Goichi “Suda 51” Suda and his team at Grasshopper Manufacture are well known as perhaps being gaming’s version of Quentin Tarantino, releasing some of the most tongue-in-cheek games ever made. With games under his belt like Killer7 and Contact, Suda has risen into a position as one of gaming’s cult artists, crafting titles that feel less like games and more like Picasso paintings. That said, Suda and his team have finally created a game which can back up his insane style in the gameplay department with…well, more insanity. No More Heroes is perhaps one of the most maniacal, over-the-top action games ever made, and it’s for Nintendo’s family friendly Wii, which makes it all the more unique. And while it isn’t perfect, it’s still a shining example of the action genre, and one that Wii gamers who are looking for something a bit more “adult” shouldn’t pass up.

The game’s protagonist is Travis Touchdown, a typical anime/video game/wrestling nerd trying to make a living with as little effort as possible in the fictional southern California city of Santa Destroy. After picking up a beam saber from an online auction (no, I am not making this up), he meets Silvia Christel, head of the United Assassins Association (UAA), who persuades Travis to become a hitman. After defeating another assassin (a fight that, unfortunately, you don’t get to play through), he is named #11 on the rankings list, and is charged with the task of killing all the assassins above him to become the world’s best. On the whole, the game’s story is actually structured rather oddly, with little bursts here and there during cut scenes, with a lot of things never really explained, or previously having been explained. The dialogue features a lot of in-jokes and some rather funny fourth wall breaking, however, so there’s that at least. The characters are also rather likable – despite Travis’s juvenile behavior and wild antics, he’s a rather unique character, and one that is a privilege to play as.

Perhaps the game’s best aspect is the absolute pure style that resonates from every inch of gameplay. No More Heroes is obviously the work of someone who takes the geek lifestyle very true to heart, as most of the game reeks of a combination of oddball anime fan service and good old-fashioned brutal violence. Most of Travis’s clothes feature anime or wrestling references, and the game’s stylized cel-shaded look hammers home the Japanese otaku feel. There’s also numerous other cute touches, such as the frequent use of 8-bit sound effects and graphics throughout the game, such as in menus and the like, and the outwardly random use of toilets as save points (still not making this up). The game’s other side basically puts to rest the whole argument of if the Wii is a console meant for adult games, as No More Heroes may be one of the most fantastically violent games ever made. Enemies are frequently bisected or beheaded by a well-placed slash, with blood spurting out like a fountain. In addition, the game has more cursing than most Tarantino films, and there’s enough sexual innuendo to make James Bond blush. While the game isn’t for the faint of heart, it adds even more style to the title, and it’s hard not to feel a sort of intense satisfaction after you’ve just chopped the heads off of a group of enemies without even breaking a sweat.

Is that a lightsaber or are you just happy to see me?

As they begin the game, players travel Santa Destroy, taking up part-time jobs and assassinations to make more money, and then facing the next match in some sort of random locale. It’s repetitive, yes, but the pot is sweetened by the fact that these boss levels are among some of the most unpredictable and craziest things I’ve ever seen in a game. Sure, the first few take the usual “go through the stage and kill all the enemies” route, but the following ones take distinctive and oftentimes completely random turns. For example, one stage forces players to complete a level of a Galaga-like space shooter before continuing, while another throws players onto a side-scrolling bus and forces you to battle in extremely tight corners. It’s these little features which spice up the gameplay and make you sure to wonder what crazy thing it’ll do next. The boss fights themselves are also quite fun, although can occasionally be a bit on the easy side of things, but are equally as crazy as the levels themselves.

Unfortunately, to get to these levels, you need to get through some rather boring core gameplay. While at first glance, No More Heroes is set up like a Grand Theft Auto-esque open world game, a more apt description would be a Zelda-like overworld, complete with a horse to get you around – or in this case, a bike. In between missions, you can either take up part-time jobs (little mini-games, usually making use of the Wii Remote), or go on quick assassination missions to gain extra money, which you then use to buy your way into each boss fight, with the prices getting steeper as you increase your rank. It’s an extremely tedious process, made all the more so by the fact that most of the missions are incredibly quick and boring. The decision also has to be questioned of even making the game open-world to begin with, since there’s very little to do in the city of Santa Destroy. You can go to various upgrade shops (for new beam sabers, added strength, and new wrestling moves…more on those later), buy new clothes to increase your wardrobe, or find hidden items, money, and special items called “Lolikov Balls”, which you give to a drunken Russian who then proceeds to beat the crap out of you in order for you to learn a new technique (I can’t make this stuff up, folks). However, the city, while nowhere near as large as those seen in games like the aforementioned GTA, still feels rather bland and empty, and it doesn’t help that most of the game’s primary areas are confined to an entire small block of the map, making the rest of the game world feel like a huge waste of space.

Perhaps the most pure fun players will get from the game comes from the actual beam saber combat. Fighting is extremely fast-paced, and fortunately is handled only with quick presses of the A button, as shaking the Wii Remote that fast is probably ill-advised. A quick swipe is necessary, however, to finish off an opponent with a satisfying slash. You can also put enemies away by grabbing them with the B button and using a variety of Wii Remote motions to slam them to the ground with one of many pro wrestling moves, which, while a cute addition, are far less satisfying and effective as merely chopping like crazy. The game also features a slot machine on the bottom on the screen which activates each time an enemy is killed. If three of the same symbol come up, Travis enters Dark Side Mode, which allows him to use a special power based on what symbol he got. These include being able to fire powered blasts from your saber, slow down time, and even create a quick mini-game where the tap of a button kills an enemy, so long as you tap the right one. The fighting mechanics can be iffy at some points, like when finishing slashes don’t register (which happens way more often than it should), but overall it’s a fun, satisfying experience.

Outside of combat, it’s a completely different beast. You can’t use your saber outside of battles (except to dig up random treasure), so killing innocent civilians is a no-go, fun as that may be. The biggest failure happens to be driving Travis’s motorbike, which is somewhere between frustrating and completely ridiculous. The actual driving gameplay isn’t all that bad, but it’s when the motion controls come into play where things start to get shaky. Drift turns are handled by hitting the brakes and tilting the controller in the direction you want to turn, which more often then not, for some unexplored reason, sends you careening the OTHER way and often into a well-placed wall or tree. In the same way, performing jumps (with a quick upward lift on the remote), is difficult as well, but fortunately these moves are rarely used or needed. What’s most confusing, however, is the driving’s horrendous hit detection. While in the real world, slamming a bike into a car is usually a one-way ticket to the hospital or worse, Travis’s bike merely skids a tad in a head-on collision. On the other extreme, merely clipping the side of a tree or wall will send Travis flying off of his bike. It doesn’t affect the game too badly, but it’s something I’m amazed got past quality control.

…that’s just wrong, man.

Graphically, No More Heroes captures Suda’s art style perfectly, using a great mix of anime technique and punk influence. All of the characters are cel-shaded and feature some great designs, and the animation is solid to boot. Even during combat when things can get extremely hectic, the game stays at a constant framerate, only occasionally slowing down when you, say, eliminate about eight enemies at once. On the other hand, both the game’s backgrounds and the city itself are extremely bland, and suffer from a tremendous lack of detail throughout. The level design can at times be bland and uninteresting, and there’s a large amount of pop-in and a very limited draw distance.

No More Heroes makes up for a lot of these shortcomings with its soundtrack, which, while limited, is one of the best ever heard in a game. The game’s main theme is incredibly catchy, which is a good thing, as you’ll hear it play throughout most of the game’s battles and boss fights. The rest of the game is the usual J-pop anime fare, complete with some retro 8-bit music to keep with the game’s geek chic style. The game also features some tremendous voice acting from some of the best talents in the industry, including Robin Atkin Downs as Travis, Paula Tiso as Silvia, and other luminaries like Steve Blum, Quinton Flynn, Fred Tatasciore, and Kari Wahlgren. Considering the game is regularly peppered with cursing and most of the dialogue is the usual “bring it on!” masculinity, it’s good to see such a talented cast used to offset the staleness of the dialogue. That said, the staleness merely adds more to the cult aspect of the game, as it at times feels more like a crazy independent film.

No More Heroes is one of those games that’s worth playing simply for the sheer absurdity factor. It provides some of the most over the top, insane moments in gaming history, while still providing some great action gameplay. However, to get to these moments, you need to suffer through some odd design choices, such as the boring overworld and repetitive missions. That said, if you like anime, wrestling, or are just looking for something to play on the Wii that involves blood or isn’t a minigame collection, No More Heroes is a very safe bet. It’s far from perfect, but it’s one of those games you really need to see, and experience, for yourself.

Eric Jones