wide open and this games art style never gets old, VJ is a gamer to remember. Henshin a Go-Go Baby!
Note: VJ=Viewtiful Joe
Story: You start off the game as the red headed slick, superhero lover Joe. Him and his girlfriend, the sexy Silvia, are watching an old superhero movie re released into theaters. Joe is having the time of his life, but Silvia seems to be wanting to get to the nearest motel for some more action. They are watching an old flick, entitled The Adventures of Captain Blue, and they have both seen it as youngsters. Silvia pulls a few moves on Joe in the (empty) movie theater, when he tells her to get a grip. Its just then that the movie comes to life! Now, a giant robotic mechanism reaches through the silver screen and takes hold of.... you guessed it.... Sylvia. The machine pulls her into the movie; as she screams for help, Joe just watches stunned. But time doesn't fly by, as then Joe himself is pulled into this Captain Blue place, also known as Movieland. There he receives a V-Watch (or special ability enhancer) from Captain Blue. Blue seems to have perished by his enemies, and so Blue entrusts Joe with the responsibility of being the hero in this world; so he gives Joe powers and tips on the way as he heads off to find his girlfriend Silvia; and to stop the domination of the world. Presentation: This game has a stunning presentation; from the slick art style, to the amazing graphics, to the cheesy voice acting, everything ties together perfectly. This game is one of those rare cases where many games are left in the shadows... but this one is an exception that is sure to impress.
Graphics: Viewitiful Joe is a true work of art. This game has some of the best Cel Shading I have ever seen in a video game. The animations are flawless, and the art style will blow your mind. Everything looks like it was taken directly from a comic book or a cartoon, and you get to play in this magnificent world. There are hundreds of enemies, and their are many environments to look at and they all provide eye appealing originality that truly deserves some hard earned credit. Capcom sure seems to be the master at video game graphical technologies.
Sound: The sound in this game is pretty interesting actually. The characters voices are very cheesy (although they are supposed to be), and there are many beat-em up sound effects to listen too. However, the voices of enemies are barely audible throughout the games music which is pretty nice to listen to. The tracks in this game provide a settling mood that fits the comic book style and this game perfectly. The sound is great, but it does have its flaws.
Gameplay: This game is true beat em up action. There are hundreds upon hundreds of mobs of enemies coming at you throughout the game, and Joe must use his many moves and abilities in order to conquer them. Now here is the basic outlook of the game: First, VJ has an array of moves in which he can use in order to vanquish his foes. He has a standard punch, a kick, and a jump. He can even double jump; but the catch here is that VJ can only double jump while he is transformed into Viewtiful Joe, otherwise he is just Joe. VJ is a lot stronger than average Joe, and also (as mentioned) the ability to double jump. He is faster and has greater defensive power when standing up to his enemies. But how can you become VJ or just remain as Joe in the first place? Well, Joe has a special meter that tells shows his VFX Power. On this bar, it tells how much energy VJ has for his special moves. If the bar empties, then he transforms back into normal Joe (for a brief period before the bar quickly replenishes). Of course, your bar doesn't just decrease by itself. The bar can also be expanded (for one level) by collecting V-Films. 50 V-Films raises the bar by one, and there are many throughout the level. The energy bar will ONLY decrease when using your VFX Powers; and these are all of what make VJ so great. So what are your VFX Powers anyways? Well to start off, you have three; and they are
Slow Motion: The first VFX Power Joe obtains (which is taught by Captain Blue's Spirit) allows Joe to move in Slow Motion, which also affects things in the environment. Let me tell you that this will probably be the most used VFX Power in the game, and its quite easy to find out why. When using Slow, Joe is magnificently stronger. His attacks can obliterate his enemies, and are vanquished even faster than normally attacking. As well, some enemies can ONLY be damaged by Slow so it is very useful. Another catch with Slow, is that the things it does to the environment can have a cause and effect. For example, if you are near a helicopter, (one that is flying around of course), you can activate slow which will cause the rotor of the copter to stop spinning, thus the copter will fall to the groud. You can even use it to charge electricity at higher percentages, or give rockets an extra boost. It sounds complicated but once you see it in action then you will find how simplistic it is. Another catch with slow, is that Joe is almost completely invincible. This is because Joe can dodge just about any attack his opponent thrashes at him. But be careful, as VFX Power can be run down quickly, and dodging enemy attacks makes it run down a but faster too. Now for the second ability
Mach Speed: Mach Speed is the second ability for VJ.. With this, he can move MANY times faster than the normal human. Added, he attacks enemies much faster and destroys weaker ones quicker. However, some enemies will not even notice the quick jabs Joe is delivering, so they will have opportunities to attack without any to dodge. Another thing with Mach Speed, like Slow, is that it can affect the environment. As mentioned earlier with the helicopter rotor, Speed can do the same except the Rotor will spin much faster and the helicopter will be elevated into the sky. Another great addition to Speed is that when you are attacking, you can seem to be moving so fast that more than one of you will be attacking at once. In other words, hurdles or shadows of your self will fire themselves at enemies farther away. Its a great move and it also can be updated; where you can have a maximum of six VJs moving at once (updating explained later). The last thing that Mach Speed can do to you is cause friction. When Joe hits objects at high speeds, friction will occur and Joe will catch on Fire. The fire doesn't hurt Joe, its just about the opposite. When on fire, Joe can run through fire, and not be hurt by burns. As well, he can catch other things on fire too. The fire does die down after awhile, but you come to learn that later it is very useful. Now for the third and final VFX Power.
Zoom: Zoom, what a strange name isn't it? Well this is a pretty different power than the others, but it is used a lot. With Zoom, it allows players to zoom into the action much closer and examine the angle of VJs attacks. With this, enemies become quite cautioned of Joes' daring to "move so close". As well, each one of VJs moves in Zoom are stronger and different. For example, he now has a ground pound and a upper spiral slice, and he even has a windmill kick. The great thing too is that you can combine Zoom with either Slow or Mach Speed, so the different moves can be used accordingly. Note that more VFX is beings used. But even better, when zoomed in, everything gets more "Viewtiful", and thus you gain more points. You can do many moves, and which you can double (or more) how many points you receive in combos. Well what are VJ Points?
In VJ, you can get points just buy showing off stylish moves. These points are also obtained by defeating bosses or finding them hidden throughout the levels. Whats the point of these points anyways? Well, with these points, at the end of the level you can buy upgrades. These upgrades range from more health, more attacks, more lives, and items. These items that can be used are boomerangs and bombs, which are both very useful. Points are obtained throughout the levels, but after they are spent they aren't coming back. Its best to use them wisely, but note that you can buy just about everything when playing through the game.
These are all the basics of VJ, but there is much more things to be discovered. There are bosses to be vanquished, puzzles to be conquered, and even the ability to ride in your sweet little Six Machine (which can transform into different transportation devices accordingly) This game has much to be explored, and there is much to have fun with in Viewtiful Joe.
Value: Viewtiful Joe will last you for quite awhile, and there should be no reason why you wouldn't want to play this game a second time through. There are many difficulties to unlock, and even the chance to unlock new Superheros to play with. There are challenges and high scores, so this game should last you awhile. The main game (on the easiest level) should take aroun seven hours to conquer with an average player, but there is alot of replay value. There are even sequels to this magnificent game, so be prepared to conquer them all. In the end, in turns out that Viewtiful Joe is one of Capcoms greatest accomplishments. Very addictive, fresh and new, Viewtiful Joe should amaze those wanting a fast and frenzied game.