In case you missed it, the first Viewtiful Joe was an extremely stylish and difficult beat-em-up. Not only could Joe kick and punch his way through his foes, but he could also manipulate time and perform special moves via his VFX powers. This made it possible for him to do the near-impossible, such as richocheting a bullet back to its owner with a simple punch. Most of the time, however, was spent avoiding enemy attacks and retaliating while their guard was down.

Viewtiful Joe 2 doesn't change any of that. In fact, it doesn't really change much at all. The action still takes place on the same two-dimensional plane that zigzags along a three-dimensional path, creating the illusion of moving in and out of a stage. The levels haven't changed much either, still filled with puzzles that force you to use VFX powers in creative ways, and like the first, there are visual indicators to warn how the enemy is attacking (high or low), giving you the chance to avoid it.

But what's different? While Joe was the only character initially available in the firstViewtiful Joe, three additional characters could be unlocked in the GameCube version and four in the PlayStation 2 edition. In comparision, Viewtiful Joe 2 has a smaller roster of characters, consisting of only Joe and Silvia, but it does add the ability to switch between the two at any time with the tap of a button.

Even though Joe and Silvia share the same health bar, they play quite differently. Silvia's gun makes her the ideal long-range fighter, whilst Joe's aresenal of kicks and punches means he'll spend most of his screen time up close and personal with the enemies. They also differ in their VFX powers. Only Joe can use the Mach Speed turbo boost, while the new Replay power is limited only to Silvia. This allows Silvia to record an action and relive it three times, tripling the effects. It's both a blessing and a curse, as you can do three times the damage to an enemy or recover three times the health, but time it wrong and you'll end up taking three times the beatdown.

Outside of a few puzzles, however, it's rare that you'll actually use the Replay power. This has to do with the fact that, for some odd reason, you can't record Silvia's gun blasts, making her kicks the only re-playable offensive action. It's really too bad that the only new power introduced in Viewtiful Joe 2 is so limited, as it's a neat idea with a lot of potential.

Speaking of lost potential, the lack of co-operative multiplayer is baffling. It's understandable that they didn't want both characters on-screen at the same time, as both players using VFX powers could create issues, but what about a tag team mode? The game practically screams for it, what with the option to swap your character at any time. That wouldn't have been too hard to implement, and its omission is very disappointing.

On the brighter side, Viewtiful Joe 2 includes a challenge mode, entitled "The 36 Chambers." Locked from the start, missions are unlocked as players progress through the game and meet certain criteria. As one could conclude from the name, there are a total of 36 missions, each with its own objective, such as "Destroy X Number of Enemies Within Y Time" or "Survive For X Amount of Time." The entire ordeal is quite similiar to Super Smash Bros. Melee's Event mode, and as such, provides an excellent source of replay value.

Also of note are the excellent cinematics in Viewtiful Joe 2. It's fairly obvious that the game fails to take itself seriously. For example, a returning character from the first game tells Joe that he won't bother reintroducing himself, stating that gamers who want to know about him should buy the original VJ. Then there is the moment when Joe and Silvia get into an argument over one of Joe's comments as a boss is threatening them. This adds a humorous touch to the cinematics that give the game a certain charm. However, while watching the cut scenes players may notice a few graphical glitches, such as Joe's scarf clipping through Silvia's face or her hands passing through each other. It's nothing that ruins the game, but it can be distracting.

For all intents and purposes, Viewtiful Joe 2 is more of the same. That's not a bad thing, especially when the first was such an enjoyable romp, but there's so much potential here that goes underutilized. Sure, it's fun, and yes, it's worth playing, but come on Clover Studios, you can definitely do better than this.