Viewtiful Joe Hands-On

When the original Viewtiful Joe was released on the GameCube back in October of 2003, it did so as an exclusive, with no other versions of the game in sight. But with Viewtiful Joe 2 coming to both the GameCube and the PlayStation 2 this year, Capcom felt that the first game should also come to the PlayStation 2, if only to ensure that players who don't own a GameCube get a chance to experience it. A work-in-progress version of the game was on display at E3 2004, and we're happy to report that it looks pretty good.

Viewtiful Joe is a very unique-looking, cel-shaded side-scrolling action game. As Joe, you've infiltrated the world of movies in an attempt to rescue your girlfriend, Sylvia. So there are a lot of henchmen to beat up. You'll take them on by transforming into superhero form and becoming Viewtiful Joe.

Viewtiful Joe's powers tip the scales in Joe's favor. From the get-go, you'll be able to go into mach speed mode or slow-motion mode. Mach speed sends everything into turbo speed, letting you unleash a flurry of fast, highly damaging attacks. Slow-motion lets you dodge shots more easily, even slowing down bullets to a visible speed to give you a chance to dodge or even punch the bullets back at your enemies.

A lot of clever puzzles are in place to make use of your powers. The game's got a twisted sense of logic to it that works very well. For example, in several sections you'll find hovering platforms that are powered by propellers. Mach speed will make the blades spin faster, causing the platform to rise. Slow will, obviously, make the blade slow down. It won't spin fast enough to keep the platform afloat, and it will drop to the ground. This same logic applies to helicopter-like enemies. Slow motion will be used to slow the reels of a slot machine, and much, much more.

Graphically, the version of Viewtiful Joe on display at E3 2004 looks pretty great. While there's a bit of graininess to the PlayStation 2 version that wasn't present in the original GameCube version, the game still looks surprisingly solid and nicely colorful.

Viewtiful Joe is currently scheduled to ship to PlayStation 2 owners this fall. The PlayStation 2 version will contain an additional character--Dante from Capcom's Devil May Cry series.