Viewtiful Joe (video game)

Last updated

Viewtiful Joe
VJbox.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Capcom Production Studio 4 [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Capcom
Director(s) Hideki Kamiya
Producer(s) Atsushi Inaba
Programmer(s) Noriyuki Ōtani
Artist(s) Kumiko Suekane
Composer(s) Masakazu Sugimori
Masami Ueda
Series Viewtiful Joe
Platform(s) GameCube, PlayStation 2
Release
June 26, 2003
  • GameCube
    • JP: 26 June 2003 [1]
    • NA: 7 October 2003 [2]
    • EU: 24 October 2003 [3]
    • AU: October 2003
    PlayStation 2
Genre(s) Beat 'em up, platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Viewtiful Joe [lower-alpha 2] is a 2003 beat 'em up game developed by Team Viewtiful and published by Capcom for the GameCube. It was originally released as a part of the Capcom Five, under director Hideki Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the name Clover Studio, subtitled in Japan Aratanaru Kibō (Japanese: 新たなる希望, lit. "A New Hope"). The game's story concerns Joe, an avid movie-goer whose girlfriend Silvia is kidnapped during a film starring Joe's favorite superhero, Captain Blue. Joe is shortly thereafter thrust into Movieland, where Silvia is taken by the villainous group known as Jadow. After accepting a special V-Watch from Captain Blue, Joe transforms into the tokusatsu-style persona "Viewtiful Joe" and sets out to rescue her.

Contents

The gameplay of Viewtiful Joe features traditional 2D platform side-scrolling intermixed with 3D cel-shaded graphics. Abilities known as "VFX Powers" grant the player special actions for combat and puzzle-solving, such as slowing down or speeding up time. Viewtiful Joe was critically acclaimed for its unique visual style and gameplay, earning itself a number of awards from various media publications. A minor commercial success, the game spawned several sequels, with releases seen on other consoles such as the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS. An anime adaption of the game and a manga series were also produced.

Gameplay

Viewtiful Joe's core gameplay is similar to a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up. Taking control of Joe, the player is mostly limited to moving left, right, up, and down on a fixed 2D path. The game contains platforming elements, such as the ability to jump and double jump. Combat consists of fighting multiple enemies on screen at once, with the enemies appearing from all directions, including the foreground and background. Joe has the ability to punch, kick, and dodge—which he can do by leaping upward or ducking. Dodging enemies' attacks successfully temporarily dazes them, leaving them wide open for attack. [7] The player has certain number of hit points in the form of "Life Marks" located above the VFX Gauge, which decrease whenever Joe takes damage. Health can be restored by picking up hamburgers. [8]

The Mach Speed VFX Power allows Viewtiful Joe to attack multiple enemies on screen at once. Viewtiful-joe-gameplay.jpg
The Mach Speed VFX Power allows Viewtiful Joe to attack multiple enemies on screen at once.

Viewtiful Joe features unique gameplay elements in the form of Joe's "Viewtiful Effects (VFX) Power", which is designed to emulate camera tricks seen in films. [9] VFX Power is used in both battling enemies, and solving various puzzles. These three powers are limited by the "VFX Gauge" located at the top of the screen. Normally, the meter is full, giving the player access to Joe's super powers via his Viewtiful Joe transformation. The meter slowly empties when an ability is in use. Once it depletes, Viewtiful Joe changes to normal Joe, lowering his attack and defense and leaving him temporarily devoid of VFX Power. [8] [10] The VFX Gauge automatically refills over time, and can also be manually filled by picking up bottles of "VFX Juice". The first VFX Power is "Slow", which slows time, causing the player's attacks to be more powerful, increasing Joe's reflexes, and allowing him to dodge attacks more easily. The second VFX Power, "Mach Speed", allows Joe to move at a faster speed, creating multiple after-images of him when he unleashes a flurry of attacks on all enemies on the screen. [11] It can additionally cause his attacks to envelop Joe in a temporary heat shield, rendering him immune to flame attacks and setting enemies on fire when struck. The last VFX Power, "Zoom In", causes a camera close-up of Joe, powering up his normal attacks, granting him a set of new attacks, and paralyzing all lesser foes in proximity to him. However, any damage dealt to Joe whilst zoomed in is increased too. [9] Any two VFX Powers can be combined. [6] [11] The VFX Gauge can be extended by collecting a certain number of V-Films present in each stage. [7] The bar reverts to its normal length when a new stage begins. [8]

Defeating enemies gives the player "V-Points" in the form of small and large coins, while using special attacks gives them "V-Marks", or "Viewtifuls", which can be converted into V-Points. Viewtifuls can be quickly gained by using combos or long chains of attacks. [12] [13] For example, while using Slow, striking a dazed enemy sets up all other enemies on the screen for a chain reaction, causing all points accrued during the duration of Slow to be multiplied by the number of enemies struck. If used deftly, the player will accumulate a large number of Viewtifuls due to the multiplier effect called "X-Bonus". Each stage in Viewtiful Joe consists of several interconnected missions, or scenes, that the player must complete in order to advance. [14] When completing the stage, the player is graded on the number of V-Points earned, the amount of time taken, and how much damage Joe took. V-Points can be used between stages to purchase new abilities, expendable weapons (which include the "Voomerang" and "Shocking Pink Bombs"), more health, and health-restorative items. [11] [15] Clearing the game on various difficulties allows players to play as different characters such as Silvia, Captain Blue and Alastor, with the PlayStation 2 version also allowing players to play as Devil May Cry 's Dante.

Plot

Viewtiful Joe is divided into seven stages, or "episodes", interspersed with storyline cutscenes, and bookended by an opening and ending cinematic. The setting is divided between Earth, and "Movieland", the game's fictional world of films. The plot begins in a movie theatre on Earth, in which the game's central character Joe and his girlfriend Silvia are watching a tokusatsu drama, starring the aged superhero Captain Blue. The movie's antagonist, having seemingly defeated Captain Blue, suddenly reaches out of the screen and abducts Silvia, taking her into Movieland. Joe is likewise picked up and taken into Movieland by Captain Blue's giant mecha, "Six Majin". Inside the movie, Joe must rescue Silvia from the evil Jadow, the game's organization of villains. To help him, Captain Blue entrusts him with a V-Watch, a device Joe can use to transform into a superhero upon saying the word "henshin (transform)." [16] Joe promptly does so, inventing his own catchphrase: "Henshin-a-go-go, baby!"

With the guidance of Captain Blue, Joe fights his way through a number of Movieland's locations such as cities, caves, an underwater base, and a submarine, often travelling via his trusty, robot aircraft "Six Machine". One by one, Joe defeats the members of the Jadow, the game's bosses. These include Dark Fiend Charles the 3rd, Iron Ogre Hulk Davidson, Aquatic Terror Gran Bruce, a doppelgänger of Viewtiful Joe, and Blade Master Alastor. Before fighting Alastor, he reveals that in order for the Jadow to break out of Movieland and into the land of humans, they need the "DNA of the Creator", namely Silvia. [17] Joe makes his way to her, trumping the Jadow's leader Inferno Lord Fire Leo in combat, only to witness Silvia being kidnapped once again afterwards. Joe and Six Machine race off into outer space after her in the game's final episode.

Finding Silvia atop the control room of a space station, Joe discovers that Captain Blue has been behind the plot the entire time. The former hero reveals that he is the creator of the film in which they currently exist, and that he is Silvia's seemingly-deceased father. [18] Transforming into the colossal robot King Blue, the villain proclaims that he will take Sylvia's energy by force in order to break into the real world. Joe tells him off, telling him that he's no hero. Joe summons Six Majin, and the two engage in combat. When the fight ends, Captain Blue and Viewtiful Joe abandon their respective vehicles, and face off in a final battle within the space station.

Joe is victorious, and Captain Blue, finally coming to his senses, thanks the young hero for stopping him. He explains that two decades earlier, Blue was a revolutionary film maker who was soon thought of as a fad. Wanting nothing more than to create heroes, Blue was sucked into one of his own films, allowing him to live out his dream as a hero. However, he had lost touch with reality, and wanted revenge on the people who had betrayed him. As Captain Blue and Silvia embrace in a heartfelt reunion, the director tells Joe that the story is not complete. He snaps his fingers, and the space station's onboard computer warns of a large number of UFOs heading towards Earth. Blue tells Joe that a hero will be needed twice more to save the world. [19] Joe attempts to leave, but not before Silvia requests a V-Watch from her father and to accompany her boyfriend. Viewtiful Joe and a newly transformed Silvia head out to stop the impending threat together.

Development

Viewtiful Joe was developed by the design staff "Team Viewtiful", [20] a part of Capcom Production Studio 4. [21] [22] The game was announced in late 2002 as part of the Capcom Five, a line-up of five then-upcoming GameCube games to introduce new content to the console. [23] It was directed by Capcom alumnus Hideki Kamiya, whose previous credits include the planning of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 and the direction of Devil May Cry . It was produced by Atsushi Inaba, who previously worked on the Ace Attorney series and Steel Battalion . In its earliest stages of development, Viewtiful Joe went under the working title "Red Hot Man", but the name was changed due to copyright conflicts with the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. [24] Viewtiful Joe's development team initially consisted of six people working under a twelve-month deadline. As work continued, the size of the team grew, and development ended up taking a full 21 months to complete. [25] The game was conceived as a "staff-focused project" aimed at increasing the skill of its creators, specifically director Kamiya. [26]

Inaba stated, "We wanted to create a challenging game with stunning visuals and fluid gameplay". As a lifelong fan of superheroes, Inaba's aim was to combine traditional Japanese tokusatsu with American comic books. [27] [28] The character designs created by Kumiko Suekane were inspired specifically by 1960s and 1970s Japanese-costumed tokusatsu television shows such as Kamen Rider and Ultraman . [15] Graphically, the game adopted a 2D side-scrolling style mixed with 3D cel-shaded animation. [24] Despite many games in the then-modern industry shying away from 2D graphical formats, Inaba said, "We have been able to breathe new life into the genre because we are using a new stylistic way that hasn't been seen before." [29] The team chose the GameCube as its platform because of their target audience and because it lent itself well to Viewtiful Joe's gameplay. [28]

The musical score for Viewtiful Joe was co-composed by Masakazu Sugimori and Masami Ueda  [ jp ]. It was released alongside the score for Viewtiful Joe 2 on a double album titled Viewtiful Joe + Viewtiful Joe 2 Original Soundtrack in Japan on 22 December 2004 by Suleputer. [30] A music video is played within the game featuring a rap vocal song titled "Viewtiful World" composed by D.A.I. The video features a group of people, including Inaba himself, motion captured as some of the game's characters. [29] On 11 June 2003, Avex released the video on DVD and released the song as a single. [31] [32] Both the North American and Japanese releases of Viewtiful Joe feature English voice acting in order to keep a "western comic book feel to [the game]." [29] Voice-over work in Viewtiful Joe was provided by Soundelux Design Music Group. Voice actors for the game include Dee Bradley Baker, Christina Puccelli, Gregg Berger, Mikey Kelley, Roger Rose, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Director Hideki Kamiya provides the voice for Six Machine. [20]

A budget re-release of the game for the GameCube titled Viewtiful Joe: Revival was released in Japan in late 2003, adding a "Sweet Mode" to decrease the difficulty setting from the original game's "Kids Mode". [11] [33] [34] A PlayStation 2 port of Viewtiful Joe was released by Clover Studio in 2004. [35] It was released in Japan with the subtitle A New Hope. The release added the character Dante of Devil May Cry as an unlockable character. [36] The PlayStation 2 version does not feature progressive scan seen in the GameCube version. [11] [13] The game was also re-released under Nintendo's GameCube Player's Choice label in 2004 in North America and Europe. [3]

It is said that Director Kamiya based Joe's run animation on how he got to work, and the bosses of the game are based on Capcom executives.[ citation needed ]

In a 2017 interview with Dengeki PlayStation, Kamiya expressed interest in remaking the game. [37]

Reception

Reviews and sales

Viewtiful Joe received critical acclaim upon its release. [38] [39] Metacritic lists the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions of the game at 93 out of 100 and 90 out of 100, respectively. [40] [41] The game's graphics, gameplay, and challenge were all common areas of praise among many reviewers. IGN gave Viewtiful Joe an "Outstanding" rating, noting that the beautiful cel-shaded graphics and high-intensity action make it one of the best action games on the GameCube and PlayStation 2. [11] Likewise, Eurogamer called it "imaginative, beautiful, engaging and above all else entertaining". [7] Game Informer praised it as "a completely original and highly entertaining work of art". [52] Criticisms about Viewtiful Joe have been few, but consistent among reviews. IGN complained of the game's lack of boss variety. [49] GameSpy has concurred, noting that the bosses were too easy due to a powerful attack that the player can perform. [10] Reviewers have also criticized the lack of progressive scan in the game's PlayStation 2 port. [11] [13] IGN and Eurogamer have additionally pointed out that the PlayStation 2 port suffers slowdown in later stages of the game. [6] [11]

In Japan, the GameCube version of Viewtiful Joe sold through its initial shipment of less than 100,000 copies during the week of its release. [53] Preorders of the GameCube version sold out on Capcom's North American website prior to its ship date, and Viewtiful Joe debuted as the tenth best-selling game in the region. [54] [55] The PlayStation 2 version sold a poor 9,912 units in its first week of release in Japan. [56] Worldwide, sales of the game reached 275,000 copies on the GameCube and 46,000 on the PlayStation 2. [57] Sales of the game in both North America and Europe were lower than what Capcom had predicted, but due to its small budget, the game was considered by Inaba to be relatively successful commercially. [26] [58]

Legacy

Viewtiful Joe garnered a number of awards and nominations from various magazines, popular gaming websites, and video game award programs. IGN named Viewtiful Joe "GameCube Game of the Year" and "Best Action Game of 2003". [59] At GameSpot 's Best of 2003, the game was nominated for "Best Artistic Achievement in a Game", "Coolest New Character", "Best GameCube Game", "Readers' Choice Best GameCube Action Game", and "Readers' Choice GameCube Game of the Year". [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] It was also named the fourth-best GameCube game of 2003 by GameSpy , winning the website's "Most Stylish" award for the year. [65] [66] Viewtiful Joe won "Most Innovative Game Design" in Nintendo Power magazine's 2003 Player's Choice Awards. [67] It won "GameCube Game of the Year" awards for 2003 from both USA Today and GMR . [68] [69] The game was nominated by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Console Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year" in 2004 and was nominated for three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards including "Best Design", "Best Intro/Animation", and "Best GameCube Game". [70] [71] The game won "Unsung Hero Game of the Year" at the 2003 Golden Joystick Awards and "Best New Franchise" at the 2004 G-Phoria awards. Finally, it was recognized at the 4th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards as one of three "Game Innovation Spotlights". [72] [73] [74]

Viewtiful Joe has been included in a number of "best games" lists in the years following its release. It was rated the 27th best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's "Top 200 Games" list in February 2006 and the 10th best game on the GameCube in its August 2008 issue reflecting on the top 20 games for each system. [75] [76] Both GameSpy and the G4 television program X-Play named Viewtiful Joe the ninth best game of all time for the GameCube. [77] [78] In 2007, Viewtiful Joe was named the 17th best GameCube game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the system's long lifespan. [79] Later in 2007, ScrewAttack listed the game at seventh on their Top 10 GameCube Games of All Time. [80]

Viewtiful Joe was successful enough to establish a franchise, and a few other related media titles were released. Viewtiful Joe was followed by a direct sequel titled Viewtiful Joe 2 —released for both the GameCube and PlayStation 2—and two spinoffs: Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble for the PSP and GameCube and Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble! for the Nintendo DS. [81] [82] An anime adaption of the game was produced by Group TAC, airing on the Japanese television station TV Tokyo beginning in 2004 and being licensed for US distribution by Geneon Entertainment in 2005. [83] [84] A set of Viewtiful Joe trading figures was released by Agatsuma Entertainment in October 2005, while a series of action figures made by Jazwares was released in July 2006. [85] [86] V Jump published a manga series of Viewtiful Joe from November 2004. [87]

In 2004, Capcom registered the domain name ViewtifulJoe3.com, suggesting another sequel. [88] Shortly thereafter, the website was devoid of content. In January 2006, Atsushi Inaba expressed interest in developing a title in the series for the Wii. [89] However, as none of Clover Studio's games proved to be an outstanding financial success, Capcom officially dissolved the subsidiary in March 2007 after the release of its final two games, Ōkami and God Hand . Its key members left to form a new company called PlatinumGames. [90] [91] Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi commented at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con that there have been currently no plans to continue with the series, [92] although Viewtiful Joe has appeared as a playable character in Capcom's 2008 Wii fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars and is a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. [93] [94]

However, in 2012, PlatinumGames announced the development of The Wonderful 101 , then known as Project P-100. [95] This was the first project that reunited Kamiya and Inaba as director and producer on a title since the development of the Viewtiful Joe series. Furthermore, The Wonderful 101 uses the same tokusatsu thematics of the Viewtiful Joe series, and the two share a similar art style albeit different gameplay. This has led fans to hail The Wonderful 101 as a spiritual successor of sorts. [96] [97] [98] The franchise would also later be featured in Archie Comics' Worlds Unite crossover with several other Capcom and Sega series, taking place in the Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man comics. [99]

In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition , the fighter Rashid has an outfit based on Viewtiful Joe. It is unlocked through completing four extra battles.

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to PlayStation 2 by Clover Studio
  2. ↑ Japanese: ビューティフル ジョー, Hepburn: Byūtifuru Jō

Related Research Articles

<i>Steel Battalion</i> 2002 video game

Steel Battalion is a video game created by Capcom for the Xbox console where the player controls a "Vertical Tank"—a bipedal, heavily armed mecha. To control the tank and play the game requires the use of a large controller made specially for Steel Battalion. The controller consists of 44 input points, mainly buttons, but also uses two joysticks, a throttle handle, a radio channel dial, five switches, an eject button, and three foot pedals. Only limited quantities were made available. These quickly sold out, making the game a collector's piece. It has since been re-released in limited quantities worldwide, with blue controller buttons distinguishing it from the first edition with green buttons.

<i>Mega Man Anniversary Collection</i> 2004 video game

Mega Man Anniversary Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Atomic Planet Entertainment and published by Capcom. It was released in North America on June 23, 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube and on March 15, 2005 for the Xbox. The Anniversary Collection contains the first eight games in the original Mega Man series, which debuted on the NES with the first six games, moved to the Super NES with the seventh game, and moved to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn with the eighth game, plus two bonus arcade games. The plot follows the robotic protagonist Mega Man in his continuing adventures battling the evil Dr. Wily and his army of Robot Masters. A similar set of compilations, Mega Man Legacy Collection and Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, were released in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

<i>Resident Evil 2</i> 1998 video game

Resident Evil 2 is a 1998 survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. The player controls rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zombies by a biological weapon two months after the events of the original Resident Evil. The gameplay focuses on exploration, puzzles, and combat; the main difference from its predecessor are the branching paths, with each player character having unique storylines, partners and obstacles.

<i>Viewtiful Joe 2</i> 2004 video game

Viewtiful Joe 2, known in Japan as Viewtiful Joe 2: Secret of the Black Film, is a video game and sequel to Viewtiful Joe. The game was developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom in 2004 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. The game's story begins where the original Viewtiful Joe left off, with the beginning of an alien invasion of Movieland by a villainous organization called "Gedow". The group is led by an unseen being known as the "Black Emperor", whose proclaims his goal to collect the special Rainbow Oscars, seven statuettes which contain the "power of the happy ending". Straight from their previous adventure, superhero Viewtiful Joe and his girlfriend Sexy Silvia quickly charge themselves with stopping Gedow's evil plans.

<i>Resident Evil 4</i> 2005 video game

Resident Evil 4 is a 2005 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. Players control the special agent Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the US president's daughter, Ashley Graham, who has been kidnapped by a religious cult in rural Spain. Leon fights hordes of enemies infected by a mind-controlling parasite and reunites with the spy Ada Wong. In a departure from the fixed camera angles and slower gameplay of previous Resident Evil games, Resident Evil 4 features a dynamic camera system and action-oriented gameplay.

<i>Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!</i> 2005 video game

Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!, known in Japan as Viewtiful Joe: Scratch!, is a video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom for the Nintendo DS. It was released in 2005 in Japan and North America. Capcom partnered with Nintendo to distribute the game in Europe and Australia in early 2006. Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble! is the fourth game released in the Viewtiful Joe series. The game's story opens on the set of director Captain Blue's new action movie in an amusement park called Movieland. When a mysterious group of villains known as Madow steal the only copy of the film, the superhero Viewtiful Joe and his younger sister Jasmine quickly give chase.

Clover Studio Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game development studio founded by Capcom. The studio developed the PlayStation 2 port of Viewtiful Joe, both versions of Viewtiful Joe 2 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and the PS2 titles Ōkami and God Hand. The name "clover" is an abbreviation of "creativity lover" as well as the Japanese syllables mi ("three") and ba ("leaf") coming from the names of Shinji Mikami and Clover's Atsushi Inaba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinji Mikami</span> Japanese video game designer, director and producer

Shinji Mikami is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. Starting his career at Capcom in 1990, he has worked on many of the company's most successful games. He directed the first installment of the Resident Evil series in 1996 and the first installment of the Dino Crisis series in 1999, both survival horror games. He returned to Resident Evil to direct the remake of the first game in 2002 and the third-person shooter Resident Evil 4 in 2005. In 2006, he directed his final Capcom game God Hand, a beat 'em up action game. Mikami founded PlatinumGames and directed the third-person shooter Vanquish in 2010. The same year, he founded his own studio Tango Gameworks which has since been acquired by the American company ZeniMax Media. Under his studio, he directed the third-person horror game The Evil Within in 2014. He has also served the roles of producer and executive producer for many games.

<i>Ōkami</i> 2006 video game

Ōkami is a 2006 action-adventure game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. After the closure of Clover Studio a few months after the release, a port for Wii was developed by Ready at Dawn, Tose, and Capcom, and released in 2008.

<i>Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble</i> 2005 video game

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, known in Japan as Viewtiful Joe: Battle Carnival, is a video game released by Capcom in 2005 for the GameCube and the PlayStation Portable. It combines platform fighter and beat 'em up gameplay, and features characters and elements from the Viewtiful Joe video game series and its accompanying animated series.

<i>Viewtiful Joe</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Viewtiful Joe is an anime series based on the video game series of the same name. The series loosely adapts the first two titles in the series, Viewtiful Joe and Viewtiful Joe 2, while introducing several original characters and scenarios. The series, comprising fifty-one episodes, was shown every Saturday on the Japanese television station TV Tokyo from October 2, 2004, until September 24, 2005. The show was licensed by anime distributor Geneon Entertainment, with its first twenty-six episodes airing in the United States on Kids' WB. It was taken off the air when the block was moved to The CW.

<i>P.N.03</i> 2003 science-fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom

P.N.03 is a 2003 third-person shooter developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. Set in a space colony compound, the game follows a female mercenary fighting against berserk robots. It was directed by Shinji Mikami and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi. To avoid similarities with Devil May Cry and Resident Evil, the game designers emphasized defensive and rhythmic maneuvers and a "feminine" game world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capcom Five</span> Five Capcom video games for GameCube

The Capcom Five are five video games that were unveiled by Capcom in late 2002 and published from March 2003. At a time when Nintendo's GameCube console had failed to capture market share, Capcom announced five new GameCube titles with the apparent goal of boosting hardware sales and demonstrating third-party developer support. Capcom USA followed up with confirmation that they would be exclusive to the GameCube. The five games were P.N.03, a futuristic third-person shooter; Viewtiful Joe, a side-scrolling action-platformer; Dead Phoenix, a shoot 'em up; Resident Evil 4, a survival horror third-person shooter; and Killer7, an action-adventure game with first-person shooter elements. Though not directly related to each other, they were all overseen by Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami and, except Killer7, developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4. Capcom USA later clarified that only Resident Evil 4 was intended to be exclusive; the initial announcement was due to a miscommunication with their parent company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atsushi Inaba</span> Japanese video game producer

Atsushi Inaba is a Japanese video game producer and businessman. He was the former CEO and producer of the Capcom subsidiary Clover Studio, who developed the games Viewtiful Joe, Ōkami, and God Hand. He is currently the head producer at the development division at PlatinumGames and the CEO since 2021, after years being vice-president in the company.

Hideki Kamiya is a Japanese video game designer and director. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed Resident Evil 2 (1998), Devil May Cry (2001), Viewtiful Joe (2003), and Ōkami (2006). From 2004 to 2006, he worked for the Capcom subsidiary Clover Studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlatinumGames</span> Japanese video game company

PlatinumGames Inc. is a Japanese video game developer that was founded in October 2007 as result of a merger between two companies, Seeds Inc. and Odd Inc. Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya founded Seeds Inc. after the closure of Capcom's Clover Studio, while Odd Inc. was founded by Tatsuya Minami. A year after the studio was founded, video game publisher Sega announced that it would be publishing four intellectual properties developed by the company: MadWorld, Infinite Space, Bayonetta, and Vanquish. Their partnership later extended to include Anarchy Reigns. Most of these games were met with positive reception. Over the years, PlatinumGames had developed an expertise in action games and one of their key philosophies was that the team would not follow conventional game design concepts.

<i>Devil May Cry</i> (video game) 2001 video game

Devil May Cry is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. Released from August to December, originally for the PlayStation 2, it is the first installment in the Devil May Cry series. Set in modern times on the fictional Mallet Island, the story centers on Dante, a demon hunter who uses his business to carry out a lifelong vendetta against all demons. He meets a woman named Trish who takes him on a journey to defeat the demon lord Mundus, who is responsible for the deaths of Dante's brother and mother. The story is told primarily through a mixture of cutscenes, which use the game engine and several pre-rendered full motion videos. The game is very loosely based on the Italian poem Divine Comedy by the use of allusions, including the game's protagonist Dante and other characters like Trish and Vergil (Virgil).

<i>Resident Evil</i> (2002 video game) Survival horror game

Resident Evil is a 2002 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. It is a remake of the 1996 PlayStation game Resident Evil, the first installment in the Resident Evil video game series. The story takes place in 1998 near the fictional Midwestern town of Raccoon City where a series of bizarre murders have taken place. The player takes on the role of either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, S.T.A.R.S. officers sent in by the city and the R.P.D. to investigate the murders.

<i>Viewtiful Joe</i> Video game series

Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio.

References

  1. ↑ IGN staff (16 May 2003). "IGN: Viewtiful Joe Japanese Delay". IGN. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Calvert, Justin (7 October 2003). "Viewtiful Joe Ships". GameSpot. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Viewtiful Joe for GameCube". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  4. ↑ Golze, Benjamin (24 August 2004). "Viewtiful Joe released for the PlayStation 2". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
  5. ↑ "PlayStation.com(Japan)｜ソフトウェアカタログ｜ビューティフルジョー 新たなる希望" (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Bramwell, Tom (24 August 2004). "Viewtiful Joe Review // PS2". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Bramwell, Tom (13 October 2003). "Viewtiful Joe Review // GC". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  8. 1 2 3 Capcom staff, ed. (2003). Viewtiful Joe instruction manual. Capcom Entertainment Inc. p. 15.
  9. 1 2 Capcom staff, ed. (2003). Viewtiful Joe instruction manual. Capcom Entertainment Inc. pp. 19–21.
  10. 1 2 3 Padilla, Raymond (8 October 2003). "Reviews: Viewtiful Joe (GC)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dunham, Jeremy (20 August 2004). "Viewtiful Joe Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 June 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2006.
  12. ↑ Capcom staff, ed. (2003). Viewtiful Joe instruction manual. Capcom Entertainment Inc. p. 23.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Williams, Bryn (23 August 2004). "Reviews: Viewtiful Joe (PS2)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  14. ↑ Capcom staff, ed. (2003). Viewtiful Joe instruction manual. Capcom Entertainment Inc. p. 17.
  15. 1 2 3 Gerstmann, Jeff (6 October 2003). "Viewtiful Joe for GameCube Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 March 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  16. ↑ Capcom Production Studio 4 (26 June 2003). Viewtiful Joe (Nintendo GameCube). Capcom. Captain Blue: Ahh, your heroness has awakened. Now, the V-Watch is responding to your hero instincts deep down inside. When the V-Watch glows, say the word, "Henshin!"{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Capcom Production Studio 4 (26 June 2003). Viewtiful Joe (Nintendo GameCube). Capcom. Alastor: The key to our success lies in the DNA of the Creator. As long as we have that DNA in our possession, we will be able to come and go at will in the world of humans, which is why we need the girl. Joe: The girl...? You mean Silvia!{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Capcom Production Studio 4 (26 June 2003). Viewtiful Joe (Nintendo GameCube). Capcom. Captain Blue: Foolish boy, you still don't get it, do you? I am the Creator; I made this film and everything in it. Silvia, I am your father, Silvia. Silvia: That's not true... momma told me my daddy died!{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ Capcom Production Studio 4 (26 June 2003). Viewtiful Joe (Nintendo GameCube). Capcom. Captain Blue: Like I said, there's more to this story. There's two more times the Earth will be in danger. And each time a hero must stand up to defend it. Joe: Wh-wh-what did you say? Did you say two more times?{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. 1 2 Production Studio 4 (7 October 2003). Viewtiful Joe. Capcom Entertainment, Inc. Scene: staff credits.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ↑ "Production Studio 4" (in Japanese). Capcom Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 6 February 2005.
  22. ↑ "Capcom's Fantastic Five". IGN . IGN Entertainment, Inc. 13 November 2002. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  23. ↑ IGN staff (13 November 2002). "Capcom's Fantastic Five". IGN. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  24. 1 2 Mielke, James (18 August 2008). "Retro/Active: Hideki Kamiya – The Okami Family Tree". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  25. ↑ Theobald, Phil (9 March 2005). "Atsushi Inaba on Creating Successful Games". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  26. 1 2 Sheffield, Brandon (11 March 2005). "Postcard from GDC 2005: Lessons from Viewtiful Joe: Making a Creatively and Financially Successful New Game". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  27. ↑ "Exclusive: Inter-Viewtiful Joe! Interview, screens, movies!". Computerandvideogames.com. Computer and Video Games. 27 June 2003. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  28. 1 2 IGN staff (3 October 2003). "Viewtiful Joe's Atsushi Inaba". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  29. 1 2 3 McPhill (6 May 2006). "Capcom's Atsushi Inaba on Viewtiful Joe". Game Bunker. Archived from the original on 3 September 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  30. ↑ "Chudah's Corner – Viewtiful Joe + Viewtiful Joe 2 Original Soundtrack". Chudah's Corner. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  31. ↑ "Viewtiful World Viewtiful Joe[DVD]". CDJapan. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  32. ↑ "Viewtiful World Viewtiful Joe[CD]". CDJapan. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  33. ↑ "GC Viewtiful Joe Revival". NCSX.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  34. 1 2 Gerstmann, Jeff (23 August 2004). "Viewtiful Joe for PlayStation 2 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  35. ↑ Niizumi, Hirohiko (1 July 2004). "Capcom launches Clover Studio". Gamespot. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  36. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (20 July 2004). "A New Hope for Viewtiful Joe?". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 January 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  37. ↑ Sato (20 November 2017). "Hideki Kamiya Wants To Do A Viewtiful Joe Or DMC Remake, And A Dante x Bayonetta Crossover". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017.
  38. 1 2 "Viewtiful Joe Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 24 March 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  39. 1 2 "Viewtiful Joe Reviews". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 27 September 2005. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  40. 1 2 "Viewtiful Joe (cube: 2003): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  41. 1 2 "Viewtiful Joe (ps2: 2004): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 September 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  42. ↑ "Viewtiful Joe review". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 172. November 2003. p. 192,194.
  43. ↑ "Viewtiful Joe review". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 183. October 2004. p. 106.
  44. ↑ Altersitz, Samuel (18 June 2003). "GAF – News – Viewtiful Joe, Dino Crisis 3, and Animal Forest e+ Get Scored by Famitsu". GamesAreFun. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  45. ↑ "Viewtiful Joe". Game Informer . October 2003. p. 124.
  46. ↑ "Viewtiful Joe review". Game Informer . September 2004. p. 107.
  47. ↑ Sifu, Pong (3 October 2003). "Review : Viewtiful Joe[GameCube]". GamePro. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  48. ↑ Bones (22 September 2004). "Review : Viewtiful Joe[PS2]". GamePro. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  49. 1 2 Lewis, Cory D. (3 October 2003). "Viewtiful Joe Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  50. ↑ "Viewtiful Joe review". Play Magazine (22): 18. October 2003.
  51. ↑ "Viewtiful Joe review". Play Magazine (33): 73. September 2004.
  52. ↑ Reiner, Andrew. "Stupid Name...Great Game". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  53. ↑ IGN staff (3 July 2003). "Viewtiful Sales". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  54. ↑ Altersitz, Samuel (18 October 2003). "News – Capcom: Viewtiful Joe is a Sell Out!". GamesAreFun. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  55. ↑ Jenkins, David (24 November 2003). "Latest US Console Sales Charts – October". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  56. ↑ Mambrucchi, Steeve (17 September 2004). "Top Ventes Jap (Sem n°37/2004)" (in French). Gamekyo. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  57. ↑ Drake, Shannon (8 May 2007). "Vision Doesn't Sell Copies". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  58. ↑ "Capcom Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Capcom. 31 March 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  59. ↑ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2003". IGN. Archived from the original on 12 June 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  60. ↑ "Best Artistic Achievement in a Game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  61. ↑ "Coolest New Character". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 4 February 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  62. ↑ "Best GameCube Game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  63. ↑ "Readers' Choice – Best GameCube Action Game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 22 April 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  64. ↑ "Readers' Choice – GameCube Game of the Year". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  65. ↑ "GameSpy's GameCube Games of the Year". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  66. ↑ "GCN Special Awards". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  67. ↑ "Nintendo Power Awards". Nintendo Power. No. 180. June 2004. p. 94.
  68. ↑ "USA Today Likes Joe". IGN. 10 December 2003. Archived from the original on 17 July 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  69. ↑ "The Most Radical Games of 2003". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  70. ↑ Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "2004 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 5 September 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  71. ↑ Calvert, Justin (11 November 2003). "BAFTA nominations for Viewtiful Joe". Gamespot.com. GameSpot. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  72. ↑ "Golden Joystick Awards 2003 – winners revealed!". Computer and Video Games. 23 November 2003. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  73. ↑ Chickytown (4 August 2004). "The Winners Are..." G4TV. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  74. ↑ "Game Developer Choice Awards Archive: 4th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards". Game Developers Choice Awards. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  75. ↑ "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power. No. 200. February 2006. pp. 58–66.
  76. ↑ "NP Best of The Best". Nintendo Power. No. 231. August 2008. pp. 70–78.
  77. ↑ GameSpy staff (9 August 2005). "Top 25 GameCube Games of All-Time". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  78. ↑ "The Best and Worst of GameCube". X-Play. Episode 6072. 28 June 2006. G4. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013.
  79. ↑ "The Top 25 GameCube Games of All Time". IGN. 16 March 2007. Archived from the original on 16 March 2007. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
  80. ↑ "ScrewAttacks GameCube Farewell – Top Ten GameCube Games". ScrewAttack's Top 10 . GameTrailers. 10 April 2007. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  81. ↑ GameSpy staff (21 April 2004). "Viewtiful Joe 2 Announced (PS2)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  82. ↑ Bloodworth, Daniel (8 November 2005). "Two Viewtiful Joe Titles Ship". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  83. ↑ Cole, Michael (1 September 2004). "Television is Viewtiful". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  84. ↑ Baisley, Sarah (21 July 2005). "Viewtiful Joe Comes To Kids' WB! This Fall". AWN. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  85. ↑ "주문 Viewtiful Joe Trading Figure". Play-Asia. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  86. ↑ Cochran, Jay (10 June 2006). "Viewtiful Joe Series 1 Figures From Jazwares Inc". ToysNewsi.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  87. ↑ "株式会社カプコン：Capcom World Japan". Archived from the original on 14 August 2015.
  88. ↑ Wade, Kenneth Kyle (30 July 2004). "More Capcom Sequels on the way?". N-Sider. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
  89. ↑ Klepek, Patrick (23 January 2006). "Viewtiful Joe Creator Keen on Revolution". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  90. ↑ Jenkins, David (12 October 2006). "Capcom To Dissolve Clover Studio". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  91. ↑ Boyer, Brandon (27 September 2007). "Seeds To Become Platinum Games". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  92. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (23 July 2009). "SDCC 09: Viewtiful Joe 3 Not in View". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  93. ↑ Snow, Jean (4 November 2008). "Viewtiful Joe Joins Tatsunoko vs. Capcom". Wired . Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  94. ↑ Quillen, Dustin (18 August 2010). "Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Adds Viewtiful Joe, Dormammu". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  95. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (5 June 2012). "E3 2012: Nintendo Announces "Project P-100" for Wii U". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  96. ↑ Salter, Ben. "The Wonderful 101 trailer has a Viewtiful Joe vibe". MMGN. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  97. ↑ Miller, Holden (23 January 2013). "New The Wonderful 101 Trailer Shows Off Giant Robots, Waterslides". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  98. ↑ Mount, Reuben (14 September 2012). "The Wonderful 101: The First Forgotten Wii U Title?". ZI.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  99. ↑ Schedeen, Jesse (26 February 2015). "Capcom and Sega Join Forces for Worlds Unite Comic Book Crossover". IGN. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.