Review: No More Heroes

At this day and age, the gaming industry has seen numerous titles that are full of blood, violence, and anything that scares the hell out of your grandmother. Unfortunately however, many of those titles lack the smart execution and style that make them memorable than an R-rated movie wannabe. Enter Suda 51 and his long-awaited No More Heroes, which not only considered one of the most original games on the Wii, but one of the most satisfying experiences in this gaming round.

No More Heroes features the most unlikable protagonist ever, but at the same time, you can’t help but love Travis Touchdown. A twenty-something anime fan who won a lightsaber on an Internet auction and started working as an assassin for “The Association”, an international company that keeps track of the top assassins in the world. There’s no epic struggle between good and evil, no war to determine the fate of a nation. No More Heroes is strictly about a bratty kid who wants to be the best, more specifically; he wants to do his supervisor very bad. The other characters are all just as maniacal and bloodthirsty as Travis, and all of them are completely ridiculous and original. To be it simple, No More Heroes is the smartest dumb game ever made.

The actual gameplay is just as simple as the plot, but just as enjoyable. Instead of waggling the Wiimote every which way, players can swing their laser sword by pressing the A button. The position of the controller determines whether Travis attacks high or low, and the Z button on the nunchuck handles all of the locking on and parrying. The only time players are required to take a swing is when Travis performs a finishing move on an enemy, which is extremely satisfying upon execution. These combat missions are broken up a bit by free-roaming sections Santa Destroy. In between assassinations, Travis must collect enough money to pay his entrance fee into the next event. This means the player is charged with lots of minigames and distraction in order to pay the bill. Of course, you can spend your dough on new clothes, training sessions, and working hard at the gym.

The simplicity of No More Heroes infused every aspect of it, including the visuals. Much like the previous Suda51 game, Killer7, No More Heroes features a hand-drawn aesthetic that relies on bright colors and heavy shading. For the most part, the look is fantastic; the graphics are more detailed than in Killer7 but still retain plenty of flair. The animation, too, is excellent, and most of the game looks stellar. The sarcastic wit even extends to the menu system, which features 8-bit pixel art and badly compressed beeps and bops as opposed to flashy user interfaces.

The soundtrack and the voice-over are also top notch. It’s full of punk and retro themes that will keep you humming on the spot. The voice acting performance has never been better also. It’s hysterical as it is serious and there are many moments that are simply pure classic. The game isn’t long but there are some unlockables that should keep you distracted, along with a harder gameplay after completing the game.

No More Heroes is to games what Kill Bill was to movies; a stylish romp through genres long since dead. At face value, the violence and general bawdily of No More Heroes is tasteless, but there is definitely more to it than that. Unfortunately, the rough frame rates and the not-so-deep gameplay keep it from becoming an ultimate fan favorite. Regardless, No More Heroes scores two victories: it’s another great example of games-as-art, and is another must-play game for Nintendo Wii owners.

Overall Score

8.8 out of 10