Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble is a unique and fascinating experience that really shows off the strong points of the DS.
Game Review
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Introduction:
Two factors determine the greatness of games: style and substance. By style we refer to the particular flair, personality, and idea of a game, and by substance we refer to how well it actually plays out in action. The Viewtiful Joe series is renowned for some of the most stylish games ever played, and yet still manages to deliver incredible substance along with it. Bizarre, funny, quirky, and downright fun - these words all describe Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble with perfect accuracy.
GamePlay:
Appearing for the first time on Nintendo DS, the Viewtiful Joe formula is well-intact. Joe can punch, kick, and jump his way through one of the strangest game worlds you've ever encountered. And, as with everything, he does it with style. Every bit of combat feels fun and whimsical, and gets even better when you utilize his VFX powers. Using these abilities, you can perform such amazing feats as slowing down time, splitting the enviroment, dropping down items on enemies, and shaking the screen. Many of these are performed with the touch screen, and it works quite well. The touch screen usage really adds a lot of value to the gameplay, which is one of the strongest points of the game.
Control:
The D-pad and button controls work perfectly well, but the touch controls can take a while to get used to. Once you do, they work excellently and offer you a high level of interactivity without ever becoming frustrated.
Graphics:
This has to be the best-looking DS game I've ever seen, even more so than Nanostray. The sidescrolling 3D world is colorful, immersive, highly detailed, and downright beautiful. Joe and his enemies are rendered in what appears to be cel-shading. All six levels are based on popular movies, and they really manage to immerse you in this strange world by use of some of the most detailed environments ever seen in a handheld game. Graphically, this game competes with the Gamecube versions, which speaks worlds for the power of the DS. Unfortunately, this graphical mastery comes at a price. In order to prevent game slow-downs, the designers opted to have very few enemies ever onscreen at the same time. Consequently, you find yourself rarely fighting more than one opponent, and at times you get the feeling of just walking forward for a new opponent, one after another. For those of you who remember Master Karateka on the NES, you'll know what I'm talking about.
In finality, it should be noted that Viewtiful Joe is possibly the most graphically impressive handheld game I've ever seen, and easily beats anything on the PSP. If Viewtiful Joe sets a standard, we'll hopefully be seeing a lot more great-looking DS games in the future.
Sound & Music:
Like the graphics, the sound really shows off what the DS can do. In what sounds almost like high-quality MP3, a heart-racing soundtrack keeps the action moving at a fast pace, and always fits the situation. The tunes are excellent, and while they're not very distinctive, they get the job done very well. The sound effects are equally impressive, and at times you'll have a hard time believing that your little DS stereo speakers are pumping out this stuff.
Dual Screen Use: (only for Nintendo DS games)
As stated before, the touch screen is used to perform all sorts of incredible powers, including reversing the two screens and shaking the entire world via "scratching." It can be a little cumbersome having to switch between buttons and the stylus, but it's rarely a major problem, and the touchscreen usage adds of a lot of fun to the gameplay.
Final Comments:
This game has been overshadowed by recent DS releases like Mario Kart and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, and platformer fans have mostly opted for Castlevania DoS and Sonic Rush while forgetting all about this game. This is a shame, since Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble is an excellent game in its own right, and a great tribute to the technical power of the DS. While the touch-screen controls can be a little annoying at times, and the sparse enemy encounters can occasionally bore you, the good things about this game keep you coming back for a long time. Regardless of its shortcomings, it's one of the best platformers of the season, and shouldn't be forgotten just because Castlevania and Sonic are better.
If you're a fan of Viewtiful Joe, or just platformers in general, then this game is a great choice for your DS library.
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Game Rating
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Pros: Pushes the DS to its graphical limits. Viewtiful Joe gameplay is almost fully intact, and new touchscreen additions make for a lot of fun that you won't find on the console versions. Fairly good replay value.
Cons: Switching to touchscreen can be annoying. Graphical detail means very few enemies to fight.
Final Score: 8.5