Viewtiful Joe

KungPaoChicken · Post by **KungPaoChicken** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 1:41 am

http://cube.ign.com/articles/382/382879p1.html

"Viewtiful Joe is so much better than you think it is. And that remains true even if you previously thought it was going to be outrageously awesome...

According to Capcom, Viewtiful Joe is scheduled to ship in the US this summer and possibly as early as March in Japan. The game seems impressively far along, offering up several fully playable levels that unfold with a breathtaking fluidity. There were, in demos, some notable load times to spawn some stages, but these will be deleted in total before the game's release according to the publisher...

The play mechanics seem simple enough -- Joe runs through 2D-like cel-shaded environments and does battle with all sorts of acrobatic foes. As Joe advances, he gains new powers, which Capcom calls "visual effects." These abilities enable the character to slow down time -- a tribute to the "bullet time" effect popularized by The Matrix. When time is slowed, Joe can outmaneuver his foes and inflict damaging blows and kicks upon them. He can similarly dodge enemy attacks. For instance, in some cases, foes will... shoot bullets at the hero, and if slow mode is activated, he will attempt to duck and move out of their way. Also, if timed precisely, Joe can actually deflect projectiles such as bullets and send them hurling back at enemies...

The analog stick manipulates Joe through the quasi-2D/3D worlds of the game and wow is the setup tight. The simple acts of making the character run and jump (A button), or soar into the air to execute a mid-float double-jump (A again), feel astonishingly responsive and polished... The control is really that good. You can practically go anywhere in levels that you'd like due to Joe's ability to hop in the air and then jump again, and what's also very original is that if the character is in mid-air and he kicks or punches, he will hover as the action is executed. I imagine some sweetly stylized combos will be possible -- all in mid-air. Cool.

In the end, the game is all about style. The X button kicks and Y punches, yes, good and fine. But with the L button, the real magic begins as with it you can temporarily slow down time. Yes, only temporarily. Let me explain the process. There's a "special effects" meter located at the top of the screen which shows you how much, say, juice Joe has to either slow down time or speed it up. For every second the L button is held down, time is slowed and the meter is drained. When it goes completely empty, Joe changes from the "Viewtiful" superhero version of himself back to his regular self. The good news, though, is that he won't remain his boring self for long because the meter is always regenerating, and it only takes a few seconds for it to max back out. So if you're a smart player, you learn when to hold the L button down for some serious, stylish ass kicking, and you also know when to let it go so that Joe doesn't temporarily change into his non-superhero form and take a beating. It's a balance, and a very well implemented one.

I can't speak highly enough about the "special effects" in the title. Slowing time seriously delivers a level of satisfaction uncommon in most other videogames. It's so simple, yes, but it's equally brilliant. You can slow time as multiple enemies are sprinting at Joe, flip into the air, summersault over their heads and lay into them with a strong kick. Or, you can jump into the air, then slow time, and take down flying birds or other annoying enemies whom are otherwise too speedy to chase after. But there are dozens of other uses for the feature. For instance, let's say that Joe comes to an area in which platforms are lowering and rising quickly, and you're not so sure about taking a leap of faith for fear of missing the platforms and falling to your demise. Well, then slow time. The platforms will hardly move an inch, and Joe will be able to flip acrobatically over to one without any trouble at all. There are certain puzzles that can only be solved by slowing time. In one case, a chest that holds the key to the next stage falls from the sky. But Joe can't get the chest to open until he first lines up its constantly spinning, slot-machine-like locks. Problem: they spin far too fast to solve. Solution: slow time and correctly align three of the locks...

The 2D look is of course misleading as the stages are actually in full 3D. In some cases, the view will change drastically to reveal this, especially as Joe rounds corners and the stages bend flawlessly as a result... everything runs at 60 frames without so much as a hint of slowdown...

When Joe is about to encounter a major foe, a mystery voice calls "Just do it!" and the same words appear on the screen. Meanwhile, if you really suck it up in battle, the game actually tells you, both in speech and lettering: "You are crappy!"...

Viewtiful Joe has gone from being an interesting novelty to one of, if not my most anticipated game, period. I truly can't wait to grab hold of the controller again, slow time, rip through a series of enemies, and summersault my way over a series of hanging chandeliers, all with a style and grace that only Joe can deliver..."

And because I am cool, here is the video for you. Just right click and save as...

He dodges a bullet near the end.

http://members.directvinternet.com/kung ... -16-03.mov

The Messiah of Pain · Post by **The Messiah of Pain** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 1:52 am

also Capcom already said that the 4 new Capcom Games weren't GC exclusive.. so that gives it a possibility to go onto other platforms for others to enjoy.

awesome game tho

This and Killer7 impress me ALOT

The Wired Knight · Post by **The Wired Knight** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 2:12 am

Seen the pics, looks very odd. IT sounds fun but like it would get tiresome after a while. I'll probably give it a rent.

Beefmaster10000 · Post by **Beefmaster10000** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 3:30 pm

PNO3 looks awesome. That is one game I will definately get. I like how that lady dances around dodging everything.

Though, all 5 of these games look good. I must play them all. But, for now, they are only on the gamecube, hehe. I can't wait for them.

Anime Jedi · Post by **Anime Jedi** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 11:38 pm

This looks like a cool game.

But it reminds me of Kirby64: The Crystal Shards. That was an ok game.

The action reminds me of any Street Fighter game.

The combos remind me of the old Final Fight games...

It seems like a combo of them all!