Having not played the original Viewtiful Joe (don’t own a GCN), I sat down to play the sequel with a fresh and clear-minded approach to this side-scrolling beat ‘em up. From the looks of the game it’s colourful, quirky, energetic, challenging and fun.
VJ2 is made by Capcom, who also made Under The Skin, another quirky, visually rich game that tries to blind you with brightness. Maybe playing that game beforehand has made me impartial to this type of games. But you can’t blame a games company for trying to make innovative titles.
As the opening scenes unfold Star Wars-esque, we see a giant spaceship (presumably an evil organisation) coming from outer space to threaten the peaceful existence of Joe’s world. Joe is a movie aficionado and the visual images depict these ideals with camera reels, imitation Oscar statuettes and a director shouting ‘Cut’ whenever the protagonists die. You start the game in prehistoric ages, battling dinosaurs, Neanderthal and aliens.
You can not only control Joe, but also his girlfriend, Sylvia in tag team mode (not multiplayer though). Each character has a unique storyline and dialogue. Sylvia is armed with pom-poms (where else can you use pom-poms as a weapon?) and a retro-style ray gun that she isn’t afraid to use from far distances. Maybe having a multiplayer feature would have made the game much more fun, with you and a friend playing as either character. Being able to play as Sylvia would appeal to all the female gamers out there.
As the game progresses, the heroes will learn super powers that will help them immensely when taking on the numerous foes. Pressing L1 will make the game go into slo-mo, letting Joe/Sylvia dish out punishment to those who dare stand in their way. Pressing R1 lets Joe go into Mach Speed mode as his attack is quicker and has the ability to burst into flames, making him invulnerable to fire attacks and lava. R2 allows one character to be substituted for another, tag team style.
Earning Viewtiful credits, by beating up the bad guys and collecting coins (film reels) will allow you to buy superpowers including boomerangs, bombs and a unique ability called Replay. This special feature lets Joe record a move (punch or kick) and then play that move back three times in succession. But there’s a drawback in that if Joe gets hit, then he’ll take three times the damage. These new, innovative moves will please those gamers who say there’s no originality left in games.
The thing that makes this game stand out is its clever level designs and puzzles. The combination of long stages based on movie themes, new challenges and new powers offers a complex challenge that will give gamers value for their money. The type of puzzles is designed in such a way that Joe/Sylvia must use their powers to solve them. One of these puzzles involves a huge boulder from a volcano landing on top of a switch, causing a bridge you must cross to rise. By slowing down time and giving the rock an uppercut to send it into the atmosphere, you can now cross the bridge with ease.
The graphics and animations are colourful, so this is the one reason wearing sunnies indoors is considered cool. The music and sound effects are energetic, with the main characters’ catchcry quite funny. It’s kinda like watching a comic book come alive. The control system is easy to use with the characters moving from side to side, jumping up and down, and punching/kicking at every possible moment.
The top of the screen shows the protagonist’s life meter and VFX meter, which allows them to use their superpowers. The bottom of the screen shows how many enemies our heroes are fighting at any given time. The number of Viewtiful credits collected is also displayed, with these allowing you to buy extra life, new moves and new weapons at the end of each stage. Just like every fighting game, you’ll have to fight a boss at the end of each level. These bosses range from a drilling machine to a T-rex with a gun attached to its back.
There’s a lot of replay value in VJ2, as the player will receive a rating after completing each level, from Viewtiful and Awesome to Baad and Crappy. Retrying these levels to gain a higher score and a better ranking is for the perfectionist gamers. With some tough bosses and having to use your brain to solve most of the puzzles, this game has good longevity going for it.
If I was a little younger or if they released this game on a hand-held console, then I’d probably enjoy this game more than I would. My opinion doesn’t reflect badly on the game as it is designed well and there are some innovative/fresh ideas within the game. It’s just that these types of games aren’t exactly my cup of tea and this game, somehow reminds me of Under The Skin (*shudder*). If you enjoyed the original and appreciate cel-shaded 2D gameplay and comic book visuals, then this game is recommended for you.
7/10
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