Viewtiful Joe

"Old-school style + New-school ideas = Viewtiful Joe!"

Who's the new superhero in town? It's Viewtiful Joe, yo! I've been addicted to this game lately, and let me tell you all why:

Gameplay:
The gameplay of VJ is awesome. Joe has many great moves at his disposal. From great punches and kicks, bulletdodges, slow-mo, mach-speed, all the way down to just doing a pose that destroys every enemy on-screen, this game has it all. Using these abilities (especially slow-mo) is also needed to solve some simple puzzles. Here's a warning to casual gamers: This game is HARD. It will take some serious time and patience to beat it. I enjoy a challenge though, so it doesn't bother me. The gameplay gets a 9/10.

Graphics:
This game has the best graphics I've seen in awhile. Most games seriously look dumb with cel-shading, but this one actually looks great. It feels like I'm playing a cartoon! Joe looks awesome, and it's nice to see that the enemies that he fights were given equal attention to detail. There are a few minor clipping issues, but other than that, the graphics of VJ just rock the house. 10/10

Sound:
Ok, the sound isn't so great. The fighting sounds are ok, but it's the music that gets on my nerves. On one level, you have to hear "Warning: The bomb has been activated" or something like that, over and over again until you reach the end. It's really irritating. On one level though, the background music is actually made up of cars honking on the street, and it's pretty nifty. Overall, it's a 6/10.

Well, despite the lame sound, VJ is a great game and should definitely be in any action game, old-school game, or just plain everyone's library. The presentation of the game is great, and it's really enjoyable. The extra characters also provide some replay value. This game is a 9/10. Why are you still reading? Go buy it, NOW!!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/13/04