No More Heroes is one of Suda51's best games and by far his most popular one compared to his previous games such as Killer7, The Silver Case, and Flower, Sun, and Rain. Two of which were not released outside of Japan when this game came out. No More Heroes was a game deserving of its popularity not just because it was one of the few mature games released on the Wii, but also because of its simple but fun gameplay, creativity, and good story.
The game starts off with a badass introduction to Travis Touchdown and a first level & boss that give you a feel for how to use Travis's beam katana in combat and some of the game's other mechanics like the quickstep you can do by dodging at the right time or managing & charging your battery for the beam katana. It's a fantastic introduction as not only do you get straight into the action almost immediately, but also is a fantastic setup for the game's main story.
In contrast to just about every other game by Grasshopper, this game's plot while not completely devoid of serious moments is mostly pretty goofy. Up until the fantastic twist at the end of the game, No More Heroes is about a broke dork who enters a tournament where he kills people for money to buy the typical things an otaku would buy and to get laid. However, in order to progress in the tournament, he still needs to earn money by taking jobs around the town of Santa Destroy.
The open world of Santa Destroy might not be the best hub world to exist, but with the odd jobs around town you'll need to do to get money or the places you'll need to visit to get various items and enhancements it still is successful in getting you immersed in the world of No More Heroes. There are a handful of different jobs including lawn mowing, collecting coconuts, or filling up cars with gas. Some of these are more enjoyable than others, but they are all a unique, alternative way to earn money besides just killing goons.
Over the course of Travis's battles, we get a look at who Travis is as a character and how he grows in his journey to becoming the assassin he is. One primary example is when Travis expresses regret for not killing Holly Summers after she berated him for his hesitation. It adds a level of realism and depth to his character that I enjoyed seeing unfold.
Over the years No More Heroes has become a successful franchise with a handful of games. The series even managed to get representation in Smash in the form of a Mii costume for Travis in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Given the amount of creativity and care that went into making this game, it is very much deserving of the success it has received. It is a fantastic hack-and-slash that is more than worth your time and money.
The game starts off with a badass introduction to Travis Touchdown and a first level & boss that give you a feel for how to use Travis's beam katana in combat and some of the game's other mechanics like the quickstep you can do by dodging at the right time or managing & charging your battery for the beam katana. It's a fantastic introduction as not only do you get straight into the action almost immediately, but also is a fantastic setup for the game's main story.
In contrast to just about every other game by Grasshopper, this game's plot while not completely devoid of serious moments is mostly pretty goofy. Up until the fantastic twist at the end of the game, No More Heroes is about a broke dork who enters a tournament where he kills people for money to buy the typical things an otaku would buy and to get laid. However, in order to progress in the tournament, he still needs to earn money by taking jobs around the town of Santa Destroy.
The open world of Santa Destroy might not be the best hub world to exist, but with the odd jobs around town you'll need to do to get money or the places you'll need to visit to get various items and enhancements it still is successful in getting you immersed in the world of No More Heroes. There are a handful of different jobs including lawn mowing, collecting coconuts, or filling up cars with gas. Some of these are more enjoyable than others, but they are all a unique, alternative way to earn money besides just killing goons.
Over the course of Travis's battles, we get a look at who Travis is as a character and how he grows in his journey to becoming the assassin he is. One primary example is when Travis expresses regret for not killing Holly Summers after she berated him for his hesitation. It adds a level of realism and depth to his character that I enjoyed seeing unfold.
Over the years No More Heroes has become a successful franchise with a handful of games. The series even managed to get representation in Smash in the form of a Mii costume for Travis in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Given the amount of creativity and care that went into making this game, it is very much deserving of the success it has received. It is a fantastic hack-and-slash that is more than worth your time and money.
Reviewed on May 12, 2023