E3 2005: Capcom Booth Tour

Written by Kyle Williams  on June 09, 2005

Special: Kyle takes on the Capcom lineup including two new Viewitful Joe titles, Mega Man games, a Resident Evil, an Onimusha, and tons more.

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Viewitful Joe DS (DS)
Bad U2 puns will be carried onto a new platform as our hero Joe takes to Nintendo's dual-screened gizmo in Viewtiful Joe DS. Continuing the adventures of our cel-shaded hero, VJDS has Joe taking on a sinister new batch of villains to recover Captain Blue's latest movie.

Viewtiful Joe DS will have Joe solving puzzles and busting out the whoop-@$$ throughout the "Movie Studio" theme park. Use of the dual screens will take Mr. Viewtiful into new gameplay territory and Joe's little sister, Jasmine is joining in the good fight.


Viewtiful Joe VFX Battle (GameCube, PSP)
Viewtiful Joe is making his way to more than just the Nintendo DS this winter as Viewtiful Joe VFX Battle makes its way to GameCubes and PSPs everywhere. Both new and familiar characters are taking the stage in VFX Battle, each vying for their time in the spotlight.

The Viewtiful Joe series is making its first foray into multiplayer action as VFX Battle is introducing a versus-mode audition, in which players compete for the lead role in the new Captain Blue movie. Don't worry, two-player cooperative action isn't being overlooked in VFX Battle, either.

In addition to new multiplayer modes and more of the action and meyhem that made the first two games so successful, Viewtiful Joe VFX Battle is also incorporating new set designs into the mix, allowing players to use the environment to attack their enemies. Handheld gamers should rejoice, too, as the PSP version of VFX Battle will feature additional content that is geared towards Sony's sleek little system.


killer7 (PS2, GameCube)
Its been a long time coming, but killer7 is just around the corner. While the most talked about aspect of killer7 has been, up until now, the graphics, the static images we've seen online and in print do not do the game any justice. In motion, killer7's visual style is fluid and lends atmosphere to the game world. The Heaven Smiles are creepy and the disembodied laughter that announces their presence can make your skin crawl if you aren't careful.

While images of stunning visuals have haunted us since we first heard about killer7 all those years ago, gameplay has eluded us until now. Hands-on time with the game reveals an odd blending of first person targeting with a unique exploration mode that, while it does take some significant getting-use-to, provides an easily accessible title that keeps the focus fixed on the story and the action, not getting lost amidst the levels.


Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS2)
So, Onimusha is only going to be three games long, eh? Well, the fourth title in this so-called trilogy is on the way in the form of Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. Telling the story of a new hero, Dawn of Dreams takes place 15 years after the defeat of Oda Nobunaga at Honno Temple.

A brand new game system is coming with the brand new Onimusha game. Players will take the role of Soki, a warrior possessed of great power, and will be able to select another warrior to fight alongside Soki in his quest to destroy Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Nobunaga's successor. This new dynamic allows for massive combo attacks, simple squad commands, and on-the-fly switching between the two characters. On top of this new mechanic, expect more of everything that has made the series great, from larger environments to more detailed graphics to a story that feels epic in scale.


Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
The former GameCube exclusive Resident Evil 4 is making its ways to PS2s across the country late this fall. All of the crazy-ridden villagers will come at you with their pitchforks and chainsaws once again as the series that gave life to the survival-horror franchise heads back to its Playstation roots.


Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance (PS2, Xbox)
The brawler genre enters new territory with Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance. Beat Down puts you into the role of a rogue member of the Zanetti clan. Framed for betraying the Zanetti group in a botched drug deal, you will have to search out the other four members of your raiding party that was double crossed.

An open gameplay mode should keep Beat Down fresh and in front of game players for hours upon hours of brawling action. During the single-player game, five playable characters will be able to "negotiate" with NPCs to bring them into your sphere of power. You will need to gather both power and information in your quest to locate your missing comrades and take the fight back to those that betrayed you.


Without Warning (PS2, Xbox)
Divergent stories collide as Without Warning takes you from one side of the action to the other. As a third-person action title that switches your perspective between six different characters, Without Warning's story takes place over a 12 hour period, often allowing you to see the same dramatic events from multiple angles.

Action, puzzle-solving and mini-games all come together as Without Warning pits a covert assault team against a terrorist band in a chemical plant on US soil. The unique timeline element, in which you are both a participant in and spectator of the same event, adds a unique twist to the puzzle solving depth of the game as one character's actions can impede another character's progress.


Legend of Kay (PS2)
Capcom is handling the North American publication of Legend of Kay, a feline-centric action title from Neon Studios. Legend of Kay is all about action and draws its feel from classic martial arts films. More than 40 unique moves including combos, acrobatic attacks, and magical assaults can all be called upon with only a few button presses, ensuring that the action will be constant. Charismatic characters and vibrant graphics should help flesh out the experience and give it a magic all its own.


Okami (PS2)
From the house that brought us Steel Battalion, Devil May Cry, and Viewtiful Joe comes Okami, an adventure title that mixes Japanese mythology and traditional Japanese art. Okami lets us become a wolf, an embodiment of the sun god Amaterasu. Harnessing the power of the god within will be essential to bringing down the mythical monster Orochi.


Final Fight: Streetwise (PS2, Xbox)
A revisiting of the classic Final Fight brawler, Final Fight: Streetwise brings new and classic characters together in a 3D update of the venerable classic. Taking a heavy-hitting but easy to access combat engine and combining it with several unique features will bring Final Fight into the 21st century on top of the pack.

Like with the original Final Fight, Streetwise is taking armed and unarmed combat to the streets of Metro City. Assuming the role of Kyle Travers, brother to Cody in the original game, you will have to earn respect as you try to rescue your missing brother. Side-quests, pit-fighting, and Counter Time mode, wherein you slow things down with special parry moves, will make the experience visceral and unforgettable.


Capcom Classics Collection (PS2, Xbox)
Twenty-two classic titles from more than 10 years of Capcom history are coming to your PS2 and Xbox. That's right, Capcom is bringing out a retro collection to fill that soft spot in everyone's heart. Capcom Classics Collection is going back to the beginning for Capcom with classic shooters like 1942 (Yes!), the brawling masterpiece that is Final Fight (Right-On!!), and their inimitable Ghosts n' Goblins (Heck-Yeah!!!). However, the one that you should be really excited about is Bionic Commando. Its about time that it is stepping back into the limelight. Might this be a revival of the classic? We can only hope.


Mega Man X Collection (PS2, GameCube)
Capturing Mega Man X through Mega Man X6 in one handy package, Mega Man X Collection revisits the classic SNES and PlayStation titles that brought Mega Man out of the 8-bit days. While the six Mega Man X titles will be enough to bring some people to this collection, the rest of us will fold at the opportunity to play a Mega Man game that has never been released in the United States before, Mega Man Battle and Chase. There will also be a host of unlockable bonus material to bring a memory induced tear to your gaming eye.


Mega Man Zero 4 (GBA)
With Dr. Weil taking over the world again, it is up to Zero to restore peace between humans and reploids in Mega Man Zero 4. To compliment the traditional Mega Man action that we've come to know and love, Capcom is adding a slew of new features to the series. First comes the ability to take weapons from your opponents by using your Zero Knuckle on them. Next is a weather changing system that will require you to manipulate the weather to pass certain objects and to reveal secret pathways. Third is an "item-recipe" system that allows you to take parts from the various reploids that you've defeated and combine them into new chips that you can use. Finally, you will be able to customize your cyber elf to best suit your fighting style. Definitely worth a look for anyone that has ever enjoyed a Mega Man videogame.


Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)
Nontraditional videogames of the world, UNITE! Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney goes where very few videogames have dared to tread and is doing it in a way that no one else has tried. I mean, how many other courtroom simulations do you see coming out for the Nintendo DS?

Ace Attorney will take you through five court cases, from investigation through trial, as Phoenix Wright. Twisting storylines will abound as you set out to prove your client's innocence in heated courtroom battles. This series has been on fire in Japan and should translate well for American audiences.


Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
Now this is a Zombie game. Owing more to horror classics like Dawn of the Dead than your Resident Evil games, Dead Rising looks to be the game that finally gets me excited about horror gaming. This Xbox 360 title, while not in playable form at the show, was brought to life in wonderful video. It showed us a glimpse of a world where hope is lost beneath the hordes, and I mean hordes, of zombies that flooded the screen. Definitely a game to keep an eye on as the next-generation wars begin.