Intro video/Commercial: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/128676.htmlYou know you're in for something special when the first word out of the main character's mouth is "FUCKHEAD!"
In No More Heroes, you take on the role of Travis, a man who has decided to pick up a beam sword and go kill lots and lots of people on his way to be becoming the top-ranked assassin. The plot sounds pretty thin, and it is. No More Heroes starts you off with a short intro movie explaining the backstory, and then you get right into the action. The game's progression at first is very old-school beat-em-up style, going area by area taking out enemies, and finally the end boss, but then moves into a more open world filled with sidequests in addition to the main missions to take out the top 10 assassins.
The first thing you will notice about No More Heroes is that it is absolutely oozing with style. The combat is rather simplistic, but Travis just looks so damn cool doing everything, and the game makes use of some unique graphical effects. It really stands out from other games, like most of game director/writer Suda 51's titles do. There's a unique 8-bit feel to the interface and game text all over the place, and you even make use of the Wiimote like a cell phone, holding it to your ear to hear characters who call up Travis's phone. But unlike say, Killer 7, NMH isn't just about the storyline and strange, flashy visuals. It has the game play to back it up.
Travis makes use of his Beam Saber in several different ways. A is the main attack button; you can do a basic multi-hit attack by pressing the button and also perform a stronger, but slower charged attack by holding the button down. The Nunchuck is used for movement, and also for locking onto enemies, Zelda-style. Once locked on, you can then use the Wiimote's d-pad to roll around and dodge attacks. Once an enemy's life is gone, you are then prompted to flick the Wiimote up, down, left or right, leading to a stylish kill. This minimal use of the Wiimote works well and doesn't make the game out to be a wagglefest.
The B button is used for body blows to stagger opponents; once dizzy, you can then move up to an enemy and suplex him by flicking both the Wiimote and Nunchuck up. Downed enemies can also be killed. Every time an enemy dies, they gush buckets of black blood and tons of coins pop out of them. This leads to a slot machine-like interface that pops up on-screen, and getting a jackpot results in different power-ups for Travis. In the picture below, you can see Travis with a target reticule, which allows you to hurl fireballs at enemies for a short time. Once you've used up enough of your beam saber's energy, you can recharge it by hitting the plus button, prompting you to furiously shake the Wiimote as Travis
starts to dance with himself.
Visually, NMH is a mixed bag. The game has a unique look, but can definitely look rather ugly at times. The framerate also can jump all over the place, but so far, none of this has had any effect on my enjoyment of this title. It's just a blast to play, and the excellent, responsive controls and style make you easily forget about the game's flaws.
NMH's music is a mix of awesome electronica. This is already one of my personal favorite game soundtracks in a long, LONG time. The first level's BGM uses some 8-bit samples that give it a very Mega Man 2-like feel.
I really need to put more time into the game before I can write anymore and make a final judgment call, but NMH is already shaping up to be one of the better action games released this year, and without a doubt one of the best Wii games available.
