No more same ol’ same ol’: No More Heroes delivers
In a market that is drowning in casual titles, Wii owners have little to enjoy when it comes to an authentic and enriching game experience. This, of course, has seemed to be the trend since the Gamecube’s conception, and fans of Nintendo have come to realize that as long as they want to continue seeing their favorite avatars — Mario, Samus, Link, etc. — they will have to wade through the rest of the sub-standard games that third-party developers port to Nintendo consoles. But that’s all changed thanks to the gang at Ubisoft and Suda 51.
Their newest brainchild is No More Heroes for the Wii. The gritty tongue-and-cheek title follows the life of Travis Touchdown as he works at attaining the number one spot as the top assassin in the west coast fictional city of Santa Destroy.
While MyWiiNews’ own Cole “Ilchymis” Jones has previously reviewed No More Heroes, this write-up will feature a look at the inner context and meaning behind this gem, rather than rehash what he has already written.
From the moment players begin the game, they are instantly reminded of the violence and minimalist camera techniques that made Spaghetti Westerns famous in the 1960s. Suda 51’s stylistic and unique cell shading — which saw popularity in the highly-acclaimed Killer 7 — is once again used to give players an anomalous palate of colors to wrap themselves around.
More so than anything, No More Heroes focuses on the day-to-day tribulations of Travis. The anti-hero lives in poverty, purchased his weapon of choice — a beam katana — off an Internet auction site and has a fashion style that lies somewhere between punk and metro-sexual.
But it’s Travis’ personality that is the most compelling. While Travis maintains a cocky and confident aura because of his expertise in killing, he continues to show players that he is just another squirrel trying to get a nut. It is Travis’ day-to-day activities that connect him to the player.
Much like you would see in a Quentin Tarantino movie, the anti-hero is put into circumstances which you wouldn’t expect to see them in. Take Pulp Fiction for example. While Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) live the life of cold-blooded killers, you see them in scenes that do not befit the reputation and stereotypes that accompany that perceived lifestyle.
How many hitmen do you imagine wind up in the suburbs wearing clothes from a gangster-turned domesticated, gourmet coffee drinker, or even further, hitmen that talk about why a dog has more character than a pig over breakfast at a questionable diner?
How about Budd “Sidewinder” (Michael Masden) in Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.1 and 2? Is the stereotypical contract killer really just an overweight alcoholic who lives in a trailer and is routinely verbally abused by the manager in the strip club that he works at?
It’s this type of dialogue and these types of actions that allow viewers to find a connection with the characters they are watching.
It is no different for Travis.
While players get to see a skilled assassin do what he does best, they also get to watch as he struggles to get money through odd jobs, such as picking up litter and mowing lawns. In fact, the image of Travis mowing a lawn had this writer almost in tears from laughing.
The humor is dark, as a means to reflect the surreal setting and tenebrous characters.
The voice acting is superb and even though the dialogue is littered with sexually mature themes and profanity, none of it seems out of place or forced. Everything is there in balance, with nothing being in excess.
The game’s sandbox style gameplay also lends to Travis’ connection with the player, as well as being a central narrative element in itself.
Much like your average Joe, Travis slowly slips into a routine of looking for odd jobs, training at the gym and perusing the latest fashions at a hip clothing store. All the while, the player — and Travis — is fully aware that this daily grind will eventually lead to some over-the-top and gory sword fighting that will have blood flowing like the fountains at the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas. It makes collecting coconuts for a street vendor all the more quirky and poignant.
While there are many games on the market that take themselves too seriously, it is refreshing to play a game that is one part daring and one part dark comedy. It’s much like watching an independent film or listening to progressive music. You know what you are watching or listening to is special, but it’s hard to put your finger on what exactly makes it that way.
Suda 51’s Goichi Suda told Gamespot that he is ready to make a sequel to No More Heroes. This was reported to be said one week prior to the game’s US release.
“Actually, I’m really willing to make a sequel version — and right now I’m asking if it can be made,” said Goichi-san in Gamespot’s interview. “I think No More Heroes is a great game. There’s no other action game like it for the Wii. If it was a band, it would be really energetic like the Arctic Monkeys.”
Since it’s release, No More Heroes has received critical acclaim and an 83 percent approval rating on GameRankings.com.
Hopefully, more studios will have the courage of Ubisoft and Suda 51 to make unique titles — like No More Heroes — that stand out in a saturated market of blasé games.
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Timothy W. Young | March 28, 2008
