V is for.....

Vexx

GameCube

Vexx is a 3D platform game that like Billy Hatcher and the giant Egg looks like it would appeal more to children then to adults but don’t let that put you off.

Off what I played it seemed to be a simple enough and fun game and a little on the easy side. The basic premise is that you have to explore the level looking for 100 orbs that once found combine to create a Wraith heart. The one level that I played was actually rather large with lots of area to explore including climbing up walls to find hidden secrets, swimming, rotating platforms, trying to lower bridges and the such.

One annoying thing about the game is that when you start you are forced to work through a tutorial, which is annoying enough, but once you’ve worked through the tutorial and started the game there are markers around the level that tell you the exact same things that you have just been forced to work through, one or the other please. It’s annoying but not enough to put you off playing.

Within the 15 minutes: Level one.

Will I play it again? Yes I will.

Viewtiful Joe 2

GameCube

The sequel to the one of the toughest games known to mankind Viewtiful Joe 2 is just as good as the first game if not a little easier.

The game play is very similar to the first in respect to walking along fighting enemies, collecting coins to purchase upgrades and extra lives and energy between levels and overcoming puzzles and obstacles but one major change is the ability to swap characters at any point of the level. By pressing the Z button you can swap from Joe to Silvia allowing you to use different skill sets to progress past the puzzles. It’s a nice addition and simple to implement at any time. Another change (and this could just be me) but the game felt a little easier than the first one. Unfortunately I cannot seem to put my finger on it but overall it didn’t feel as tough as the first game.

Overall if you liked the first game then you will like the sequel, if you didn’t like the first one then it’s pretty much guaranteed that you won’t like the sequel which is a real shame as it is definitely worth a play.

Within the 15 minutes: Level one, stage 2.

Will I play it again? Yes.

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble

GameCube

Another Viewtiful Joe game but this time not a side-scrolling beat-em-up, instead this time you get more of a fighting game involving the same characters.

To be honest it’s a bit of a weird one this game. It contains two modes which are story and battle mode but only the battle mode is really a proper fighting game, the story mode is more of a mission mode where you do have an opponent that you can hit but you won’t get too many hits in as you will be concentrating on completing the missions which includes stuff like smashing more barrels then your opponent or collecting more diamonds or even smashing plant pots while climbing platforms at the side of a building. As long as you have more points than your opponent you will win the round.

Battle mode on the other hand does still have slight missions but this time it will be last man standing out of the four players or run behind a door before a bomb explodes. It’s interesting that the game does have two different modes but it’s almost like it doesn’t really know what kind of game it wants to be which is a shame.

Within the 15 minutes: Had done the practice mode and a few missions of the story mode.

Will I play it again? I will eventually.

Virtua Cop

Saturn

Virtua Cop is a light gun game where you follow the course shooting all of the criminals who pop up in front of you.

If only the real police force was like that, wiping out the criminals of the world, but anyway. It’s a good game with decent accuracy from the light gun and nice graphics and quite long levels. The enemy attacks and weapons are quite varied and a couple of bits of scenery can be shot to explode to kill enemies, though somehow innocent people can just run straight past despite being able to be shot by yourself.

I did enjoy playing the game and as light gun games go this is a really good one for the above mentioned reasons and I’ll be heading back to it in the future to shoot more criminal scum.

Within the 15 minutes: Stage 2

Will I play it again? Will give it another go.

Virtua Fighter 2

Saturn

Like Tomb Raider up until this point I had never played a Virtua Fighter game, but unlike Tomb Raider I got into this one straight away.

Surprisingly for a fifteen year old Saturn game I found this to feel very smooth when playing and rather enjoyed playing it. There’s not really that much I can say about the game in all honesty. It’s a 3D fighting game where you win two matches and move onto the next round. For my go I chose Akira who seemed decent enough, I just wish that I could figure out the special moves and the seemingly lack of a moves list didn’t help at all unless I just wasn’t seeing it.

All in all I did enjoy it so I will be keeping it and at some point I’ll venture back to it and give it another shot and will hopefully be able to figure out some moves.

Within the 15 minutes: Round five.

Will I play it again? At some point.