Viewtiful Joe

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Clover Studio

I've always liked Viewtiful Joe for how unique it is - I like games that try something new. Whether it be a unique visual style or unique gameplay elements, I always respect when developers are willing to think outside the box. Essentially, Viewtiful Joe is a side-scrolling brawler, but not your typical side-scrolling brawler. Viewtiful Joe requires you to use your brain and solve puzzles while brawling, which significantly helps with the issue that a lot of brawlers have - they get repetitive. Viewtiful Joe manages to avoid feeling too repetitive due to the fact that you've got to observe the world around you and act accordingly. For example, one level you'll find yourself in a room with a bomb on the floor and if you platform up a few chandeliers, you'll see a door that you can blow open. You can't carry bombs in this game, so you need to figure out a way to uppercut that bomb up and to the door so that the bomb can create an exit for you. It's not just the puzzles, though. If you treat the combat like a typical, mindless brawler, you're not going to last long. You need to pay attention to the patterns and movements of each enemy to figure out how to defeat them. Wildly punching and kicking only works on a handful of opponents. Using that strategy against the rest of your enemies will take you to a Game Over screen pretty quickly if you're not paying attention and not changing up your tactics. If you like scrolling brawlers, but want your gameplay to be less about mindless attacks and more about combat that makes you think, then Viewtiful Joe may be a good game to try.

Review added: 08/31/2022