Viewtiful Joe (GameCube) Preview

The obvious thing is that this game uses a side on view, a traditional style favoured much by CAPCOM and boy does it use it well! Just watching the game in motion it is clear what the developer is trying to achieve: a sense of utter control in absolute madness. It is a very difficult thing to do and when done wrong it can just make a game seem cheap and nasty, but when done well (like in SSBM) it is a treat. The more subtle use of past gaming is the plot, simple and very 80's. Your girlfriend is kidnapped and taken to a movie dimension. Your job is to rescue her by fighting through eight action packed levels each culminating in a boss battle.

The main character is not your average guy. Mixing Japanese and American styles we end up with a rather motley crew. Joe (the character you control in the game) is a child with special powers, a bit like Banana Man in many respects. When in his super human form Joe can perform 'viewtiful' moves. This game may be great in gameplay, but in name it just isn't! However the name is most definitely not for show. Joe can perform beautiful moves that change your viewpoint on the game; allow us to explain further.

he idea of the developer is to allow you to move beautifully and pull off the most amazing moves as simply as possible. Like Jet Set Radio this game makes no secret of trying to tap into the cool culture. For example, you are faced with some fire, walking or even running across this barrier would cause serious damage or even death, however simply activate the 'speed' control and you can race across it and escape harm. In a similar vein, faced with numerous enemies in an annoyingly complicated battle, simply slow down the action via the speed control and take out your enemies in an almost bullet time style. As a final example you are able to zoom in on the action. You must pick this moment carefully, as doing at the wrong time can cause you utter confusion. Done correctly and it is a very handy way of inflicting very damaging blows on your foes. You inflict damage with the normal kicks, punches and dodges strung together into more complex moves.

The way in which you go about completing the sections however is far more ambiguous, and this is very much the developers intention. Each of the eight worlds is said to last the average gamer an hour, which is not all that much game. But thanks to some ingenious gameplay additions you are able to go back and try everything again, but this time in a different way. You can try and make more 'viewtiful' moves, take a different route and all manner of things that allow the gamer to return to a situation many times over.