"FUCK FACE!!!" 'nough said.
Nintendo's internal developers (namely Nintendo Tokyo, Sora, and Retro Studios) have created some impressive works of visual art, but third party developers are still struggling to take advantage of the (comparitively weak) graphics hardware under the Wii's hood. Enter Grasshopper Manufacture and their not-quite-ready-for-primetime lead designer Gouichi Suda who, in No More Heroes, has created a game which accentuates the shortcomings of the Wii to create an altogether bizarre place called Santa Destroy. It features an art style that mixes the cel-shading of Killer7 with the downright ugliness of the original Playstation, and throws in some surprisingly cool lighting and shading for a very schizophrenic effect.
And schizophrenic is probably the best word to describe the game's mechanics, layout, and plot as well.
No More Heroes opens with our protagonist standing on a motel balcony, and it might take you a second to realize you have control of his movement. Don't fret, however, as soon as you approach the steps, a cinematic is triggered that introduces the plot and the (totally fucked up) tone of the game. At which point you are given the option of playing a tutorial, which introduces the basic mechanics of the game. I have found that the amount of tutorial scenarios one has the patience to sit through is equal to the amount of enjoyment one has with the game. At first it would seem there is only one thing to do, combat-wise: which is run up to dudes, lock on to them with Z, and slice them with your “beam katana” with A. In other words, the first blush is that of a button-masher, not even a waggler which is supposed to be the Wii's equivalent! However, the tutorials also obviate some advanced techniques which involve both use of the other buttons on the controller and different motions. Suffice it to say that by the middle of the game, Travis will have a considerable suite of moves that combine both swashbuckling and grappling for some intensely savage (and satisfying) kills. Once past this tutorial, and through the introductory level, you'll be back at your motel with not much to do.
Despite an opening level that feels very linear, the game plays out in an open-world setting that at first seems sparsely populated. Santa Destroy is full of seemingly abandoned buildings, civillians you cannot kill, vehicles you cannot hijack or demolish, a coconut stand, a video store, and that's it – at first. As you complete main story missions, you'll unlock more “sidejobs” (which are basically minigames), which, once completed will pave the way for new assassination side missions. These assassination missions give you different conditions for killing different groups of dudes in different familiar (read: previously-completed) settings and test your skills and earn you the money that will allow you to unlock the next level. The more levels you complete, the more buildings will open up. Eventually a clothing store, a weapon upgrade facility, a training centre, and a man who wants you to run about the city collecting his namesake balls (don't laugh) will open their doors to you.
Of course you don't have to run around, despite the absence of hijackable vehicles, there is a way to get around relatively quickly. The Speltiger (best pronounced “SHPEL-tee-guh”) is awkward to handle at first, but is capable of some pretty interesting manouvres once you get to do some experimenting. There is no penalty for doing so as the Speltiger is indestructible, as there is no significant police presence in the city of Santa Destroy.
This is not the Wii-equivalent of Grand Theft Auto. The game's emphasis is on melee combat and the open-world element is just to tie the disparate elements together (plus, ordering badass teeshirts online is too newschool for this game). And with respect to melee combat, the further you advance, the more fun it becomes. You can equip Travis with some awesome throws and grabs (which are performed by moving both your hands in different directions based on on-screen prompts) that will transform your enemies into a fountain of blood and coins just as efficiently as mashing the A button does in the beginning, but the AI improves with each level, and you will soon be forced into defend-and-counter positions by the amount of enemies thrown at you; button mashing quickly becomes useless.
Each level is basically the same formula: superficial dungeon-crawling elements (seeking collectible Wrestling cards) and a crapload of identical dudes, and then a totally crazy boss. Thankfully the skins of the identical dudes differ from level to level (everything from Crazy-88 style suits to baseball uniforms, and some pretty hilarious stuff in between). While the bosses precipitate story-unfolding cinematics which contain the kind of cheesy dialogue you've come to expect from Suda 51 and some excellent variety and challenge from level to level.
The plot and characterization feature some instant-classic (and vulgar) one-liners and some truly gory eviscerations, all in all, the kinds of things people thought they would never see on the Wii. Suda51 weaves a story that will make you wish there were more developers with the audacity he has, while poking fun at the ludicrous superficiality of many popular contributions to this medium.
In addition to the so-bad-it's-good voice-acting, and the awesome lo-fi sound effects, there are some really great, allbeit rudamentary, tunes in the game that cover Latin pop, (cheesy-as-all-hell) technopop, and some super-funky Atariesque music. In sum, thanks to its surprising mechanical depth, charmingly ugly art style, excellent (if low-key) music, memorable boss fights, and jaw-droppingly crazy story, No More Heroes stands up as this reviewer's favourite Wii game thusfar.
