That quirky 2D fighting/platformer that took everyone by surprise in 2003 on the GameCube is back. Viewtiful Joe makes his triumphant return in Viewtiful Joe 2 and proves the first time around was no fluke. Of course it is mainly not a fluke because there have only been minimal changes to the game in one year and players who were left wanting more Joe last time get just that, big time. And while VJ2 shows only marginal improvement over the original, if Capcom can avoid the overexposure that has overtaken its Mega Man franchise, it still has the chance to build this character into the star of a series we’ll want to see for years to come.
In VJ2 the minions of the Black Emperor and his Tyrannous organization are threatening Movieworld and Joe once again rises to the occasion. But this time, not content to just be a damsel in distress, Joe’s girlfriend, Silvia, joins the fight with special powers of her own. As the two fight their way through seven movie-themed levels to collect the “Rainbow Oscars”, they will use their special powers to beat down over 40 types of Tyrannous enemies and solve puzzles.
Joe is the typical movie manly man and uses punches and kicks to hand out a heaping helping of whup ass. Silvia is a little more lady-like and eschews the punch for a laser pistol, but still can land a kick with the best of them. During the game the player may swap out these characters at any time by using the “Viewtiful Touch” button. This swap can be advantageous against certain enemies or may be necessary to solve a puzzle. Joe is stronger, but Silvia has the advantage of range with her pistols.
In addition to on-foot combat action, Joe and Silvia also have the trusty Six Machine craft that can transform into various configurations depend on the situation and whether Joe or Silvia is piloting. Viewtiful Joe could have been a sub-par 2D side-scrolling brawler with vehicles that would have been a lot like Metal Slug and would have been about as out of place in modern gaming as a screen door on a submarine. But in a moment of pure inspiration the movie themes were born and Joe’s VFX powers were imagined. VFX powers are the ability to use movie special effects to put a severe hurt on the bad guys or get out of a tough situation. Slow is Joe and Silvia’s ability to bring the action down to a crawl, giving them time to dodge out of the way of an enemy attack or perfectly time their own attacks when an enemy is vulnerable. Zoom is also useable by either character and temporarily freezes enemies in place for landing extra-damage attacks. Unique to Joe is the Mach Speed VFX that allows him to gain super speed and deal out some serious damage. Silvia has a unique trick in her own bag with the Replay VFX that allows her to record an action and then have it replay three times, causing three times the damage of a normal attack. Replay does hold a significant risk though. If Silvia is hit during the recording, she will get hit three times during the playback. In addition to their uses against enemies, VFX powers are also essential to solving the puzzles presented in the levels.
Level design also sets VJ2 well above the middling crowd. The environments range from a Jurassic Park theme to under the sea and out into space. The environmental puzzles will require some real head scratching and no small amount of frustration as the player has to think his way through utilizing Joe and Silvia’s special powers. All the environments are well detailed and just plain fun to experience.
Graphically the game sports a unique vision that draws the player into Movieworld. From Joe’s beautifully flowing cape to Silvia’s waving pom-poms, the animation is smooth and a delight to watch, with just the right amount of psychedelic/hallucinogenic flavor thrown in. The colors are bright and vibrant; just the thing to convey the other-worldly quality of Movieworld. Audio is not quite up to the standards of the visuals, but are very good in their own right.
The only debatable weakness of Viewtiful Joe 2 is its similarity to the original game. The casual observer may actually mistake the two games for one another if Silvia doesn’t happen to be on the screen. The look and play mechanics of VJ2 are going to be extremely familiar to anyone who played the first game. That may either elicit a cheer or some moans of disappointment.
Once again, Viewtiful Joe 2 shows that an old genre like the 2D action/adventure/brawler still has a little life left in it when executed with some play-enhancing flair. The addition of the second playable character, which seems like a small thing, actually changes the game for the better in a fairly fundamental way. And while its similarity to the original can be off-putting, the hardcore fans of the original will probably be more than happy with VJ2. If I could venture one bit of advice to Capcom, I would suggest that they not fall into the rut of offering a new Viewtiful Joe game every year and actually make the next installment a meaningful upgrade in 2006. Perhaps add in a cooperative mode for two players to tackle. But for now, it is an extremely fun and challenging game that almost any player can enjoy at some level.
© 2004 GameShark.com
