Viewtiful Joe Walkthrough

By Doug Radcliffe
Design by Katie Bush

Joe has always been a fan of blockbuster, stunt-filled action movies: and now he's part of one! Joe gets caught up in the movie to rescue his girlfriend, Silvia, from the clutches of evil. With the help of his celluloid hero, Captain Blue, Joe gains the super powers of slow, mach speed, and zoom, and transforms into Viewtiful Joe to battle a horde of nefarious movie villains. Aid Joe and help rescue Silvia with this complete game guide for Capcom's GameCube-exclusive Viewtiful Joe.

Chapter 1: Viewtiful Strategies

This section contains a compilation of general strategies for Viewtiful Joe.

• When up against generic enemies, your best course of action is to try and maximize your V-Points, particularly early in the game so you can save for additional life or the VFX charger. Approach a generic enemy and dodge its attack. Once dodged, enter slow and attack the enemy with punches and kicks. While still in slow, you should try and score combination attacks by hitting other enemies that are designated targets. You can multiply your awarded V-Points by two, three, four or above depending on how many enemies you can hit.
• Once you receive the mach speed ability, you can hold down "R" while in slow to walk at normal speed. This helps perform combination attacks while in slow so you can multiply your awarded V-Points.
• The best power-ups to spend V-Points on are the VFX charger, which increases the rate at which your VFX recharges, life, which increases your health permanently, and ukemi, which helps recover damage from knockdown enemy attacks. Also, if you're having trouble with a particular boss, consider a "Take 2" which lets you continue the boss battle with full health without resetting the boss's health.
• The most powerful attack in the game is a combination of slow, zoom, and repeated punches (the Red Hot One Hundred). To perform the maneuver, get next to an enemy or boss, activate slow and zoom, and hold down the punch button to attack. You can pummel nearly every enemy and it is the best way to inflict damage against the boss characters.
• Your VFX abilities can affect situations in unique ways. For instance, if you're in slow and attacked, Joe will auto-dodge the strike or the projectile (the auto-dodge uses more of your VFX meter). Performing your own attacks in slow inflict more damage than normal attacks. Other unique abilities: slow reduces the speed of propellers, which will cause the item attached to the propeller to drop; slow increases the radius and damage of explosions; slow increases the size and weight of water drops; and slow can help you redirect missiles and projectiles (just punch them while in slow).
• Like slow, zoom also increases the potency of all attacks. For example, if you've dropped a bomb and want it to inflict the most damage possible, activate slow and zoom. You should activate zoom when you've redirected a projectile at an enemy (such as one of the tanks) because it will inflict more damage.

Chapter 2: Items

This section reveals the items available in Viewtiful Joe's "take a break" section and offers tips on using each.

Cheeseburger (price: 1,000): Restores one life. If you've reached the take a break section and are short on life, purchase cheeseburgers to fill your health bar to maximum before you continue the next section. Though remember that the game does have unlimited continues and, if you don't mind your continues racking up, you can just perish and restart from the same take a break section.

Shocking Pink (price: 1,500): Produce bombs from out of thin air and send them flying with a kick. Hold down the kick button to produce a bomb. As the bombs explode, activate slow and zoom to increase their damage. Shocking Pink can be useful against bosses and groups of enemies. The purchase provides a limited number of bombs; if you want more, purchase another set. You do get some for free on Episode 3, so you may want to hold off spending V-Points for them until you get to experiment. You can also use them to break background crates. Hold down the kick button to release the bomb and keep holding it down and Joe will whistle a familiar tune.

Voomerang (price: 2,000): A smooth move that lets you use the V-emblem like a boomerang. Hold down the punch button to fire the voomerang. The purchase provides a limited number of voomerangs; if you want more, purchase another set.

Sliding (price: 5,000): Skid along the ground and kick. A slick move. Press down and kick to execute the slide. Can help score multi-hit combinations as it moves a far distance.

Air Joe (price: 5,000): A beautiful flying punch-kick combo attack.

Redhot Kick (price: 8,000): A fantastic aerial diving drop kick. While jumping, press down and kick. Zoom while performing this move to perform a dragon kick.

Mach Speed (price for level 1: 10,000; price for level 2: 30,000): Have up to four of yourself on level 1 and six of yourself on level 2 appearing and moving at mach speed. You must purchase the increased mach speed levels to reach the background crates found in many areas and boss battles.

Viewtiful Forever (price: 20,000): Strike a pose that's just too cool and damage all the enemies on the screen. A killer technique. In slow, dodge enemy attacks and zoom in. Not especially useful. Your V-Points are better spent elsewhere unless you just have more than you could possibly need.

Ukemi (price: 30,000): When you're hit, reach to the fall and reduce damage to a minimum. A magic move. Before you fall, zoom in. This is a better use of your V-Points. After you've been knocked back by an enemy strike, zoom in just as you hit the ground and you will recover some damage. You can combine with slow to make the timing easier.

VFX Charger (price: 30,000): Double the rate of recovery on your VFX gauge. This is one of the best purchases and recommended as your first acquisition as it will make all aspects of the game easier.

Life (price for 1: 3,000; price for 2: 5,000; price for 3: 10,000; price for 4: 15,000; etc): Life gauge goes up by one. Increasing your life has obvious benefits. This is a permanent increase; each increase requires more V-Points than the previous increase.

Take 2 (price: 10,000): Even if all your lives are gone, restart from the point where you died. Take 2 is invaluable against boss battles and during long sequences in between save game points. If you have a Take 2 and you perish, you remain at the exact point at where you died and reappear with full health. So if you've damaged a boss almost to its death, you will reappear with full health and can remain intact to finish off the enemy and clear the level. You can only have one Take 2 at a time. Once you use the Take 2, it becomes available for purchase once again.

L.I.V. (price for 1: 1,000; price for 2: 3,000; price for 3: 5,000; price for 4: 10,000; etc): Short for "Life is Viewtiful". Joe gets one more life. Purchase an additional life to help get through a boss battle or long sequence between save games. The extra lives do not carry over to the next continue; however, the price does go up the next time you want to try and purchase another L.I.V. Not as useful as the Take 2 or the Life, though it is cheaper at least initially.

Chapter 3: Puzzle Tips

If you're having trouble with a particular puzzle, look for the solution here. These tips are separated by episode.

Episode 1: Joe the Hero

Q: How do I operate the slot machine?

A: You'll find several of these slot machines throughout the game. For most of the slot machines, you must activate slow to reduce the speed of the rotating pictures. Under the influence of slow, you can now punch the slot machine to line up three matching pictures. Your goal is to match three "V" symbols but you can match other symbols to score other power-ups. However, don't match three "explosion" symbols. There will be other slot machines in the game that require the use of zoom and mach speed.

Q: What do I do with the stack of books in the library and the button?

A: Kick the stack of books onto the button to open the exit passage.

Q: I'm on a dining table and there's a hovering platform nearby and I can't figure out what to do.

A: You'll encounter these platforms throughout the game. Your VFX abilities have specific effects on these platforms. Use slow to lower these platforms and mach speed to raise them. Get onto the platform, use slow to lower it, and kick the switch to discover the exit path in the area.

Q: I'm in a wine cellar against a huge barrel. I can't get by!

A: Activate slow, uppercut the barrel into the air (press down and punch against the barrel), then use mach speed to run under the barrel and through the exit.

Q: There are four pillars here and I can't open the exit.

A: You can use mach speed to light things on fire (including yourself). Start with the left most pillar and activate mach speed and hold down the punch button against the pillar. It will light on fire. Light all four pillars on fire to open the exit.

Episode 2: Some Like It Red Hot

Q: How do I get over the large geyser of water?

A: Hop on the platform and activate mach speed to raise the platform.

Q: I'm in the sewer and there are two poles here. I can't figure it out!

A: Punch each pole four times (so each pole has four lights). Stand in between the poles and enter zoom mode with the "C" stick. While in zoom, hit the kick button and Viewtiful Joe will hit both poles simultaneously.

Q: I'm having trouble traversing the first area in the sewer.

A: Mach speed affects the water level. Activate mach speed to raise the water level.

Q: I'm standing on a bus and can't figure out what I'm supposed to accomplish here.

A: The bus is powered by rockets. Jump onto the bus, activate slow (allowing the rockets to build force) and release slow to jettison the bus across the chasm.

Q: I'm in the hotel lobby and am not sure how to operate the elevator.

A: You must retrieve two diamond keys. Jump to the top of the center chandelier and use zoom and jump to press the button in the ceiling. Traverse the two chandeliers that drop to find the keys.

Q: I'm in a hallway with a lit bomb! What do I do here?

A: Push the dropped bomb against the door on the right. Activate slow while the bomb explodes to open the door.

Q: I'm now in a room with lit bomb. There's a door on the ceiling but I can't figure out how to open it.

A: To exit this room you must blow up the door in the ceiling. When a bomb enters the room, use slow and jump and punch the bomb while it's in midair toward the ceiling door. Stay in slow while the bomb explodes so the door explodes with it.

Q: I'm on floor 100 and can't figure out how to proceed. There's an unlit bomb and three chandeliers.

A: Uppercut the bomb onto each chandelier above your position. The bomb automatically lights on the top chandelier. Leap to the left of the bomb and slow kick it into the door to the right.

Episode 3: 2,000,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Q: How do I defeat the electrical "guards"?

A: Wait until they are emitting a low amount of electricity. Stand under the guard, jump, and activate mach. While in mach, punch and kick the guard repeatedly. You may not be able to destroy the guard in one barrage so wait until it emits low electricity again then repeat.

Episode 4: The Viewtiful Escape

Q: I'm not very good at avoiding these huge missiles. Any tips?

A: There are cracks in the floor. Stand over a crack, jump, then activate zoom on your descent. You'll break the floor and open another "safe zone" to hide while the missile passes.

Q: I can't figure out how to get to the bridge as revealed on the navigational map.

A: You need to use the hover platform, which is found near your start position. Bust all of the cracks in the floor to find the remote control and guide the platform to the arrow leading up. Use mach speed while the platform is in front of the fan to move the platform toward you. Jump on the platform and use mach speed to ascend to the bridge.

Q: I flipped the sub but not sure where to go now.

A: Exit the bridge and continue to the right. You'll discover where the missiles originate. Stand on the far right ledges and press down plus "A" to hop down the ledges and into the machinery section.

Q: I turned off the missiles but what now?

A: Flip the sub again by returning to the bridge and go to the engineering section (number 3) to find the boss.

Episode 5: The Midnight Thunderboy

Q: How do I defeat the tank?

A: Activate slow to punch the tank's projectiles back at the tank. Be sure to use slow and zoom while the projectile hits the tank for maximum damage. You can also dodge enemies and punch them into the tank.

Q: I'm in another sewer and there are two poles here but the previous method I used to open the door isn't working.

A: This time they're spread far apart so the kick won't work. Instead, kick each pole four times (so each has four lights on it) then stand in the middle of the two poles and jump into the air. As you are descending on the jump, activate zoom to perform the aerial move toward the ground. If done correctly, the impact will hit both poles and open the entrance. If it fails, perform the task again.

Q: I'm having trouble navigating the lava.

A: To navigate the lava pool, you must raise it using mach speed (don't raise it too high or you'll hit yourself and cause damage!). Once it's high enough, use slow while the water drips from the pipes. When the large water drop hits the lava, it cools the floor and creates a walkway. Work your way across to the other side. Should you fall in the lava, just quickly jump to the right and you can make it up the ledge before suffering damage twice. Use mach speed to stop the flames around you.

Q: I defeated Joker in the lava sewer but can't escape.

A: There's a bomb icon on the slot machine. Get three bombs (using slow to assist) and bombs spurt from the top of the machine. Punch some of the bombs to the right (activate slow first) then run against the bomb to push it into the pipe on the far right of the shaft. Activate slow and quickly double-jump back onto the slot machine. The bomb explodes, opening the pipe, and causing a lava geyser to push the slot machine out of the shaft and back to the city streets.

Q: How do I get onto the train?

A: When the train approaches, activate slow and double jump onto the top of the train.

Q: How do I stop the train?

A: Work your way quickly to the train's rear and stand on the button for approximately 10 seconds.

Episode 6: The Magnificent 5

Q: These bosses seem tougher! How do I defeat them?

A: Read the section "Boss Strategies" of this game guide for tips on defeating all bosses found in episode six.

Episode 7: Joe and Silvia

Q: How do I depress the three buttons in the first area of episode seven?

A: To depress the buttons, leap from the top ledges over the button. As you begin the fall, enter zoom mode so you begin your aerial move where you bombard the ground with force. Right before you land on the button, activate slow to make the move more powerful. If done correctly, the button will depress fully and you will be shown the hanger door and one red lock light turning green.

Q: I'm having trouble reaching the high places so I can leap off and depress the buttons.

A: Leap onto the top of the flying fighters, which will help you reach the area's highest ledges.

Q: How do I defeat the tanks?

A: Activate slow to punch the tank's projectiles back at the tank. Be sure to use slow and zoom while the projectile hits the tank for maximum damage. You can also dodge enemies and punch them into the tank.

Chapter 4: Boss Tips

This section compiles strategies for all of Viewtiful Joe's major boss encounters. If you're having trouble with a particular boss, just look here for winning strategies!

Charles the 3rd

Charles the 3rd is a flying bat with an assortment of attacks. Like other bosses, Charles the 3rd runs on a pattern. Simply adjust to his pattern and know how to counter attack effectively to defeat him.

Charles the 3rd tosses red "boomerang" projectiles initially (and after his other attacks). You can leap over the projectiles or activate slow to auto-dodge them (though this does consume your VFX meter). As boomerangs, these projectiles do return so watch your back carefully and be ready to jump over them. The projectiles increase in number as Charles the 3rd sustains damage so you'll have to use a combination of leaping and slow to dodge them as the battle rages on.

Charles the 3rd then spears the ceiling, which drops stalactites to the floor. Simply dodge the stalactites as they fall from the sky; if necessary, activate slow to help avoid the following chunks of rock. While the stalactites are on the floor, wait for Charles the 3rd to hover over one and then use the uppercut move (down plus punch) to punch the stalactite into Charles the 3rd. This stuns him and sends Charles to the ground. This is your chance to use slow or mach to pummel him as much as possible.

At your first meeting you won't be able to use zoom but when you face Charles the 3rd in Episode 6, use slow, zoomed-in punches to inflict maximum damage.

After two or three hits, jump away. When Charles recovers, he'll inflict damage if you're standing next to him. If you're lucky, you can uppercut another stalactite into him and pummel him again. After recovering, he hovers over the next stalactite so prepare your counter appropriately.

Now just repeat this entire process. Avoid the boomerangs with jumps and slow. Also, occasionally Charles himself will attempt to spear you. Have your finger ready on slow to auto-dodge this attack (or use jump to avoid it). Like a boomerang he'll come back at you so be prepared to leap over him and avoid the secondary strike. It is possible to fall off the path to the water below. If you do, run and jump to the left and back up to the walkway.

Finally, if you punch Charles while he's in the air, he transforms into a bunch of bats. Hitting the bats does inflict damage but not much. You're better off using the stalactites to assist in the attack.

Hulk Davidson

This is a brawl. Hulk is huge and wields a gigantic axe to protect his body from your strikes. He also employs firebombs, which can drop from above.

Avoid Hulk as he jumps around the room. If you're close to the impact, you will sustain damage. When standing adjacent to Hulk, watch out for a low strike from the axe. Be ready to dodge up then counter with some slow, zoomed-in repeated punches.

Be careful pounding his axe repeatedly; he's using it as a shield so it won't inflict damage and it just encourages him to activate the firebombs. However, repeated zoomed-in slow punches will eventually get through and will start to inflict good damage. If you do get flamed, get away from the fire quickly. If you are set on fire, use mach speed to put it out.

Try and get behind him where the axe doesn't protect him and use slow, zoomed-in punches to pummel him. Also, watch for him to charge. Get close to a wall, jump over the charge, and watch Hulk get dizzy from hitting the wall. Take the opportunity to crush him with zoomed-in slow punches.

The most useful Hulk Davidson pattern is to watch his low axe swings. Stand close to him and dodge his low swing (activate slow to help gauge when they're about to arrive). Avoid the blow three times in a row and Hulk will charge. Be sure to stand close after the third dodge so Hulk does decide to charge. If you move away too quickly after the third dodge, Hulk will jump toward you instead. When Hulk charges, leap over him. He'll slam the wall and be dizzy. Take the opportunity to pummel him!

Gran Bruce

This, like the battle with Hulk Davidson, is primarily a close-range brawl. Gran begins with a close-range spinning attack, which leaves him pretty vulnerable to your zoomed-in, slow punch barrage. Get off a flurry then leap away before you can sustain damage from his counter attack. Gran will also charge and attempt to bite you; this traps you in Gran's mouth and you must get out quickly or suffer high damage. Wiggle your controller stick if you're stuck in his mouth. Gran's chomp attack will follow you so even if you attempt to get away, you're still vulnerable. Stand on a level plane and jump Gran as he chomps right at you. He'll eventually stop to catch his breath, which is your opportunity to attack.

The goal is to remain close to Gran and use your zoomed-in, slow punch combinations to inflict heavy damage. Don't get greedy or you will sustain damage. Get away from him after a couple hits so you can gear up for another strike. Jump using slow to avoid his charges and strikes.

Watch for Gran to try and escape your attacks and "hide" in a corner. He'll stand in place and begin replenishing his health. He's vulnerable during this and open for another set of combinations. Get to him quickly.

He'll also summon mines into the area. Avoid them or suffer damage (use slow when close, to get away). You can use the mines to your advantage. If he uses his chomp attack, stand behind a mine. If you're lucky, he'll accidentally bite one. While the mine rests in his mouth, activate slow, zoom-in and start punching him. The explosion from the mine, when slowed and zoomed, will help inflict even more damage.

Another Joe

It's difficult to score successful blows against Another Joe. He disappears and teleports around the chamber making him difficult to keep track of; he also invokes a couple special powers to create clones of himself and summon a vehicle to bombard you. In order to defeat Another Joe, you must combat each of these situations successfully and still manage to get successful hits on him as often as possible.

Another Joe says three things during the battle; each statement determines what special power he will employ. When Another Joe says "Henshin a Go Go," he'll create clones, either spinning around himself or around you. If they spin around him, wait for them to launch toward you then zoom in and repeatedly press kick to perform the spinning kick move, which will repel the clones. If they spin around you, wait for them to close tightly then zoom in and repeatedly press kick. You can also try and punch them normally but they will come at you so quickly, it's nearly impossible to eliminate them all.

When Another Joe says "Henshin a Bye Bye," he creates clones that are placed on the various platforms around the engineering room. These clones will turn dark and launch at you. Once they do, enter zoom and repeatedly press kick to perform the spinning kick to repel the clone attackers.

When Another Joe says "Six Machine," a vehicle appears either overhead to drop bombs or beside you to shoot its laser weapon. Hit the vehicle twice in slow mode to send it to the ground. Destroy it with more attacks to receive a cheeseburger. Be cautious around its bomb and laser projectiles.

Another Joe will only invoke these powers when he's far enough away from you. If you can manage to stay on top of him, you won't have to deal with these attacks (though note that hitting his clones does hurt him somewhat). When you get close to Another Joe, use your zoomed-in, slow punch technique to inflict heavy damage. You likely won't be able to get more than a few hits in before he moves or dodges. As soon as he moves, find him again and keep the pressure on.

Watch your footing carefully as one part of the floor contains electricity and will cause damage should you land there. Another Joe is tough enough that you don't want to sustain unnecessary damage during the battle.

Alastor

Alastor possesses a number of crafty attacks. You'll have to be very agile to avoid his use of lightning and sword barrages. As with most bosses, your best offense is the slow, zoomed-in punch technique. Whenever you're near him, activate slow and zoom and hold down the punch button to inflict significant damage to Alastor. As the battle opens, be ready to dodge his first attack by using slow.

There's lava on the level so you must be careful not to take a hot dip. However, Alastor occasionally stands at the end just next to the lava. Punch him into the lava and he'll reappear at the small pool of water just nearby (opposite the lava). He'll stay in there for several seconds to cool down. Jump into the pool quickly, activate slow and zoom, and start punching. Likewise, if you should fall into the lava get into the pool or just use mach speed to cool the flames.

One of Alastor's attacks is calling lightning from hovering pillars around the room. You can avoid the lightning by keeping away from the pillars. But since you might be trapped into a corner with no chance of avoiding damage, it's better to either leap onto the pillar and above the lightning or punch and kick the pillar itself, which stops the attack. When you're on the pillar, make an attempt to hit Alastor. Jump, activate slow and zoom, and start punching if you're able to reach Alastor. He'll plummet to the ground and be vulnerable for more attacks.

Whenever Alastor shouts "Round Trip" he's going to start throwing swords. These can be avoided using slow for auto-dodging or they can also be punched back at Alastor for some damage. When Alastor says "Air Raid," he shoots lightning at your feet. Perform a jump move right when he says it to avoid the lightning strike (and if you can reach him, jump and hit him to stop the barrage). Finally, Alastor features a lightning ground attack much like Captain Blue. Just steer clear of the lightning; once it dissipates, move in for the attack.

Fire Leo

Like other bosses Fire Leo works on a pattern. If you follow the pattern and attack accordingly, you can survive. He's extremely difficult, though, and there are so many things in the area that can inflict damage. You may want to consider a "Take Two" once you have gotten comfortable with the pattern as the extra life will certainly prove invaluable in the long fight.

The first thing you will notice is that Fire Leo launches meteors, which drop onto the circular walkway. Avoid getting hit by these meteors. Secondly, Fire Leo launches fireballs that follow the circular path. These inflict high damage and are tough to avoid. The primary way to avoid them is to be on fire! If you're on fire, the fireballs will pass right through you harmlessly. To get on fire, stand next to a fallen meteor, activate mach speed, and hold down punch until Joe is on fire.

Being on fire is also the only way to get Fire Leo to stop flaming. While he's flaming, you can't hurt him. If you try and punch him while he's on fire, you'll suffer damage. While you're on fire, you must reach and punch Leo. You won't stay on fire forever so you must move quickly (you can use mach speed, which won't put out Joe's self-induced fire). You could also punch another meteor closer to Leo to restart your fire.

Once you punch Leo, his flames extinguish and he goes into attack mode. Your next goal is to destroy his shield, which protects him from attacks. Dodge his attacks like you would a standard biancky (activate slow to help out). After each dodge, punch or kick him in slow. After he defends, you may want to remain in slow for a second or two because he can counterattack very quickly.

After several dodges and punches, Leo's shield should break. You can get in a couple slow, zoomed-in punches here if you're fortunate. Dodge another attack and then Leo enters his whirlwind attack mode. You must dodge five consecutive attacks for Leo to get dizzy and become vulnerable to your slow, zoomed-in punch barrage. If he hits you, then you must dodge another round. Slow is your friend here. His attacks are very fast so activate slow to see where he's going to attack easier. Instead of holding down slow, try turning slow on and off quickly. It won't use as much VFX but will still be easy to dodge Leo's attack. Once he's dizzy, let him have it.

Time to repeat the process! After attacking a dizzy Leo, he'll jump back into the lava and start over. He'll run around the arena launching meteors and you must begin the task over again. Punch the meteor in mach speed, attack Leo while on fire, dodge and attack until the shield breaks, then dodge the spin attack until you can let him have it. The only difference arrives when Leo has one last bar of health. He'll run around the arena much, much faster so be prepared! Defeat Leo to take a break before the final episode.

King Blue

Like other bosses, King Blue possesses an assortment of attacks. Your best counter is to know what to do against each attack and know when you can damage him the most. For starters, realize that King Blue is occasionally in the background and can't be struck by your standard attacks. When he's close, it's your chance to pummel him with your slow, zoomed-in repeated punch attacks.

King Blue's first attack is lightning. You can stand between the bolts to avoid (he says something like "Go back to school" before this attack). King Blue's second attack is to summon a bunch of fighters to enter the area. When the fighters emerge, King Blue enters the foreground and can be attacked. Jump next to King Blue, activate slow and zoom, and start punching. He'll counter after the fighters leave so end the attack before King Blue can retaliate.

King Blue also uses another lightning attack (after he says "die" or "bye-bye") and a tower appears on the Earth. To disrupt this attack, attack the tower using mach speed (which must be upgraded at least to level two, though much better if it's upgraded to level three). Your fellow clones will attack King Blue and disrupt his attack. Watch out for his missile attack after attacking the tower. Be sure to destroy the tower at the earliest opportunity since you may receive a cheeseburger as a reward.

Watch for another lightning attack, typically right after the fighters arrive. This is a horizontal lightning attack and should be ducked to be avoided. Finally, beware of King Blue's missile attack. Utilize slow to help evade the missiles, which can be ducked or jumped over.

Note that you can use voomerangs to help disrupt King Blue's attacks. You won't receive a very high ranking for beating King Blue with a continual barrage of voomerangs but it will be much easier to avoid and disrupt his various attacks.

Captain Blue

You've faced Captain Blue previously in the game (when you received slow, mach, and zoom abilities) so you should be familiar with most of his attacks. However, he does now possess some new abilities, primarily some devastating lightning attacks and can even enter mach speed.

Once again, your VFX abilities are your ally here. You'll use slow, zoomed-in repeated punches to inflict the most damage against Captain Blue. Look for opportunities to assault with your punch attacks. You can disrupt his more powerful abilities with voomerangs or even the zoom aerial jump attack.

Blue also has a shield, which absorbs some of your damage. Dodging his attacks will remove the shield and leave him the most vulnerable to your barrage. You can knock Blue down by using your jump plus zoom aerial strike; jump and when you're descending, activate zoom. Do this over Blue and he'll be knocked down and vulnerable to your slow, zoom punch strike.

Chapter 5: Walk-through

This section provides a complete walk-through of Viewtiful Joe on Adults difficulty level. This walk-through contains the location of hidden items, strategies for defeating mini-boss and boss characters, and solutions for all puzzles.

Episode 1: Joe the Hero

Approach the biancky enemy to receive your first combat lesson: the importance of an elusive dodge. You're taught "Saw That One Comin'" and "Footloose Joe" in a brief interlude. The demonstration shows you how to read and dodge the biancky's attacks. Skull icons that appear at head level should be dodged by pushing the controller down; skull icons appearing at foot level should be dodged by pushing the controller up. Practice the technique and hit "Z" to return to the game.

The biancky is dizzy, so unleash a punch and kick combination on him (just alternate punch and kick button presses). Reach a group of three biancky enemies. Move next to one of them and wait for the icon. Dodge the biancky attack and unleash a combo on the dizzy enemy. Grab all the V-Films in the area; snag fifty V-Films and it will raise your VFX meter by a notch, which becomes extremely important as levels progress. Bust open the small yellow crates up high; these yellow crates always contain cheeseburgers, which replenish Joe's health. Bust the larger pink crate for an assortment of possible power-ups, including V-Films or V-Points.

Continue forward and be sure to snag the high V-Films by leaping on the pink crate. Beware of the spikes on the ground to the left. Battle a couple more biancky enemies (and four more to the right) using dodge and combination attacks.

Now you must face Captain Blue. These encounters are like trials; after defeating him you'll receive a new special ability. Note that Captain Blue gets more difficult each time you face him. You can dodge his attacks like dodging a biancky. Beware when he's charging up for an attack (leap over him) or when he's in the air and swoops down with a kick. Defeat him and receive the lesson, "The Power of VFX, Slow" which gives Joe the ability to turn into Viewtiful Joe and slow down time.

Use your new ability on the next batch of biancky enemies. You should strive to get the most V-Points out of all these combat situations, particularly against easier foes like simple biancky. Go adjacent to a biancky and dodge its attack. While it's dizzy, activate slow and start punching. Move to the next biancky and, if possible, punch or kick it too. Each extra biancky you attack multiplies the V-Points you'll receive from the engagement. This will become much easier as you increase your VFX meter and gain the "mach" ability.

Your VFX meter decreases as you use slow. If it exhausts completely, Viewtiful Joe reverts back to regular Joe and you'll have to wait until it reaches the first V-Film before you're back into super hero form. Try to avoid letting it exhaust completely. When the VFX meter is almost out, release slow and allow the meter to replenish. Note that when you're regular Joe, you sustain double damage.

As you round the corner you'll face some biancky ballerinas. Wait for them to spin (it won't hurt you) and then dodge the indicated attack. Enter slow and use your punch and kick combinations to batter the biancky. Watch out for the bats in the next section; they can trap Joe in place leaving him vulnerable to surrounding enemies.

Keep going right and reach Joker, a first of many face-offs with the movie villain. Enter slow when near Joker and use punch and kick attacks; you'll also auto-dodge any counter the foe uses. Defeat Joker and receive a coin. Walk to the slot machine and deposit the coin. Now you must stop the slot machine at specific points. To do so, enter slow while standing next to the slot machine. Punch the machine to stop the rotating pictures and try to match three of them. Match the coins for V-Points, the burger for a health power-up, and the "V" for the key into the next area.

Battle the biancky enemies near the axe-swinging knight statues. You can combo off the axes for additional multipliers. Also, bust the axe, which destroys the statue, to gain cheeseburgers. You can also drop the chandeliers on enemies. Get up there and snag the V-Films before continuing onward.

Enter the library and face off against the gun-wielding cowboy. Activate slow whenever the cowboy fires and you can auto-dodge the projectiles (or punch them back for a quick knockout). The cowboy will hop back and forth, twirling his guns, and firing them at Joe. Jump at him and activate slow just before he fires and use punch or kick to inflict damage.

Kill the cowboy and receive the big pile of books. Punch and kick the books to the right and onto the floor switch. The weight of the books lowers the floor switch, which opens the exit into the dining hall.

Cross the dining hall table and battle the group of verdy enemies. They hover high using their propeller. Slow down time causing the verdy to fall to the ground. Punch or kick them in slow to destroy the propeller. Now just deal with them like standard biancky enemies.

At the end of the table, hop on the floating platform. Hover to the far right and jump toward the yellow crate; it contains a cheeseburger, if you need it. While on the platform, activate slow to lower toward the spiked floor. Snag the V-Films. Hover to the far right and activate slow. You'll drop next to a switch; punch the switch to lower the chandelier at the far end of the table.

Hop on the chandelier and ascend toward the ceiling. Head right, leaping to each chandelier. Grab the V-Films as you go. Should you fall, you'll have to hit that far switch again to lower the chandelier again.

Scamper into the next hall and grab the cheeseburgers from the yellow crates. Bust up a series of biancky enemies, statues, and chandeliers. Maximize those V-Points with plenty of multiplier combination attacks. Grab the key from the last duo of biancky foes.

It's time for your first huge battle in the game. Grab all of the V-Films in the air (perform Viewtiful Joe's double jump to reach the highest). You should now have a second notch in your VFX meter or close to it. You'll need as much as possible to help out against this mini-boss. You'll find more V-Films to the far right in this area; they can be gathered after you meet the boss. Don't hesitate to get them, at least enough to increase your VFX meter if you're close.

You're facing off against a helicopter. It boasts a series of attacks, including bullets, homing missiles, and it also drops down biancky enemies to cause more problems. This is one of the toughest battles early in the game because you only have slow in your arsenal. Later you'll have more VFX powers to use against enemies such as this helicopter.

Here are a few strategies to employ against the helicopter:

1. Whenever the helicopter shoots bullets, either enter slow to auto-dodge the bullets, to punch them, or jump on top of the helicopter with slow active to punch the helicopter as many times as possible. Before your VFX meter exhausts completely, jump off and return to the ground.
2. On the far right of the chamber, you cause drop down the chandeliers on top of the helicopter. Enter slow as they fall to cause the most damage possible. Destroying the chandeliers also provides cheeseburgers.
3. You can uppercut biancky enemies into the bottom of the helicopter for some damage. Enter slow and press down while punching to shoot the biancky into the helicopter's underbelly.
4. When homing missiles are approaching you, enter slow. Punch the homing missiles to alter their trajectory. Now they head straight for the enemies!
5. Beware of the propellers when they're red; they can inflict heavy damage. You can jump on top of the helicopter and just right it along while punching and kicking it to bits. Enter slow and start attacking. Disable slow before exhausting your VFX meter. If you're going to hit the propellers, activate slow to auto-dodge them.
6. Using slow also slows down the helicopter's blades, which makes it fall to the floor. Use this when the helicopter is close to the floor, allowing you to easily jump on top.

Defeat the helicopter to enter the next area. You can also save your game and purchase power-ups here before continuing onward.

Enter the basement. Note the dripping water above the switch. In order to cause the water drop to activate the switch you must slow down time, which makes the drop much bigger and weight greater. Leap the barrels and grab the V-Films while moving on to the right. Traverse this wine cellar. This is a great opportunity to rack up combination kills to score some valuable V-Points. Captain Blue waits at the far end.

Defeat Captain Blue as you did before. Dodge his attacks and lay into him with slowed down combo attacks. Avoid his lightning shield and jumping kick. Upon defeating Captain Blue, do the "Supersonic Dude" tutorial to learn the mach speed ability. This increases Joe's speed allowing you to perform very fast punch and kick combinations. It also allows Joe to break crates in the background (additional Joe's appear during mach speed to break them) once you've upgraded the ability.

Stand against the barrel. Enter slow and hold the controller down and hit punch to uppercut the barrel into the air. Now enter mach speed and run right under the barrel.

Descend the spiral staircase grabbing V-Films and cheeseburgers as you go. Eventually a large rolling barrel begins to trail you. Just keep moving. Grab V-Films as you go to raise your VFX meter. Enter mach speed to avoid getting hit from behind. There are cheeseburgers on the way should you need some health.

After escaping the barrel, start busting up some biancky enemies. Another object pursues you: this time a rolling spiked cylinder. Keep running away from the danger (gathering cheeseburgers if you need them) and into the far door.

The next chamber includes four pillars. To open the next passage you must light a fire inside each pillar. To do so, use mach speed and punch each pillar repeatedly. Viewtiful Joe moves so fast he generates flames around him, which will light each pillar. Start on the left and work your way to the right. You must work quickly or the fire will go out and you'll have to start over. After exiting, purchase any power-ups you wish in preparation for the boss battle. If you need health, purchase some cheeseburgers. You could also increase your maximum life by one or two.

Gather the V-Films in the next chamber before punching the coffin at the far end. When ready, punch the coffin to release the first boss in the game, Charles the 3rd, a flying bat with an assortment of attacks. Like other bosses, Charles the 3rd runs on a pattern. Simply adjust to his battle and know how to counter attack effectively to defeat him.

Charles the 3rd will toss red "boomerang" projectiles. You can leap over them or use slow to auto-dodge them (though this does consume your VFX meter). Note that like boomerangs, they do return so watch your back carefully and be ready to jump them. These projectiles increase in number as Charles the 3rd sustains damage so you'll have to use a combination of leaping and slow to dodge them.

Charles the 3rd then spears the ceiling, which drops stalactites to the floor. Simply dodge them as they fall from the sky; if necessary, use slow to help avoid them. With the stalactites on the floor, wait for Charles the 3rd to hover over one and then use slow to uppercut (down plus punch) the stalactite into Charles the 3rd. This stuns him and sends him to the ground. This is your chance to use slow or mach to pummel him as much as possible. After two or three hits, jump away. When Charles recovers, he'll damage you if you're standing next to him.

Now just repeat this entire process. Avoid the boomerangs with jumps and slow. Also, occasionally Charles himself will attempt to spear you. Have your finger ready on slow to auto-dodge this attack. Like a boomerang he'll come back at you so be prepared to leap over him and avoid the secondary strike. It is possible to fall off the path to the water below. If you do, run and jump to the left and back up to the walkway. If you punch Charles while he's in the air, he transforms into a bunch of bats. Hitting the bats does inflict damage but not much.

Episode 2: Some Like It Red Hot

Head to the right and start pounding on biancky enemies. Punish those enemies with slow multiplier combinations to maximize your V-Point acquisition. Snag all the V-Films and reach the platform just before the gushing pillar of sewer water.

Slow and mach speed both affect the platform. Slow lowers the platform and mach speed raises the platform (the fan underneath spins faster, which causes it to rise). Hop onto the platform and use mach speed to raise the platform. You'll likely run out of VFX before reaching the top. Before you automatically switch to regular Joe, let off mach speed and allow your meter to replenish. Use mach to keep raising the platform until you're nearly to the top of the pillar. When the platform hovers to the right, perform a double jump as Viewtiful Joe over the pillar of fluid.

You land on a set of scaffolding. You must defeat two of the gun-wielding cowboys to continue on. There are V-Films on the scaffolding as well as some cheeseburgers if you need to replenish your health. Defeat the cowboys by using slow when they fire their guns (so you can auto-dodge the projectiles). Jump close, activate slow, and punch. Move close again, jump, activate slow, and punch again.

Go to the right and leap from the top of the scaffolding toward the V-Films; grab as many as you can on the way down. Start pummeling the biancky enemies down at the bottom with combination moves to generate V-Points. Hop on top of the traffic light to reach the high V-Films.

Leap over the open manhole. It leads into the sewer but you need your final ability in order to solve the puzzle down there. Go right and face off against Captain Blue for the last time. He's much tougher this time. Stay away from him when he has his lightning shield. He'll hover and crash into the ground, creating lightning around the ground. Don't get hit by the lightning! It's easy to avoid if you just stay away from him when he crashes into the ground. Grab a cheeseburger from the yellow box if you need the extra heart of health.

You learn the power of zoom in the "Beauty is Born" tutorial. Zoom offers a variety of abilities, including a new spinning kick, air and ground attacks, and more powerful close-up strikes.

Return to the open manhole, kill some biancky enemies, and dive down inside the sewer. If you want more fighting, go back over the scaffolding and return near the mission start for a bunch of biancky and verdy enemies to battle. There are lots of V-Points to be gathered if you're willing to sidetrack.

Dive down the manhole and approach the two poles on the right. Grab the V-Films above the poles. Punch each pole four times (so each pole has four lights). Stand in between the poles and enter zoom mode with the "C" stick. While in some, hit the kick button and Viewtiful Joe will hit both poles simultaneously.

Go into the sewer. Drop down the ledges picking up the V-Films and busting pink crates along the way. Beware of the spiked floor at the bottom.

To solve this puzzle, hop onto the wooden boxes and enter mach speed. This raises the room's water level (more water rushes in). Grab the V-Films at the top then jump through the exit on the right.

Fight the currents in the next room against the verdy enemies. Use mach speed to help you get past the moving laser beams. In the vertical shaft, jump onto the platform. Use mach speed to raise the platform, being cautious to avoid the laser beams that help guard the area. The bats can be a problem, so don't hesitate to punch them before trying to rise up the shaft. Should you fall off, use slow to lower the platform. Jump to the left at the top, snag the flag, and go into the next area to the left.

The area is littered with bats. Defeat some or just run to the left. Go against the door. When the meter on the console is at its peak, enter slow. This will increase the electricity sufficiently to open the door.

Enter the next chamber to the left and greet Joker at the end. He's a bit stronger this time but the strategy remains the same (though you do have more powers in your arsenal). Activate slow when around Joker to auto-dodge any attacks. When striking Joker, zoom in and hold down the punch button for very powerful strikes. Upon defeating him, activate the slot machine (use slow and zoom since it's small), gather the power-ups inside, then score three "V" in a row to grab the key. Use the key to exit the sewer.

After landing, start pounding those biancky and verdy enemies. Jump on the traffic lights to reach the high crates. To get them, hold down jump on top of the light. At the jump's peak perform a double jump. Punch the crate to get the item inside.

A couple cars block your path. There's a cheeseburger above if you need it. Pummel the biancky enemies with combination moves. The next pink enemies are a bit tougher. Avoid them when they have the electricity shield active. To break them apart quickly, use the zoomed-in, hold down punch maneuver.

After defeating both pink ladies, a rampaging bus arrives. Leap onto the bus with a double jump (use slow to assist). While on the bus, hold down the slow button until the flames from the bus rockets are very large then let go. The bus will launch over the gap in the road. Should you mess up, leap out of the water to the left and try again.

If you need health, go left from the bus and drop down to the yellow crate. There's also a large pink crate above the bus. Head to the right and face off against two helicopters.

The strategy remains the same as your previous encounter with the copter. Now, though, use the zoomed-in, hold-down-punch maneuver when attacking the copter. Use slow to avoid the projectiles and to punch the homing missiles to alter their direction. Look to the far right for a couple cheeseburger crates. After blasting both copters, defeat the remaining enemies and enter the Rhino Hotel. Take the opportunity to save your game and purchase any power-ups if you wish.

Clear the lobby of the biancky enemies and the cowboy and grab all of the V-Films. Jump onto the chandelier in the middle. Go all the way up to the top. You'll see a button on the ceiling. Use zoom, then jump to ram the button with an aerial move. This lowers the other chandeliers in the room.

Go to the left and right, crossing the chandeliers. Punch each statue to recover the diamonds. Bring each diamond down to the elevator. Automatically insert each diamond into the elevator slot to activate the exit.

Exit onto level 20. Use slow to lower the hover platform. Ascend to the chandelier at the top. Use zoom and jump to bust the chandelier and grab the key. Drop down and exit the door to the left.

Defeat all the enemies in the room, including the sword-wielding, commander-like biancky enemies. Use the zoomed-in, hold down punch to beat them to a pulp. After clearing the room, receive the stack of books. Place the books into the bookshelf. Jump on the moved bookshelf and note that cracks in the ceiling. Use zoom then jump to bust open the ceiling.

Enter the next room and defeat two cowboys using a lot of slow and zoomed in punches. Break the cracked floor with a jump then zoom mode move to crush the floor with an aerial move.

Snag the V-Films and defeat the enemy with zoomed-in punch moves. Go left to the elevator. Defeat all of the biancky enemies quickly to obtain the key before the spiked roller arrives (there are also V-Films above). Use slow and zoomed-in punches to blast the last two enemies that harbor the key. Ascend the elevator to floor 30.

Push the dropped bomb against the door on the right. Activate slow while the bomb explodes to open the door. Defeat the enemies here and the pink ladies in the next room to the right to grab the key. There are also some V-Films and a cheeseburger here. Use slow plus zoomed-in punches to defeat the stronger enemies quickly.

To exit this room you must blow up the door in the ceiling. When a bomb enters the room, use slow and jump and punch the bomb while it's in midair toward the ceiling door. Stay in slow while the bomb explodes so the door explodes with it.

Double jump into the room above and defeat the enemies inside. Go right and avoid the lasers. Use mach speed to light the bomb then push it toward the door on the right. Activate slow while the bomb explodes so it will destroy the door. Enter the elevator.

Exit onto floor 40. Start pummeling enemies until you obtain the key to open the next door. Crush the biancky enemies in the next room. Activate the floor switch with a jump then zoom move. It lowers a ladder. Jump up the ladder into the next room. Gather the V-Films and cheeseburgers. Go left and face off against the Joker again. Utilize your slow, zoomed-in, hold down punch move to crush him.

Use the slot machine to grab its power-ups. Score three "V" to get the books and place them into the bookcase. Go left, grab the V-Films as you fall. At the bottom, go left. Note the arrow-shaped configuration of V-Films. Grab all V-Films then jump then zoom to bust the tub. At the bottom, crush the pink lady with your zoom mode and grab the key. Return up through the bathtub and left to the elevator. Use the chance to purchase any power-ups before the boss encounter. You may want cheeseburgers, extra hearts, or even a Take 2 to counter the boss.

You're now on floor 100. To reach the boss you must solve a puzzle. There's an unlit bomb on the floor and three chandeliers above. Use your uppercut attack (down plus punch) to launch the bomb onto each chandelier above your position. The bomb automatically lights on the top chandelier. Leap to the left of the bomb and slow kick it into the door to the right. The explosion should break the door providing access to the boss.

It's time to face the Iron Ogre, Hulk Davidson. This is a brawl. Hulk is huge and wields a gigantic axe to protect his body from your strikes. He also employs firebombs, which can drop from above.

Avoid him as he jumps around the room. If you're close to the impact, you will sustain damage. If you're close, watch out for a low strike from him. Be ready to dodge up then counter with some slow, zoomed-in repeated punches.

Be careful pounding his axe repeatedly; he's using it as a shield so it won't inflict damage and it just encourages him to activate the firebombs. However, repeated zoomed-in slow punches will eventually get through and will start to inflict good damage. If you do get flamed, get away from the fire quickly. If you are set on fire, use mach speed to put it out.

Try and get behind him where the axe doesn't protect him and use slow, zoomed-in punches to pummel him. Also, watch for him to charge. Get close to a wall, jump over the charge, and watch Hulk get dizzy from hitting the wall. Take the opportunity to crush him with zoomed-in slow punches.

The most useful Hulk Davidson pattern is to watch his low axe swings. Stand close to him and dodge his low swing (activate slow to help gauge when they're about to arrive). Avoid the blow three times in a row and Hulk will charge. Be sure to stand close after the third dodge so Hulk does decide to dodge. If you move away too quickly after the third dodge, Hulk will jump toward you instead. When Hulk charges, leap over him. He'll slam the wall and be dizzy. Take the opportunity to pummel him!

Episode 3: 2,000,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The first part of the mission takes place in your vehicle. Here are some tips:

1. The vehicle has a primary laser fire and an alternate bomb drop. You should utilize them both!
2. Note that slow, mach, and zoom still work and have their own effects. Activate slow when you're overwhelmed by enemies. You will still auto-dodge should you be attacked at close-range.
3. Activate slow to cause large explosions, particularly with the bombs. The bombs can cause heavy damage in slow mode. Slow also increases the size of your primary laser fire.
4. Shoot the homing missiles while in slow mode to turn them against the enemy.
5. Try out zoom and the fire buttons for alternate attacks.

At the end of the course you'll face a harrier jet. Activate slow when you're encountered at close-range (either rammed or shot by its bullets) and when you want to reverse its homing missiles. When the jet is below you, use your bombs in slow mode to inflict heavy damage. Keep slow activated while the bombs explode for continual damage.

When falling after the jet, activate slow to grab the V-Films. Drop middle, left, right, then right to gather as many as possible. Upon reaching the bottom, save and purchase any power-ups you wish.

As you fall through the shaft, use slow to punch the crates for items. Drop into the water and go right. Begin combating the standard enemies using your combination attacks to gain multipliers and plenty of V-Points.

Continue right and defeat the pink ladies and cowboys with your slow, zoomed-in punch attacks. Upon defeating the cowboys, you receive the remote control. It commands the hover platform in the previous room. Retrieve it and move it over the floor switch. Activate slow to lower the platform onto the switch. When the door to the right opens, walk through.

Traverse the next room, being sure to check up high for V-Films. The next hall contains electrical guards. To defeat them, jump and use mach punches next to them while they aren't emitting much electricity. Wait until they aren't emitting much electricity then jump and enter mach. While in mach, punch the guard as much as possible. You must destroy them to open the door on the far side.

Watch out for more guards in the next room (plus plenty of other enemies to deal with). Activate slow near the dive bombers so you aren't easily struck. Defeat the cowboys away from the guards. Crush everything to open the next chamber.

Once inside, leap up to grab the V-Films. Joker waits at the far end. Use your zoomed-in, slow repeated punches to defeat him. Use his slot machine for power-ups then score three "V" to get the keycard, which disarms the bomb and lowers the water from the area.

Start back to the left. Three commanders enter the room. Crush them easily with your zoomed-in, slow punch technique. The next area contains floor mines and guards. Avoid the mines by going into slow if you happen to land right next to one. There's a cannon on the far side of the room creating the mines. Get on the opposite side of the cannon and use your zoomed-in punches to destroy it quickly. You can even just jump over everything and avoid the area.

The next chamber is similar with mines, the cannon, and more guards. Defeat them or bypass them. Get through the next hall with verdy, mines, and the cannon. Exit and Joe automatically moves toward the unlocked door. Take the break and power-up as necessary to face off against the next boss.

It's time to face the Aquatic Terror, Gran Bruce. This, like Hulk Davidson, is primarily a close-range brawl. Gran begins with a close-range spinning attack, which leaves him pretty vulnerable to your zoomed-in, slow punch barrage. Get off a flurry, then leap away before you can sustain damage from his counter attack. Gran will also charge and attempt to bite you; this traps Joe in Gran's mouth and you must get out quickly or suffer some decent damage. Wiggle your controller stick if you're stuck in his mouth. Gran's chomp attack will follow you so even if you attempt to get away, you're still vulnerable. Stand in a level plane and jump Gran as he chomps right at you. He'll eventually stop to catch his breath, which is your opportunity to attack.

The goal is to remain close to Gran and use your zoomed-in, slow punch combinations to inflict heavy damage. Don't get greedy or you will sustain damage. Get away from him after a couple hits so you can gear up for another strike. Jump using slow to avoid his charges and strikes.

Watch for Gran to try and escape your attacks and "hide" in a corner. He'll stand in place and begin replenishing his health. He's vulnerable while doing this and open for another set of combinations. Get to him quickly.

He'll also summon mines into the area. Avoid them or suffer damage (use slow when close to get away). You can use the mines to your advantage. If he uses his chomp attack, stand behind a mine. If you're lucky, he'll accidentally bite a mine. While it's in his mouth, activate slow, zoom-in and start punching him. The explosion from the mine, when slowed, will help inflict even more damage.

Episode 4: The Viewtiful Escape

You're trapped in a submarine and that's perhaps the least of your problems. Within your current location, gigantic missiles are moving through and if you don't avoid them, you will sustain damage. Fortunately there are trenches in the floor that provide safe zones for you to avoid the rampaging missiles.

Drop down into the first trench and bash tons of biancky enemies. This is a great opportunity to rack up V-Points. When a trio of enemies drop into the trench, activate slow and start using combinations to rack up the multipliers. Remain in the trench until all of the enemies have been defeated and no more emerge from the pipe on the far wall.

After the enemies stop coming, jump out to the right. Leap up and grab all the V-Films above. Note the hover platform above. You can't get it now but it will come in handy shortly. You can lower it with slow but you won't be able to jump on it quite yet.

Listen carefully and you can hear when the next missile approaches. As you hear the rumble, find a trench quickly. In fact, right under the hover platform is a crack in the floor. You can see the light peeking through the cracks. Use the jump then zoom move to break the floor to create a new trench to hide inside. Break every crack you can find, including another in front of the navigation sign you'll encounter just further to the right.

The sign reveals three locations: the bridge, the machinery room, and the engineering room. You must first reach the bridge, which according to the map is close-by. In fact, it's just beyond the sign at the arrow pointing up. But you can't go up unless you use the platform. Here's how to do it: get the remote control under the floor cracks just before the navigation sign. Use the jump then zoom maneuver to break the floor and grab the control.

Return to the hover platform. Slow it down to lower the platform and use the remote control to guide the platform toward the navigation sign and the arrow up that's just beyond the map. You must use slow to lower the platform into the trenches as you move to the right. You should break all floor cracks to create the necessary trenches to achieve this goal.

When you reach the arrow going up, note the fan on the far wall. Enter mach mode to cause the fan to spin faster and blow the platform toward Joe. Jump onto the platform and use mach to ride it up the shaft. Grab the flag at the top to complete the current task.

Defeat the verdy enemies. To open the next door, activate slow to lower the platform on the other side onto the switch. Move through the open door. Ride the platform up using mach speed. Go right and underneath the bridge entrance. Use zoom then jump to bust open the door into the bridge.

Now you must face off against the brawny yellow beast; he's got the bridge's steering wheel, which you need to grab from him. Defeating these beasts can be tricky. Avoid punching it from the front. It has high armor and can defend against these attacks, even zoomed-in slow punches. Instead, attack it from the rear where its armor is weak. Also, if you can run under its aerial spin attack, you can get the enemy dizzy and pummel it easily with zoomed-in punches. Grab the steering wheel and cross to the left to the console. Putting the steering wheel in turns the submarine upside down. Now you can proceed into the machinery room.

Note the sub is upside down, so navigating will be unusual. Return to the bridge entrance and instead of dropping out of it, you must jump out of it. Save your game after exiting the bridge and acquire any power-ups you wish.

Beware of the guard; kill it with mach time once it fires low electricity. Activate slow to lower the platform. Use mach to ride it to the top. Once at the top, use mach to push the platform into the ceiling switch to open the gate on the right. Once it's open, jump through and activate mach to destroy the guard.

Activate slow to lower another platform and ride it back to the main hallway. The missiles are now overhead so you won't have to worry about dodging them. Proceed to the right and collect V-Films as you move. Drop down in one of the trenches and kill the guard.

At the far right you'll find the missiles. When on top of the missile, use mach to cross them before they launch. If you're on top when they launch, you'll suffer damage.

Once you reach the far right, press down and the A button to drop down the ledges and continue to cross each missile until you're at the area's bottom. Crush the sailors.

When you reach the rotating gears, activate slow to spot the "Stop" mark on each gear. Punch the "Stop" mark to make a gear stop. Kill the yellow brawny beast at the end for his key.

The navigational map points down; so start falling down ledges. You're in the machinery room. Defeat the verdy and yellow beast. Once all enemies are dead, go to the right and spot the switches. Hit each switch four times (so four lights appear on them) then stand in the middle, activate zoom, and hit kick to hit both switches at once.

The correct machine sequence is then revealed to you. You must punch or kick the blue dots in order to complete the sequence. Should you fail, you must start over and the blue dots will be different. This is randomized so there is no clear cut solution; just memorize their location and use the fans to jump high and kick the appropriate dots.

This deactivates the missiles. Now return up to the sub's main level. You must flip the bridge again in order to reach the final location. Defeat all the enemies you face along the way, including a new group of black biancky that are much tougher than their counterparts. Activate slow when near them to dodge their attacks and to get in as many shots as possible.

Remember you're dropping down into the bridge area now. Just keep going until you reach the wheel. Punch the wheel to turn the sub back upright.

The missiles aren't firing so you won't have to worry about dodging them. Return to the sub's main level and head to the right. Drop down after the missiles and where you couldn't go up before is now down. Drop down into the engineering section. Use the break time to purchase power-ups to make your boss battle easier.

It's time to face off against Another Joe in the engineering section. This is the toughest boss battle so far because it's difficult to score successful blows against Another Joe. He disappears and teleports around the chamber making him difficult to keep track of; he also invokes a couple special powers to create clones of himself and summon a vehicle to bombard you. In order to defeat Another Joe, you must combat each of these situations successfully and still manage to get successful hits on him as often as possible.

Another Joe says three things during the battle; each statement determines what special power he will employ. When Another Joe says "Henshin a Go Go," he'll create clones either spinning around himself or around you. If they spin around him, wait for them to launch toward you then zoom in and repeatedly press kick to perform the spinning kick move, which will repel the clones. If they spin around you, wait for them to close tightly then zoom in and repeatedly press kick.

When Another Joe says "Henshin a Bye Bye," he creates clones that are placed on the various platforms around the engineering room. These clones will turn dark red and launch at you. Once they do, enter zoom and repeatedly press kick to perform the spinning kick to repel the clone attackers.

When Another Joe says "Six Machine," the vehicle appears either overhead to drop bombs or beside you to shoot its laser weapon. Hit the vehicle twice in slow mode to send it to the ground. Destroy it with more attacks to receive a cheeseburger. Be cautious around its bomb and laser projectiles.

Another Joe will only invoke these powers when he's far enough away from you. If you can manage to stay on top of him, you won't have to deal with these attacks (though note that hitting his clones does hurt him somewhat). When you get close to Another Joe, use your zoomed-in, slow punch technique to inflict heavy damage. You likely won't be able to get more than a few hits in before he exits the area. As soon as he leaves, find him again and keep the pressure on.

Watch your footing carefully as one part of the floor contains electricity and will cause damage should you land there. Another Joe is tough enough that you don't want to sustain unnecessary damage during the battle.

After defeating Another Joe, you must escape from the sub. Grab the cheeseburger meal from the crate and start jumping up past the gears. Note that the sub is in a new position now so get ready for a wild ride.

Jump up the ledges to the right. When you get to the missiles, use your slow and uppercut (down plus punch) to launch them in the air then run under them using mach. When you get to the last missile, leap up the ledges. Get on top of the missile and when it reaches its peak, jump up to the left to find a secret extra man.

Get back on the missile. When it launches, activate slow so its fire builds up. When the fire builds sufficiently, release your slow power to launch the missile high. This will get you way up to the next ledges. Avoid the lasers as you continue to jump up the ledges. Reach the top to complete the episode.

Episode 5: The Midnight Thunderboy

Before starting this episode, consider some power-ups, such as additional life and perhaps a Take 2. The first half of this mission contains many difficult fights and you won't be able to save for a very long time.

You emerge on a dark city street. Grab the V-Films to the right (avoiding the land mines) and prepare to face off against a gang of enemies. You can keep moving to the right and avoid them or battle it out and gather useful V-Points. If you're saving for a power-up, gathering those V-Points is likely the better course of action. You'll also face black biancky enemies here. Dodge their attacks as you would normal ones or you can use slow and zoomed-in punches to attack them. Back off as you exhaust your VFX meter and prepare for another assault.

On the other side of the lava stream you'll encounter a tank that spits out biancky enemies and also has a powerful cannon shot of its own. To defeat the tank you can either deflect its projectile back at it (activate slow then punch or kick the projectile to reverse its course back at the tank). You can also stand close to the tank (under its turret) and dodge a biancky attack then activate slow and punch the enemy into the tank. You should also use zoom when the attacks connect to inflict more damage to the tank.

You can hear when the tank is about to fire so prepare to activate slow accordingly. Also, after two shots the tank moves. Be ready to leap over the tank (perform a double jump to steer completely clear of its top) after the second shot. Repeat these tactics to destroy the tank.

After eliminating the tank, continue on and dive down into another sewer, this time filled with fiery lava. There's another set of poles here that you must use to open the sewer entrance. This time they're spread far apart so the kick won't work. Instead, kick each pole four times (so each has four lights on it) then stand in the middle of the two poles and jump into the air. As you are descending on the jump, activate zoom to perform the aerial move toward the ground. If done correctly, the impact will hit both poles and open the entrance. If it fails, perform the task again.

Begin your descent into the sewer. You can jump at the V-Films and land safely. As you walk around these ledges, don't step into the lava or you'll suffer damage. Go all the way to the bottom and grab the items from the large crates.

To navigate the lava pool, you must raise the lava using mach speed (don't raise it too high or you'll hit yourself and cause damage!). Once it's high enough, use slow while the water drips from the pipes. When the large water drop hits the lava, it cools the floor and creates a walkway. Work your way across to the other side. Should you fall in the lava, just quickly jump to the right and you can make it up the ledge before suffering damage twice. Use mach speed to stop the flames around you.

In the next chamber, ride the platforms to the right. Grab the V-Films and use slow to help you break the yellow crates floating above. The far end is a shaft where you must use mach speed to ride the platform up. Be cautious to avoid the flames jetting from either side of the shaft. There's another cheeseburger at the very top. Jump off to the right. Ride the platform to the right and leap to the flag. Crush the pink ladies with slow, zoomed-in punches.

Activate slow to lower the platform that hovers above the V-Films. Ride it up and enter a secret room to the top right. Open the crates to gather some handy items, including an extra man. The platform won't lower all the way with the V-Films in the way. Activate slow and double-jumps to grab the V-Films or just jump off to the right.

Pummel Joker again using your slow, zoomed-in punch technique. Once he's defeated, activate slow and gather the power-ups from the slot machine (cheeseburger and V-Points). There's also a bomb icon on the slot machine. Get three bombs and bombs spurt from the top of the machine. Punch some of the bombs to the right (activate slow first) then run against the bomb to push it into the pipe on the far right of the shaft. Activate slow and quickly double-jump back onto the slot machine. The bomb explodes, opening the pipe, and causing a lava geyser to push the slot machine out of the shaft and back to the city streets.

Work your way up the city street to the right. There are cannons laying mines. Destroy the cannons by jumping behind them, activate slow, and use zoomed-in punches. They also release cheeseburgers so you should go after the cannons when you need health. You'll also face the brawny yellow beasts. Get them to jump over you with their spin attack and run under them. After a miss, the enemy gets disoriented. Take the opportunity to pound it.

After completing the street, you must face off against a harrier jet. Its bullet projectiles are your primary worry. Listen for the cue when it's about to fire and activate slow. Instead of punching the projectiles, jump up to the harrier's cockpit, activate slow, zoom in, and start punching. Once your VFX meter is nearly empty, leap off and descend to the ground. Be careful when riding the harrier toward the lava spout; the harrier can push you into the fire and inflict damage.

The harrier jet will also release black biancky enemies and will fire homing missiles. You can avoid the enemies for the most part (just jump over and around them). Deal with the homing missiles by activating slow and punching them; the homing missiles will alter course and attack either the jet or the nearest biancky enemy.

After destroying the harrier jet you must face another tank then another harrier jet. Use the strategies described earlier in this episode to combat these two vehicles.

After the second jet, you'll reach the speeding train. As the train approaches, perform a double jump onto the top of the train (activate slow for assistance). It'll be time to take a break upon reaching the top of the train. Save your game and acquire any power-ups before continuing onward.

You're on a speeding train and must discover a way to stop it before time expires. Grab V-Films and work your way quickly through the train. Don't waste too much time with the enemies. Just use your slow, zoomed-in punches to pulverize everything. Working for V-Points may take too much time. Be sure to search the upper and lower compartments in each train car to break open the safes for cheeseburgers and other goodies. Kill the enemies at the end of each car for the key that opens the top hatch. Jump out and head over to the next car (break open the crate for a cheeseburger between each car). If you have the key and enemies remain, you can just skip them and head out of the car and into the next.

To stop the train, reach its end and find the large red button. Battle the enemy here quickly, then stand on the red button for approximately 10 seconds. You must stop the train before time expires. Take a break and power-up before facing the episode's boss.

It's time to face off against the Blade Master, Alastor. He has a number of crafty attacks under his sleeve. You'll have to be very agile to avoid his use of lightning and sword barrages. As with most bosses, your best offense is the slow, zoomed-in punch technique. Whenever you're near him, activate slow and zoom and hold down the punch button to inflict significant damage to Alastor.

There's lava on the level so you must be careful not to take a hot dip. However, Alastor occasionally stands at the end just next to the lava. Punch him into the lava and he'll reappear at the small pool of water just nearby (opposite the lava). He'll stay in there for several seconds to cool down. Jump into the pool quickly, activate slow and zoom, and start punching. Likewise, if you should fall into the lava get into the pool or just use mach speed to cool the flames.

One of Alastor's attacks is calling lightning from hovering pillars around the room. You can avoid the lightning by keeping away from it. But since you might be run into a corner with no chance of avoiding damage, it's better to either leap onto the pillar and above the lightning or punch and kick the pillar itself, which stops the attack. When you're on the pillar, make an attempt to hit Alastor. Jump, activate slow and zoom, and start punching if you're able to reach Alastor. He'll plummet to the ground and be vulnerable for more attacks.

Whenever Alastor shouts "Round Trip" he's going to start throwing swords. These can be avoided using slow for auto-dodging or they can also be punched back at Alastor for some damage. Alastor says "Air Raid" and shoots lightning at your feet. Perform a jump move right when he says it to avoid the lightning strike (and if you can reach him, jump and hit him to stop the barrage). Finally, Alastor also features a lightning ground attack much like Captain Blue from earlier. Just steer clear of the lightning; once it dissipates, move in for the attack.

Episode 6: The Magnificent 5

This episode is a series of boss battles, four of which you've already faced before. You'll use the same strategies that you used before when facing these same bosses. You must destroy each boss before moving on to the next. Also, you won't be able to take a break until the first four bosses are defeated and you won't be able to save your game until you reach the next episode. Prepare your power-ups accordingly! You may wish to purchase a "Take 2" before the first boss battle so you have a better shot of making it to the next break time.

Here are some tips on beating the first four bosses, all of which you have faced before.

1. Make sure you get all of the V-Films in each area. Like other episodes, you begin with a very small VFX meter and you'll need the extra VFX to survive each tougher battle.
2. In the first area (against Charles the 3rd), there are several V-Films high in the air that can't be reached by regular jumps. Instead, you must use Charles. Knock Charles out of the sky with a stalactite; this must be underneath the column of V-Films. With Charles on the ground, uppercut him into the sky and you'll get the V-Films. If you want to get 50 from this first area, you must perform this task. Note there are three other V-Films down the steps from your start position.
3. Most of these boss areas include crates in the background. If you have upgraded your mach level, you can enter mach speed, punch a boss, and collect what's in these crates.
4. Use the same strategies against Charles the 3rd that you used in the first boss battle. Avoid his projectiles using slow and jumps; uppercut a stalactite to knock Charles down; while he's on the ground, activate slow and zoom and punch him repeatedly; then move back before he launches to avoid damage. Repeat this maneuver until he's defeated.
5. If you fall off the pillars on the Charles the 3rd area, jump and run back to the left and return to the start position. Charles will follow and you can fight him there or back where you first found him.
6. The crates in the background on the Hulk Davidson area include valuable cheeseburgers. The V-Films are high on ledges. Get them!
7. Defeat Hulk by approaching close and dodging his low axe attack three times. After three swipes, he'll charge. Jump over the charge and he'll crash into the wall. While he's dizzy, activate slow and zoom and start punching repeatedly. When your VFX is almost exhausted, jump away and repeat.
8. Hulk will jump toward you. Don't stand near his landing zone or you'll suffer damage. As soon as he lands stand near him so he'll begin attacking low with the axe.
9. Collect almost all of the V-Films on the Gran Bruce stage before heading all the way to the left.
10. On the Gran Bruce stage there's a large meal to the far left in a yellow crate. Save it!
11. Gran Bruce is extremely tough here, especially when he's raised the water level (he takes more damage out of the water). Use your slow, zoom, and repeated punches whenever possible. When Gran begins his chomp attack, find a level plane and just jump over them. When he's done (listen for the sound cue), find him and use your punch attack. If there are mines in the area, stand behind one so he'll chomp into a mine. When he does, activate slow and zoom and start punching and the mine explosion will add a lot of damage. Also, don't let Gran Bruce regenerate health. Get behind him and start punching when he tries!
12. There are a lot of V-Films on the Another Joe stage. Get as many as possible. Be aware that Another Joe is already around so you need to balance your hunt for V-Films with your battle against Another Joe.
13. Fight Another Joe exactly as you did earlier in the game. Watch out for his clones (use zoom and hold kick to spin kick and eliminate the clones) and try and destroy the Six Machine flying overhead for a cheeseburger. Stick on Another Joe like glue and he won't be able to use his powers. Go to his platform quickly and start your slow, zoomed punches.
14. As with the other boss areas, use your mach speed when attacking to collect the hidden and background crates.

You can take a break after eliminating the four bosses. Consider your power-ups wisely. You may want to practice a few times against the next boss before deciding what you need the most. A "Take Two" will be invaluable in the battle but don't spend the V-Points until you know what you're up against.

It's time to battle the Infernal Lord, Fire Leo. Like other bosses he works on a pattern. If you follow the pattern and attack accordingly, you can survive. He's extremely difficult, though, and there are so many things in the area that can inflict damage to Joe making the battle very hard. As stated, you may want to consider a "Take Two" once you have gotten comfortable with the pattern as the extra life will certainly prove invaluable in the long fight.

The first thing you will notice is that Fire Leo launches meteors, which drop down onto the circular walkway. Avoid getting hit by these meteors. Secondly, Fire Leo launches fireballs that follow the circular path. These inflict high damage and are tough to avoid. The primary way to avoid them is to be on fire! If you're on fire, the fireballs will pass right through you harmlessly. To get on fire, stand next to a fallen meteor, activate mach speed, and hold down punch until Joe is on fire.

Being on fire is also the only way to get Fire Leo to stop flaming. While he's flaming, you can't hurt him. If you try and punch him while he's on fire, you'll suffer damage. While you're on fire, you must reach and punch Leo. You won't stay on fire forever so you must move quickly (you can use mach speed, which won't put out Joe's self-induced fire). You could also punch another meteor closer to Leo.

Once you punch Leo, his flames go out and now he goes into attack mode. Your next goal is to destroy his shield, which protects him from attacks. Dodge his attacks like you would a standard biancky (activate slow to help out). After each dodge, punch or kick him in slow. After he defends, you may want to remain in slow for a second or two because he can counterattack very quickly.

After several dodges and punches, Leo's shield should break. You can get in a couple slow, zoomed-in punches here if you're fortunate. Dodge another attack and then Leo enters his whirlwind attack mode. You must dodge five consecutive attacks for Leo to get dizzy and become vulnerable to your slow, zoomed-in punch barrage. If he hits you, then you must dodge another round. Slow is your friend here. His attacks are very fast, so activate slow to see where he's going to attack. Instead of holding down slow, try turning slow on and off quickly. It won't use as much VFX but will still be easy to dodge Leo's attack. Once he's dizzy, let him have it.

Time to repeat the process! After attacking a dizzy Leo, he'll jump back into the lava and start over. He'll run around the arena launching meteors and you must begin the task over again. Punch the meteor in mach speed, attack Leo while on fire, dodge and attack until the shield breaks, then dodge the spin attack until you can let him have it. The only difference arrives when Leo has one last bar of health. He'll run around the arena much, much faster so be prepared! Defeat Leo to take a break before the final episode.

Episode 7: Joe & Silvia

You begin the episode in what looks like a familiar hangar for fans of George Lucas movies. Your goal in this first room is to push the three, large buttons to open the far door. The problem is the buttons require a lot of force to depress. You must jump from very high and use some of your VFX abilities to depress the buttons fully.

First, however, you should dispatch all of the enemies on the ground level. Though there are many, the enemies will eventually stop coming. Just keep pounding away. When battling the sword-wielding enemies, hit them with punches and then be ready to jump over their counter sword attack.

You'll also have to look out for the flying fighters. You'll eventually use them to get higher in the level but while you're fighting just avoid jumping too high and hitting the flying vessels. Also, note that there are background crates along the bottom of the area. Use your mach speed to punch an enemy so you can recover the items from these crates.

To get high you can use the ledges (which contain V-Films) and the tops of the flying fighters. To depress the buttons, leap from the top ledges over the button. As you begin the fall, enter zoom mode so you begin your aerial move where you bombard the ground with force. Right before you land on the button, activate slow to make the move more powerful. If done correctly, the button will depress fully and you will be shown the hangar door and one red lock light turning green.

You can use ledges to reach the area over the leftmost button; you must use a combination of ledges and fighters to reach area over the center button; and use flying fighters to reach the high ledge over the rightmost button. Note that there are also several high crates. You can reach them with jumps or ride on the highest fighters to reach them.

The next room contains two tanks, though these look a bit different, your strategy against them is the same. Activate slow when the tank fires and punch the projectile back at the tank. Be sure to have zoom on so the projectile inflicts the most damage. The easiest way to deflect the projectiles is to remain standing. If you're jumping around in the air, the tank aim follows and its projectile, once punched, won't fly directly back at the tank. You can also use the black biancky enemies to damage the tanks. Dodge the biancky attacks then punch them (under slow and zoom) into the tank. Search the upper ledges of the room for V-Films and cheeseburger health power-ups.

Enter the next chamber and face off against two new types of Leo, though thankfully much easier. These are robotic and don't pose the threat that Fire Leo did. To defeat each new Leo, use slow, zoomed punches to break the Leo's shield. Once his shield breaks, Leo begins the spinning attack. Dodge his spin attacks (using slow to help) and he'll eventually get dizzy. Pummel him with slow, zoomed-in punches to eliminate him in one barrage. Battle one Leo high and the other low. Explore the room for V-Films.

The next area takes you for a ride. Stand on the moving platform and battle a series of enemies. Avoid the lasers that run over the platform. And don't forget to grab the V-Films and crates. Just pummel everything with your slow and zoom punches. Battle Joker at the end. The slot machine now moves very slowly so you must use mach speed to make it move faster. Grab its power-ups then score three "V" to get access to the next area.

Defeat the yellow brawny enemies in the next area and steer clear of the lasers and rockets until all are dead. Once they're dead, stand on the silos firing the rockets. Activate slow and punch each rocket to send it at the attacking ships. You must destroy nine ships (each one can sustain multiple hits) to gain access to the next area. Avoid the lasers too!

The next couple of areas feature more fights, first against robotic Leo beasts and the second against a series of tough enemies while you're on a time limit. Defeat the robotic Leos the same way you did before. When you face the final timed battles, work quickly with zoomed punches. If you can't find the enemy, jump up the ledges (avoiding the blue flame attacks). Defeat all enemies before each time limit expires to reach your final boss encounter.

It's time to take on King Blue! Like other bosses, King Blue possesses an assortment of attacks. Your best counter is to know what to do against each attack and know when you can damage him the most. For starters, realize that King Blue is occasionally in the background and can't be struck by your standard attacks. When he's close, it's your chance to pummel him with your slow, zoomed-in repeated punch attacks.

King Blue's first attack is lightning. You can stand between the bolts to avoid (he says something like "Go back to school" before this attack). King Blue's second attack is to summon a bunch of fighters to enter the area. When the fighters emerge, King Blue enters the foreground and can be attacked. Jump next to King Blue, activate slow and zoom, and start punching. He'll counter after the fighters leave so end the attack before King Blue can retaliate.

King Blue also uses another lightning attack (after he says "die" or "bye-bye") and a tower appears on the Earth. To disrupt this attack, attack the tower using mach speed (which must be upgraded at least to level two, though much better if it's upgraded to level three). Your fellow clones will attack King Blue and disrupt his attack.

Watch for another lightning attack, typically right after the fighters arrive. This is a horizontal lightning attack and should be ducked to be avoided. Finally, beware of King Blue's missile attack. Utilize slow to help evade the missiles, which can be ducked or jumped over.

Note that you can use voomerangs to help disrupt King Blue's attacks. You won't receive a very high ranking for beating King Blue with a continual barrage of voomerangs but it will be much easier to avoid and disrupt his various attacks.

Defeating King Blue isn't the end. You must face off against Captain Blue to complete the game. You've faced Captain Blue previously in the game (when you received slow, mach, and zoom abilities) so you should be familiar with most of his attacks. However, he does now possess some new abilities, primarily some devastating lightning attacks and can even enter mach speed.

Once again, your VFX abilities are your ally here. You'll use slow, zoomed-in repeated punches to inflict the most damage against Captain Blue. Look for opportunities to assault with your punch attacks. You can disrupt his more powerful abilities with voomerangs or even the zoom aerial jump attack.

Blue also has a shield, which absorbs some of your damage. Dodging his attacks will remove the shield and leave him the most vulnerable to your barrage. You can knock Blue down by using your jump plus zoom aerial strike; jump and when you're descending, activate zoom. Do this over Blue and he'll be knocked down and vulnerable to your slow, zoom punch strike.

Chapter 6: Secrets

Viewtiful Joe includes two difficulty levels initially: Kids and Adults. Beating the game on the Kids difficulty level only unlocks the Viewtiful World Video but no characters or game modes. But beating the game on the Adults difficulty level unlocks the first of several hidden modes and characters.

Beating the game on the Adult difficulty level unlocks "V Rated" difficulty and the Silvia character.

Beating the game on V Rated difficulty level unlocks "Ultra V Rated" difficulty and the Alastor character.

Beating the game on Ultra V Rated difficulty level unlocks the Captain Blue character.

Finally, beating the game with a "Rainbow V" ranking for every level unlocks "Super Unlimited VFX" mode.

Each hidden character has his or her own unique characteristics.

Silvia: Runs faster than Viewtiful Joe (and her mach speed is even faster) and she can jump slightly higher. Silvia's VFX meter also drains slower than Viewtiful Joe's. To counter these advantages, Silvia sustains double damage. A hit that inflicts two hearts of health to Joe inflicts four hearts of health to Silvia. You'll need the VFX Charger to help stay out of regular Silvia mode (where damage is even greater) and use the Ukemi special move to help offset the damage.

Alastor: You must press the Z button to initiate Alastor's "Viewtiful" mode when your VFX meter reaches the appropriate level. So unlike Joe, Alastor doesn't automatically return to his stronger self. Alastor can double-jump in regular mode and, while in "Viewtiful" mode, Alastor can hover in the air much better than other characters. Avoid running out of VFX power since you'll have to remember to reset him into "Viewtiful" mode. And as with other characters, get that VFX charger!

Captain Blue: Possesses a very high jump but can't detect even biancky attacks so you won't have any indication on which way to dodge.