10 Beloved Video Game Mascots You Totally Forgot
3. Viewtiful Joe
Capcom is a developer that needs no introduction. It is safe to say that a lot of things you love about modern gaming are down to these guys, with titles such as Resident Evil and Street Fighter under their belt. Back in 2003, the company released a side-scrolling beat 'em up from the mind of Hideki Kamiya called Viewtiful Joe and the series instantly made a wave with gamers worldwide.
The series focused on our protagonist Joe venturing into Movieland to kick, punch and Voomerang everything in his path. The games had a distinct cell-shaded art style that made it stand out alongside The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker when it launched on the Gamecube.
The games were universally loved by fans and critics, with the debut scoring 8's and 9's across the board and ushering in a huge cult following for the hero. Unfortunately, as is the case with a lot of the entries on this list, Viewtiful Joe's sales weren't quite up to the standard that Capcom had come to expect from their titles up until that point.
The last time we saw Joe was on a handheld title for the Nintendo DS back in 2005 called Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble. There have been several cameo appearances, including appearing in the Archie comics series Worlds Unite alongside another Capcom legend, Megaman.