Joyous news from the house of this morning as the Japanese developer-publisher confirms that a full sequel to the wonderfully imaginative Viewtiful Joe is currently in the works (and has been since last summer), and will be released on the and this winter - we're reliably informed. A PS2 debut is probably just what this refreshing gem needs to rocket its way to fame, the original Cube exclusive garnering much praise critically but failing to sell as hoped.

The series' creator Atsushi Inaba has also noted that greater mass market recognition is just what the series needs, informing GameSpot "we have made it [Viewtiful Joe 2] more accessible to them while still making it challenging enough for hard-core gamers that liked the difficulty of the original."

A cell-shaded mix of 2D and is the order of the day as before, and geek-with-superpowers Joe will once again return alongside girlfriend Silvia. This time, both characters will be imbued with super human powers - and both will be playable from the very start of the game. Inaba noted this as perhaps the most significant addition to the gameplay in his brief Q&A with GameSpot: "You thought you could do crazy combos in Viewtiful Joe; wait till you try a little simultaneous VJ action!"

Several new environments will form a backdrop to the on screen action, including jungles, ruins, ancient Japan, mountains and even outer space. Forty new flavours of enemy will also face Joe, and our hero's 'Six Machine' will even be able to transform into a drill, racer, cannon or submarine at various stages in the game.

A new VFX power called 'Replay' will also be wielded by Joe and can triple the effect of attacks and power-ups.

By Luke Guttridge