Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble
Developer(s)	Clover Studio
Publisher(s)	Capcom, Nintendo Australia
Producer(s)	Atsushi Inaba
Platform(s)	Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation Portable
Release date(s)	GameCube JP September 29, 2005[1] NA November 8, 2005[2] EU February 24, 2006[3] AUS March 10, 2006 PSP JP March 23, 2006[4] NA March 22, 2006[5] PAL May 26, 2006[6]
Genre(s)	Fighting, beat 'em up
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	CERO: A ESRB: T PEGI: 12+

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, known in Japan as Viewtiful Joe: Battle Carnival (ビューティフル ジョー バトルカーニバル, Byūtifuru Jō: Batoru Kānibaru^?), is a video game available for the Nintendo GameCube and the PlayStation Portable. It is a slightly mission-based fighting/beat 'em up somewhat similar in style to Super Smash Bros. Melee and Power Stone, though it uses a modified engine from previous games in the series, featuring characters and powers from the Viewtiful Joe games and anime.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Gameplay 2.1 VFX Powers 2.2 VFX Battles 2.3 PSP exclusives 3 Playable characters 3.1 Main playable characters 3.2 PSP exclusive characters 4 Development 5 Reception 6 References 7 External links

Plot

In this game, based on the anime series, Captain Blue is working on his latest film, and in order to determine who will get the lead role, he holds a battle tournament between those who are auditioning. However, as the player progresses through the films, it seems that some strange things are afoot, as unauthorized equipment keep showing up and things seem a bit too dangerous. Suddenly, Rachel is possessed by the equipment, transforming into Tsukumo. He silently arranges to sabotage the picture by stealing and replacing props and putting the crew in increasingly dangerous situations. He is enraged that all the mechanical cameras, microphones, and other movie-making devices are never given an actual role in the very movies they help to make. After Tsukumo is defeated, Joe explains that the equipment plays an integral part in the process, so he leaves happily. Blue, meanwhile, decides to make Tsukumo the star of his picture, much to everyone's surprise.

Gameplay

VFX Powers

In this game, the use of VFX Powers has been reworked so to make them more like power ups. All of them are limited-use: They have an effect that lasts for several seconds before ending. There is also a new power called S.E., which stands for Sound Effect.

• Slow - Slows down all movement except for the user's.
• Mach Speed - Allows the user to fly at high speeds with a trail of flames. Anything the player flies through is damaged.
• Zoom - Makes the user larger and invulnerable to most attacks. Only basic attacks can be used in this form.
• S.E. - Gives the user a powerful ranged attack.

VFX Battles

Also included are VFX battles, button bashing tests that can either give the player an advantage and coins, or make the player lose coins. If a player (or the A.I.) picks up a VFX orb and throws it into the air, a VFX battle will begin.

• RED- Button Smash - Four meters appear and the player must mash the face buttons again and again until it fills and the player knocks the others up into the air. Occasionally split into teams.
• GREEN- Rally - Split into two teams. Time the corresponding button press and knock the Bianky

into the air. Only one brawler loses.

• YELLOW- Quick Draw - The player must be the fastest one to press the button displayed on a

sign. The one to start this battle will have a small timing advantage.

• BLUE- Round & Round - The player spins the analog stick (or the D-buttons) to fill up the

meter and knock the other brawlers up into the air.

• PURPLE- Timing Battle - A bar moves across a meter and players must press a button at the exact time the bar reaches the end of the meter. The player with the best timing wins.

PSP exclusives

• The PlayStation Portable version of the game contains a few exclusive additions.
  • More playable characters from the Viewtiful Joe and Devil May Cry games.
  • Single-Player Trial Mode with an assortment of mini-games
  • Game Sharing mode for limited multi-player action with only one copy of the game

Playable characters

Main playable characters

• Viewtiful Joe (EX Color Change: Six Majin)
  • Movie Fan Joe (EX Color Change: White Tuxedo)
• Sexy Silvia (EX Color Change: Black wedding dress)
  • Heroine Silvia (EX Color Change: White wedding dress)
• Blade Master Alastor (EX Color Change: Black Tuxedo)
  • Stylish Alastor (EX Color Change: "Squid of Inescapable Doom" suit)
• Captain Blue Jr. (EX Color Change: Season one anime costume)
  • Young Junior (EX Color Change: Young Joe)
• Captain Blue (EX Color Change: Helmetless)
  • Director Blue (EX Color Change: Judo outfit)
  • Young Captain Blue (EX Color Change: King Blue)
• Dark Emperor Jet Black (EX Color Change: Black Emperor)
  • Manager Jet (EX Color Change: Basketball outfit)
  • Dark Hero Jet Black (EX Color Change: Helmetless)
• Coordinator Sprocket (EX Color Change: Black dress)
• Charles the Third (EX Color Change: Batman-styled costume)
• Hulk Davidson (EX Color Change: Body turns white; axe becomes a hammer)
• Gran Bruce (EX Color Change: Body turns red and white)
• Miss Bloody Rachel (EX Color Change: Cat suit)
• Fighter Bianky and Friends (EX Color Change: No skin; only its skeleton shows)

• Dante (from Devil May Cry, PSP version only)

PSP exclusive characters

In addition to Dante, new characters appear as secondary EX costumes for the main characters. They essentially play the same, but with different effects, animations, voices and details.

• Sparda (Dante's EX Color)
• Plasma (alternate color for Dante)
• "Un-Henshined" Dante (alternate color for Dante)
• Trish (Sexy Silvia's EX Color)
• Vergil/Nelo Angelo (Dark Hero Jet Black's EX Color)
• Marionette (Fighter Bianky and Friend's EX Color)
• Junko (Sprocket's EX Color)
• Jasmine (Heroine Silvia's EX Color)
• Rex Majin (Blade Master Alastor's EX colour)

Development

The game was originally announced under the title Viewtiful Joe: VFX Battle, and early reports stated that it was to be released for the PlayStation 2.^[7] Producer Atsushi Inaba noted that the game was inspired heavily by Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Melee. Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble was originally developed as a two-player game rather than a four-player game.^[8]

In North America, the GameCube version of the game was included as part of promotion by the Johnny Rockets restaurant chain.^[9]

Reception

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble has received mostly average reviews from critics. The GameCube version of the game currently has a Metacritic score of 62 out of 100 and a Game Rankings score of 63%.^[10][11] The PSP version of the game boasts slightly higher scores of 63 out of 100 and 66% on the two websites respectively.^[12][13]

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble at MobyGames
• Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble at Internet Movie Database

Viewtiful Joe series Games Viewtiful Joe · Viewtiful Joe 2 · Red Hot Rumble · Double Trouble! Other Characters (Viewtiful Joe) · Anime series (episodes)