Viewtiful Joe 2
PS2 owners get their chance to save Movieworld.
Tags: Viewtiful Joe 2 Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by David Hinkle on Jan 8th, 2005
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Viewtiful Joe 2 (title page) | 1 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Action | No | ||
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“Henshin a Go Go Baby!” Joe and his extraordinarily viewtiful powers are back in a brand new adventure, this time hitting both the Gamecube and PS2 within a short timespan. We’ve already reviewed the Gamecube version – how does the PS2 edition stack up? Well, it’s arguably the better version if you prefer the PS2 controller to the GC one. I have to say after playing through both, I enjoy the PS2 version more, as the D-pad is much easier to use than the analog stick. Regardless, both pretty much look and play exactly the same, which isn’t a bad thing considering how great of a game this is.
Taking place immediately after the events of the first game, we find the Black Emperor and the Ghetto Syndicate chasing after precious objects known as the Rainbow Oscars, which are hidden in the various films that make up Movieworld. These films resemble popular cinema classics such as Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones trilogy, while still sporting the same inventive layout and puzzles as the last game. Although some of the puzzles are a bit tougher than the last game and break up the action more, it’s still the same great experience as the previous title.
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Joe plays exactly the same as in the last game with all of his abilities returning. Sylvia, the damsel in distress from last time, is now playable and the sole benefactor of the new ability, VFX Replay. Replay allows you to perform a single move 3 times, which you’ll find doesn’t come all that handy in the game. While it’s cool the first couple of times around, she just doesn’t dish out the amount of damage Joe does, making her less useful. Armed with a pistol (which can be upgraded to 2 later on), she only has kicks in her melee arsenal. When enough VFX is gathered, the two of them can perform a devastating team attack called the Six Cannon, which is just as poweful as it sounds. The Six Cannon is invaluable, especially during the boss battles.
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The bosses, however, aren’t as difficult as in the last game. Remember how long it took to beat Samson in Viewtiful Joe? You won’t have anything as tough here, since each boss will only take a couple of tries to take down. This isn’t to say that they’re bad or unenjoyable battles, but afterwards you’ll be wishing it wasn’t such a stroll through the park. This is the one area where Sylvia is actually useful though, as most of the bosses either won’t allow or won’t be harmed by Joe’s punches and kicks, making her pistols useful. When combined with the VFX Slow, her bullets’ power become increased and help out a bit.
You’ll also find that gathering viewtifuls (the game’s currency that drives the purchasing system, which is a lot like Devil May Cry’s) is also a bit easier, making acquiring new abilities and extra lives a breeze. You’ll have to upgrade Joe’s Mach Speed again, as you won’t be starting with all your hard-earned abilities from last game. The Voomerang and pink bombs return again, lthough only Sylvia can use the pink bombs this time with Joe only able to use the Voomerang. New in Viewtiful Joe 2 are Hints, given by Big Blue himself, which are available at each break.
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Visually, the PS2 version is almost a carbon copy of the GC version. The textures don’t look as good and the colors aren’t as bright, but it’s still an impressive experience. There is a bit more slowdown with the frame rate, but this doesn’t occur too often. There’s nothing you haven’t seen before, as the graphics and cel-shaded motif look pretty much the same as the last game. This isn’t too bad though, as the game is just so darned good.
Better control, as I’ve stated in the first paragraph, has to be given to the PS2 version. With the normal-sized D-pad, play just feels a lot better and fits more with the old-school feel of the title. Regardless, the control is tight and very responsive, making it child’s play to destroy dozens upon dozens of your mechanical foes. Even the segments where you take command of Joe’s famous multi-tasking Six Machine are fun and easily controlled.
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You’ll find that a lot of the same sound clips and original voice actors return for VJ2. All of the same riffs and effects return from the last game, with some new tracks thrown in to grace your eardrums. Effects are spot on, as is the over-the-top voicework. All of the bosses also have their own little quirks and mannerisms that are just as or possibly even funnier than in Viewtiful Joe.
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So, the truth is that neither version is really and clearly superior to the other. What it comes down to is which controller you prefer should you happen to own both a Gamecube and a PS2. While not improving leaps and bounds over the first game, the original gameplay is just so good that Team Clover can get away with a sequel that doesn’t do many things new with the core gameplay. Regardless, what’s here is wonderful gameplay heralding back to such old-school beat-em-ups like Streets of Rage or Final Fight and adds a dynamic with the VFX power that makes VJ2 insanely addictive.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ Fast and fun gameplay + Excellent level design + Crisp graphics |
9.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
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- Not much improvement over existing formula - Minor framerate dips |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Everyone who has played Viewtiful Joe should pick this up. Those that haven't should play the original game and then immediately pick its sequel up. | |
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Tags: Viewtiful Joe 2
Posted by David Hinkle on Jan 8th, 2005 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
