This is definatly a Viewtiful Joe game and that's half the problem
The bottom screen displays the action from your normal Joe angle but the top screen shows things much more closely. The graphics are gorgeous keeping true to the unique look of the series, joe jumps ducks kicks and punches look as good on your tiny DS screen as they did on your gamecube.
The gameplay is also true to the series but it's the puzzles in Viewtiful Joe DS that really make it stand out with the new V-powers Slide, Split and Scratch. Before you start a stage you will get a preview of the level which gives you time to check for clues on how you might solve various puzzles. It might be having to split the screen to erupt a fire hydrant over to a fire or slide the top screen down so you can screw a cog to bring down a platform. Truely these puzzles have to be played and with the increasing difficulty in the puzzles the satisfaction in completing them heightens.
So this all sounds good right? The gameplay is fantastic, the touch screen is superb whats wrong?
Well unfortunatly like most Joe games it gets repetitive in the latter stages almost to the point of not wanting to finish the game. In the last 2 levels you will be forced to face all the bosses you have already beaten which is seemingly a Capcom trait as this is as annoying (and dull) as it was in Viewtiful Joe and Devil May Cry. Why games developers think this is a good idea I dont know I mean come on we beat the bosses once, making us fight them one after the other AGAIN is a bit cheap.
That rant aside though the fact remains this is a great game and if there is another Joe game on the DS we can only imagine what Capcom can come up with for the touch screen next.