Video Game Review: Viewtiful Joe and Fire Emblem

by Pablo Acosta

gamerandmags.com

Hello Delphian readers and video game heads. Feast your eyes on one of the first ever Delphian articles to cover video games. I will be handling the Nintendo side of the video game war, so, just in case you know someone with a Gamecube or Game Boy Advanced, you'll know what to get them for Christmas.

Let's start off with a game entitled Viewtiful Joe for the Nintendo Gamecube. This game is excellent for people who have loved video games since childhood, and for children just starting off on their video game journey. The basic story line is a boy (Joe) who brings his girlfriend to the movie premiere of his favorite super hero, Captain Blue, and in the middle of the last fight, Joe's girlfriend gets sucked into the movie. Of course, Joe gets sucked into the movie as well, and he starts a long, fun journey to rescue his girlfriend. On the way, he receives "Viewtiful" powers from his hero Captain Blue in order to defeat his enemies. The end result is an extremely entertaining side scrolling game that is difficult to put down. Viewtiful Joe has a great cell shaded quality to it, and the controls are easy to learn. Whether you are buying it for yourself or someone else, you cannot go wrong with this game.

On to the Game Boy Advanced. Among many great titles for this small system, "Fire Emblem" is a game that was released a while ago that stands out among the rest. This game requires a little more thinking because of its strategic style, so I would recommend it to the older children (college students!). It takes place in a far off land where dragons once ruled. After a long war between humans and dragons, the dragons were exterminated from the world, and humans set up their own civilizations. One day, a magician begins to resurrect the dragons so he can rule the world.

Your part in this story is to stop him with the help of old and new friends you meet along the way. The control factor of this game is simple, but the strategic aspect of the game is what will get you. The game is set up on a map where you place your different fighters up against the opposing side. A wrong move can cost you your soldier who would not come back for the rest of the game. The story will engross you and pull you in after the first few chapters. If you need a game to keep you busy for a long time, this is the game for you.