Upon first screenshots of Viewtiful Joe I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It looked like a decent side-scrolling action game, but with oddly small characters. Now that I've had a chance to play the 'previewtiful' (they're joke, not mine) version of it, I have to say Capcom might just have a kicker of a hit on their hands.
Joe is your average…um…Joe who stumbles across a funny looking man in mask and cape. After tackling the fruit loop, Joe's hidden abilities come forth and he is transformed into the super hero known as…you guessed it, Viewtiful Joe!
This is indeed a side-scrolling adventure game, harking back to the glory days of the SNES and Saturn. You can feel the nods to classics like Guardian Heroes and Battletoads. Joe can jump, double jump, punch, kick, and stop/speed up time. The time option proves to be the coolest take on the current 'bullet time' fad. When you slow time down, the screen zooms in and you're given an up-close approach to your attacker's move. This allows you to dodge out of the way and then kick his robotic butt across the screen. It really is a sweet effect, and the added bonus of cartoon word balloons and effects only sweeten the deal.
From the preview version, it's pretty obvious this is going to be an addictive game. Besides the fighting, you'll be presented with platform jumping sections, some very minor puzzle elements (using your slow motion to see the pictures on a slot machine tumbler), and some dodging elements.
Graphically the game shines in every which way. Originally I thought it was sprite based, but it is indeed 3D Cel-Shaded. Before you let out that groan, it really does look sweet. There's more detail here then in the normal cell shaded games and the 2D backgrounds look incredibly sweet. Plenty of animation to be found too as I mentioned before, the added bonus of visual cartoon word balloons and sound effects make it all the more entertaining.
Where the game really shines though, is the combat system; it rocks. Although limited to just a punch and kick, slight variations (such as a crouching kick) and thumping sound effects upon contact make you just want to beat down everything that comes your way. Joe's pretty nimble too, as you can switch between left and right opponents pretty easily.
Sadly, VJ won't be here for another 5 months (he's crash landing on US shores in October) so all we have to kill time is to enjoy the sweet preview that has been bestowed upon us. Capcom has been doing some weird things of late (no Live Support in MvC2) but if they keep on pace with this title, it truly will be a vie…er…beautiful thing.
