NMH can only be described as Suda 51's Swan Song, putting everything he is into a game that is too good to skip...
Due to MANY recommendations from not only friends online, but also two close friends in RL, I decided to pick this title up and give it shot. Back when it hit stores in 2008, I missed the chance to pick this game up mainly because at the time, I was to addicted to Call of Duty 4 and Super Smash Brothers Brawl to care about other games that had or where coming out, but it wasn't until recently I started looking into the game and I found myself quickly wanting to grab myself a copy of the game. I have always been interested Suda's Games like killer7 because of how different they are from other games and thanks to interesting advertisements and my "Catherine High" being even worse then usual since the game is almost out, this game seemed like the perfect distraction to hold me over until Catherine is sitting on my doorstep. So did I really miss out or was I right to not get the game back then? Let's read up and find out...
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NO MORE HEROES REVIEW
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Graphics - 8/10
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As I always say in my reviews, I am not a graphics whore, but I am a sucker for great atmosphere and art direction and this is really hard to describe. The character designs are outstanding and unique, but the backgrounds are very genaric and stationary. I mean, they look pretty solid on the Wii, but there is nothing special about this game's background. However, Suda's style is all over the game in the art direction and is simply something not scene. 80's inspired load screens, Otaku Merchandise, and other factors that give the game it's own flavor. It's intersting, but it is very disappointing to see the rest of the game not fallow in the same direction :(.
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*Special Extra Points* - Music +1
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5 Words to give you an idea of why the game get's this: THE MAIN TRACK IS AWESOME!!! The main little jingle that is found in about 1/5th of the songs album and is heard at least once in ranked match and it never get's old. The theme alone captures Suda's styel and you will be humming it even when you are not playing the game. It's addicting and with other great additions to this soundtrack, it's one to not miss :).
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Controls - 9/10
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Pretty flawless for the most part. This game makes great use of the Wiimote and Numchuck Combo, with my only complaints being the Camera Controls and Lock-On System. The Camera can be funky in tight spaces and the Lock-On doesn't do very well showing you what else is around you, forcing yourself to sacrifice scope for the ability to block and evade. They are really minor complaints, as the controls work. I do think this game would of benefitted if it had Classic Controller Support, but it's just a personal thing and it doesn't really effect the gameplay that much as the controls hold up very well for the most part :).
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Story - 9/10
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This is probably the second best element about the game, coming very close behind the gameplay. You play as Travis Touchdown, a 27 Year Old Otaku who obesses over Anime and Pro Wrestling, but that isn't all he does. Travis is also an Assassin, and has a dream to become the Best Assassin in the World. To do this however, Travis must defeat and kill all Top 10 Assassins... But why does he want this exactly? Well... because he wants to get laid... REALLY BAD! And without getting into spoilers, this is how the games story is. It's simple, funny, and deep at the same time. The characters, espcially Travis, are all very likeable and this game has some of the coolest characters in any game. Bossess, Helpful N.P.C's, Enemy's... The game screams with orginality, with most of the humor poking fun at Travis' Otakuism and how sex-crazy he is, with some other funny bits coming from the boss characters and writing, which is all done surprisingly well. All this holds up very well and even when the story begins to get serious, you fallow along with it and this actually works out in the games favor, as it retains it's over-the-top style without sacrafising good story telling. It's interesting and is done very well. The only down side is there is no real beggining to this game, as it kind of just throws you in the middle of everything, making the player feel as if they missed something. I think it would of flowed better if the game started you out before Travis was an Assassin, giving even more reason to pick on him for his Otaku lifestyle. Also, unless you go for the perfect ending, the ending you get is a buzzkill, with the only equivlant that comes in mind is the line, "Finish the Fight" (Halo 2's ending for those of you who don't see where I am going). Aside from that however, the story is solid and is very enjoyable :).
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Gameplay - 9/10
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Gameplay is easily the best part about this game, and that is because it is the driving force of this game. Because of Travis' Love for Anime and Wrestling, this is a part of his fighting style, which work nicely into the over-the-top nature of the finishing moves and combat. Although Combat can get repative on the "Sweet" difficulty (Mainly because almost everything is set to automatic), up the difficulty to "Mild" and you have yourself a better experience. You have to worry about blocking, High and Low attacks, Energy Gages... on top of all the combos. This game really caters to those that play it safe and attack when given the opportunity to strike, espically in the boss battles, which are the highlight of the gameplay! There isn't just combat to this game however, as the exploring the sometimes shallow hubworld can be fun when trying to hunt for T-Shirts and Free Missions. There are odd jobs you have to play as well, as you need to pay in order to enter into the next boss fight. These include mowing lawns, picking up trash, cleaning Graffiti off the city walls, and other tasks. Of course, you can also recieve Hitman Jobs such as killing off a Rival CEOs and what not, all with certian conditions. The game has a verity of different ways to play, and each use the Wii's unique controls to it's advantage. Even things like working out at the gym and answering phone calls is enchanced thanks to the imagination and time put into the how the different controls are put into it. It's all very unique and you can tell that the devlopers had a lot of fun putting this into the game and it makes the player feel the same way. Although some might find the gameplay routine after you see everything and it can be annoying at times to get money to get to the next boss fight, but overal it's a experience worth going through and is the reason you keep coming back to it.
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Difficulty and Replay Value - 9/10
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Difficulty is kind of mixed here. On "Sweet", it's very straight foward and you will breeze through the game. Bump it up to "Mild" and there is a bit of a kick to it, with the difficulty jumping around depending on what boss or enemy you are fighting. It looks like this: Enemy's that have projectiles are hard, enemys with close range attacks are easy... and it goes from there. Also, the "Bitter" Difficulty is very cruel, so be sure you know what you are doing before you jump into that one. As for Replay Value, it depends on the player's love for the game. There is a New Game Plus option after you beat the game, with even the opition of jumping up a difficutly with all your weapons, collectables, jobs, and cash from the previous playthrough, which is really sweet. You can also redo older odd jobs and hitman jobs for a higher score and more cash, but it is kind of dissapointing that the only way to play through bosses is to play the game again and get to that area. The inclusion of a Boss Rush or the ability to replay story missions would of been fantastic, but overal, Replay Value is pretty solid here :).
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Final Score - 9/10
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I really did enjoy this game a lot more then I though I would. It's a treat not scene to often and kind of gives me a little bit everything, although the game isn't perfect. There are a few things about the game that hold it back from that pefect game, such as certian enemy's, funky lock-on system, the sometimes bland hub-world, and a few other little things, but this really shouldn't stop you from playing this game. It's enjoyable and all the good makes the bad look so, so, so small. I personally enjoyed this game a lot, so much that it's easily one of, if not, my favorite Wii game I own. I have to say Suda, you finally did it! You have hooked me to this franchise and I can't wait to get my hands on the second one. This realy was a gem I missed out on and I am happy to give No More Heroes a outstanding 9 out 10!
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I am sora_heart and I hope you enjoyed this review. If you liked this, be sure to check out my blog and other reviews on my page. So until then, I will see you all in my next review, whenever and whatever that is... Now if you excuse me, I have to continue waiting at my doorstep for Catherine to appear ^_^