No More Heroes video review

No More Heroes for WiiIn this Wii action-adventure game (out in America on January 22nd 2008) directed by Goichi Suda (of Killer 7 fame), you play as Travis Touchdown, a normal guy (with an otaku geek streak to him) who wins a Beam Katana through an online auction and uses the weapon to start a new career as a professional killer. One day, an assassin named Helter Skelter appears before Travis and the two face off in a battle. Travis emerges victorious and finds himself in the presence of Silvia Christel, a mysterious French woman who claims to be an agent with the UAA. Silvia gives Travis official rank of 11 in the organization. Now, it’s up to you to become #1.

No More Heroes takes place in the city of Santa Destroy, and you are free to explore the town to your liking, taking on missions large and small to collect money and purchase new weapons as you work up towards the 10 main killing contracts. Gameplay is all about using your Beam Katana (via Wii remote) to defeat enemies.

Does Travis Touchdown make a bloody good showing on the Wii? Watch the No More Heroes video review to find out.

To quote the video review: “In No More Heroes, an anime-esque open-world action game for the Nintendo Wii created by Grasshopper Manufacture, a guy named Travis Touchdown is roped into a series of battles to become the number one ranked assassin. With a bitchin’ beam saber and a sexy, mysterious woman leading him on, he may have a shot.

No More Heroes gives the finger to complexity and realism, going for simplicity and style and scoring pretty big. Things can seem sparse and simple a lot of square shapes and right angles, but the game knows how to use color, doing especially well with blood red, and lays down some thoughtful detail. The game also delivers kick-ass cutscenes and never turns down the chance to make a slick transition. For its part, the soundtrack is catchy and is a memorable part of the game’s bizarre but cool atmosphere.

Super-concentrated style and constant action make No More Heroes game an unmistakable original for the Wii. The game boldly wears both its heart and its punk rock attitude on its sleeve, and manages a totally playable action control scheme for the Wii that uses the Wiimote without abusing it. The game is in some ways covers a narrow range and could definitely push farther with its open world concept, but the killer vibe and amazing moments make this heroic effort worth checking out.”

Design — 8.0
Gameplay — 8.0
Presentation — 8.5
Overall — 8.2