My first brush with Joe Danger was back at PAX East 2010, where the diminutive stuntman was on display near the back of the first floor of the expo hall. Nearly everyone who took the game for a test drive left the booth smiling. Appointments and other obligations kept me from exploring what looked like an extremely fun time, and even when the game found its retail release I was knee-deep in so many other games that I didn’t get to check it out. Fast forward to 2011, and the Special Edition of Joe Danger has finally broken free of its status as a PSN exclusive. It’s now available to a much wider audience, and I’ve gotten around to strapping myself in Joe’s seat to see what all the fuss was about. And now that I’ve lived vicariously through Joe’s escapades, I’m happy to report he’s kind of a big deal.
Hello Games’ fantastic arcade romp tells the story of fallen stuntman Joe, who’s on the road to redemption after a stunt gone horribly awry. After a terrible accident that left many of Joe’s fans wondering if he’d ever be able to hop back on a bike again, the former Evil Knievel-wannabe’s career goes right down the toilet. After he’s rehabilitated himself properly and is ready to get back on the path to glory, Joe’s a little older (and hopefully a little wiser) and is pumped and primed to show the world once again that he’s the greatest stuntman who ever lived.
It’s up to you to aid Joe in his quest for glory. Across several stages and different events you’re tasked with pulling off sweet stunts and completing objectives while doing so. You could, quite simply, keep your finger on the trigger and cruise straight through each stage without attempting any stunts and all and still pass as long as you reach the finish line (or a checkpoint) in one piece, but you won’t make any progress. Joe Danger requires you to put forth an effort each and every time you set out to complete a stage, requiring you earn stars via performing a variety of stunts: dodging the obstacles in your path, clearing the level’s assigned high score, collecting letters, and keeping within your own lane. Well, that one isn’t so much a stunt as it is just playing the game correctly. But you know what I mean.
Using the analog sticks and triggers to hit some sweet jumps and spin Joe through the air is hilarious and addictive, just like memorizing each stage. And you will. You’ll land on your back a couple of times (this is to be expected) or run right into a speed bump rather than dodging or doing a bunny hop. And even when you’re sent back to the start of each stage to try again after failing multiple times, the game never once makes you feel as though you’re incompetent or simply aren’t cut out for it.
Unlike a similar game on the same platform, Trials HD (which comparisons will inevitably be drawn from), Joe Danger has a much lighter and less demanding tone, as if it were a classic arcade game rebuilt from the ground up as a spectacular current-gen HD update. If you fall, you get right back up and try again. No pressure. The only thing keeping you from progressing is your own unwillingness to keep trying. It’s a friendly, open atmosphere that kept me doggedly coming back for more despite the knowledge that I hadn’t quite figured out the layout of the next track. But the game made me want to succeed. The whimsical, colorful events and even Joe’s lighthearted nature all work together to produce a low-stress environment that gives you ample opportunities to learn, pick up new abilities, and succeed on your own with minimal handholding.
If the hints scattered throughout each event don’t aid you in your quest, then the all-new Labs mode should work perfectly for that purpose. Five parts with five to six chapters apiece find Joe in different arenas riddled with challenges and a sandbox-style mode of play. Labs aims to ensure you leave armed with better knowledge at how to handle the bike, whether it’s pulling off air tricks or conquering the Wall of Death. It isn’t too big of a departure from Career mode, but works fantastically should you need a little extra help figuring out the right speed to hit a ramp or the proper technique for landing wheels-first instead of with Joe’s spine. Poor guy.
Sandbox Mode is exactly how it sounds: it’s an open environment and toys for you to create your best Joe Danger level to share with friends via Xbox Live. And trust me, there’s plenty for you to customize. Tweak where the ramps will go, create insidious track requirements, and then challenge your friends to beat them. Split-screen multiplayer (online is not included for some strange reason, though would have been a welcome addition) is available should you want to test your abilities against a friend. In this day and age it’s actually a breath of fresh air to see human interaction encouraged, though the absence of online competition is a strange one, considering the nature of Joe Danger. It seems practically tailored for taking the show on the road (pun intended), but I suppose that wasn’t Hello Games’ intention.
If you don’t take the journey to the top with Mr. Danger, then you’ll want to stay for the chipper traveling tunes and the brilliant attention to detail. Once Joe pulls off some particularly awesome moves, the announcer comes forth to provide his own commentary on the event, and the crowd will react appropriately. The bright, lush colors go a long way to make you feel welcome, like even if you’re not so great of a player you can still certainly succeed.
Joe Danger is a fantastic Xbox Live Arcade release and a treat that even the most hardcore trick racing/racing fans in general can appreciate. It’s a welcome throwback to the way games used to be before everything got unnecessarily serious, and an example of what even a small talented team of developers can create. We need more games like this, and I’m hoping that the potential success of this special edition will allow us a sequel in the near future. I’m already hankering for more Danger.
