Viewtiful Joe is as stylish as it is enjoyable.
Joe, our hero, is an average guy and a movie maniac who particularly enjoys movies starring the superhero Captain Blue. He's on a date during one such film with his girl, Sylvia, when something very strange happens: a gigantic hand reaches from the screen and kidnaps Sylvia. Soon enough, another equally large hand steals away Joe as well. Before he knows it, Joe is thrust into the movies as a pink-caped superhero in red tights on his way to rescue his girlfriend.
Like any good beat 'em up, Viewtiful Joe throws waves of enemies at you. In order to reach the end of the episode (and eventually the boss near its end), Joe must fight his way through a sea of opponents. If this was all there was to the gameplay, it would be quite stale and repetitive. Luckily, the game puts in a few twists to keep things fresh and interesting.
Joe has what are called VFX powers. Throughout the course of the game, he acquires three: slow motion, mach speed, and zoom in. Slow motion allows him to slow down time, mach speed allows him to speed it up, and zoom in moves in the camera view to give enemies stage fright and grant Joe access to a new arsenal of moves and attacks. The VFX powers, in addition to being used in battle, are also incorporated into clever puzzles, although none of them are real brain teasers.
Viewtiful Joe rewards you for playing the game with style. Most of the time, "style" means using the VFX powers as much as possible in battle. Killing as many enemies as possible using combos or just killing them outright gives you what are called V Points, which are used to upgrade Joe and give him new moves.
Does a single enemy stand a chance against a hero with such viewtiful moves? No, not really. On their own, most of the enemies aren't particularly challenging. But when they are many, that's where the game gets difficult (strength in numbers, as they say.) Viewtiful Joe is a rather hard game, even on the easiest difficulty. Some of the bosses are brutal, too. It's not insanely difficult but it keeps the challenge bar at a good level.
Graphically, Viewtiful Joe looks amazing. It has a great, cartoony art style that really fits the playful mood of the game. Characters are animated as beautifully as they look. Not only does the game look spectacular, but everything happening in it looks equally spectacular; effects such as explosions look good. Everything looks great and there are no flaws in the graphics.
A great soundtrack complements the graphics. Many of the songs are quite catchy and have an upbeat sound. Voice acting is really where the game shines. Each of the speaking characters (that is to say Joe, Sylvia, and the bosses) all have a personality due to the excellent voice work and well-written, humorous script.
Viewtiful Joe is a decent length. It's worth another playthrough on its own, but it also has different difficulties and unlockable characters. Beyond all of this, though, there isn't much.
With consistently fresh and original gameplay, amazing graphics, and phenomenal sound you can't go wrong with Viewtiful Joe. It's worth a purchase for any beat 'em up fan, Gamecube owner, or just someone looking for a challenge. Viewtiful Joe is sure to become a classic.