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Viewtiful Joe Swoops To Save 2D Gameplay

Posted by simoniker on from the the-japanese-are-insane dept.

Thanks to IGN Cube for running an import review of Capcom's crazed 3D-graphics but 2D-gameplay action platformer, Viewtiful Joe, which has just been released (and immediately sold out) in Japan, but isn't out in the US until October. According to the article, "Viewtiful Joe is an extremely stylized quasi-2D side-brawler .. [with] polished control mechanics.. you can effortlessly slow down time, speed it up.. the game's graphic presentation, from.. cel-styled worlds.. [to] breathtaking slow-time and speed-time effects, and fluid animation that drowns every character, is just gorgeous." There's also a US demo of Viewtiful Joe on the recent official GameCube demo disc - is this title proof that 2D gameplay can still enchant the mass market?

2 of 21 comments (clear)

  1. Excellent Game by highcaffeine · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been playing VJ for a couple days now (got mine Tuesday -- imported it through videogamedepot.com) and love it. I've always been a platformer at heart, and this game definitely makes me happy so far. For any US cuber's who want to get this *now* but don't speak Japanese and are worried about not knowing what's going on, stop worrying and just get it. Much of it is in English anyway.

    My only beef with it was when I first popped it in and just wanted to get straight to the action. You have to sit through a drawn out intro that can't be skipped (it seemed to go on forever the first time around). If you do import it (and if this is your first import), make sure you either have a modded GCN or the "Freeloader" so that you can actually play it, and also make sure to have a separate memory card (you cannot save US and JP games on the same card).

    1. Re:Excellent Game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      If you do import it (and if this is your first import), make sure you either have a modded GCN or the "Freeloader" so that you can actually play it, and also make sure to have a separate memory card (you cannot save US and JP games on the same card).

      Yes you can, the card just needs to be formatted with a Japanese game first and then it'll work with every Japanese or US game out there.