Voo-ti-fulll-Joe!! To anyone who’s played the game just imagining those words as said in the game is enough to bring a huge smile to the face.

So that’s it, that’s my review – voo-ti-fulll-joe(!!) it certainly cheered me up! Oh yes... But then again I suppose it's my duty as a reviewer/work shy slacker who likes to get free games to go into slightly more deapth. Well that’s what you what though isn’t it? Well isn’t it?!! – bluueerrr!!

Oh dear this is all getting out of hand, its all far to up and down I need some sort of equilibrium and I need it bad. I think I'll try to talk about the game.

OK, I’ll try the pragmatic approach, Viewtiful Joe is your standard 3D flattened out to look like 2D side scrolling beat ‘em up/platformer/puzzler with added ‘movie powers’ allowing you to slow down speed, crank it right up or zoooom in for added move potency - game with a hero called Joe.

See you can just picture it in your mind now can’t you, well can’t you, can’t you! (Sorry I really don’t know what’s got into me today). Viewtiful Joe is a wonderful blend of both the old and, oh yes, the new.

Viewtiful Joe entertains Phil - will it do the same for you?

For every aspect of the game which is pure old school (and there are lots from the gloriously retro sound when you pick up power ups to the insanely difficulty levels and a lot more besides madam) there are several layers on top of this which are so new they remain illegal in certain American states.

Yeah I think I’m really getting into this now, I’m getting them on my side that way I can blindside them – hang about – note to self DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS AND MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT INCLUDE THEM IN A REVIEW TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET.

Good that’s better think I got anyway with it – oh #######! Anyway as you can probably tell, trying to describe this game in any rational way isn’t easy.

I could go on (and I usually would) about how good it looks, the way the ‘movie effects’ work and are an essential part of the game, the various enemies (kung fu ballerina anyone? No well how about a trash talking rhino called Dave?)

And the way it manages to be so utterly familiar (to the point where you wish you could play it in an arcade) whilst being truly one of a kind, I could but I won’t.

I’ll leave you with this revelation – any game which has you staring at the TV screen and saying to yourself (in all seriousness) ‘now that’s got to be worth some viewtifuls’ must be doing something right.

9/10

Phil Utility

GAME SCREENSHOTS