A mixture of classic 16-bit gaming, unique play mechanics a stylish visuals, Viewtiful Joe is an instant winner.
Joe, without much warning sees himself forced to enter the world of Movie Land ashis girlfriend Silvia is kidnapped by the very villain of the movie they were watching. Along the way he encounters Capt. Blue, the now pot-bellied-ready-to-retire hero of the movie. With Captain Blue's assistance Joe dons the V-Watch that transforms into the red suit and pink scarf wearing super hero Viewtiful Joe. The V-Watch allows Joe to manipulate time not unlike a movie maker would do to make the fighting scenes more dramatic: Slow Motion, Fast Forward and Close up Zoom, which can only be performed as long as there is energy in the VFX Bar. Using each of these visuals techniques expand upon Joe's special moves and abilities to fight the enemies and solve environmental puzzles in very unorthodox and stylish ways; there is something indescribably cool about going into low motion to punch a bullet back at a foe!
The cast of enemies that populate the game would feel right at home in a Power Rangers inspired flick. These enemies while having recognizable attack patterns, come strong in numbers and variety to keep the player on its toes. As more enemies are defeated by linking combos, Joe earns V-coins to buy extra moves and items to power up his move set even further, and believe it, those extras moves are a must to beat this game.
The game not only imitates the game play of the 2D era, it also brings along the difficulty those games were known for, and as with every though side scroller, along comes a cast of Boss characters to go with it. And it better be for the player to be fast at pattern recognition and twitch reactions, because otherwise Joe will end the Cutting Room floor in no time.
In the art department, Viewtiful Joe makes honor to its name spotting a very stunning and distinctive cell shading with heavy black borders and super colorful hues. The scenery also play along with the theme of a movie set with a combination of 2D cardboard thin props and backdrops that reveal the nature of Movie Land. The sound department blares with memorable tunes and excellent sound effects. The punch and kick effects are particularly satisfying.
The game's only drawback could be the somewhat short length. But it is not a game the player will be able to breeze through due to its difficulty and by a check point system that send the player back to the beginning of the stage once the continues are over. Special mention goes for using the old Capcom staple of fighting all Boss characters right before the final level ala Megaman, which could push the patience of even the most weathered old school gamer.
Viewtiful Joe is the kind of game that will kick a players' ass and he/she would gladly come back for more. It is that sort of challenge that people crave for the heck of it and Joe is happy to oblige. It is a dynamic, beautiful and fun game that is made from a template that is very rare to see or experience anymore. If you have what it takes, give it a go go baby!