Forget Marvel, Capcom’s Award-Winning Action Game Made Me Feel Like A Superhero in 2003
In the past two decades, comic books have become far more mainstream than they once were, with Marvel now being one of the most well-known media franchises in the world. Even from a young age, I’ve always been a sucker for comic books, and seeing how the medium has evolved is truly wild. Growing up, I got my hands on any comic-focused game I could find, which only made my love for superheroes that much stronger.
Some of my earliest superhero gaming memories are with X2: Wolverine’s Revenge and the Spider-Man game from 2000. Since then, games like the Batman Arkham series, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and next year’s Marvel’s Wolverine have continued to take the superhero genre to the next level. The past few years have truly been a golden age for comic book-based games, but there is still one 2003 offering that holds a special place in my heart. It doesn’t even come from Marvel, DC, or even other comic publishers, like Image or Dark Horse. Instead, this game comes from Capcom, and it’s one of the first times I truly felt like a superhero: Viewtiful Joe.
Viewtiful Joe’s Inventive Gameplay is Still a Cut Above Other Superhero Titles
Capcom’s answer to the superhero genre is a delightfully weird one. Viewtiful Joe‘s story begins with the titular character Joe and his girlfriend Silvia as they watch a movie. Suddenly, the movie’s villain comes to life, dragging Silvia into its movie world. Joe jumps into the screen, entering the aptly named “Movieland.” From there on, he has to rescue Silvia in a classic damsel in distress scenario. That’s about as deep as Viewtiful Joe‘s story gets, but its awesome gameplay definitely makes you forget about the lack of story.
Several Capcom franchises have been lying dormant for years now, and Viewtiful Joe was a title that would immediately stick with me for years after my first playthrough. I was only seven when this game came out, and much of it was incredibly difficult for me, even on the “Kids” difficulty level. However, I thankfully had two cooler older cousins who would help me along the way. Despite the game’s challenges, it felt more rewarding than painful, even at such a young age. Viewtiful Joe is one big learning curve, and even though some moments felt far too advanced for my seven-year-old self, the mechanics were so fascinating that it enticed me to get back up and try again when I lost and the game offered me the dreaded “Cut!” losing screen.
First and foremost, Viewtiful Joe‘s gameplay is immensely stylish. Of course, stylish gameplay isn’t exactly new to superhero games since many powers require finesse and precision, but Viewtiful Joe’s gameplay is on a different level. It leans heavily into its meta movie setting, allowing for some of the most over-the-top and outrageous combat mechanics that are still mind-blowing, even by today’s standards. A key feature of Viewtiful Joe‘s gameplay is its VFX Powers, which are inspired by the camera and editing tricks seen in movies. Not only are they simply fun to master, but they add an extra layer of goofy cinematics that still makes me feel like I’m living inside a superhero movie.
Viewtiful Joe was directed by Hideki Kamiya. In addition to the superhero title, his work includes directing other beloved games like Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, and Okami.
Viewtiful Joe’s VFX Abilities, Explained
- Slow – As the name implies, this ability is slow motion.
- Mach Speed – This lets Joe move at a much faster speed that creates after-images of him, which can still be useful in combat and puzzles.
- Zoom In – This power zooms in on Joe as he powers up his attack and paralyzes in-range enemies.
Viewtiful Joe is all about living out one’s superhero fantasy dreams, and it completely excels at this. With its cel-shaded art style, outrageous and self-aware humor, and its embrace of action movie tropes, it’s a truly unique experience. For those who haven’t played the game and need a reference, it atmospherically feels like a blend of the Scott Pilgrim comics and Hi-Fi Rush, but the dial has been turned up to the max on over-the-top visuals and humor. The bold and in-your-face art design sometimes makes on-screen combat moments look like a fever dream of a game, but that only makes it more charming.
Viewtiful Joe is self-aware in a way that a lot of superhero games aren’t. In most comic book games, the extraordinary is just a daily part of life, but with Joe, he’s fully aware that he’s a human in a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so he constantly tests the limits of his powers in Movieland. Comic book games oftentimes take their worlds seriously, but Viewtiful Joe embraces the absurdity of its movie-inspired universe.
Viewtiful Joe May Not Be a Household Name, But Its Legacy Lives On
Viewtiful Joe racked up an impressive number of positive reviews when it launched, boasting a score of 93 on Metacritic. Its initial sales numbers fell short of what Capcom was hoping for, but it still proved to be a commercial success, even if it wasn’t a blockbuster-level release. Capcom has decades of strong games under its belt, but Viewtiful Joe still stands out as one of the company’s most inventive and unique series, making it a cult classic.
After the first Viewtiful Joe, Capcom would go on to release Viewtiful Joe 2 in 2004, followed by Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble and Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble in 2005.
Capcom’s superhero beat-em-up platformer may not be as instantly recognized as Marvel and DC names, but it has a special outlandish flair that the two comic book heavy-hitters usually don’t have. Gaming and superheroes go hand-in-hand, and Viewtiful Joe is a beautifully wild showcase of what happens when developers push the limits of what an action hero can do.