:Viewtiful Joe

{{video game timeline

| 2003 = Viewtiful Joe

| 2004 = Viewtiful Joe 2

| 2005a = Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble

| 2005b = Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!}}

{{main|Viewtiful Joe (video game)}}

The first game in the series was directed by Hideki Kamiya, who had previously directed Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry. It was the second title to be released under the Capcom Five, developed by a team of developers within Capcom Production Studio 4 known as Team Viewtiful. The game was released for the GameCube on June 26, 2003, in Japan, and in October 2003 in North America and Europe. Viewtiful Joe centers around the avid movie-goer Joe, who is thrust into Movie Land, transforms into the superhero "Viewtiful Joe" and sets out to rescue his girlfriend Silvia. The gameplay features traditional 2D platform side-scrolling intermixed with 3D cel-shaded graphics. A PlayStation 2 version was developed in 2004 by Clover Studio featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series as a playable character.{{cite web|author=Dunham, Jeremy|date=20 July 2004|title=A New Hope for Viewtiful Joe?|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/531/531910p1.html|publisher=IGN|access-date=2009-02-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125160955/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/531/531910p1.html|archive-date=25 January 2007|df=dmy-all}}

{{main|Viewtiful Joe 2}}

The second game in the series was directed by Masaaki Yamada, with Hideki Kamiya writing the story. The game was released for both the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in 2004 in North America and Japan, and in 2005 in Europe and Australia. The game would be the first title to be fully developed by Clover Studio, a new studio within Capcom that was founded in 2004. Viewtiful Joe 2 features both Viewtiful Joe and Sexy Silvia as playable characters with similar gameplay elements to the first game.

{{main|Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble}}

{{main|Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!}}

Hideki Kamiya has expressed wanting to return to the series since leaving Capcom. In 2017, in an interview with Dengeki PlayStation, he addressed his former employer that he would want to work on a remake of the first Viewtiful Joe.{{cite web|url=https://www.siliconera.com/hideki-kamiya-wants-viewtiful-joe-dmc-remake-dante-x-bayonneta-crossover/|title=Hideki Kamiya Wants To Do A Viewtiful Joe Or DMC Remake, And A Dante x Bayonetta Crossover|author=Sato|work=Siliconera|date=November 20, 2017|access-date=April 15, 2020}} During PAX East 2020, Kamiya told attendees to "email Capcom" to get sequels to dormant franchises, including Viewtiful Joe. He later said he would like to finish the series with a third entry, as well as seeing a Nintendo Switch version of the first game.{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/hideki_kamiya_would_love_to_release_viewtiful_joe_3_and_finish_that_trilogy|title=Hideki Kamiya Would Love To Release Viewtiful Joe 3 And "Finish That Trilogy"|last=Doolan|first=Liam|work=Nintendo Life|date=March 3, 2020|access-date=April 15, 2020}}

An anime TV series based on the video game series, simply titled Viewtiful Joe, was produced by Group TAC and aired from 2004 to 2005.{{cite web | author=Cole, Michael | date=September 1, 2004 | title=Television is Viewtiful | url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=9862 | publisher=Nintendo World Report| access-date=2020-08-27}} A manga series was published concurrently in V Jump magazine.{{Cite web|url=http://www.capcom.co.jp/vj/vj_comics/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814075647/http://www.capcom.co.jp/vj/vj_comics/index.html|archive-date=August 14, 2015|title=株式会社カプコン：Capcom World Japan}}

Viewtiful Joe appears as a playable character in the Wii version of the 2008 fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.{{cite web|author=Gifford, Kevin|date=November 5, 2008|title=Viewtiful Joe Joins Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom|url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3171131 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719031131/http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3171131|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 19, 2012|publisher=1UP.com|access-date=2020-08-27}} He also appears as a playable character in the 2011 fighting games Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3,{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/gc-10-viewtiful-joe-and-dormammu-join-marvel-vs-capcom-3-181716.phtml|title=GC 10: Viewtiful Joe and Dormammu join Marvel vs Capcom 3|last=Hamza CTZ Aziz|date=August 18, 2010|work=destructoid|access-date=27 August 2020}} and the 2013 mobile game Combo Crew.{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/8/29/4671890/combo-crew-viewtiful-joe-another-world-lester-knight|title=Viewtiful Joe, Another World's Lester Knight join Combo Crew|first=Samit|last=Sarkar|website=Polygon|date=August 29, 2013|access-date=March 5, 2024}}

{{Video game series reviews

| updated = April 15, 2020

| game1 = Viewtiful Joe

| year1 = 2003

| mc1 = 93/100 (NGC){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube|title=Viewtiful Joe for GameCube|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}
90/100 (PS2){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Viewtiful Joe for PlayStation 2|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}

| game2 = Viewtiful Joe 2

| year2 = 2004

| mc2 = 86/100 (NGC){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe-2/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube|title=Viewtiful Joe 2 for GameCube|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}
85/100 (PS2){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe-2/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Viewtiful Joe 2 for PlayStation 2|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}

| game3 = Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble

| year3 = 2005

| mc3 = 62/100 (NGC){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe-red-hot-rumble/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube|title=Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble for GameCube|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}
63/100 (PSP){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe-red-hot-rumble/critic-reviews/?platform=psp|title=Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble for PSP|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}

| game4 = Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!

| year4 = 2005

| mc4 = 73/100 (DS){{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/viewtiful-joe-double-trouble/critic-reviews/?platform=ds|title=Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble! for Nintendo DS|work=Metacritic|access-date=April 15, 2020}}

}}

The first two Viewtiful Joe games received critical acclaim. However, the games that came after received a mixed-to-positive response and did not sell well.

In Japan, the GameCube version of Viewtiful Joe sold through its initial shipment of less than 100,000 copies during the week of its release.{{cite web | author=IGN staff | date=3 July 2003 | title=Viewtiful Sales | url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/427/427169p1.html | publisher=IGN | access-date=2009-02-24 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219195838/http://cube.ign.com/articles/427/427169p1.html | archive-date=19 December 2011 | df=dmy-all }} Preorders of the GameCube version sold out on Capcom's North American website prior to its ship date, and Viewtiful Joe debuted as the tenth best-selling game in the region.{{cite web | author=Altersitz, Samuel | date=18 October 2003 | title=News – Capcom: Viewtiful Joe is a Sell Out! | url=http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=171 | publisher=GamesAreFun | access-date=2009-02-18 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612134817/http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=171 | archive-date=12 June 2011 | df=dmy-all }}{{cite web | author=Jenkins, David | date=24 November 2003 | title=Latest US Console Sales Charts – October | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/latest-us-console-sales-charts-october | publisher=Gamasutra | access-date=2009-03-23 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922221406/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=2474 | archive-date=22 September 2008 | df=dmy-all }} The PlayStation 2 version sold a poor 9,912 units in its first week of release in Japan.{{cite web | author=Mambrucchi, Steeve | date=17 September 2004 | title=Top Ventes Jap (Sem n°37/2004) | url=http://www.gamekyo.com/news6182.html | publisher=Gamekyo | language=fr | access-date=2009-03-13 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004125603/http://www.gamekyo.com/news6182.html | archive-date=4 October 2011 | df=dmy-all }} Worldwide, sales of the game reached 275,000 copies on the GameCube and 46,000 on the PlayStation 2.{{cite web | author=Drake, Shannon | date=8 May 2007 | title=Vision Doesn't Sell Copies | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_96/537-Vision-Doesnt-Sell-Copies.2 | publisher=The Escapist | access-date=2009-02-24 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613200748/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_96/537-Vision-Doesnt-Sell-Copies.2 | archive-date=13 June 2011 | df=dmy-all }} Sales of the game in both North America and Europe were lower than what Capcom had predicted, but due to its small budget, the game was considered by Inaba to be relatively successful commercially.{{cite web | author=Sheffield, Brandon | date=11 March 2005 | title=Postcard from GDC 2005: Lessons from Viewtiful Joe: Making a Creatively and Financially Successful New Game | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/postcard-from-gdc-2005-lessons-from-viewtiful-joe-making-a-creatively-and-financially-successful-new-game | publisher=Gamasutra | access-date=2009-02-17 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220215240/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2251/postcard_from_gdc_2005_lessons_.php | archive-date=20 December 2008 | df=dmy-all }}{{cite web | title=Capcom Annual Report 2004 | date=31 March 2004 | url=http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/2004annual/Annual2004e.pdf#page22 | publisher=Capcom | access-date=2009-02-15 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812081806/http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/2004annual/Annual2004e.pdf#page22 | archive-date=12 August 2011 | df=dmy-all }}

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{{reflist}}

{{Viewtiful Joe}}

{{Clover Studio}}

{{Capcom}}

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