Editor's Note: See Viewtiful Joe in action with five new gameplay movies and the game's intro on FilePlanet.

Very rarely does a game surprise me. I almost always have a pretty good idea of how the final version of a game will end up after seeing an early demo. Viewtiful Joe is one of those atypical games that surprised the socks off of me. I really wasn't expecting much. Perhaps my expectations were lowered because Capcom is having an off year and its 2D Mega Man titles have a limited appeal. Viewtiful Joe looked like an old-school platform-action game with a unique art style. And, while it certainly is those things, it's also a whole lot more. The game is one of the most imaginative experiences I've had all year. Mixing classic gameplay with modern sensibilities and an inimitable art style, Viewtiful Joe is one of the hippest-looking, slickest-playing, and coolest-feeling games around.

Life is Viewtiful

Viewtiful Joe tells a simple yet outlandish story of an ordinary dude named Joe. He's in an old theater with his girlfriend Silvia watching his favorite hero, Captain Blue. Suddenly a villain pops out from the screen and snatches Silvia. Joe is thrust into his hero's world and must save his girl. Essentially, you're watching a forgettable guy get sucked into an unforgettable adventure, which is a fantastic analogy to the experience you'll have -- most of us are ordinary people in our plain living rooms that will get sucked into to this extraordinary game.

The most striking feature of this game is its art style. The graphics and character designs are really unique. The game has a "superdeformed" look that's really pronounced through a bright color palette, cel-shading, and beautifully rendered backgrounds. The visuals really take off when the action heats up and super powers are being used like they were going out of style. There are all kinds of slick effects happening on screen. While the game doesn't have the most technically impressive graphics I've seen this year (they are excellent though, make no mistake), it definitely has one of the most distinct looks. Nothing warms the heart more than watching the exquisitely rendered adventures of a guy that looks like a reject from the Power Rangers or Ultraman's runt brother.

The enemy may have a sword, but Joe can speed up or slow down the action.
The less obvious part of this games greatness is its action. I really thought it was a simple action-platform beat-'em-up, but it's really much more. The gameplay has characteristics of classic 2D action-platform games, but the powers and moves really take it to another level. Using Joe's "Slow," "Mach," and "Zoom" powers makes the game really compelling. Add in a slew of moves you can purchase and you have an impressive set of fighting moves at your disposal. This rewards the mixing and matching of special moves and powers. Regular punches and kicks work just fine, but you'll earn more "Viewtifuls" -- the game's currency -- by orchestrating a poetic attack comprised of cool moves. Using special powers and learning cool ways to link them together is extremely satisfying, rewarding, and surprisingly deep.