E3 2K2: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure => Viewtiful Joe?

[Arcade Antics]

Anybody know the deal?

Capcom showed an awesome JoJo's Bizarre Adventure game at the last E3 - it was really nutty and one of the games I was most looking forward to.

It never surfaced in the US, but Viewtiful Joe appears to be a (somewhat watered down) retooling of the game.

The JJBA version featured 3D movement - like Jet Grind Radio, etc. Word is that VJ is more of a 2D game.

So what happened? Did the JoJo license expire? Not enough US fans of JoJo?

[MankeyMan]

It was released in Japan and Europe. I haven't actually played it, despite the fact it doesn't cost too much.
I think it was one of the PAL games that plays on an NTSC DC without a boot disc but again i'm not to sure.
IGN reviewed it and gave it 8.3:
http://dreamcast.ign.com/articles/163/163163p1.html

[Arcade Antics]

Nope, sorry for the confusion. That's the same JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2D fighter that WAS released in the US, a couple years ago. It came out in the US for the PSX and Dreamcast. Great, albeit very strange game.

At E3 last year, Capcom showed a NEW, different Jojo's Bizarre Adventure game. Purposely blocky, cel shaded graphics - a very cool look. You would chase bad guys around - one of 'em would throw a zipper at a building wall and walk through to escape you. If you punched the ground, a tree sprang up, there were other odd assorted abilities too. Basically you had to track down the bad guys and pummel the crap out of them to move on.

It looks like they retooled the game and converted it to what will be released as "Viewtiful Joe."

[ManekiNeko]

You sure about that? I thought it was an original creation, designed from scratch. Capcom added a play mechanic that rewards you based on how stylish you can make the fight scenes, so you basically have to control the superhero AND the camera that films him all at the same time. GioGio's Bizarre Adventure never had that, did it?
Just for future reference, the new game in the series is GioGio's Bizarre Adventure. It features a new cast, including an Italian hero descended from Jotaro Kuja.

JR

[Arcade Antics]

You sure about that? I thought it was an original creation, designed from scratch.

Not sure, that's why I'm asking. :-D It's just that Viewtiful Joe LOOKS almost exactly the same as the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure game that Capcom showed at E3 2K2. I mean, looks almost *EXACTLY* like the same exact game. So much so that it looks like they may very well have simply retooled the new JoJo's game and called it Viewtiful Joe.

Add in the fact that the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure game from E3 just disappeared without a trace and you can color me curious.

So - anyone got the official scoop? :)

[MankeyMan]

What system was it on? That would help much.

[Arcade Antics]

We played the PS2 version but I forget if there was a GameCube and/or XBox version as well. They had it set up on three or four consoles around a giant post with the JoJo banner on it.

[Arcade Antics]

Here's a pic (note the background):

http://sony.gamerweb.com/media/jojo5/jj02.jpg


It looks like the game was renamed "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 5" and was released in Japan and possibly Europe (?)

So the question now *might* be whether or not it retooled as Viewtiful Joe for US release, or simply dropped from US release lineup.

[MankeyMan]

Gamespot had this about it:
http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters/products/news/0,11101,561219,00.html

I can't tell what it says as I'm not a subscriber, but the screens appear the same. Their last update on it was on the 23rd September, so it's not looking too good for news.

Capcoms E3 site had it down for a October 2002 release:
http://www.capcom.com/e3_2002.htm
but have no other news on it.

And IGN has an import review of it here, and it appears it was re-named to GioGios bizzare adventure:
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/365/365911p1.html

Problem solved. That's all my detective work for today.
However, if you want to play it, the release date has been missed by 6 weeks, and there is no other mention of it anywhere.

[Arcade Antics]

Uh. I guess I'm just stupid. :embarrassed:

I was just wondering if Capcom retooled the JoJo game and called it Viewtiful Joe for US release, mostly based on this pic:

http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/viewtifulhoopagc9.jpg

This screen made me think it was possibly a revamp of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, as it looks very much like the first level from the JoJo game.

More research on Viewtiful Joe leads me to believe that it has nothing to do with the JoJo game, as later levels look much more 2D and don't have the over the top "bizarreness" of the JoJo game.

Which means that now I have to import JJBA5 for the PS2. 8-)

[MankeyMan]

On a different note I hope that Viewtiful Joe doesn't turn out to be a really short 10 hour game with a crappy/pointless storyline.
I really really don't.

[Arcade Antics]

On a different note I hope that Viewtiful Joe doesn't turn out to be a really short 10 hour game with a crappy/pointless storyline.
I really really don't.

Even if it is, I still need to buy it. :)

It just looks so damn cool!!

[MankeyMan]

On a different note I hope that Viewtiful Joe doesn't turn out to be a really short 10 hour game with a crappy/pointless storyline.
I really really don't.

Even if it is, I still need to buy it. :)

It just looks so damn cool!!

I know. It's one of those games that you look at, shudder in anticipation and (in my case) start ranting to everyone about how great it's going to be.

*shudders*

Seriously, this game is going to be so damn cool. Just look at the graphics, they are shit hot. And it's 2D, which automatically makes it awesome. And the name is pure geniues 'Viewtiful Joe,' I never would've thought of that.
etc...

[Arcade Antics]

I know. It's one of those games that you look at, shudder in anticipation and (in my case) start ranting to everyone about how great it's going to be.

:D

That's exactly what I was doing after playing that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 5 game last year. :D

I was like, "and then you punch the ground and this tree comes flying up and impales the bad guy, and then he escapes, and then there's all these weird cut scenes with eyeballs flying through the air like in Evil Dead..."

But in this case the game never came out here, so I have a bunch of not-as-die-hard gaming friends who no longer doubt my ever increasing INsanity. :-D

[IntvGene]

Ummm....

EBGames has JoJo coming out in the U.S. on 6/17/2003.

Here's the link:
http://ebworld.com/ebx/categories/products/product.asp?pf_id=231044

I've seen the demo when I was in Japan, and it looked impressive, but weird. I don't know what's taking Capcom so bloody long to get it out here? Maybe they're editing out some of the weirdness (and / or homosexual overtones).

As for Viewtiful Joe. Looks great... but what a stupid name. I saw the preview video somewhere on the net, and it looked good, but I hope that it is long (as someone posted) and has some variety. The stuff I saw used pretty much the same combos on your enemies. I hope that it is good... we don't get many 2-D games at all anymore.