Don't Hate it because it's Viewtiful!
User Rating: 9.8 | Viewtiful Joe PS2
Capcom are known for making all sorts of different games. Back in the early 90's, after creating and 'perfecting' one of the greatest games of all time, they would usually create different sorts of fighters. These were known as side-scrolling beat 'em ups. What these were essentially, were games that you would beat up a group of guys, and then progress to a new part of the screen. After repeats of the first two parts, you would need to fight a boss, defeating him/her would end the level. While Capcom did not make the first of these games (I believe that honor goes to either Double Dragon or River Street Ransom), I believe they made it more popular with their Final Fight games. I grew up on these games, and this genre, and these games would make killer multiplayer games, so I hold this genre with high respect. However, it died, but now, Capcom have released Viewtiful Joe, a game which tries to carry on that kind of tradition. The first thing that you might think of when you hear the title for the first time is "Viewtiful? What is that?" Well, by beating up people, you earn these Viewtifuls, which are used to buy upgrades for Joe (the main character of the game), beat up a few people simply, you'll get little Viewtiful, beat the same people up, this time using the special abiltiies that Joe has will earn you lots more. And trust me, this isn't just a alternative for a traditional 'scoring system', it's actually one of the most important aspects of the game. Now about these 'Special Abilties'. Well, Joe has three of these special 'Viewtiful Effects, or VFX' to pull off. Slow, which allows him to slow time to see where a enemy will attack, so he can counter-attack, or to lower platforms (don't ask why). Mach-Speed, which allows Joe to speed up his attacks, finishing off foes quickly, and also making platforms go higher. Finally, he has the Zoom ability, which allows him to pull off some crazy and powerful moves that will earn tons of Viewtifuls, the problem is that it cuts off a lot of the screen, so you'll need to know where to attack enemies before using this power. Gameplay wise, Viewtiful Joe does a great job of re-establishing the love of side-scrolling beat 'em ups that died years ago. Combat is a insane amount of fun, and combining abilities (i.e using Zoom while using Slow) for use against foes is a blast to see. There is only one thing wrong with the game, it IS NOT for people who expect a easy game. Bosses are tough, and the puzzles are harder. Trust me, you'll need a walk-through to get the first few levels, but then, the rest becomes second nature. Graphically, this is easily one of the best looking games around. The game uses cel-shaded graphics, and do a great job of showcasing the world of Viewtiful Joe. Characters look great, and move well. When you use the VFX moves, it looks stunning as well, by using Mach-Speed, and repeatedly punching and kicking, Joe starts to look like he's burning, which is a great touch, and after moving around a bit, the flame dies off. Also, when using the slow and zoom abilities, destroying your robotic foes never looked better. The game also sounds pretty good as well. The music in the game is fast paced, complimenting the action happening on screen. The voice-acting is pretty good, and has some funny moments that will get you laughing. Also, if you're a fan of cinema (from the 70's to now), you'll get some of the jokes, if not, well, you can always ask the people who know! The games replay value is pretty high. You can unlock additional characters to play as (including one exclusve to PS2. I'll give you a hint to who one is, Do You Think The Devil May Cry?). But you'll need to beat the games harder difficulty to unlock them. Apart from doing this, you can 'do up' your characters by buying all the upgrades. Again, much fun! In closing, this is one hell of a great game, that really evokes a shadow of the past from one of the greatest game companies of all time. It has some of the best graphics to be seen in any video game, and compliments it with great action sequences, a great music score and some good voice-acting. Just don't expect this game to be easy...because this is truly one for the old-school gamers out there...
