Let’s face facts here folks, at Wii Café, it’s easy to admit that we root for the underdog. The Gamecube, as a system, is much weaker in popularity and sales than the PS2 and XBox, and it doesn’t look like those numbers will change anytime soon. Therefore, it is easy to see why many game companies have declared they will no longer support Nintendo’s flagship system, instead turning their attention making games for systems that will surely see a profit. But, it is during these times of trial that the truly great game companies will step up to create true works of art, true gems of gaming that are rewards for the true hangers-on who have stuck by the Gamecube. Folks, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, Viewtiful Joe is one of these gems. After playing this game, only two words can be uttered from my lips. SIMPLY…VIEWTIFUL.

Presentation: The storyline is a rather simple one, but one that fits in well to the frame of the story. You play as Joe, an average, normal, basic guy with an insatiable love of film hero Captain Blue. Somehow, this average, normal, basic dude finds the girl of his dreams in Sylvia, a woman just looking for some love from her main squeeze. However, the love of his film hero seems to take priority over the love of his girlfriend, leaving Sylvia getting Joe’s cold shoulder on several occasions. However, one night, while Joe and Sylvia are the only two in the theatre watching a Captain Blue movie, the leader of the Xadow (Captain Blue’s sword enemies) manages to kidnap Sylvia, bringing her into the movie world, as well as defeating Captain Blue! Now, Joe must chase after her, but not before receiving a special gift from Captain Blue – a device called the “V Watch”. With a couple of poses and a call of “Henshin-A-Go-Go Baby!” Joe transforms into the ultimate super action hero – VIEWTIFUL JOE!!!

Joe is simply En Fuego.

Viewtiful Joe is a 2D action game, but it’s not your average classic Mario-esque platformer. The game also channels beat-‘em-ups like Final Fight, and a touch of side-scrolling shooters like Gradius and R-Type (at least for one level), but its greatest triumph comes in the form of the unique VFX system, short for “Viewtiful Effects”. Using Joe’s various VFX powers, one can slow down the action to avoid enemy attacks (in cool bullet-time Matrix-style) and unleash stronger punches and kicks, speed up the action to take out weak enemies in quick succession, and zoom in to unleash awesome special attacks. Another cool thing about VFX is that it is not only used in fighting enemies, but also in solving puzzles. An example is the array of platforms throughout the game with fans under them. By utilizing the “slow” VFX, you can lower the platforms by stopping the fans, or make them go higher by using the “mach speed” VFX to speed them up. However, the VFX abilities are not unlimited. On the top of the screen is the VFX bar, which decreases when you use VFX, and recharges when you don’t. If your VFX bar runs out, you change back to regular Joe, and are basically easy pickings for your enemies until the bar charges back up. It is this innovative system that makes Viewtiful Joe a truly one of a kind game, and makes for a great selling point. Another cool part of the game is the “Just Go For It!” mission system. As you play through the levels, you’ll encounter missions where you have to defeat a certain amount of enemies, find a key or flag, or accomplish a task, sometimes with a time limit. After the mission is complete, you’ll receive a grade on how you did, ranging from V to D, with V (Viewtiful) being the highest. This system once again adds a lot to the game, and adds plenty of replayability, as players will strive to achieve the highest rating.

The game’s feel seems to that of an over-the-top action-adventure game, but that is what the game is meant to be. The comic-style graphics combined with the games tongue-in-cheek parodies of action heroes and hero movies really create a combined feel that will either have you on the edge of your seat, or laughing your ass off. The game constantly parodies and pays homage to famous movies and other games, but the game is mostly a parody of the Japanese genre of Tokusatsu, Japanese live-action hero shows. Tokusatsu has been around for decades in Japan, and always consists of a hero (or team of heroes, commonly called sentai) who can transform into a superhero and uses Martial Arts techniques to save the planet from an evil organization bent on world domination. Viewtiful Joe not only is a homage to these characteristics, but the more intricate ones, such as the use of the word “Henshin” as a transformation phrase (“Henshin” is Japanese for “Transform” or “Change”) and an arch-rival character who happens to be much cooler than the actual hero (Alastor, a black version of Joe with horns and demon wings), and even the fact that Joe wears an overly-long scarf, fights dozens of look-alike grunts, and has access to a giant robot. And just to finish the thought about Tokusatsu, more specifically that of sentai, we here in America know sentai by another name…The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.


Joe slows down the action to deliver a beatdown.
Graphics: Most games, when they are given the cell-shaded treatment, are given it simply because, well, it looks good. In Viewtiful Joe, it not only looks good, it adds in to the whole universe and atmosphere of the game. Viewtiful Joe is supposed to be a comic book, and the graphics add to that. The graphics look vibrant and colorful, and, although it is a 2D game at heart, it does a good job of conveying a 3D aspect that few modern 2D games are able to convey. The game also includes cute touches, like the screen seemingly becoming worn and old when you are in Regular Joe form, as if you were watching an old movie. Using VFX also offers some great visual treats, such as how Zoom-In allows you to utilize powerful finishing moves, just like in a classic Kung-fu film. Also, in slow, your attacks seem to hit almost absurdly hard, and are often accompanied by shattered glass and other cute additions. The character designs are super-deformed and clearly anime-infused, but it works in this case as it adds a lot of emotion to their facial features.

Sound: The music in the game suits the game well, but it isn’t anything spectacular. This is probably for the best though, as in my opinion music is made to simply create atmosphere, not get stuck in your head after a few plays of a game. Viewtiful Joe does a good job of having music that fulfills this requirement, so a good thing there. The sound effects aren’t anything special either, but it is fun to hear ever thwack, every crash, and every smash when you’re in slow mode. Other than that, just par for the course. The real joy is the Voice Acting, which, as always for a Capcom game, is done superbly well, better than any game in recent memory. Everyone’s voices are done really well, without being overly cheesy, and really add a lot to the game’s frequent cut-scenes. Trust me, these aren’t Sega-bad voiceovers.

Gameplay- the controls may seem a little complicated at first, but in reality it is really simple. A is Jump, X and Y are punch and kick respectively, L is Slow, R is Mach Speed, and B is zoom in. It was simple to use combos, and button mashers will feel right at home hitting X and Y repeatedly to bust up enemies, while using the various VFX. This doesn’t mean this game is a walk in the park, however. In the higher difficulties the game becomes extremely difficult, and managing your VFX properly, as well as more advanced maneuvers becomes the key to advancing through the game. The game is still incredibly fun, and great to try things out in order to advance through missions with the peak efficiency, and gain the highest score, and gain the highest amount of “Viewtifuls” which are currency you can use to buy power-ups and upgrades in the store. Plus, there are some really cool unlockables you can gain as you complete each difficulty level, of which I won’t spoil. This also adds to the game’s lastability, as every time you beat the game once, you’ll want to beat it again and again, just to unlock all the stuff and do the best you can. Also, due to the fact that it’s only childish violence, its fun for all ages, not just kids. Basically, if you love Super Smash Brothers: Melee, you’ll love this game.

The Verdict – Well, what can I say? This game is an absolute masterpiece. It harkens back to the classic side-scrollers of the NES, with a great 3D feel, and also the fact that you get to play as a superhero that is just amazingly cool. Honestly, there really aren’t many bad things I can say about this game, except for maybe that there is a lack of variety in the levels (I would have liked to see more levels where fly in your jet or use your giant robot), and that there is a lack of variety in some of the enemies, even though those are simply minor nitpicks. Overall, this is a terrific experience, a possible Game of the Year candidate, and a must buy for anyone, and I mean ANYONE who owns a Gamecube. So thank you, Capcom, for giving us Viewtiful Joe, and for creating an absolute masterpiece.