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04 Enter aintnent October 28, 2003 Page 11 Viewtiful Joe, Fights Evil in Pink Cape JONAS BODA Managing Editor Viewtiful Joe (VJ) for Nintendo Gamecube is now released on the populous. Most people will pass it over on the shelves with the dozens of other titles available. The joke is on them. Viewtiful Joe is a hidden gem carefully wrapped in red tights, and a flowing pink cape. The break down of game play is simple: run through the levels in a 2.5d perspective, and bash nigh endless hordes of thugs. Simple side scrolling fighting all the way through, and then you fight a boss. Defeat all the bosses, and win the game. Something that the side scrolling fighters don't offer is incentive to keep beating . things up. As you progress, you can spend your hard · earned points on new moves and power ups to further implement the hurt. As you punch, kick, and dodge your way through 6 varied levels, ranging from speeding trains to high tech cities underwater, you beat · up lots of drones. Not just drones, but robot cowboys, ballet dancers, and vehicles. We're talking abouthand-to- hand combat against jets, helicopters, and other vehicles. For anyone this would be a daunting task, but you see Joe gets sucked into a movie to save his kidnapped girlfriend. He gains powers from the movie icon Captain Blue, and learns the art of being "Viewtiful". Apparently, viewtiful is just a fancy way of saying able to kick ass. Not only does Joe gain spiffy superhero gear, and a questionable pink cape, but also he gains super powers. He's able to speed up time and fight multiple enemies in a lightning fast blur. Joe can slow down time as well. He creates slow motion, which deflects projectiles, or creates a jaw-shattering blow to his foes. Joe's final power is the ability to zoom in. The camera literally pulls right rn to Joe. The surrounding enemies pause to marvel at the viewtifullness that is Joe, leaving them open to split skulls. Now admittedly, the game would be shallow with only three special moves, however the Viewtiful team adds the ability to link the American Gods supernaturally good DEMARAMED Staff Writer Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman's 2002 fantasy novel American Gods, stands as one of his most ambitious and impressive works. The plot follows a man called Shadow, who was just released from prison. After visiting his rec~ntly deceased • wife in a funeral home he gets hired by a mysterious old drifter named Wednesday. After that, Shadow is exposed to a strange new world where gods, leprechauns, myths, muses, and fairies are all very alive,all fighting a war that has been building for years and now threatens to explode. Their opponents are the new gods, The American Gods; the TV, computers, trains, automobiles, fast food. The strength of American Gods is in its richly imaginative story, which weaves its way through the reality we all know and take for granted, and a mythical side that Gaiman has completely constructed, yet which seems so real and convincing. Drawing from almost every major religion, Norse, Hindu, Indian, and Pagan for example, the characters are easily the most diverse and interesting you could find in any book. Gaiman's style of writing is very easy to follow, and seems to have. an almost poetic quality to it at times. The dialogue is spot on, and his writing is rich in detail, but not too much that it bogs the story down. Perhaps the only real weakness of American Gods is that it's so deep in the fantasy genre that it might be hard for, say, Tom Clancy or John Grisham fans to get into it.You're the kind of person who likes a straight- laced techno-thriller, a sweeping romance novel, or a tense mystery, stay far back. If you're simply looking for Mat 4 (c) 2003 By Jonas Boda Ma-t 4 in Oh my God! I-ts Trick or -trea-t "time! a book to lose yourself in, then you could find no better book than American Gods. Book Rating 4 out of 5. Natha KATRINA HENTKOWSKI Staff Writer The age of Granum's Theatre audience is dropping. A Children's Theatre Troupe has been formed. It will be in full action at start of November 2003. Children's Theatre consists of plays put on for children by volunteers. Plays will be held a few Saturdays each month with admission being free. Anyone can try out. No experience is needed. Rehearsals are held in the powers. This creates the consistent feel of a movie, and the feeling of heroism prevails throughout. Further adding to the feel of the game is the look. Cel shaded graphics with deep colors make it look like a four - paneled comic the entire time. While you wait to power up into ViewtifulJoe,AverageJoe is surrounded by subdued grainy film and grit on the screen. When your V meter hits the right point, you transform, and the world becomes a better place. The colors are fully shown, the music becomes full of tempo, and your pulse quickens a little bit. The most frustrating part of Viewtiful Joe may lie in the fact that game knows its audience. Gamers by nature like a game with a challenge. Viewtiful Joe Left: is like popping a twenty-four hour jaw breaker in your mouth. It feels good, until you really try to bite into it. It starts to hurt, but you can't stop trying. The bosses are hard. Let me rephrase that, the bosses are hard on kids · mode. The bosses are near impossible in the unlockable difficulty "Viewtiful World." Buy a second controller as you may throw the first. Taking a page from Capcom's other side scrolling franchise. Megaman, VJ throws all the bosses at you one last time. Upping the difficultly from standard norm, they throw them at you one after another, with no save points. Viewtiful Joe has replay value, and has rankings that determine your score at the end of the levels and game. Neil Gaiman s American Gods Winner of Hugo Award for Best Science Fictio,v Fantasy Novel Right: Capcom s Viewtiful Joe for Nintendo Gamecube Release date: Currently Available. This unlocks anything from a movie, difficulty level, ornew characters depending on the ranking. Viewtiful Joe snuck into the video game aisles with little fan fare, but is the definitive buy for fans of all genres, but the sports game fan. Rated Teen for Violence and suggestive themes, Viewtiful Joe has nothing controversial save for the pink cape, tights, and lack of competition. 5 outof5 " ... hand to hand combat against jets, helicop~ ters ... " and Cinderella visit ACC Granum Theatre. Less demanding roles are available for those with time constraints. Hall credits her students majoring in education with the idea for Children's Theatre. Currently, Children's Theatre consists of about sixteen people. There is no maximum amount allowed within the group. They are still looking for members to join their ranks. In November, Children's Theatre plans to be put on three distinct plays for a general audience. The plays are scheduled to be Nathan the Nervous, Fantastic Fables, and Cinderella. Nan Hall hopes to accomplish four things with the Children's Theatre . program: to offer a place for people to work on different character~. to develop their imaginations,to provide community service free to children, and to let anyone experience the art of theatre. Anyone interested in joining Children's Theatre should contact Nan Hall at her office in NRC 110, or call her at 358-7308. A friendly reminder from the staff at the Lumberjack. Please remember to vote on November 4th. · Your future is your decision. Hones-tly, socie-ty goes from druidic worship of -the sun, -to fun sized Snickers bars? • ve ye"t -to see 'the fun eld by a one inch hocla"te s-tick full of We need 'to bring The Paganism back To 1"he From The looks of my plunder WHEE! A PENNY!!! Perhaps I bag i-t seems one soulless beas"t can pu't -this jn a bank -to save holiday! LeT' s sacrifice us a goa-t! oo unders-tood p;;;;::=====::::..I par-t of my childhood. ~~~-~obe-truly O Q "'-. "'- \. I ./// ..-- ----- Happy Halloween. Don' -t be a 1"igh-twad. Give big. ......._ "'