Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Clover Studios
Wireless Multiplayer: No
Game Sharing: No
Wireless LAN:Yes (Up to 4 players
Requires Memory Stick: Yes (300k Minimum)


Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble is Capcom’s first foray onto the Sony PSP handheld for Viewtiful Joe, the wacky and insanely cool superhero that has captured the eyes and enjoyment of gamers all around the world. Red Hot Rumble, although offering a fighting type game much similar to the style of Super Smash Bros., maintains all of the original coolness and comic-style mayhem that has made the franchise so popular through the two original titles for Gamecube and Playstation 2. Does Joe’s attempt at side-scrolling, fighting mayhem connect a punch, or does it lay dead on the floor?

Red Hot Rumble is a 2D, battle-style fighting game that incorpotes side missions and battle points to intruige success. Through story mode you are pitted up against your rivals for a place in the new Captain Blue movie, and you also have the option of Trial Mode, that prepares you for challenges and offers many mini-games. Red Hot Rumble plays, sounds and looks exactly like the Gamecube version, so people hoping for a handheld version of the title will be excited to know that the PSP version is on-par.

Red Hot Rumble succeeds in some aspects, both as a fighter and as a Viewtiful Joe title, but it also fails miserably in other aspects. Control wise, it is one of the smoothest and easiest PSP games to get accostomned too. Some people may even be surprised at the unbelievable realism the title has in reference to character movement when compared to the Gamecube and PS2 versions. Clover have made it incredibly easy to grasp and have succeeded in incorporating “viewtiful” gameplay and adapting it to a fighting style. Just as in previous VJ titles, all previous characters moves are available, plus some extra ones, and VFX power is also available to use, pending you collect gems and items during gameplay.

As is common in most fighters, players have the options of many different forms of gameplay. Choosing Story-mode will have you vying for a spot on a new movie. After you choose your character and exchange words with your opponent (very cheesy), you begin your battle. Within these battles, you are given side missions that you must aim to achieve in order to win the fight, such as “Take down as many enemies as you can”, which will have you compete against your opponent as well as re-appearing enemies. Whoever takes down more enemies wins the battle. It is in situations like these that alter the gaming experience of Red Hot Rumble. There is no doubt that the idea is there, and if excecuted, can be pulled off quite well. But at times, onscreen battle can become way too much, and you will find yourself lost in the mayhem you once thought you loved and appreciated. It is quite ironic that it is the chaos, so often incorporated with Viewtiful Joe, that is a dent in the success of a game in the franchise. This problem is even more apparent in VS mode, where you can battle against up to four different opponents. At times there is so much happening on screen, you will lose track of your character and stand smashing widly at the buttons, hoping to pull off a special move to distinguish your character from within the chaos.

The real success in gameplay for Red Hot Rumble is multiplayer. You can fight with up to four of your friends with adhoc LAN, and although the action is just as insane as had you been playing against the CPU, it is the knowledge that you are up against a friend that makes it all that much fun. It is not perfect though, and the potential of the game really shines through the multiplayer mayhem. Sometimes it is way too difficult to see where your character is or what he is doing, and this can at times change the outcome of the game. This is fine, but you should be able to always see where your character is, instead of struggling to find him in a montage of fire, stone and brim.

Overall, Red Hot Rumble is what you would expect from a Viewtiful Joe fighter. It is not, however, a perfect transition. Although gameplay itself is as great as ever, it is the actual ramifications of the gameplay that make your screen packed to the brim in chaos and insane action. This can be an advantage to a certain degree, but it may be too intense for some gamers.

Red Hot Rumble contains some pretty cool anime cutscenes that lead into battles particularly in Story Mode. They look great on the PSP’s screen and are a great addition for the title. They help maintain the Viewtiful Joe feel and show the potential the franchise has as an animated series.

When comparing the PSP version to the Gamecube version, the two are identical. The game itself, for both consoles, is very faithful to the Viewtiful Joe name and contains all original character animations and detail. It still has the cool cartoon/comic style look about it that, although wearing a little thin, still gets the job done. It is what makes Joe what he is, and it is great to see that the title has been ported to the PSP successfully without any sacrifices to display and graphical output.

Overall, Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble looks great throughout and is consistent graphically for the entire time. It is good to see a title that is ported from console versions that is left relatively untouched.

Nothing very exciting. Character voice-overs are heard in-menu, but are very faint in-game and this is disappointing. Nothing incredibly outstanding, and you can’t expect much else from a fighter, however, you would expect more from a Viewtiful Joe title. What makes it slightly disappointing though is that with so much on screen at any one time, it would be cool to see a change it music and sound that reflects the wackiness that is appearing on screen. This would help justify to the player the mayhem that is happening, and would really give the game a movie-set feel, which is where the game is set.

Catergorised as a “bargain-bin” title, retailing at about $50 when it is released, you will be pleased with your purchase based on the retail price point. As well as the Story Mode, Vs, and multiplayer gaming options, Trial mode includes approxiamtnly 35 mini-games. Some of these not-so-well-thought-up games can be fun, but others can just be extremely bland, boring and stupid. They range from collecting item, to destroying targets and enemies. Overall, a majority can be fun and addictive, but you will find that most will just have you asking for more.

Red Hot Rumble does offer plenty for the Viewtiful Joe fan out there. If you are new to the series, you may find that this title has enough to entertain you and introduce you to the Viewtiful Joe universe.

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble is a decent fighter and brawler for the PSP. It is nothing outstanding as a title, nor as a fighting game, but most Viewtiful Joe fans will enjoy the title immensely. It is no comparison to the original two titles though, and although is identical to the Gamecube title, offers little more, except for the Trial mode which can be fun but also just as much bland. If you are able to look beyond the crazyiness and unbelievable chaos that can happen onscreen at times, then this is a title you will gracefully add to your PSP collection. If you can’t, it is worthy of a try, if not because it is a Viewtiful Joe title, and Joe is one of the coolest video game characters ever created.