I really was hesitant to start playing No More Heroes because of the premise that screenshots and videos of the game seemed a wee bit familiar; it felt like those “do-good-yet-tough-guy-routine” characters from several popular anime (Sendo of Hajime no Ippo is one of them :D). Cliched was the very first word I’d describe the series (yep, I’ll call it a series because there’s already two games under it’s belt :D) so I thought to pass it for a while (I opted not to play it for.. umm 2 years? lol). After installing WiiFlow and feeling a bit courageous, I fired the game up for the first time.

My initial reaction? No More Heroes blew me away :D.

Who in the world is Travis Touchdown?

NMH (the popular acronym for No More Heroes) follows the antics of a beam katana-wielding, stereotypical otaku named Travis Touchdown. He loves anime, pro-wrestling, fighting (and killing presumably) and would really, really, really want to get laid. Like in the real world, Otaku and women aren’t a potent mix.

Enter Sylvia Christel, a HOT agent for the UAA that sets up fights between assassins. Oh an Travis wants to bone her like any typical otaku (me included).

So what is the game all about? Basically you simply need to reach the top rank by killing everyone else above you. To enter a ranking match, just pay the required fee. How do you get money when Travis is flat-out broke? You do part time jobs that range from picking up coconuts to killing people. The gameplay is plain and simple because the creator of the game, Suda 51 wants you to focus on the characters and the story.

Oh, and don’t worry if you didn’t get the start of the story as to how Travis grew to be… well Travis. There’s a special manga that provided a bit of a back story of the United Assassins Association (UAA, a governing body of Assassins) and Travis’ first kill, which is seen in the opening moments of the game. . You canHowever, we can still find a copy of it on the official website.

So how does it look? Graphics

No More Heroes: It’s on the wii, what do you expect? Ah but even though it’s on the least power current gen console, it still looks good :D. It’s like you’re playing Kill Bill!

No More Heroes 2: A wee bit smoother than the first game.

Overall though, even with SD-level graphics, the game, it’s environs, it’s characters looks quite good! Now imagine if you were playing this on the PS3? 😀

So how does it play? Controls

NMH is played using the Wiimote with the nunchuck attachment. You can spam the A button to attack with your katana or use the B button to grab stunned opponents. Then theres… ummm how about I quote wiki on this one since it pretty much sums it up:

“Throughout the game, the player controls the character Travis Touchdown. The game has a free roaming world, allowing Travis to move around on foot or on his motorcycle, the “Schpeltiger”. Gameplay is open-ended, with the concession that the player must kill the top ten assassins in order to make the storyline progress. There are numerous part time job side quests to earn money which can be spent on weapons, training sessions, clothes and video tapes. Control is handled through the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment, with the Remote controlling his weapon, the beam katana, and the Nunchuk moving Travis. Most attacks are performed using the “A” button, with certain other moves, including the “death blow” and sword lock struggles, executed by following on-screen instructions. Further, since the beam katana runs on batteries, they must be charged from time to time by pressing the “1” button on the remote and shaking it. The beam katana can also be upgraded and replaced throughout the game by visiting Dr. Naomi. While the katana does not follow the exact position of the remote, it is able to distinguish between a “high” and “low” position which varies the character stance and the attacks done. In addition to attacks with the beam katana Travis can kick and punch, and when enemies are stunned he can throw them with a number of professional wrestling maneuvers, done by manipulating both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Travis has a secondary mode, “Dark Side”, that is accessed when three icons line up in a slot machine after a successful death blow.”

sauce

A few nitpicks though. driving around Santa Destroy can be a pain sometimes (note that this is only true with No More Heroes. No More Heroes 2 allow you to “transport” yourself immediately anywhere on the map). Collision is almost always certain 🙁 It’s a fact you have to live with since moving on foot is simply out of the question. If you can ignore that then you’ll certainly enjoy your time with No More Heroes and it’s sequel :D. I’m still just a few hours into No More Hours 2, about 4 hours so I can really only comment on the improvement of the controls over the first game. Still, the biggest improvement for the sequel is the camera! The camera control for the first game made me squemish at times because it’s “action mode” usually bumps your view behind the nearest wall :(.

So can I play it again? Replayablity

Yep! No More Heroes has replay value. It allows you to duke it out with the bosses you’ve beaten (Including Letz Shake) and upon completing the game and several requirements, you get to fight this guy:

He’s the hardest boss in the game! Well worth it though 😀

So how do you rate it? Game Score

8/10 for both games. I’d give it a 10 but the camera and repetition of tasks (picking coconuts is a pain so stick to the mission of killing 100 people) certainly blew off some of the enjoyment for me. The game is a sweet, enjoyable and unique experience. If you have a Wii and haven’t played the series then you’re sorely missing out on one of the best games on the console. Now if you’ll excuse me, I still need to finish NMH2 before moving to Final Fantasy 13.