One of the most pleasant surprises of 2003 in the video game world was the release of Viewtiful Joe on the Gamecube. The game was a cel-shaded, completely new, and quite honestly a fresh franchise that people could get behind. Is it any wonder that Capcom went hard to work at creating a sequel to that game?

Viewtiful Joe 2 is scheduled for a released later this month (on Gamecube & Playstation 2). Thanks to Nintendo’s Press event we had an opportunity to really sit down and play with the title, and to see what new elements have been added to improve the game over the original.

In the sequel our hero Joe returns to save the day from a more sinister bad guy named Black Emperor, who plans to take over the world. With such a new and imposing threat it looks like Joe might need some help and thanks to a little arm twisting the former damsel in distress from the first game, Sylvia, he’ll be joined by her in battle. In addition to Sylvia, Joe’s dad (Jet Black) will also come into play as he helps the duo from his place in the real world as they do battle in the movie world (the fictional land the first game took place in – and where Joe must return again).

Graphically speaking the game doesn’t really look like it got much of an overhaul; there are some tweaks, but nothing major. Despite that, you can definitely see a few tiny increases over the original, but for the most part Joe just looks as sharp as before, and Sylvia looks just as nice too. The animations look crisper then the last outing and the enemies look a little better in addition to being all new. Where Viewtiful Joe 2 is clearly superior (graphically) then Viewtiful Joe is in the environments and backgrounds. There are so many new different types of locations, not to mention that so much more is going on behind you, that it just makes the game seem much bigger in scope.

The audio department is almost identical to the graphical upgrades from version to version. Nothing really dramatic, but certainly noticeable enough to those that are looking for distinctions. You can expect the same level of quality from the music, and character voices.

Gameplay wise Viewtiful Joe 2 still plays out much like its predecessor. You’ll be going from one platform level to the next, using your powers to beat up the bad guys, and solve puzzles. All the powers you had in the last game return: You can slow down time (ala the matrix), speed up time with the ‘mach’ ability, and 'zoom' lets you close in on your enemies with the camera allowing to perform very stylish combos. A new power has been introduced however that allows you to record, and replay any attack twice allowing you to hit anything three times; the new attack is aptly named replay. The new attack also requires a bit of timing on your part, because you’ll need to perform it just right in order to get all the bonuses that come with it.

You’ll also be able to earn new moves and combos as you move through the game by going to shops in between levels, and using the coins you picked up during gameplay to buy new attacks.

Capcom was smart enough to make major enhancements in the gameplay department – while everything else remains virtually unchanged; this dynamic certainly got a major upgrade by the simple inclusion of a new character. Besides offering a new dynamic while each different character is playing, you’ll have the ability to swap characters at any time using the “Viewtiful touch”. The new feature adds a new element because Joe and Sylvia have very distinctive abilities, and you’ll need to swap them in and out in order to solve many of the games puzzles.

You’ll also find that you’ll be forced to use your VFX powers in quick succession to be able to solve many of the games puzzles this time around. We found this out very early on in the build, which should tell you how hard it will probably become as the game progresses. In one area we used the mach speed to raise the water level of a pit up very quickly, then had to slow down time immediately to give us time to punch and kick a statue up and over a divider and onto a stand that was in a separate area.

Viewtiful Joe 2 is one of those games that didn’t do too much in the graphics and sound department to get better, but instead focused on the gameplay and tried to increase that aspect of the game. It’s similar to what Nintendo is doing with Metroid Prime 2 Echoes, and quiet frankly there’s nothing wrong with that. When you’re dealing with AAA titles like this, the old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ applies. Look for our review of the game later this month for both the PS2, and Gamecube.