Prior to now 20 years, comedian books have grow to be much more mainstream than they as soon as had been, with Marvel now being probably the most well-known media franchises on this planet. Even from a younger age, I’ve at all times been a sucker for comedian books, and seeing how the medium has advanced is actually wild. Rising up, I obtained my arms on any comic-focused sport I may discover, which solely made my love for superheroes that a lot stronger.
A few of my earliest superhero gaming reminiscences are with X2: Wolverine’s Revenge and the Spider-Man sport from 2000. Since then, video games just like the Batman Arkham collection, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Injustice: Gods Amongst Us, and next year’s Marvel’s Wolverine have continued to take the superhero style to the following degree. The previous few years have actually been a golden age for comedian book-based video games, however there’s nonetheless one 2003 providing that holds a particular place in my coronary heart. It does not even come from Marvel, DC, and even different comedian publishers, like Picture or Darkish Horse. As an alternative, this sport comes from Capcom, and it is one of many first occasions I really felt like a superhero: Viewtiful Joe.
Viewtiful Joe’s Creative Gameplay is Nonetheless a Lower Above Different Superhero Titles
Capcom’s reply to the superhero style is a delightfully bizarre one. Viewtiful Joe‘s story begins with the titular character Joe and his girlfriend Silvia as they watch a film. Out of the blue, the film’s villain involves life, dragging Silvia into its film world. Joe jumps into the display screen, getting into the aptly named “Movieland.” From there on, he has to rescue Silvia in a basic damsel in misery situation. That is about as deep as Viewtiful Joe‘s story will get, however its superior gameplay undoubtedly makes you neglect concerning the lack of story.
A number of Capcom franchises have been lying dormant for years now, and Viewtiful Joe was a title that might instantly keep on with me for years after my first playthrough. I used to be solely seven when this sport got here out, and far of it was extremely tough for me, even on the “Children” problem degree. Nonetheless, I fortunately had two cooler older cousins who would assist me alongside the way in which. Regardless of the sport’s challenges, it felt extra rewarding than painful, even at such a younger age. Viewtiful Joe is one massive studying curve, and though some moments felt far too superior for my seven-year-old self, the mechanics had been so fascinating that it enticed me to get again up and check out once more after I misplaced and the sport provided me the dreaded “Lower!” dropping display screen.
At the beginning, Viewtiful Joe‘s gameplay is immensely fashionable. In fact, fashionable gameplay is not precisely new to superhero video games since many powers require finesse and precision, however Viewtiful Joe’s gameplay is on a different level. It leans closely into its meta film setting, permitting for among the most over-the-top and outrageous fight mechanics which are nonetheless mind-blowing, even by at this time’s requirements. A key function of Viewtiful Joe‘s gameplay is its VFX Powers, that are impressed by the digital camera and modifying methods seen in motion pictures. Not solely are they merely enjoyable to grasp, however they add an additional layer of goofy cinematics that also makes me really feel like I am residing inside a superhero film.
Viewtiful Joe was directed by Hideki Kamiya. Along with the superhero title, his work contains directing different beloved video games like Resident Evil 2, Satan Might Cry, and Okami.
Viewtiful Joe’s VFX Talents, Defined
- Gradual – Because the identify implies, this potential is sluggish movement.
- Mach Velocity – This lets Joe transfer at a a lot quicker velocity that creates after-images of him, which might nonetheless be helpful in fight and puzzles.
- Zoom In – This energy zooms in on Joe as he powers up his assault and paralyzes in-range enemies.
Viewtiful Joe is all about residing out one’s superhero fantasy goals, and it fully excels at this. With its cel-shaded artwork model, outrageous and self-aware humor, and its embrace of motion film tropes, it is a actually distinctive expertise. For many who have not performed the sport and wish a reference, it atmospherically seems like a mix of the Scott Pilgrim comics and Hello-Fi Rush, however the dial has been turned as much as the max on over-the-top visuals and humor. The daring and in-your-face artwork design typically makes on-screen fight moments appear to be a fever dream of a sport, however that solely makes it extra charming.
Viewtiful Joe is self-aware in a means that lots of superhero video games aren’t. In most comedian ebook video games, the extraordinary is only a every day a part of life, however with Joe, he is totally conscious that he is a human in a once-in-a-lifetime expertise, so he continually checks the boundaries of his powers in Movieland. Comic book games oftentimes take their worlds seriously, however Viewtiful Joe embraces the absurdity of its movie-inspired universe.
Viewtiful Joe Might Not Be a Family Title, However Its Legacy Lives On
Viewtiful Joe racked up a formidable variety of optimistic critiques when it launched, boasting a rating of 93 on Metacritic. Its preliminary gross sales numbers fell in need of what Capcom hoped for, however it nonetheless proved to be a industrial success, even when it wasn’t a blockbuster-level launch. Capcom has decades of strong games under its belt, however Viewtiful Joe nonetheless stands out as one of many firm’s most creative and distinctive collection, making it a cult basic.
After the primary Viewtiful Joe, Capcom would go on to launch Viewtiful Joe 2 in 2004, adopted by Viewtiful Joe: Purple Scorching Rumble and Viewtiful Joe: Double Bother in 2005.
Capcom’s superhero beat-em-up platformer will not be as immediately acknowledged as Marvel and DC names, however it has a particular outlandish aptitude that the 2 comedian ebook heavy-hitters normally do not have. Gaming and superheroes go hand-in-hand, and Viewtiful Joe is a superbly wild showcase of what occurs when builders push the boundaries of what an motion hero can do.
