Scratch! Viewtiful Joe

[Duddyroar]

Boxart


Release Dates
US - November 29th 2005
Japan - November 2nd 2005
Europe - TBC

Synopsis
When a mysterious crime syndicate descends on the set of Captain Blue's newest movie and makes off with the film, Joe rushes to the rescue, ready to crush the villains with his new powers and retrieve the stolen footage... Using the Nintendo DS™ dual and touch sensitive screens, you'll help Joe split the screen wide open to solve mind-boggling puzzles and nab the thieves before they do more damage! Plus the "Joe Camera" let's you pull the upper screen down to literally give Joe a helping hand!

Key Features
• aka. Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble
• The off-beat superhero’s debut on a handheld platform!
• Introduces Joe's younger sister, Jasmine, an important new character!
• Innovative new VFX Powers utilize the DS' dual and touch sensitive screens!
• "Split VFX" power let's you split the screen and move objects around
• "Joe Camera" zooms in on areas to solve puzzles

Screenshots




Buy it Links

[Concrete donkey]

Viewtiful Joe Scratch DS

This arrived yesterday via Play-asia. (Jap version) Now due to several reasons including a friends birthday, getting Shadow of Colossus today and the fact that Civilization IV is still dominating my gaming time, I've only played this briefly. Seeing how no one else have done so yet, I thought I?d post my first impressions. These would probably make more sense if you?ve played the Viewtiful Joe games before.

First of all there are no voices in the slidefilm cut scenes, just text (JP) with a few sound effects. Whenever the scene changes angle you must push the next slide up from the touch screen. A cool idea which gets a little annoying after the while considering I don?t understand a word of what?s going on and you can't touch the screen to scroll on text.

No big worries though, the Henshin-a-go-go-baby phrase is still spoken during gameplay

Action happens on both screens, a close-up on the top screen with a more zoomed out one on the bottom. Cut scenes happen on the top screen with the 'just go for it' on the bottom. My eyes find it hard to tell what screen I should be looking it, keeping on resting on the top screen where the bottom is more useful.

L slows down time while R goes into some kind of special effects mode, where you then use the touch screen to attack stunned enemies witch objects falling onto them. I haven?t quite got the hang of this yet and it feels awkward on my first play, sometimes attacking the enemy, and others, cancelling the effect holding R does. I'm sure I'll get used to it though but conventional attacks to the trick for now.

So far it feels easier than the console versions, though I did play the first one excessively, and haven?t got too far into it yet. The other thing the game exposes is the limited speakers the DS has to offer, though I have yet to try it with independent headphones.

When it comes to language, the story is in Japanese text as mentioned before, but all the menus are in English, including the options page. Cut scenes are generally text based, but there are the occasional English phrase thrown about during gameplay.

My main initial impression of the game is similar to that of Burnout Legends, in which as good as the game is, there?s nothing special so far that would draw you away from the console version. Hopefully this should improve over the game as you unlock new abilities.

Anyway, back to playing Colossus.

[Ouenben]

where is the best place to get this from online USA retailers? VG+ is ?24 which is a rip off imo.

[MikeF]

First of all there are no voices in the slidefilm cut scenes, just text (JP) with a few sound effects. Whenever the scene changes angle you must push the next slide up from the touch screen. A cool idea which gets a little annoying after the while considering I don?t understand a word of what?s going on and you can't touch the screen to scroll on text.

Seconded

L slows down time while R goes into some kind of special effects mode, where you then use the touch screen to attack stunned enemies witch objects falling onto them. I haven?t quite got the hang of this yet and it feels awkward on my first play, sometimes attacking the enemy, and others, cancelling the effect holding R does. I'm sure I'll get used to it though but conventional attacks to the trick for now.

Seconded

So far I have to say that I am not overly impressed with this, the default controls seem a little off, although you have 3 to choose form (just changed to the second set so will try again)

Hopefully if I play it some more it will turn into the classic VJ that we all know and love

[Ouenben]

so is Fast speed gone?

[Mayhem]

where is the best place to get this from online USA retailers? VG+ is ?24 which is a rip off imo.

No more expensive than if you bought it in a shop in the US... retail price for it is $40 plus sales tax which would add another $2-3 on top. Which equates funnily enough to the price VG+ are asking...

[MikeF]

so is Fast speed gone?

so far there is no mach speed and I think I have access to the rest of the powers now.

Once you get used to using the new powers they are really good

[Goemon]

So far I have to say that I am not overly impressed with this, the default controls seem a little off, although you have 3 to choose form (just changed to the second set so will try again)

Hopefully if I play it some more it will turn into the classic VJ that we all know and love

I don't think this game is the classic VJ we know and love...

I thought the same as you when I first started...Why are the controls like this? Why is Slow up there? Where is Mach Speed? I tried to play it like the classic VJ and it didn't really work, which left me cold.

However with a little bit of persistance I've getting used to what the game is about...

To me its a more straight forward platform type game where you use the touch screen to progress past VJ type puzzles. I think the fighting in this is more linear and purely secondary to the platform/puzzle elements.

If you look at the fighting you will realise this...For one there are only ever 2 enemies onscreen!

Once you take it from this point of view the game becomes more appealing (for me anyways)

I think people looking for a straight VJ clone on the DS will be a bit disappointed - This game is something different (probably due to the power of the DS) but that doesn't mean this is a bad game...Now that I am not looking at it as the classic VJ and just as an enjoyable platform/puzzle game I am enjoying it a lot more.

->Open Spoiler<-

Mission 2 is based around Resi Evil one. You start in the main hall and move to the corridor where the dogs jump through the windows. Music is from Resi too!

[MikeF]

^^^
I noticed the part in your spoiler too. Have to say that after a 90min spell or so on it last night that it has grown on me and I like it.

There are definatley possibilities to make the puzzles excellent using the touch screen controls.

The only gripe has already been mentioned and thats the cut scenes with the "push up" slides. It really starts to grate after a while but I can live with that as long as the game continues to impress me

[spagmasterswift]

The thing is if Viewtiful Joe Red Hot Rumble PSP had used the stun-slap-slow-combo combat I would be more than happy to have a touch screen puzzle game with a VJ theme to play on my DS. However, not having the fighting setup on either handheld is very disappointing. I wanted to get 99999s on the bus

Thanks for the impressions guys, I will go into this one with very different expectations and get my violent jollies on my Gamecube in 36 Chambers Mode...

Do you play as VJ through the whole thing or can you tag other characters? What's the Double Trouble bit about - apart from pimping the DS most obvious feature?

Whats the boss situation like - is Hulk Davidson in the house?

[venom743]

The fighting mechanics are the same. You can't get so many Viewtifuls cos of the number of enemies on screen at one time probably due to machine constraints. The game is MINT though and the bosses are awesome and steal the show for me! The game uses a lot of the DS' functions so there are a lot of puzzles but they aren't as complex as the 2nd game. If you are a JOE fan, you need this game!

[MikeF]

not sure yet as so far I have only been able to use Joe, I suspect that as you progress another character will become available (if the cut scenes are anything to go by)

Not sure on the bosses yet either as I have obnly faught 2 so far iirc and they were an absolute doddle to deal with

[venom743]

not sure yet as so far I have only been able to use Joe, I suspect that as you progress another character will become available (if the cut scenes are anything to go by)

Not sure on the bosses yet either as I have obnly faught 2 so far iirc and they were an absolute doddle to deal with

I think he means the character designs. The first 2 I thought definetely have personality! Are you playing on Kids or Adults?

[spagmasterswift]

The fighting mechanics are the same. You can't get so many Viewtifuls cos of the number of enemies on screen at one time probably due to machine constraints. The game is MINT though and the bosses are awesome and steal the show for me! The game uses a lot of the DS' functions so there are a lot of puzzles but they aren't as complex as the 2nd game. If you are a JOE fan, you need this game!

Oh I will be getting this blud - I'm a fiend for VJ

Mate is over your way next week, he has strict instructions to hook me up with any thing VJ related. I want these

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-92-15-viewtiful%2Bjoe%2Bfigure-70-1210.html

Yeah, its the personality of the bosses I was getting at, I think most people felt they were some what lacking in VJ2 and VJ:BC/RHR doesn't really add that many new ones to the series...

[MikeF]

I think he means the character designs. The first 2 I thought definetely have personality! Are you playing on Kids or Adults?

Adults mode, but I am only on 2-3 iirc