"Viewtiful Visuals, Confusing Controls"

I haven't played any Viewtiful Joe games; this is my first one. Now I've been reading all around the board that this exclusive version lacks the action of the likes of the console originals. I can't comment on these, but I must say that for what it's worth, Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble is a heck of a puzzler, and the action elements take a suitable backseat..

GRAPHICS 9/10
Cel-shaded graphics are what we have here and Clover have done a great job of mimicking the style & charm of the more powerful home console versions. The effect works very well on the DS and the dual screens are utilised to show the action from afar (ideal for platforming) and closeup (ideal for brawling). Very pretty and some of the best visuals the DS has shown so far, just you can get a bit dizzy since the refresh rate ain't that great (hardware limitation?)

PRESENTATION 8/10
Nice stylish menus, instant save feature, buyable upgrades, nicely done cutscenes, good quality (but low quantity) music, some VA here and there. The whole package just beckons you to play.

GAMEPLAY 7/10
Here's where some have their gripes. Although this Viewtiful Joe is a puzzler at heart, this aspect is actually done rather well. Using the stylus, we are able to manipulate the environment in various ways, from swapping the upper & lower screens to have touchscreen interaction with background elements, to splitting the screen in half to destroy certain enemies or overcome certain obstacles. It may be a bit unwieldy at times having to co-ordinate button playing with stylus playing, but holding the stylus between your 3rd & 4th finger should feel alright soon enough. The puzzles are nice to figure out, but to prompts onscreen do give it away and it would've been nice if they had been omitted at later stages. Nevertheless, creative stuff seen here.

But alas, the action feels generic button mashing. Sure there are powerups for you to use but using them can be troublesome given that dual-button/stylus controls can be hard to use (as I stated above). The bosses are pretty fun to beat and you'll definitely have to make use of some gogo powers here. In typical Capcom style you'll have to face off with all the main bosses again before the final showdown.. c'mon! -> Megaman, Devil May Cry, jeez guys just do it all the time eh? But the length is reasonable still, with the game taking 5+ hours to finish if you hurry on. However replay is quite low as there are no bonuses, the upgrades are minimal that you'll probably gain most of them on you first run through, and since you'll know how to solve the puzzles already, it's just the action parts leftover, and they're not that great remember?

OVERALL 7/10
But for those keen on having some new-style fun with a newish franchise on a newish portable console, give it a go. It's fun to play once, at least.

- Good Game

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/06