Gamecube Gems: Viewtiful Joe

With all the waggling and weekly WiiWare releases, it is easy to forget that the Wii is backwards compatible, meaning it can play all Nintendo Gamecube games, assuming you have the necessary equipment. Over 600 Gamecube games were released, and if the Wii owner has a Gamecube controller and memory card, they can take advantage of this library and add some gems to their collection. They should not be overlooked simply because they are a few years older.

The release of Capcom's latest Versus game- Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars- is right around the corner. Many of Capcom’s characters have appeared on a Nintendo console before, including one who happened to debut on the Gamecube back in 2003. Since Viewtiful Joe’s first romp on the GCN, the series has since expanded to the PS2, DS and PSP. The game was also turned into an anime.

Joe’s had three outings on the Gamecube- Viewtiful Joe, Viewtiful Joe 2 and Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble. The first game remains one of the best in the series, and even over six years later, it is fun to play. In it, you take control of a geeky movie-goer named Joe.His girlfriend, Silvia, is kidnapped while they are at the theatre watching a move featuring Joe's favorite old-school superhero, Captain Blue.

Joe embarks on a journey through Movieland to save her, and in doing so, meets up with Captain Blue, who provides him with a V-Watch, which allows him to transform into the hero Viewtiful Joe simply by saying “henshin,” though Joe turns the phrase into “Henshin a go go, baby!”

What happens after that is a faced-paced, fun and funny beat-em-up with stylized, cartoony graphics that wouldn’t look out of place in some crazy comic book. The game combines 2D side-scrolling environments with 3D cel-shaded graphics. It is a truly unique visual style, and still looks good today.

The game’s most innovative feature is the inclusion of VFX Powers. These are Viewtiful Joe’s super powers, and he is able to slow down, speed up, and zoom in on himself to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. It’s a unique mechanic that makes for a very fun game.

One of the best things about the game is that boss fights. The boss fights- even on lower difficulties- can be quite difficult. Perhaps this is best seen by Fire Leo, who starts off difficult but becomes an absolute beast on higher difficultly levels. There will be moments of frustration, but it is oh-so-satisfying when you find yourself victorious.

The game is well worth seeking out, and can still be found used at stores like Gamestop.