30| No More Heroes

Released: January 22nd, 2008

Definitive Version: Wii; Also on: PS3, Xbox 360

Music and film are filled with art that strives to be avant-garde. Songs and motion pictures that are born and bread to be rebellious and strive to be different. In gaming this isn't as common. Even in the age of independent developers, there are few studios that really try and break the mold. Even those that do break it tend to fall into the same indie clichè traps. Most "out there" indie games often feel different for the sake of being different rather than actually having a coherent vision in mind.  Back in 2008, the game industry was even more homogenous. It seems that games fell into two camps, the devoid of color military steroid shooter side and the happy Walt Disney party game side. Sure there were tons of games that weren't in either extreme, but most games at that time did feel as if they were in general range of those two groups. It was at this time that studio Grasshopper Manufacture, headed by the strange Suda 51, released a game titled "No More Heroes" on the Nintendo Wii. The system was the hottest thing around at the time, and while most consumers were satisfied with their purchase, many hardcore gamers were becoming disappointed in Nintendo's new console due to the lack of titles focused on their demographic. Unlike most games on the system, No More Heroes promised to be a hardcore gaming experience through and through. When players got their hands on it, they found it to be a very unique, extreme, weird, and highly enjoyable experience.

The gameplay of No More Heroes is nothing special. It is a typical action game where the player travels a world map as they do random missions and enter levels to defeat bosses. The action isn't all that deep either, it isn't exactly Devil May Cry. However, the combat is very fun and enjoyable. On top of that it puts very good use to the Wii's motion controls. The combat works by the player wielding a lightsaber. They press the "A" button to perform a slashing attack. Hitting the button repeatedly results in a string of slashes. Pointing the Wii remote up results in the protagonists executing high attacks, while pointing the Wii remote down results in low attacks. This is important as enemies will block either high or low. When the lightsaber is out of juice the player waggles the Wii remote in anyway direction as the main character chargers their lightsaber by...

yeah...After a combo is completed the player can then finish an enemy off by doing wrestling moves as they use both the Wii remote and nunchuck to suplex enemies and slam them onto the ground. It seems like a gimmick at first but it is very satisfying. Alternatively, the player can continue doing a string of slashes where they can then either decapitate an enemy or slice them in half. Again it isn't the deepest combat system out there, but it is very fun and enjoyable. This is probably just me, but personally I referred to the game as the Wii's "Zone of the Enders" due to its satisfying, though a bit simplistic, combat.

Combat isn't the only thing the game has to offer though. Throughout the world there are random mini-games to discover such as playing with cats, washing cars, and catching scorpions. Yes this is typical for a Wii game, however, these mini-games aren't half bad. I even found myself replaying them several times throughout my multiple playthroughs.

Now while the gameplay in No More Heroes is solid, what really makes the game standout is its style. It would be best to explain the premise of the game first. Travis Touchdown, a Johnny Knoxville look-a-like, is hired to be an assassin. Each assassin is ranked by how deadly they are. To make things simple, an assassin attains their rank by killing the previous title holder. So if one wanted to be the 7th best assassin in the world, they would have to defeat, or in more accurate terms kill, the assassin who is 7th in rank. Travis Touchdown is on a mission to become the number 1 ranked assassin. The reason? Because the female recruiter who got him the job stated that if he became the best ranked assassin, she would have sex with him.

The game takes the player on a wild ride as they encounter tons of memorable characters and events. Being honest though, where the game really stands out is the bosses. Each boss has a very specific personality and design that just makes them very appealing. The closest game series I can relate this to is Metal Gear Solid. The bosses do not feel throw away, but rather intricately designed and crafted to mesh with the world as well as possible. From superheroes with laser beams to a sexy woman in pink with a baseball bat and a S&M fetish, No More Heroes's bosses deliver.

One piece of constructive criticism is that the game becomes a little too non-sensical sometimes, specifically with the plot. I realize that this is very much part of the game's appeal, but toward the end of the game the plot gets way too ridiculous and dare I say, stupid. It clearly isn't enough to damper the overall experience, but how things wrap up leave a lot to be desired.

Presentation wise No More Heroes is second to none in what its trying to achieve. The game has a very interesting and appealing art-style as much of the world is cel-shaded. On top of that many cool and unique graphics pop-up throughout the game, especially during loading screens. The UI is all over the place with an 8-bit styled map and health and even has a fucking tiger as a rage meter. There are also other ingenious additions such as saving being done by going to the nearest toilet and taking a shit. These little touches are present in almost every corner of the title, and personally I can't get enough of them. There is also the unique "so bad it's good" aspect of the game. The over-world looks terrible with '90s esque graphics and stiff animations and a chuggy framerate to accompany them. The game can look like absolute shit sometimes, but in strange way that's the appeal of it. It sounds weird, but I even prefer it this way.

The music of the game is pretty memorable. There are some really well done and standout tracks in the title. The music does very well to complement the game's strange and rebellious style, and also really show off the bosses characteristics.

Suda 51 prided himself in making "punk games", meaning games that deviated from the norm to the point of making a statement. I feel that No More Heroes comfortably accomplished that. Unfortunately Suda 51 hasn't directed a game since, and really it shows. The sequel, No More Heroes 2, was pretty poor overall outside of some highlight levels and bosses. The story was ridiculously terrible and the final boss was almost impossible to stomach. Killer is Dead and Lollipop Chainsaw followed, and they seemed to have No More Heroes "crazy" touch, but they felt too "safe". In a way Grasshopper's "punk" style has now become the norm for them, to the point where if they made a normal game than it would be seen as deviating more from the norm than their usual affair. No matter how one looks at it, No More Heroes is arguably the high mark in Grasshopper's and Suda 51's career. Now if only he would finally get working on that promised third entry. Possibly in about 19 years or so.