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No More Heroes (Wii)
By: Adam Waddilove Suda 51 delivers another unique game, but it better than Killer 7? Get ready for one of the videogame events of the year as No More Heroes arrives on Wii! The highly anticipated next project from the man behind cult classic Killer 7, No More Heroes will be a stylish, Tarantino-esque action-adventure for casual Wii owners and true hardcore gamers alike! No More Heroes tells the story of Travis Touchdown, an anime fan who lives in the fictional town of Santa Destroy, California. After an unexpected turn of events, No More Heroes players, controlling Travis, find themselves at the bottom of an Assassins' organization. No More Heroes players will have to help Travis prove himself worthy and defeat 10 other bloodthirsty killers - all with deep stories of their own - and make his way to the top of the assassins’ league! I was a rather big fan of Killer 7; from the crazy art-style to the great story...it was one of my personal GameCube favorites. Sure it’s gameplay was slightly flawed but overall it was a good game. Now, Suda 51 has made some big promises about No More Heroes...claiming that it’s more violent than Manhunt 2, but is it really? Well since I’m from Europe, I have yet to play Manhunt 2 but with its rating squashed…I could finally get my grubby mitts on it in a few months to see what the fuss was all about. Now back to NMH, maybe it’s because of Suda’s claim about Manhunt 2 that Rising Star decided to censor the blood that was in the US version or some other reason. I have to say, I’m totally against the idea of censorship in videogames, if it’s gory and violent...stick an 18+ rating on it and let us play it! Instead 16+ gamers can be Travis Touchdown due to the censorship of gore. But really, it’s not such a bad thing when actually playing the game. Enemies turn into black ash as opposed to dripping blood rain, Kill Bill-style. If you are absolutely livid about the lack of blood in No More Heroes, then you could simply import the US version and use the new Wii Freeloader, otherwise it’s not a big deal in my opinion. Santa Destroy is an odd name for a town, but the town is pretty odd too so it fits well. Essentially you are a sword-wielding assassin just looking to get laid. I know that may sound like a pretty lame excuse for trying to hit the #1 position as assassin, but it’s true. Even if the gal he’s after is a total bitch, Travis can’t see past that and just has his eyes on the “Prize”. But it’s not as simple as just finding 10 guys and killing them. You have to earn enough money to arrange a title fight and then you need to fight through the assassin’s warriors till you come face-to-face. Earning money can be done in a few ways, by doing everyday jobs like filling cars with gas, collecting objects or mowing lawns. You can take assassin jobs that earn you more cash, but you will spend more time doing typical jobs to earn enough for a title fight. Combat is of course the real heart of NMH, you carry a sword but it’s more of a lightsaber that needs charged often. During combat, the battery will drain and you can refill it by pressing 1 and doing a up-down motion with the remote that looks...hilarious and crude at the same time. You can also pick up battery packs so that move isn’t required unless you are in trouble.    Hitting enemies with the sword is done by bashing the A button, the B button does an attack that may lower an enemy’s defense, letting you slam them down to the ground using gestures with both the remote and nunchuk...although they can be difficult to pull off, I’ve whacked myself in the face with the wire that connects the two on several occasions and still got no results. It’s really a case of luck over practice. When an enemy has little health left, an arrow will appear on the screen, just slash the remote in that direction to cut your opponent to ash and money. It’s that simple. There are a ton of collectables and some odd music videos to watch at your apartment. That said, there’s not a whole lot of replay value to the game. Once you are done with the game, there’s little incentive to come back for more. It’s a shame there’s no online deathmatch options or any multiplayer of any kind, but then again No More Heroes is strictly a single player game and maybe multiplayer might have just added problems. Graphically, NMH has a very unique-look to it. For those who played Killer 7, expect something similar looking but with a much brighter looking edge to it. The character models are pretty good, although I did notice a considerable amount of jaggies through the game, which is disappointing but not unexpected for a Wii title. Having said that, the game has a look that only a Nintendo platform could deliver. There’s no way that a next-gen machine like the 360 or PS3 would have had such an impact. The Verdict No More Heroes is certainly a welcome addition to the Wii. It’s absolutely stellar with its combat, story and visual-style. The inclusion of everyday jobs makes the game a bit more realistic, but the lack of blood may disappoint some. Maybe Rising Star feared that the game would also feel the wrath of the BBFC or not, it’s uncertain as to the cause. Like I said, if you are a gore-nut…just import the US version. Otherwise stop wasting time and pick this up now, you have No More Excuses! 
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