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[[Image:VJ_Logo.png|350px|center]]
  
[[Image:VJ_Logo.png|350px|center]]
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'''Viewtiful Joe''' is a 2.5D side-scrolling beat 'em up game developed by [[Capcom]]'s Production Studio 4 design team "Team Viewtiful", published by Capcom and first released for Nintendo GameCube in 2003. It is the first installment in the ''[[Viewtiful Joe (Series)|Viewtiful Joe]]'' series of action beat 'em up games. The game stars a movie-loving human named Joe who after an incident is taken into the world of movies along with his girlfriend Silvia and is able to transform to a fictional superhero named "Viewtiful Joe". The following games in the series have been made by [[Clover Studio]]; [[Atsushi Inaba]] headed the development of all the ''Viewtiful Joe'' games (first at Capcom Production Studio 4, then at Clover Studio).[[File:Viewtiful Joe - Trailer|thumb|300px|right|Trailer]]
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'''Viewtiful Joe''' {{nihongo|ビューティフル ジョー|Byūtifuru Jō}} is a side scrolling beat 'em up game developed by [[Clover Studio|Team Viewtiful]] and published by [[Capcom]] for the GameCube. It was originally released in 2003 as a part of the "Capcom Five" under director [[Hideki Kamiya]] and producer [[Atsushi Inaba]]. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the name Clover Studio, subtitled {{nihongo|''Aratanaru Kibō''|新たなる希望||lit. "A New Hope"}} in Japan. The game's story concerns [[Viewtiful Joe (character)|Joe]], an avid movie-goer whose girlfriend [[Silvia]] is kidnapped during a film starring Joe's favorite superhero, [[Captain Blue]]. Joe is shortly thereafter thrust into Movieland, where Silvia is taken by the villainous group known as [[Jadow]]. After accepting a special V-Watch from Captain Blue, Joe transforms into the tokusatsu-style persona "Viewtiful Joe" and sets out to rescue her.[[File:Viewtiful Joe - Trailer|thumb|300px|right|Trailer]]
   
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The gameplay of ''Viewtiful Joe'' features traditional 2D platform side-scrolling intermixed with 3D cel-shaded graphics. Abilities known as "VFX Powers" grant the player special actions for combat and puzzle-solving, such as slowing down or speeding up time. ''Viewtiful Joe'' was critically acclaimed for its unique visual style and gameplay, earning itself a number of awards from various media publications. A minor commercial success, the game spawned a few sequels with releases seen on other consoles such as the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS. An anime adaption of the game and a manga series were also produced.
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''Viewtiful Joe'' was originally developed exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003, but a port (made by Clover Studio) for the PlayStation 2 was released in 2004. Characters were illustrated by [[Kumiko Suekane]].
  
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Characters were illustrated by [[Kumiko Suekane]].
   
 
== Gameplay ==
  
== Gameplay ==
 
[[Image:VJCoverArt.png|right|thumb|480px|''U.S.'' Cover Art]]
  
[[Image:VJCoverArt.png|right|thumb|480px|''U.S.'' Cover Art]]
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The core gameplay is similar to a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up. Taking control of Joe, the player is mostly limited to moving left, right, up, and down on a fixed 2D path. The game contains platforming elements such as the ability to jump and double jump. Combat consists of fighting multiple enemies on screen at once, with the enemies appearing from all directions, including the foreground and background. Joe has the ability to punch, kick, and dodge—which he can do by leaping upward or ducking. Dodging enemies' attacks successfully temporarily dazes them, leaving them wide open for attack.<ref name="EuroG">https://web.archive.org/web/20081229130920/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_viewtifuljoe_gc</ref> The player has certain number of hit points in the form of "Life Marks" located above the VFX Gauge, which decrease whenever Joe takes damage. Health can be restored by picking up hamburgers.<ref name="book2">cite book | year=2003 | editor=Capcom staff| title=Viewtiful Joe instruction manual | page=15 | publisher=Capcom Entertainment Inc.</ref>
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''Viewtiful Joe''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s gameplay is very unusual, and draws inspiration from classic side-scrolling brawlers such as ''[[w:c:techno:River City Ransom|River City Ransom]]'' and ''[[w:c:doubledragon:Double Dragon|Double Dragon]]''. Joe has no blocking moves when fighting; he only can dodge by jumping or ducking. Usually, by successfully jumping or ducking, the foe that attacked him will be dazed, leaving the enemy wide open for attack.
  
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===<small>'''VFX'''</small>===
  
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Joe has three 'VFX' (Viewtiful Effects) powers, which are designed to emulate camera tricks seen in movies such as ''The Matrix'':
  
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*'''Slow''' - causes Joe's attacks to be more powerful, as well as increasing his reflexes and giving him the ability to dodge most attacks. While in Slow, striking a dazed foe sets up all enemies on the screen for a chain reaction, causing all points accrued during the duration of Slow to be multiplied by the number of enemies struck. If used deftly, Slow will accumulate a very large number of points due to the multiplier effect. If Joe is attacked while in Slow, he will automatically do a dodge move, and will lose a large chunk of his remaining VFX power.
  
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*'''Mach Speed''' - allows Joe to run at incredible speed, create multiple after-images of himself when he unleashes a flurry of attacks, and can cause his attacks to envelop himself in a temporary heat shield, which will render him immune to flame attacks and set enemies on fire when struck. When used in tandem with Slow, Mach Speed only increases Joe's walking speed while in slow. It also allows "rapid" punches to be used, by holding the attack button.
  
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*'''Zoom''' - gives Joe access to a new group of attacks and will power up his normal attacks, as well as "dazzling" all of the lesser foes in proximity to Joe into paralysis. Joe's punch is replaced with the "Red Hot One Hundred", a flurry of fists (different from Mach Speed). Joe's kick is replaced with an energetic spin kick, where he levitates in the air as he spins repeatedly. Jumping causes Joe to corkscrew into the air, damaging anything in his path. If the player zooms in while in the air, Joe will careen towards the ground feet first and send shockwaves out from the point of impact.
  
   
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''Viewtiful Joe'' features unique gameplay elements in the form of Joe's "Viewtiful Effects (VFX) Power", which is designed to emulate camera tricks seen in films.<ref name="book1">cite book | year=2003 | editor=Capcom staff| title=Viewtiful Joe instruction manual | pages=19–21 | publisher=[[Capcom]]</ref> VFX Power is used in both battling enemies and solving various puzzles. These three powers are limited by the "VFX Gauge" located at the top of the screen. Normally, the meter is full, giving the player access to Joe's super powers via his Viewtiful Joe transformation. The meter slowly empties when an ability is in use. Once it depletes, Viewtiful Joe changes to normal Joe, lowering his attack and defense and leaving him temporarily devoid of VFX Power.<ref name="book2"/><ref name="GYG">https://web.archive.org/web/20111219175950/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/october03/viewtifuljoegcn/</ref> The VFX Gauge automatically refills over time and can also be manually filled by picking up bottles of "VFX Juice". The first VFX Power is "Slow", which slows time, causing the player's attacks to be more powerful, increasing Joe's reflexes, and allowing him to dodge attacks more easily. The second VFX Power, "Mach Speed", allows Joe to move at a faster speed, creating multiple after-images of him when he unleashes a flurry of attacks on all enemies on the screen.<ref name="IGNP"/> It can additionally cause his attacks to envelop Joe in a temporary heat shield, rendering him immune to flame attacks and setting enemies on fire when struck. The last VFX Power, "Zoom In", causes a camera close-up of Joe, powering up his normal attacks, granting him a set of new attacks, and paralyzing all lesser foes in proximity to him. However, any damage dealt to Joe whilst zoomed in is increased too.<ref name="book1"/> Any two VFX Powers can be combined.<ref name="EuroP"/><ref name="IGNP">https://web.archive.org/web/20060625170644/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/540/540668p1.html</ref> The VFX Gauge can be extended by collecting a certain number of V-Films present in each stage.<ref name="EuroG"/> The bar reverts to its normal length when a new stage begins.<ref name="book2"/>
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All of these are used in combat, and to solve the game's puzzles. Two of Joe's attack powers can be used at the same time, Slow and Zoom, Mach Speed and Zoom, or Slow and Mach Speed (when using Slow and Mach Speed together, Joe moves at a normal speed while everything else is slowed). The most powerful attack in the game, the "Slow Zoom Red Hot One Hundred" (SlowZ-RHOH), is done by enabling Slow, Zooming, and then punching the enemy. Using Mach Speed while attacking speeds the attack up slightly.
  
   
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Defeating enemies gives the player "V-Points" in the form of small and large coins, while using special attacks gives them "V-Marks", or "Viewtifuls", which can be converted into V-Points. Viewtifuls can be quickly gained by using combos or long chains of attacks.<ref>cite book | year=2003 | editor=Capcom staff| title=Viewtiful Joe instruction manual | page=23 | publisher=Capcom Entertainment Inc.</ref><ref name="GYP">https://web.archive.org/web/20081012004143/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/viewtiful-joe/541460p1.html</ref> For example, while using Slow, striking a dazed enemy sets up all other enemies on the screen for a chain reaction, causing all points accrued during the duration of Slow to be multiplied by the number of enemies struck. If used deftly, the player will accumulate a large number of Viewtifuls due to the multiplier effect called "X-Bonus". Each stage in ''Viewtiful Joe'' consists of several interconnected missions, or scenes, that the player must complete in order to advance.<ref>cite book | year=2003 | editor=Capcom staff| title=Viewtiful Joe instruction manual | page=17 | publisher=Capcom Entertainment Inc.</ref> When completing the stage, the player is graded on the number of V-Points earned, the amount of time taken, and how much damage Joe took. V-Points can be used between stages to purchase new abilities, expendable weapons (which include the "Voomerang" and "Shocking Pink Bombs"), more health, and health-restorative items.<ref name="IGNP"/><ref name="GSG">http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/viewtifuljoe/review.html</ref> Clearing the game on various difficulties allows players to play as different characters such as Silvia, Captain Blue and Alastor, with the PlayStation 2 version also allowing players to play as ''[[Devil May Cry]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Dante]].
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All of the VFX powers are required to get past at least one area in the game. Joe has a VFX meter, which empties as he uses his powers. If it runs out, Joe reverts to his normal state until the first bar of the meter refills. In his normal state, Joe takes double damage, has weaker attacks, loses the double jump ability and can no longer use his VFX powers. The bar can be extended by collecting various film cans scattered throughout the stages. For every fifty collected, a small extension a third the length of the initial VFX bar is added, up to five extensions. Picking up small blue juice cans gives a small boost to the VFX bar (and can extend beyond the length of the VFX bar available), large blue bottles fill up a significantly larger portion, and red bottles give infinite VFX power for a limited time.
  
   
 
== Story ==
  
== Story ==
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While Joe and his girlfriend Silvia are at the theater during a date, Silvia is kidnapped by the movie's antagonist and taken into the world of the movies: Movieland. Joe is able to follow Silvia, after being picked up and taken into Movieland by the robot Six Majin. Inside the movie, Joe must rescue Silvia from the evil [[Jadow]], the game's organization of villains. To help him, Captain Blue entrusts him with a V-Watch, telling Joe to transform into a superhero upon saying ''"Henshin"'' (Japanese for 'Transformation'), but Joe made it into his personal catchphrase, "Henshin-a-go-go, baby!"
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''Viewtiful Joe'' is divided into seven stages, or "episodes", interspersed with storyline cutscenes and bookended by an opening and ending cinematic. The setting is divided between Earth, or the real world, and "Movieland", the game's fictional world of films. The plot begins in a movie theatre on Earth in which the game's central character Joe and his girlfriend Silvia are watching a tokusatsu drama starring the aged superhero Captain Blue. The movie's antagonist, having seemingly defeated Captain Blue, suddenly reaches out of the screen and abducts Silvia, taking her into Movieland. Joe is likewise picked up and taken into Movieland by Captain Blue's giant mecha, "Six Majin". Inside the movie, Joe must rescue Silvia from the evil Jadow, the game's organization of villains. To help him, Captain Blue entrusts him with a V-Watch, a device Joe can use to transform into a superhero upon saying the word "henshin (transform)." Joe promptly does so, inventing his own catchphrase: "Henshin-a-go-go, baby!".
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With the guidance of Captain Blue, Joe fights his way through a number of Movieland's locations such as cities, caves, an underwater base, and a submarine, often travelling via his trusty, robot aircraft "Six Machine". One by one, Joe defeats the members of the Jadow, the game's bosses. These include Dark Fiend Charles the 3rd, Iron Ogre Hulk Davidson, Aquatic Terror Gran Bruce, a doppelgänger of Viewtiful Joe, and Blade Master Alastor. Before fighting Alastor, he reveals that in order for the Jadow to break out of Movieland and into the land of humans, they need the "DNA of the Creator", namely Silvia. Joe makes his way to her, trumping the Jadow's leader Inferno Lord Fire Leo in combat, only to witness Silvia being kidnapped once again afterwards. Joe and Six Machine race off into outer space after her in the game's final episode.
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Finding Silvia atop the control room of a space station, Joe discovers that Captain Blue has been behind the plot the entire time. The former hero reveals that he is the creator of the film in which they currently exist and that he is Silvia's seemingly-deceased father. Transforming into the colossal robot King Blue, the villain proclaims that he will take Sylvia's energy by force in order to break into the real world. Joe tells him off, telling him that he's no hero. Joe summons Six Majin, and the two engage in combat. When the fight ends, Captain Blue and Viewtiful Joe abandon their respective vehicles and face off in a final battle within the space station.
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Joe is victorious, and Captain Blue, finally coming to his senses, thanks the young hero for stopping him. He explains that two decades earlier, Blue was a revolutionary film maker who was soon thought of as a fad. Wanting nothing more than to create heroes, Blue was sucked into one of his own films, allowing him to live out his dream as a hero. However, he had lost touch with reality and wanted revenge on the people who had betrayed him. As Captain Blue and Silvia embrace in a heartfelt reunion, the director tells Joe that the story is not complete. He snaps his fingers, and the space station's onboard computer warns of a large number of UFOs heading towards Earth. Blue tells Joe that a hero will be needed twice more to save the world. Joe attempts to leave but not before Silvia requests a V-Watch from her father and to accompany her boyfriend. Viewtiful Joe and a newly transformed Silvia head out to stop the impending threat together.
   
 
== Characters ==
  
== Characters ==
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* '''[[Viewtiful Joe (Character)|Viewtiful Joe]]'''
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* '''[[Viewtiful Joe (character)|Viewtiful Joe]]'''
 
* '''[[Sexy Silvia|Silvia]]'''
  
* '''[[Sexy Silvia|Silvia]]'''
 
* '''[[Alastor]]'''
  
* '''[[Alastor]]'''
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== Development ==
  
== Development ==
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''Viewtiful Joe'' was developed by the design staff "Team Viewtiful", a part of [[Capcom Production Studio 4]]. The game was announced in late 2002 as part of the "Capcom Five", a line-up of five then-upcoming GameCube games to introduce new content to the console. It was directed by former Capcom alumnus [[Hideki Kamiya]], whose previous credits include the planning of ''[[Resident Evil]]'' and ''[[Resident Evil 2]]'' and the direction of ''[[Devil May Cry]]''. It was produced by [[Atsushi Inaba]], who previously worked on the ''[[Ace Attorney Series|Ace Attorney]]'' series and ''[[Steel Battalion]]''. In its earliest stages of development, ''Viewtiful Joe'' went under the working title "Red Hot Man", but the name was changed due to copyright conflicts with the American rock band [[wikipedia:Red Hot Chili Peppers|Red Hot Chili Peppers]]. ''Viewtiful Joe‍''<nowiki>'</nowiki>​s development team initially consisted of six people working under a twelve-month deadline. As work continued, the size of the team grew, and development ended up taking a full 21 months to complete. The game was conceived as a "staff-focused project" aimed at increasing the skill of its creators, specifically director Kamiya.
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''Viewtiful Joe'' was developed by the design staff "Team Viewtiful",<ref name="staff" /> a part of [[Capcom Production Studio 4]].<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20050206023353/http://www.capcom.co.jp/studio4/index.html}}</ref><ref name="cps4">https://www.webcitation.org/65l8yY0aq?url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/377/377330p1.html</ref> The game was announced in late 2002 as part of the "Capcom Five", a line-up of five then-upcoming GameCube games to introduce new content to the console.<ref name="Five">https://www.webcitation.org/65l8yY0aq?url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/377/377330p1.html</ref> It was directed by Capcom alumnus [[Hideki Kamiya]], whose previous credits include the planning of ''[[Resident Evil]]'' and ''[[Resident Evil 2]]'' and the direction of ''[[Devil May Cry]]''. It was produced by [[Atsushi Inaba]], who previously worked on the ''[[Ace Attorney (series)|Ace Attorney]]'' series and ''[[Steel Battalion]]''. In its earliest stages of development, ''Viewtiful Joe'' went under the working title "Red Hot Man", but the name was changed due to copyright conflicts with the American rock band [[wikipedia:Red Hot Chili Peppers|Red Hot Chili Peppers]].<ref name="Family">https://web.archive.org/web/20070927202000/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3152913</ref> ''Viewtiful Joe''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s development team initially consisted of six people working under a twelve-month deadline. As work continued, the size of the team grew, and development ended up taking a full 21 months to complete.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20081007051546/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/594/594760p1.html</ref> The game was conceived as a "staff-focused project" aimed at increasing the skill of its creators, specifically director Kamiya.<ref name="postcard">https://web.archive.org/web/20081220215240/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2251/postcard_from_gdc_2005_lessons_.php</ref>
   
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Inaba stated that the team wanted to create a challenging game with stunning visuals and fluid gameplay. As a lifelong fan of superheroes, Inaba's aim was to combine traditional Japanese [[wikipedia:Tokusatsu|tokusatsu]] with American comic books. The character designs created by Capcom artist [[Kumiko Suekane]] were inspired specifically by 1960s and 1970s Japanese-costumed tokusatsu television shows such as ''[[w:c:kamenrider:Kamen Rider|Kamen Rider]]'' and ''[[w:c:ultraman:Ultraman|Ultraman]]''. Graphically, the game adopted a 2D side-scrolling style mixed with 3D cel-shaded animation. Despite many games in the then-modern industry shying away from 2D graphical formats, Inaba stated that the team was able to "breathe new life into the genre because [they] were using a new stylistic way that hasn't been seen before". The team chose the GameCube as its platform because of their target audience and because it lent itself well to ''Viewtiful Joe''<nowiki>'</nowiki>​s gameplay. It is said that director Kamiya based Joe's run animation on how he got to work, and the bosses of the game are based on Capcom executives.{{Fact}}
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Inaba stated that "[they] wanted to create a challenging game with stunning visuals and fluid gameplay". As a lifelong fan of superheroes, Inaba's aim was to combine traditional Japanese tokusatsu with American comic books.<ref name="CVGI">https://web.archive.org/web/20121025010922/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/93136/exclusive-inter-viewtiful-joe-interview-screens-movies/?vid=disable</ref><ref name="Inaba">https://web.archive.org/web/20101216072918/http://cube.ign.com/articles/452/452923p1.html</ref> The character designs created by Kumiko Suekane were inspired specifically by 1960s and 1970s Japanese-costumed tokusatsu television shows such as ''[[w:c:kamenrider:Kamen Rider|Kamen Rider]]'' and ''[[w:c:ultraman:Ultraman|Ultraman]]''.<ref name="GSG"/> Graphically, the game adopted a 2D side-scrolling style mixed with 3D cel-shaded animation.<ref name="Family"/> Despite many games in the then-modern industry shying away from 2D graphical formats, Inaba said, "We have been able to breathe new life into the genre because we are using a new stylistic way that hasn't been seen before."<ref name="Bunker"/> The team chose the GameCube as its platform because of their target audience and because it lent itself well to ''Viewtiful Joe''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s gameplay.<ref name="Inaba"/>
   
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The musical score for ''Viewtiful Joe'' was co-composed by [[Masakazu Sugimori]] and [[Masami Ueda]]. It was released alongside the score for ''[[Viewtiful Joe 2]]'' on a double album titled ''Viewtiful Joe + Viewtiful Joe 2 Original Soundtrack'' in Japan on 22 December 2004 by Suleputer. A music video is played within the game featuring a rap vocal song titled "Viewtiful World" composed by D.A.I. The video features a group of people, including Inaba himself, motion captured as some of the game's characters. On 11 June 2003, Avex released the video on DVD and released the song as a single. Both the North American and Japanese releases of ''Viewtiful Joe'' feature English voice acting in order to keep a "western comic book feel to [the game]." Voice-over work in ''Viewtiful Joe'' was provided by Soundelux Design Music Group. Voice actors for the game include Dee Bradley Baker, Christina Puccelli, Gregg Berger, Mikey Kelley, Roger Rose, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Director Hideki Kamiya provides the voice for Six Machine.
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The musical score for ''Viewtiful Joe'' was co-composed by [[Masakazu Sugimori]] and [[Masami Ueda]]. It was released alongside the score for ''[[Viewtiful Joe 2]]'' on a double album titled ''Viewtiful Joe + Viewtiful Joe 2 Original Soundtrack'' in Japan on 22 December 2004 by [[Suleputer]].<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110131090257/http://chudahs-corner.com/soundtracks/index.php?catalog=CPCA-10102%7E03</ref> A music video is played within the game featuring a rap vocal song titled "Viewtiful World" composed by D.A.I. The video features a group of people, including Inaba himself, motion captured as some of the game's characters.<ref name="Bunker"/> On 11 June 2003, Avex released the video on DVD and released the song as a single.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121014214335/http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=AVBD-91155</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121014214428/http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=AVCD-30475</ref> Both the North American and Japanese releases of ''Viewtiful Joe'' feature English voice acting in order to keep a "western comic book feel to [the game]."<ref name="Bunker">https://web.archive.org/web/20060903125433/http://www.gamebunker.com/install/pages.php?id=80</ref> Voice-over work in ''Viewtiful Joe'' was provided by Soundelux Design Music Group. Voice actors for the game include Dee Bradley Baker, Christina Puccelli, Gregg Berger, Mikey Kelley, Roger Rose, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Director Hideki Kamiya provides the voice for Six Machine.<ref name="staff">cite video game |title=Viewtiful Joe |developer=[[Capcom Production Studio 4|Production Studio 4]] |publisher=[[Capcom Entertainment, Inc.]] |date=7 October 2003 |scene=staff credits</ref>
   
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A budget re-release of the game for the GameCube titled ''Viewtiful Joe: Revival'' was released in Japan in late 2003, adding a "Sweet Mode" to decrease the difficulty setting from the original game's "Kids Mode". A PlayStation 2 port of ''Viewtiful Joe'' was released by [[Clover Studio]] in 2004. It was released in Japan with the subtitle ''A New Hope''. The release added the character [[Dante]] of ''[[Devil May Cry Series|Devil May Cry]]'' fame as an unlockable character. The PlayStation 2 version does not feature progressive scan seen in the GameCube version. The game was also re-released under Nintendo's GameCube Player's Choice label in 2004 in North America and Europe.
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A budget re-release of the game for the GameCube titled ''Viewtiful Joe: Revival'' was released in Japan in late 2003, adding a "Sweet Mode" to decrease the difficulty setting from the original game's "Kids Mode".<ref name="IGNP"/><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20111006141911/http://www.ncsx.org/2003/ncs121503/joe_revival.htm</ref><ref name="GSP">https://web.archive.org/web/20090217113731/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/viewtifuljoe/review.html</ref> A PlayStation 2 port of ''Viewtiful Joe'' was released by [[Clover Studio]] in 2004.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121103200830/http://www.gamespot.com/news/capcom-launches-clover-studio-6101742</ref> It was released in Japan with the subtitle ''A New Hope''. The release added the character [[Dante]] from ''Devil May Cry'' as an unlockable character.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070125160955/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/531/531910p1.html</ref> The PlayStation 2 version does not feature progressive scan seen in the GameCube version.<ref name="IGNP"/><ref name="GYP"/> The game was also re-released under Nintendo's GameCube Player's Choice label in 2004 in North America and Europe.<ref name="GSRelease">https://web.archive.org/web/20100112045054/http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/viewtifuljoe/similar.html?mode=versions</ref>
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It is said that Director Kamiya based Joe's run animation on how he got to work, and the bosses of the game are based on Capcom executives.{{Fact}}
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In a 2017 interview with ''Dengeki PlayStation'', Kamiya expressed interest in remaking the game.<ref>http://www.siliconera.com/2017/11/20/hideki-kamiya-wants-viewtiful-joe-dmc-remake-dante-x-bayonneta-crossover/</ref>
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==Reception==
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===Reviews and sales===
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''Viewtiful Joe'' received critical acclaim upon its release. The GameCube version of the game currently holds a GameRankings aggregate score of 92%, while its PlayStation 2 port holds a score of 88%.<ref name="GRGC">http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/562548.asp?q=viewtiful%20joe</ref><ref name="GRPS2">http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/920438.asp?q=viewtiful%20joe</ref> Metacritic lists the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions of the game at 93 out of 100 and 90 out of 100, respectively.<ref name="MCGC">http://www.metacritic.com/game/gamecube/viewtiful-joe</ref><ref name="MCPS2">http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/viewtiful-joe</ref> The game's graphics, gameplay, and challenge have all been common areas of praise among many reviewers. IGN gave ''Viewtiful Joe'' an "Outstanding" rating, noting that the beautiful cel-shaded graphics and high-intensity action make it one of the best action games on the GameCube and PlayStation 2.<ref name="IGNP"/> Likewise, Eurogamer called it "imaginative, beautiful, engaging and above all else entertaining".<ref name="EuroG"/> Game Informer praised it as "a completely original and highly entertaining work of art".<ref name=gi>https://web.archive.org/web/20071212161204/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200310/R03.1014.1928.51126.htm</ref> Criticisms about ''Viewtiful Joe'' have been few but consistent among reviews. IGN complained of the game's lack of boss variety.<ref name="IGNG">https://web.archive.org/web/20090122122739/http://cube.ign.com/articles/452/452942p1.html</ref> GameSpy has concurred, noting that the bosses were too easy due to a powerful attack that the player can perform.<ref name="GYG"/> Reviewers have also criticized the lack of progressive scan in the game's PlayStation 2 port.<ref name="IGNP"/><ref name="GYP"/> IGN and Eurogamer have additionally pointed out that the PlayStation 2 port suffers slowdown in later stages of the game.<ref name="EuroP">https://web.archive.org/web/20081220215240/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2251/postcard_from_gdc_2005_lessons_.php</ref><ref name="IGNP"/>
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In Japan, the GameCube version of ''Viewtiful Joe'' sold through its initial shipment of less than 100,000 copies during the week of its release.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20111219195838/http://cube.ign.com/articles/427/427169p1.html</ref> Preorders of the GameCube version sold out on Capcom's North American website prior to its ship date, and ''Viewtiful Joe'' debuted as the tenth best-selling game in the region.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110612134817/http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=171</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20080922221406/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=2474</ref> The PlayStation 2 version sold a poor 9,912 units in its first week of release in Japan.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20111004125603/http://www.gamekyo.com/news6182.html</ref> Worldwide, sales of the game reached 275,000 copies on the GameCube and 46,000 on the PlayStation 2.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110613200748/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_96/537-Vision-Doesnt-Sell-Copies.2</ref> Sales of the game in both North America and Europe were lower than what Capcom had predicted, but due to its small budget, the game was considered by Inaba to be relatively successful commercially.<ref name="postcard"/><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110812081806/http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/2004annual/Annual2004e.pdf#page22</ref>
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==Legacy==
  +
''Viewtiful Joe'' garnered a number of awards and nominations from various magazines, popular gaming websites, and video game award programs. IGN named ''Viewtiful Joe'' "GameCube Game of the Year" and "Best Action Game of 2003".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040612195606/http://bestof2003.ign.com/gcn_goty.html</ref> At GameSpot's Best of 2003, the game was nominated for "Best Artistic Achievement in a Game", "Coolest New Character", "Best GameCube Game", "Readers' Choice Best GameCube Action Game", and "Readers' Choice GameCube Game of the Year".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20081203192047/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2003/day2_15.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040204003642/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2003/day2_25.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20081203192632/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2003/day5_5.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121103193856/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2003/day7_28.html</ref> It was also named the fourth-best GameCube game of 2003 by GameSpy, winning the website's "Most Stylish" award for the year.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20111219201304/http://archive.gamespy.com/goty2003/gcn/index7.shtml</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120121070156/http://archive.gamespy.com/goty2003/gcn/index11.shtml</ref> ''Viewtiful Joe'' won "Most Innovative Game Design" in ''Nintendo Power'' magazine's 2003 Player's Choice Awards.<ref>cite journal|date=June 2004 |title=Nintendo Power Awards |journal=Nintendo Power |issue=180 | page=94</ref> It won "GameCube Game of the Year" awards for 2003 from both ''USA Today'' and ''GMR''.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20080717035925/http://cube.ign.com/articles/445/445667p1.html</ref><ref>https://archive.is/20120716035925/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3122489</ref> The game was nominated by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year" in 2003 and was nominated for three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards including "Best Design", "Best Intro/Animation", and "Best GameCube Game".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110905072830/http://www.interactive.org/awards/2004_7th_awards.asp</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121103200926/http://www.gamespot.com/news/bafta-nominations-for-viewtiful-joe-6081740</ref> The game won "Unsung Hero Game of the Year" at the 2003 Golden Joystick Awards and "Best New Franchise" at the 2004 ''G-Phoria'' awards. Finally, it was recognized at the 4th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards as one of three "Game Innovation Spotlights".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20090122115857/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=99006</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110807062704/http://www.g4tv.com/g4archives/features/47791/The-Winners-Are.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20090208093503/http://gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_4th.html</ref>
  +
  +
''Viewtiful Joe'' has been included in a number of "best games" lists in the years following its release. It was rated the 27th best game made on a Nintendo system in ''Nintendo Power''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "Top 200 Games" list in February 2006 and the 10th best game on the GameCube in its August 2008 issue reflecting on the top 20 games for each system.<ref>cite journal|date=February 2006 |title=NP Top 200 |journal=Nintendo Power |issue=200 |pages=58–66</ref><ref>cite journal|date=August 2008 |title=NP Best of The Best |journal=Nintendo Power |issue=231|pages=70–78 </ref> Both GameSpy and the G4 television program ''X-Play'' named ''Viewtiful Joe'' the ninth best game of all time for the GameCube.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20090303185828/http://cube.gamespy.com/articles/639/639689p18.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130309234313/http://www.g4tv.com/videos/11990/best-gamecube-games-ever-10-8/</ref> In 2007, ''Viewtiful Joe'' was named the 17th best GameCube game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the system's long lifespan.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070316101729/http://cube.ign.com/articles/772/772300p2.html</ref> Later in 2007, ScrewAttack listed the game at seventh on their Top 10 GameCube Games of All Time.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20090522184125/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/screwattacks-gamecube-screwattack/18469</ref>
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''Viewtiful Joe'' was successful enough to establish a [[Viewtiful Joe (series)|franchise]], and a few other related media titles were released. ''Viewtiful Joe'' was followed by a direct sequel titled ''[[Viewtiful Joe 2]]'' — released for both the GameCube and PlayStation 2 — and two spinoffs: ''[[Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble]]'' for the PlayStation Portable and GameCube and ''[[Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!]]'' for the Nintendo DS.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20081013204351/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/viewtiful-joe-2/508130p1.html</ref><ref>http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=10929</ref> An anime [[Viewtiful Joe (TV series)|adaption of the game]] was produced by Group TAC, airing on the Japanese television station TV Tokyo beginning in 2004 and being licensed for US distribution by Geneon Entertainment in 2005.<ref>http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=9862</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20100414092332/http://www.awn.com/news/television/viewtiful-joe-comes-kids-wb-fall</ref> A set of ''Viewtiful Joe'' trading figures was released by Agatsuma Entertainment in October 2005, while a series of action figures made by Jazwares was released in July 2006.<ref>http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-92-49-kr-70-1210.html</ref><ref>http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=141&itemid=9627</ref> V Jump published a manga series of ''Viewtiful Joe'' from November 2004. <ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150814075647/http://www.capcom.co.jp/vj/vj_comics/index.html</ref>
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In 2004, Capcom registered the domain name "ViewtifulJoe3.com", suggesting another sequel.<ref>http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=1021</ref> Shortly thereafter, the website was devoid of content. In January 2006, Atsushi Inaba expressed interest in developing a title in the series for the Wii.<ref>https://archive.is/20120723081046/http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3147337</ref> However, as none of Clover Studio's games proved to be an outstanding financial success, Capcom officially dissolved the subsidiary in March 2007 after the release of its final two games, ''[[Ōkami]]'' and ''[[God Hand]]''. Its key members left to form a new company called [[wikipedia:PlatinumGames|PlatinumGames]].<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11229</ref><ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15657</ref> Capcom producer [[Jun Takeuchi]] commented at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International that there have been currently no plans to continue with the series,<ref>http://ds.ign.com/articles/100/1006951p1.html</ref> although Viewtiful Joe has appeared as a playable character in Capcom's 2008 Wii fighting game ''[[Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars]]'' and is a playable character in ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds]]'' for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.<ref>https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/11/viewtiful-joe-e/</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120620050733/http://www.1up.com/news/marvel-capcom-3-adds-viewtiful</ref>
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However, in 2012, PlatinumGames announced the development of ''[[w:c:the-wonderful-101:The Wonderful 101 (Game)|The Wonderful 101]]'', then known as ''Project P-100''.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150727084703/http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/06/05/e3-2012-nintendo-announces-project-p-100-for-wii-u</ref> This was the first project that reunited Kamiya and Inaba as director and producer on a title since the development of the Viewtiful Joe series. Furthermore, ''The Wonderful 101'' uses the same tokusatsu thematics of the ''Viewtiful Joe'' series, and the two share a similar art style albeit different gameplay. This has led fans to hail ''The Wonderful 101'' as a spiritual successor of sorts.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140308071645/http://mmgn.com/wiiu/news--the-wonderful-101-trailer-has-a-viewtiful-joe</ref><ref>http://kotaku.com/5978307/new-the-wonderful-101-trailer-shows-off-giant-robots-waterslides</ref><ref>http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/the-wonderful-101-the-first-forgotten-wii-u-title</ref> The franchise would also later be featured in [[wikipedia:Archie Comics|Archie Comics]]' ''Worlds Unite'' crossover with several other [[Capcom]] and [[w:c:sega:Sega|Sega]] series, taking place in the ''[[w:c:sonic:Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' and ''[[w:c:megaman:Mega Man (Archie Comics)|Mega Man]]'' comics.<ref>http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/23/capcom-and-sega-join-forces-for-worlds-unite-comic-book-crossover</ref>
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In ''[[Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition]]'', the fighter [[Rashid]] has an outfit based on Viewtiful Joe. It is unlocked through completing four extra battles.
   
 
== Trivia ==
  
== Trivia ==
 
*The Japanese subtitle of the PS2 release, ''Viewtiful Joe: A New Hope'', is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the classic science fiction movie ''[[w:c:starwars:Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]''.
  
*The Japanese subtitle of the PS2 release, ''Viewtiful Joe: A New Hope'', is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the classic science fiction movie ''[[w:c:starwars:Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]''.
   
−
*Before the battle with Hulk Davidson, Joe is asked "''So what's with the V-Watch on your arm? What, you think you're some kinda [[Mega Man (Character)|Mega Man]] or something?''", referring to the famous little blue robot.
 +
*Before the battle with Hulk Davidson, Joe is asked "''So what's with the V-Watch on your arm? What, you think you're some kinda [[Mega Man (character)|Mega Man]] or something?''", referring to the famous little blue robot.
   
 
*At the start of the level "Midnight Thunder Boy", Joe talks to his fists, saying "''Time to go to work, guys!''" This same line is said by [[Dante]] at the start of ''[[Devil May Cry]]'' except that he is talking to his guns Ebony & Ivory.
  
*At the start of the level "Midnight Thunder Boy", Joe talks to his fists, saying "''Time to go to work, guys!''" This same line is said by [[Dante]] at the start of ''[[Devil May Cry]]'' except that he is talking to his guns Ebony & Ivory.
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Image:ViewtifulPlay.png|Play ''Magazine''
  
Image:ViewtifulPlay.png|Play ''Magazine''
 
</gallery>
  
</gallery>
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==References==
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<references />
   
 
== External Links ==
  
== External Links ==
−
* [http://www.capcom.co.jp/vj/index.html official series site] (Japanese)
 +
* [http://www.capcom.co.jp/vj/index.html Official series site] (Japanese)
 
* [[wikipedia:Viewtiful Joe|Wikipedia article]]
  
* [[wikipedia:Viewtiful Joe|Wikipedia article]]
 
* [[w:c:viewtifuljoe:Viewtiful Joe|''Viewtiful Joe'' wikia article]]
  
* [[w:c:viewtifuljoe:Viewtiful Joe|''Viewtiful Joe'' wikia article]]
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[[Category:GameCube Games]]
  
[[Category:GameCube Games]]
 
[[Category:PlayStation 2 Games]]
  
[[Category:PlayStation 2 Games]]
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[[Category:2003 video games]]
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[[Category:Platform Games]]

Revision as of 16:34, 7 February 2020

VJ Logo

Viewtiful Joe ビューティフル ジョー (Byūtifuru Jō?) is a side scrolling beat 'em up game developed by Team Viewtiful and published by Capcom for the GameCube. It was originally released in 2003 as a part of the "Capcom Five" under director Hideki Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the name Clover Studio, subtitled Aratanaru Kibō (新たなる希望?, lit. "A New Hope") in Japan. The game's story concerns Joe, an avid movie-goer whose girlfriend Silvia is kidnapped during a film starring Joe's favorite superhero, Captain Blue. Joe is shortly thereafter thrust into Movieland, where Silvia is taken by the villainous group known as Jadow. After accepting a special V-Watch from Captain Blue, Joe transforms into the tokusatsu-style persona "Viewtiful Joe" and sets out to rescue her.

Viewtiful_Joe_-_Trailer

Viewtiful Joe - Trailer

Trailer

The gameplay of Viewtiful Joe features traditional 2D platform side-scrolling intermixed with 3D cel-shaded graphics. Abilities known as "VFX Powers" grant the player special actions for combat and puzzle-solving, such as slowing down or speeding up time. Viewtiful Joe was critically acclaimed for its unique visual style and gameplay, earning itself a number of awards from various media publications. A minor commercial success, the game spawned a few sequels with releases seen on other consoles such as the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS. An anime adaption of the game and a manga series were also produced.

Characters were illustrated by Kumiko Suekane.

Gameplay

VJCoverArt

U.S. Cover Art

The core gameplay is similar to a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up. Taking control of Joe, the player is mostly limited to moving left, right, up, and down on a fixed 2D path. The game contains platforming elements such as the ability to jump and double jump. Combat consists of fighting multiple enemies on screen at once, with the enemies appearing from all directions, including the foreground and background. Joe has the ability to punch, kick, and dodge—which he can do by leaping upward or ducking. Dodging enemies' attacks successfully temporarily dazes them, leaving them wide open for attack.[1] The player has certain number of hit points in the form of "Life Marks" located above the VFX Gauge, which decrease whenever Joe takes damage. Health can be restored by picking up hamburgers.[2]

Viewtiful Joe features unique gameplay elements in the form of Joe's "Viewtiful Effects (VFX) Power", which is designed to emulate camera tricks seen in films.[3] VFX Power is used in both battling enemies and solving various puzzles. These three powers are limited by the "VFX Gauge" located at the top of the screen. Normally, the meter is full, giving the player access to Joe's super powers via his Viewtiful Joe transformation. The meter slowly empties when an ability is in use. Once it depletes, Viewtiful Joe changes to normal Joe, lowering his attack and defense and leaving him temporarily devoid of VFX Power.[2][4] The VFX Gauge automatically refills over time and can also be manually filled by picking up bottles of "VFX Juice". The first VFX Power is "Slow", which slows time, causing the player's attacks to be more powerful, increasing Joe's reflexes, and allowing him to dodge attacks more easily. The second VFX Power, "Mach Speed", allows Joe to move at a faster speed, creating multiple after-images of him when he unleashes a flurry of attacks on all enemies on the screen.[5] It can additionally cause his attacks to envelop Joe in a temporary heat shield, rendering him immune to flame attacks and setting enemies on fire when struck. The last VFX Power, "Zoom In", causes a camera close-up of Joe, powering up his normal attacks, granting him a set of new attacks, and paralyzing all lesser foes in proximity to him. However, any damage dealt to Joe whilst zoomed in is increased too.[3] Any two VFX Powers can be combined.[6][5] The VFX Gauge can be extended by collecting a certain number of V-Films present in each stage.[1] The bar reverts to its normal length when a new stage begins.[2]

Defeating enemies gives the player "V-Points" in the form of small and large coins, while using special attacks gives them "V-Marks", or "Viewtifuls", which can be converted into V-Points. Viewtifuls can be quickly gained by using combos or long chains of attacks.[7][8] For example, while using Slow, striking a dazed enemy sets up all other enemies on the screen for a chain reaction, causing all points accrued during the duration of Slow to be multiplied by the number of enemies struck. If used deftly, the player will accumulate a large number of Viewtifuls due to the multiplier effect called "X-Bonus". Each stage in Viewtiful Joe consists of several interconnected missions, or scenes, that the player must complete in order to advance.[9] When completing the stage, the player is graded on the number of V-Points earned, the amount of time taken, and how much damage Joe took. V-Points can be used between stages to purchase new abilities, expendable weapons (which include the "Voomerang" and "Shocking Pink Bombs"), more health, and health-restorative items.[5][10] Clearing the game on various difficulties allows players to play as different characters such as Silvia, Captain Blue and Alastor, with the PlayStation 2 version also allowing players to play as Devil May Cry's Dante.

Story

Viewtiful Joe is divided into seven stages, or "episodes", interspersed with storyline cutscenes and bookended by an opening and ending cinematic. The setting is divided between Earth, or the real world, and "Movieland", the game's fictional world of films. The plot begins in a movie theatre on Earth in which the game's central character Joe and his girlfriend Silvia are watching a tokusatsu drama starring the aged superhero Captain Blue. The movie's antagonist, having seemingly defeated Captain Blue, suddenly reaches out of the screen and abducts Silvia, taking her into Movieland. Joe is likewise picked up and taken into Movieland by Captain Blue's giant mecha, "Six Majin". Inside the movie, Joe must rescue Silvia from the evil Jadow, the game's organization of villains. To help him, Captain Blue entrusts him with a V-Watch, a device Joe can use to transform into a superhero upon saying the word "henshin (transform)." Joe promptly does so, inventing his own catchphrase: "Henshin-a-go-go, baby!".

With the guidance of Captain Blue, Joe fights his way through a number of Movieland's locations such as cities, caves, an underwater base, and a submarine, often travelling via his trusty, robot aircraft "Six Machine". One by one, Joe defeats the members of the Jadow, the game's bosses. These include Dark Fiend Charles the 3rd, Iron Ogre Hulk Davidson, Aquatic Terror Gran Bruce, a doppelgänger of Viewtiful Joe, and Blade Master Alastor. Before fighting Alastor, he reveals that in order for the Jadow to break out of Movieland and into the land of humans, they need the "DNA of the Creator", namely Silvia. Joe makes his way to her, trumping the Jadow's leader Inferno Lord Fire Leo in combat, only to witness Silvia being kidnapped once again afterwards. Joe and Six Machine race off into outer space after her in the game's final episode.

Finding Silvia atop the control room of a space station, Joe discovers that Captain Blue has been behind the plot the entire time. The former hero reveals that he is the creator of the film in which they currently exist and that he is Silvia's seemingly-deceased father. Transforming into the colossal robot King Blue, the villain proclaims that he will take Sylvia's energy by force in order to break into the real world. Joe tells him off, telling him that he's no hero. Joe summons Six Majin, and the two engage in combat. When the fight ends, Captain Blue and Viewtiful Joe abandon their respective vehicles and face off in a final battle within the space station.

Joe is victorious, and Captain Blue, finally coming to his senses, thanks the young hero for stopping him. He explains that two decades earlier, Blue was a revolutionary film maker who was soon thought of as a fad. Wanting nothing more than to create heroes, Blue was sucked into one of his own films, allowing him to live out his dream as a hero. However, he had lost touch with reality and wanted revenge on the people who had betrayed him. As Captain Blue and Silvia embrace in a heartfelt reunion, the director tells Joe that the story is not complete. He snaps his fingers, and the space station's onboard computer warns of a large number of UFOs heading towards Earth. Blue tells Joe that a hero will be needed twice more to save the world. Joe attempts to leave but not before Silvia requests a V-Watch from her father and to accompany her boyfriend. Viewtiful Joe and a newly transformed Silvia head out to stop the impending threat together.

Characters

  • Hulk Davidson - is a rhino-like agent who was responsible for Captain Blue's scar.
  • Gran Bruce - is a shark-like agent, who is lower on the intelligence scale than most of the other Jadow.
  • Another Joe - Actually Alastor in disguise. Looks just like Joe, but with a dark pink visor.

Development

Viewtiful Joe was developed by the design staff "Team Viewtiful",[11] a part of Capcom Production Studio 4.[12][13] The game was announced in late 2002 as part of the "Capcom Five", a line-up of five then-upcoming GameCube games to introduce new content to the console.[14] It was directed by Capcom alumnus Hideki Kamiya, whose previous credits include the planning of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 and the direction of Devil May Cry. It was produced by Atsushi Inaba, who previously worked on the Ace Attorney series and Steel Battalion. In its earliest stages of development, Viewtiful Joe went under the working title "Red Hot Man", but the name was changed due to copyright conflicts with the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.[15] Viewtiful Joe's development team initially consisted of six people working under a twelve-month deadline. As work continued, the size of the team grew, and development ended up taking a full 21 months to complete.[16] The game was conceived as a "staff-focused project" aimed at increasing the skill of its creators, specifically director Kamiya.[17]

Inaba stated that "[they] wanted to create a challenging game with stunning visuals and fluid gameplay". As a lifelong fan of superheroes, Inaba's aim was to combine traditional Japanese tokusatsu with American comic books.[18][19] The character designs created by Kumiko Suekane were inspired specifically by 1960s and 1970s Japanese-costumed tokusatsu television shows such as Kamen Rider and Ultraman.[10] Graphically, the game adopted a 2D side-scrolling style mixed with 3D cel-shaded animation.[15] Despite many games in the then-modern industry shying away from 2D graphical formats, Inaba said, "We have been able to breathe new life into the genre because we are using a new stylistic way that hasn't been seen before."[20] The team chose the GameCube as its platform because of their target audience and because it lent itself well to Viewtiful Joe's gameplay.[19]

The musical score for Viewtiful Joe was co-composed by Masakazu Sugimori and Masami Ueda. It was released alongside the score for Viewtiful Joe 2 on a double album titled Viewtiful Joe + Viewtiful Joe 2 Original Soundtrack in Japan on 22 December 2004 by Suleputer.[21] A music video is played within the game featuring a rap vocal song titled "Viewtiful World" composed by D.A.I. The video features a group of people, including Inaba himself, motion captured as some of the game's characters.[20] On 11 June 2003, Avex released the video on DVD and released the song as a single.[22][23] Both the North American and Japanese releases of Viewtiful Joe feature English voice acting in order to keep a "western comic book feel to [the game]."[20] Voice-over work in Viewtiful Joe was provided by Soundelux Design Music Group. Voice actors for the game include Dee Bradley Baker, Christina Puccelli, Gregg Berger, Mikey Kelley, Roger Rose, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Director Hideki Kamiya provides the voice for Six Machine.[11]

A budget re-release of the game for the GameCube titled Viewtiful Joe: Revival was released in Japan in late 2003, adding a "Sweet Mode" to decrease the difficulty setting from the original game's "Kids Mode".[5][24][25] A PlayStation 2 port of Viewtiful Joe was released by Clover Studio in 2004.[26] It was released in Japan with the subtitle A New Hope. The release added the character Dante from Devil May Cry as an unlockable character.[27] The PlayStation 2 version does not feature progressive scan seen in the GameCube version.[5][8] The game was also re-released under Nintendo's GameCube Player's Choice label in 2004 in North America and Europe.[28]

It is said that Director Kamiya based Joe's run animation on how he got to work, and the bosses of the game are based on Capcom executives.[citation needed]

In a 2017 interview with Dengeki PlayStation, Kamiya expressed interest in remaking the game.[29]

Reception

Reviews and sales

Viewtiful Joe received critical acclaim upon its release. The GameCube version of the game currently holds a GameRankings aggregate score of 92%, while its PlayStation 2 port holds a score of 88%.[30][31] Metacritic lists the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions of the game at 93 out of 100 and 90 out of 100, respectively.[32][33] The game's graphics, gameplay, and challenge have all been common areas of praise among many reviewers. IGN gave Viewtiful Joe an "Outstanding" rating, noting that the beautiful cel-shaded graphics and high-intensity action make it one of the best action games on the GameCube and PlayStation 2.[5] Likewise, Eurogamer called it "imaginative, beautiful, engaging and above all else entertaining".[1] Game Informer praised it as "a completely original and highly entertaining work of art".[34] Criticisms about Viewtiful Joe have been few but consistent among reviews. IGN complained of the game's lack of boss variety.[35] GameSpy has concurred, noting that the bosses were too easy due to a powerful attack that the player can perform.[4] Reviewers have also criticized the lack of progressive scan in the game's PlayStation 2 port.[5][8] IGN and Eurogamer have additionally pointed out that the PlayStation 2 port suffers slowdown in later stages of the game.[6][5]

In Japan, the GameCube version of Viewtiful Joe sold through its initial shipment of less than 100,000 copies during the week of its release.[36] Preorders of the GameCube version sold out on Capcom's North American website prior to its ship date, and Viewtiful Joe debuted as the tenth best-selling game in the region.[37][38] The PlayStation 2 version sold a poor 9,912 units in its first week of release in Japan.[39] Worldwide, sales of the game reached 275,000 copies on the GameCube and 46,000 on the PlayStation 2.[40] Sales of the game in both North America and Europe were lower than what Capcom had predicted, but due to its small budget, the game was considered by Inaba to be relatively successful commercially.[17][41]

Legacy

Viewtiful Joe garnered a number of awards and nominations from various magazines, popular gaming websites, and video game award programs. IGN named Viewtiful Joe "GameCube Game of the Year" and "Best Action Game of 2003".[42] At GameSpot's Best of 2003, the game was nominated for "Best Artistic Achievement in a Game", "Coolest New Character", "Best GameCube Game", "Readers' Choice Best GameCube Action Game", and "Readers' Choice GameCube Game of the Year".[43][44][45][46] It was also named the fourth-best GameCube game of 2003 by GameSpy, winning the website's "Most Stylish" award for the year.[47][48] Viewtiful Joe won "Most Innovative Game Design" in Nintendo Power magazine's 2003 Player's Choice Awards.[49] It won "GameCube Game of the Year" awards for 2003 from both USA Today and GMR.[50][51] The game was nominated by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year" in 2003 and was nominated for three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards including "Best Design", "Best Intro/Animation", and "Best GameCube Game".[52][53] The game won "Unsung Hero Game of the Year" at the 2003 Golden Joystick Awards and "Best New Franchise" at the 2004 G-Phoria awards. Finally, it was recognized at the 4th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards as one of three "Game Innovation Spotlights".[54][55][56]

Viewtiful Joe has been included in a number of "best games" lists in the years following its release. It was rated the 27th best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's "Top 200 Games" list in February 2006 and the 10th best game on the GameCube in its August 2008 issue reflecting on the top 20 games for each system.[57][58] Both GameSpy and the G4 television program X-Play named Viewtiful Joe the ninth best game of all time for the GameCube.[59][60] In 2007, Viewtiful Joe was named the 17th best GameCube game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the system's long lifespan.[61] Later in 2007, ScrewAttack listed the game at seventh on their Top 10 GameCube Games of All Time.[62]

Viewtiful Joe was successful enough to establish a franchise, and a few other related media titles were released. Viewtiful Joe was followed by a direct sequel titled Viewtiful Joe 2 — released for both the GameCube and PlayStation 2 — and two spinoffs: Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble for the PlayStation Portable and GameCube and Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble! for the Nintendo DS.[63][64] An anime adaption of the game was produced by Group TAC, airing on the Japanese television station TV Tokyo beginning in 2004 and being licensed for US distribution by Geneon Entertainment in 2005.[65][66] A set of Viewtiful Joe trading figures was released by Agatsuma Entertainment in October 2005, while a series of action figures made by Jazwares was released in July 2006.[67][68] V Jump published a manga series of Viewtiful Joe from November 2004. [69]

In 2004, Capcom registered the domain name "ViewtifulJoe3.com", suggesting another sequel.[70] Shortly thereafter, the website was devoid of content. In January 2006, Atsushi Inaba expressed interest in developing a title in the series for the Wii.[71] However, as none of Clover Studio's games proved to be an outstanding financial success, Capcom officially dissolved the subsidiary in March 2007 after the release of its final two games, Ōkami and God Hand. Its key members left to form a new company called PlatinumGames.[72][73] Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi commented at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International that there have been currently no plans to continue with the series,[74] although Viewtiful Joe has appeared as a playable character in Capcom's 2008 Wii fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars and is a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[75][76]

However, in 2012, PlatinumGames announced the development of The Wonderful 101, then known as Project P-100.[77] This was the first project that reunited Kamiya and Inaba as director and producer on a title since the development of the Viewtiful Joe series. Furthermore, The Wonderful 101 uses the same tokusatsu thematics of the Viewtiful Joe series, and the two share a similar art style albeit different gameplay. This has led fans to hail The Wonderful 101 as a spiritual successor of sorts.[78][79][80] The franchise would also later be featured in Archie Comics' Worlds Unite crossover with several other Capcom and Sega series, taking place in the Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man comics.[81]

In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, the fighter Rashid has an outfit based on Viewtiful Joe. It is unlocked through completing four extra battles.

Trivia

  • The Japanese subtitle of the PS2 release, Viewtiful Joe: A New Hope, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the classic science fiction movie Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
  • Before the battle with Hulk Davidson, Joe is asked "So what's with the V-Watch on your arm? What, you think you're some kinda Mega Man or something?", referring to the famous little blue robot.
  • At the start of the level "Midnight Thunder Boy", Joe talks to his fists, saying "Time to go to work, guys!" This same line is said by Dante at the start of Devil May Cry except that he is talking to his guns Ebony & Ivory.

Gallery

Box Art

Merchandise

References

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