Viewtiful Joe: Battle Carnival -- Multiplayer Goodness at Last

[Angry the Clown]

Couldn't help but notice the story over at Gamespot that Viewtiful Joe is to return to the Gamecube and PSP in a new title subtitled VFX Battle, a game seemingly none too distant from Smash Brothers in its execution so the article claims.

 

Viewtiful Joe series producer Atsushi Inaba commented that the key to winning the game will be to "stand out" more than the rival players--the more stylish the attack, the more points, especially when the screen zooms in on them.

 

No release date or price has been set for Viewtiful Joe: VFX Battle, but Inaba hinted that the game is already deep into development.

 

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/06/news_6121791.html

 

There is also more information in the same article on the DS Viewtiful Joe game apparently called ?Scratch! Viewtiful Joe? set in a theme park playing host to the latest Captain Blue movie production. It all sounds rather fun.

 

Daniel

[JFo]

I was just about to post about this.

 

I'm happy to see the franchise continue despite the poor sales of Viewtiful Joe 2 last Christmas. And the fact that they are apparently making a game similar to Smash Bros. has me even more psyched about it.

 

Now all they need to do is announce Viewtiful Joe 3 for this Christmas and I'm all set

[Angry the Clown]

I'm happy to see the franchise continue despite the poor sales of Viewtiful Joe 2 last Christmas.

 

Me too, Jeff. I had initially been concerned his handheld outings would be basic ports just to save them putting much work into a brand new game, so this is all certainly welcome news. No one will buy these games either of course, but at least they'll exist so a handful of us can appreciate them. It?s interesting VFX Battle is only Cube and PSP bound with no PS2 announcement.

 

How well have the Joe games done in Japan?

 

Daniel

[JFo]

Before I get into discussing the new game, I would like to point out for those of you who skipped out on last year's Viewtiful Joe 2 -- which I think includes almost everyone else on this forum except for me -- that the game can now be easily found brand new for the GameCube and Playstation 2 at a bargain price point of $20. If you liked the first game, and have any interest at all in playing the second, go out and buy it right the fuck now. Sorry for invoking the French language there, but I'm still flabbergasted that it didn't sell better last year or that more people here at LCVG were willing to check it out.

 

Moving on. Since this thread's creation a couple months ago, the game has been renamed Viewtiful Joe: Battle Carnival, and will indeed be a 2D fighting game ala Street Fighter with multiplayer support, which I know many here wish had been a part of Viewtiful Joe 2. (I have also taken the liberty of altering this thread's title to reflect the change.) IGN had a brief article on the title last week, including information on how the game would implement Joe and Silvia's VFX moves into combat:

 

Battle Carnival will boast a four-player ready "party battle mode," according to Capcom. The mode enables four recognizable VJ characters to duke it out, using special moves, in variously stylized stages.

 

During the matches, gamers can obtain specially crafted "VFX Orbs" that -- when the L or R buttons are pressed -- will enable them to unleash special VFX moves. Capcom has not yet revealed the VFX Orb types, but there will apparently be multiple ones, some of them new to the series.

 

I guess what really excites me about this title is how the use of these orbs will affect the strategy of the fighting. Presumably, being able to activate a VFX power at a give moment would give the player using it a distinct advantage. For instance, you may use the Slow Mo power to freeze your opponent in place while you unleash and onslaught of attacks. I could also imagine the opposing player using a Mach Speed ability to counteract the effects of the Slow Mo. The promise of using and countering these powers will -- I hope-- invoke the same sense freshness that was present in the original title. The possibilities here seem very exciting, especially for someone like me who adores Super Smash Bros. and the first two Joe titles.

 

I will certainly be keeping an eye on this one. I welcome more to do the same.

[Mark E]

Well, I definitely have some interest in this title. A multiplayer VJ would be a blast if done properly and if it had enough options.

 

Honestly, I had no interest in VJ2 after my lack of enjoyment from the first title, but this new direction could really be what the series needs.

[GreenMonkey]

Before I get into discussing the new game, I would like to point out for those of you who skipped out on last year's Viewtiful Joe 2 -- which I think includes almost everyone else on this forum except for me -- that the game can now be easily found brand new for the GameCube and Playstation 2 at a bargain price point of $20. If you liked the first game, and have any interest at all in playing the second, go out and buy it right the fuck now

 

I played the Demo of VJ1 for GC at Circuit City one day for about half an hour while I had time to kill between classes. Seemed like a fun side-scrollin' beatemup. I've been meaning to pick this up for like $10ish forever, it's not that easy to find for GC these days. I'll get VJ2 after I get VJ1.