No More Heroes

[The NZA]

 

Let's be honest: the Wii hasn't been the machine for most of us games this generation. Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy's great, most people slept on Zack & Wiki (another forthcoming wiiview), and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (likely my next rental) come to mind, but its been otherwise a slow first year, without a lot of post-Smash Bros relief in sight. This game - and im only one boss in so far, mind you - looks to really help fill that void, as best it can.

 

Its creator, Suda51, is one of those cult fan favorites that i only know from Killer 7, a nearly-definition-of-niche PS2/GC uh, cel-shaded, on-the-rails shooter about an assassin with 7 personalities, and...it gets weirder from there. i just tried it out last week in anticipation, and again, its like uber-esoteric: you'd obviously love it if you were inclined to stick with it long enough, because it's cool looking and there's not much out like it. I think Suda did a much better job of bringing his assassin story to a popular format this time, while still having it practically bleed style and somehow manage to make it a great deal more approachable.

 

You play Travis Touchdown, a fanboy dude who bought a lightsaber on ebay and is using it to work his way up some odd assassin society rankings, in obvious hopes of banging the firm's hot PR chick. The game basically goes like this: raid the next big boss' place, take out his crew, then an epic, stylish boss fight, followed by oddjobs in a GTA-like world to save up money so you firm'll give you the location of the next-ranked up boss. You start at # 11.

 

The gameplay's just awesome, and Suda clearly took the Wii's strengths and weaknesses into account with the game designs: the cell shading, the throwback 8-bit directions that just come off as cool, and the control setup that feels both largely intuitive and still putting the wiimote to good use; none of that tacked-on "now, turn the doorknob with your remote!" kinda shit. It really flows, and the first time (very early on) you find out how to answer your cellphone in the game, its that kinda breaking-the-4th wall shit many loved from Metal Gear Solid. There's fun moments like that in between really solid action and uh, saving/taking a dump. You'll have to see it.

 

Honestly, this game bombing in japan breaks my heart; again, im early enough where i guess it could get repetitive, but even looking at trailer material of later bosses, i dont see it, and that's about all i can figure would bring the game down. Otherwise, its just what the system needs: a fun application with cool story & styling, ridiculous hardcore shit (blood all over and crazy off-the-cuff-cussing), and an overall fun 3rd party package that feels like it woudlnt work on another system. To see its sales crap out next to Wii Fit and Mario Party fucking 8 is upsetting, so im getting further into it and looking to pick up a copy to show my support: in a sea of mini-games and shovelware, i want Suda & co, and the industry itself, to know id like to see more out there like this.

 

Overall: if you dig stylish fighting like Devil May Cry, Onimusha etc, and especially if your Wii is collecting dust next to your 360/PS3, this is definitely a rental, if not an easy purchase.

[Iambaytor]

So.... why's the guy on the cover playing a fluorescent tube like a guitar hero controller?

[Lycaon]

Because he can.

[The NZA]

it's basically a lightsaber, that looks like a fluro light. it's very awesome, and i'm not always dead-on with personal recommendations, but id put a dollar down saying you'd dig this one if you got a chance to play it, baytor.

[Iambaytor]

I'm sure I would, but that would first require me to own a wii. So perhaps one day, in the meantime I still have a fuckton of Playstation 2 games to finish off. So the fluorescent light bulb cyborg-samurai will have to wait.

[Maldron]

This one died? I shouldn't have let it die.

 

Video for the sequel gets me all warm and tingly.

 

 

Now with Ho missiles.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Maldron

[The NZA]

 

No More Heroes (HD) is coming to Xbox360 & PS3 ALL OVER MY FACE

 

Famitsu scans if this somehow doesnt make it stateside...hell to pay

[The NZA]

update: its out in japan, still no one picking it up stateside yet. not sure why Ubisoft doesnt want to pitch it to larger markets.

 

that said, 360 version is supposed to be better at the moment, for the PS3 one getting oddly censored (dropped blood + several execution scenes). god, i hope it comes over, here's a screen comparison:

 

[MetalHeart]

The HD looks hot.

[The NZA]

...right? im loathe to do this usually, but that screencap has me so ready to double-dip...just waiting on someone to want my money.

[The NZA]

this is how you get back in my pants heart, Konami.

 

Konami are publishing No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation outside Japan. In North America, however, the game is exclusive to PS3 and Sony are pushing the game’s compatibility with the PlayStation Move controller.

[C_U_SPACECOWBOY]

this is how you get back in my pants heart, Konami.

 

Yest, but will this be the edited PS3 version?

[Jables]

Why can't we have a not-waving-your-arms-like-an-idiot version of this?

[Newtype]

Why can't we have a not-waving-your-arms-like-an-idiot version of this?

 

 

 

You can play the game with PS3 controller you dolt.

[Jables]

Well the big push is Move support, so if you say so Mistah Wong

[The NZA]

Yest, but will this be the edited PS3 version?

 

yeah, million dollar question right here, for me. i think this game'd go great with Move, as it was one of those that didn't suffer from the Wii's interpretive controls.

[The NZA]

 

NMH3 was the big surprise announcement, for me. and ive enjoyed his studio's stuff since (Shadows of the Damned, Lollipop Chainsaw, that pitching kinect one etc) but this is big news as a Suda fan