Topic: Viewtiful Joe

Viewtiful Joe is the reason I refuse to add games of the current gen systems into any 'best of...' lists and will only consider them when enough time has past to digest them. I thought it was an amazing game during my first play through, and then I never played it again. The 2nd one came out and I had zero wish to purchase it. I think it was suitable for the time but nothing in it makes me think it's great. It's an average game with very good difficulty. I probably wouldn't even put it in my top 50 games of all time now that I've had a few years to think about where it should place.

Also, i doubt they'll do a compilation because it didn't sell the first time around, why would they waste money on shipping, printing, emulating, etc. just so it doesn't sell on another system?

Yaaa... I don't get it. I just don't get it.

VJ is one of the best beat-em-ups ever made; it has way more variety because of the multiple moves, combos, and purchasable abilities, way more artistry - it's just gorgeous to watch, way more integrated level-based and ability-based puzzles (more puzzles than a Zelda game I'd think) and cleverer level design, and HUGE amounts of replay value thanks to the inclusion of three unlockable characters with different abilities and handicaps and 2 extra unlockable difficulty settings, plus hidden bonuses and challenges, like getting the highest rating for every level, which gives you unlimited vfx.

So if you found this game to be repetitive, boring, or not motivating you to play it again, then it's probably because you just don't like beat-em-ups in general. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean it's an average game; it just means it's an excellent specimen of a genre you don't much like.

I have to agree with this guy, its a fantastic game.

Oh yeah, that boss was way hard.
I got my controller back today and started a new file on Adult difficulty. The first helicopter is giving me a right whuppin. I need to practice methinks.

Fair point, although I do think it's a shame it didn't sell well. It saddens me when awesome games don't get noticed. Another one I really love is Zack and Wiki and that's sort gone the same way.

@sean aaron: That's great, I never thought of twisting the remote.

Really? Have you tried twisting the 'other' way? (left hand right, right hand left) It's painful!

And have you played Deadly Creatures? You know the 'turn-wiimote-upside-down' burrow move of the scorpion? Easily the most unresponsive move in the game.

I really don't relish the prospect of playing VJ with a 2 second delay before it recognises that you want to slow time. That, and considering that rotating a joint takes more time than twitching your index finger, human response time would also be longer. It's a cool idea, but unfortunately, I don't see it really working in execution because of the wiimote's limitations.

You're right about the burrow, but using the twist to zoom in/out in Rogue Trooper works well; not to mention the paddle action in Bit.Trip BEAT which is ace. I think it's do-able.

They haven't yet released Rogue Trooper in NA, so I haven't played it. Does it require you to twist your wrist over both ways? Because if I have to twist my wrists inward, I need to get some elbow action going on so as not to break myself, and that definitely slows me down. And it should be noted that that motion is an actual exercise in EA Sports Active, so it stands to reason that doing it a lot during the course of the game could make your arm hurt.

Every motion action has a timing delay in recognising it, whereas button presses don't. I could see perhaps some of the moves mapped to motion controls (i.e. like the kick downwards when you're up in the air could be a downwards motion with the wiimote) but a game like VJ can't really work when the moves you use the most - slow and fast - are mapped to motion controls and liable to give your repetitive strain injuries.

Yes, one to zoom in (three levels of zoom); the other to zoom back out. Works pretty well.

I didn't notice any lag in Bit.Trip BEAT; given the speed of the game in places it wouldn't work if there was detectable levels. From what I remember of Viewtiful Joe there wasn't a lot of rapid on/off toggling happening, but if you've got wrist problems fair do's.

@Sean

So you had to twist all the way over to one side to zoom in, then twist back to neutral, then twist all the way over to the other side to zoom out?? I don't really understand.

And maybe not the way you played VJ, but the way I play, it was constantly in and out of slow mode and zoom mode.

Same here. That's why I stopped playing the Mega Man series after the second one. It's pretty cheap game design.

yep, that's the size of it; it's quite rapid though.

It's crazy awesome but it's difficult like Mega Man