No More Heroes

[Richter Belmount]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=17687&type=mov&pl=game

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HGtgqw3IsVI

Anyone else waiting on this title? Personally its the reason I am going to buy the nintendo wii.(other suda51 fans would understand why its a good reason ~_^)

[Sniderman]

http://epguides.com/Heroes/cast.jpg
/these folks wish for another title

[njiska]

Those folks caused a new title. The game was original Heroes.

[MuppetMaster]

Can't wait for this game, IGN has a pretty cool interview with Suda 51 as well. Sadly there was no mention of a release date for NMH but he did say that Grasshopper studios is currently working on 3 Wii titles.

[Snapple]

"Your shining armor and fine words won't get you anywhere."

Who writes this cornball shit?

The game looks hot, but I hope they work on the localization a little more before it comes out.

[exit]

Once again they use a simplistic style and turn them into something incredible. I say simplistic because everyone and their mother used cell shading at one point, which usually resulted into something mediocre.

[Xexyz]

"Your shining armor and fine words won't get you anywhere."

Who writes this cornball shit?



With characters named Helter Skelter and Travis Touchdown, it's safe to draw a conclusion that corny phrases like that will litter the game. Corny dialouge will most likely be part of the games charm.

It's got style, that's for sure, but how will it play? I hate movie only trailers...

[Griking]

I usually don't like cell shaded games but this looks interesting. Reminds me of Kill Bill like movies. What system is for, I didn't see it mentioned so far?

[heybtbm]

I am eagerly awaiting this game. I loved Killer 7 and still think it's one of the best games of the last generation (GC version of course). I was one of the few who plunked down $49.99 for this game the day it came out (only to have an universal price drop less than a month later). I'll be picking this one up on day 1 as well.

[Wolfrider31]

I hated Killer 7 but this seems really interesting. I like the post-modern concept attached to it, very Don Quixote (which isn't post modern at all... but whatever.)

[njiska]

I am eagerly awaiting this game. I loved Killer 7 and still think it's one of the best games of the last generation (GC version of course). I was one of the few who plunked down $49.99 for this game the day it came out (only to have an universal price drop less than a month later). I'll be picking this one up on day 1 as well.

Yeah i got hit by that price drop too. But i didn't care because the game was worth the full price. Been in my gamecube pretty much since i bought it.

[SkiDragon]

I have been playing the PS2 version of Killer 7, which is pretty good once you get into it. Im sure it would be better on GC though.

[njiska]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mHNU2qr6dM

Now with gameplay.

[Snapple]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mHNU2qr6dM

Now with gameplay.

That's a lot more violent than I expected. Love that Nintendo kiddy stuff.

Looks fun so far.

[njiska]

That's a lot more violent than I expected. Love that Nintendo kiddy stuff.

Looks fun so far.

Clearly you never played Killer 7. It's basically Asian Extreme.

Here's a choice quote from the Wiki:
"In a recent interview, Suda51 stated that this game will be violent, though different from Killer 7. Still, he (possibly jokingly) stated that he will try his best to make No More Heroes as violent, or even more violent than Manhunt 2."

[heybtbm]

Update...

No More Heroes (Wii) US release date : February 2008.

Nice preview: http://wii.ign.com/articles/821/821117p1.html

This game is going to be incredible.

[Icarus Moonsight]

February 08? Sooner than I expected and I couldn't be happier. Thanks for the heads up... why no one is frontpaging this news is beyond me.

[Sothy]

because noone gives a shit.

[blissfulnoise]

I'd have Goichi Suda's baby if it was anatomically possible.

Grasshopper Manufacture is one of the only mainstream (?) developers out there consistently trying to push the envelope of video game style.

No More Heroes looks like it will be fantastic, but I doubt he'll ever top Killer 7 after the critical burning he received for it.

[heybtbm]

Bumping up this topic from the dead.

No More Heroes
Release date: 23 Jan 2008

Best Buy advertised they'll have it by 2pm tomorrow. You can't go wrong with Suda 51.

[josekortez]

I want it but sadly, I'll have to bite only after it hits $29.99.

[DJ Daishi]

definite buy...when I can get it for $40...$50 is way to high for a short game. saw it had great reviews though.

[Jagermeister]

Just picked up the game and WOW

[darkhades]

I am gonna try to pick this game up tomorrow, it looks fantastic! I've been waiting for this game for some time.

[Rob2600]

I want to buy No More Heroes, but I just bought Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure at Best Buy for $29.99 instead:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8560826&st=zack+wiki&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1188561459815

I couldn't resist.


Actually, I just checked Amazon.com and the price is $29.99 there, too:

http://www.amazon.com/Zack-Wiki-Quest-Barbaros%252019-Treasure/dp/B000P297ES/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1201146618&sr=8-1

The price must've just been lowered today because yesterday it was $39.99 on both web sites.


No More Heroes is my next Wii purchase though!

[Neil Koch]

I tried getting the game tonight, but no luck at three different stores. I'll try later this week when the weather is supposed to improve...

[DJ Daishi]

I tried getting the game tonight, but no luck at three different stores. I'll try later this week when the weather is supposed to improve...

it's pouring where I'm at, which isn't a good thing cuz I'm currently on an 747 heading back to California right now.

[heybtbm]

Alright, let me put it simply...this game absolutely rocks.

I picked up a copy at Best Buy yesterday. I've been eagerly awaiting this game since its announcment 2+ years ago. I'm a huge fan of Suda 51, particularly Killer 7 (Gamecube version, thank you). The humor, the cheesy pop culture references, and Suda's general insanity are all intact.

No More Heroes has a very similar visual style to Killer 7, but adds a completely fun and addictive sword gameplay mechanic. The best part is the sword is controlled by buttons, not idiotic Wiimote slashing (i.e. Red Steel). The finishing moves are made by moving (subtly) the Wiimote in the direction indicated by an on-screen pointer. Think "wrist flicking" more so than your average Wii "arm flailing". The simplicity of this mechanic is what makes the combat flow so well. It's also makes the swordplay some of the most satisfying I've played in a game. The finishing moves are badass as well.

The open world aspect is used to get from mission to mission. It's a functional way to move around to the locations in the game, but there's not really too much to do (so far anyway). I put 2 hours into it last night and am eager to start it up again tonight. Very cool and a worthy successor to Killer 7.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

So...there's no Wiimote swing=sword actions in the game?

Do you feel that this will inevitably disappoint those who haven't followed the games development and/or are familiar with Suda's work (ie purchased the game largely on that basis)?

I can see a large portion of people buying it expecting to be able to utilize the Wiimote to get a 1:1 result of swinging the lightsaber in the game.

[blissfulnoise]

NMH is the FIRST game that I've played on the Wii where the motion controls work...

1) Perfectly.
2) Enhance, instead of hamper, the game experience.
3) Executed perfectly in the context of the game.

To top this off, this game absolutely fucking rules. Yeah, what the reviewers are complaining about is valid too. Collision sucks in the open world environment. No, there aren't a lot of places to explore. Yeah, popup and jaggies are pretty abundant. The lack of a retry option for missions is a big oversight.

But all of this aside, the fighting is completely magnificent and truly fun.

And the style... oh the style. Suda took everything grim and mesmerizing about Killer 7 and dialed it to 11 to make NMH so damn over the top, you just have to be entranced. Homages to lots of throwback games abound in the presentation. Even the voice acting couldn't have been handled any better.

This is the first game that made me really glad that it came out on the Wii.

I can't praise it highly enough. This is another must buy game for game fans and will definitely be in the contention for Action game of the year and Stylistic game of the year.

Side note: did anyone catch "Heavenly Star" playing in all of the shops? Could this mean that Suda and Mizuguchi are working on a project together? If they did, the abyss of awesome would open; pain, psychosis, beauty, and brilliance would come pouring out. The world would be a better place to live in.

[Rob2600]

Thanks for the impessions, Blissfulnoise. I will buy No More Heroes soon!

It's currently the fifth highest rated game on the Wii:

Top 30 and Bottom 30 Wii games (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109135)

[Ponyone]

Just played the game for about 30 minutes. As soon as your start it up, you realize you're about to play something special. Even the tutorial was fun to learn. No skipping cinematics here, you want to watch every single one for the style and zaniness.

The controls are good. The camera may be a tad odd at first, but once you get the nunchuck and the + pad control down, it's good.

The whole presentation is amazing. The style, the 8-bit graphics and sounds, everything.

There are some waggle moments, like Masturcharging your sword, and you can do high/low attacks by pointing the wiimote up or down.

I already want a series of games.

It's a nice touch the character's last name is Touchdown, because they definately scored big with this game.

[Neil Koch]

I found this today am loving it so far.

blissfulnoise nailed it when he said the Wii controls are implemented perfectly. I love the little touches like when you get a call from your "handler", the sound comes from the Wiimote speaker, so you have to hold it to your ear like a real phone.

And I haven't seen it mentioned much, but I'm really digging all of the wrestling moves you can do in addition to the sword fighting. As a wrestling geek, all of the lucha libre references are great.

There are some technical issues when you're driving around, like pop-up and shitty collision detection, but there are so many absolutely cool parts that it more than makes up for the bad bits.

This is really a game made by gamers for gamers. If you have a Wii, get this game NOW. Even if you don't normally like open-end/sandbox games, this is a brilliant experience no one should miss.

I'd put this up there with Metroid Prime 3 as the best the Wii has to offer. I really REALLY hope this sells well.

[ProgrammingAce]

Using the wiimote as a sword and having the game follow the movements probably isn't possible with the current design. People need to get that out of their head. The accelerometers just weren't made for that.

One idea i have seen put out is for the system to work in reverse. You'd set the wiimote down and use a replacement lightbar as the "sword". The infra-red is a much more precise tracking system. So far, nintendo is shooting that idea down.

[Rob2600]

Using the wiimote as a sword and having the game follow the movements probably isn't possible with the current design. People need to get that out of their head. The accelerometers just weren't made for that.

The baseball bat in Wii Sports mimics the Wii Remote 1-to-1.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Nintendo isn't sharing how they managed that feat. I haven't seen the technique utilized in any other game.

[ProgrammingAce]

The baseball bat in Wii Sports mimics the Wii Remote 1-to-1.


Really? Try swinging the bat half way then stopping. Betcha the Mii will keep swinging.

The accelerometers do a pretty damn good job at slow speeds, but once you speed up the movement the things max out and you don't have any precision.

Want to test this for yourself? We'll use your baseball example again. Go into pratice mode and see how fast you can swing the wiimote around before it registers as a swing. You'll notice you can't move it very fast. Once the accelerometers in the remote max out the game registers a swing.

Now imagine a sword fight where you can only move your remote that fast...

Note: This hasn't stopped lucas arts from trying to make a lightsaber themed wiimote. So far, Ninty keeps smacking them upside the head for such a thought.

FunFact: While on the topic of motion controls, Sony engineers get kinda pissy when you point out the fact the "Sixaxis" only tracks three axis...

[Neil Koch]

Nintendo isn't sharing how they managed that feat. I haven't seen the technique utilized in any other game.

There's a mission in NMH where you have to use your sword as a bat to knock baseballs at enemies...

[evil_genius]

I'm sorry but I'm 3 hours in and I don't see what's so special about it.

[DJ Daishi]

yay, found a reason to dust off my wii!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

So...there's no Wiimote swing=sword actions in the game?

Do you feel that this will inevitably disappoint those who haven't followed the games development and/or are familiar with Suda's work (ie purchased the game largely on that basis)?

I can see a large portion of people buying it expecting to be able to utilize the Wiimote to get a 1:1 result of swinging the lightsaber in the game.

Since now more people have played it (and also ignored my question), I'll ask it again (see self-quotation).

[Neil Koch]

Honestly, after trying to get through the last few levels of Red Steel, I'm glad they didn't try to do 1:1 sword movements, which probably wouldn't have worked in this type of game anyway.

But I don't know how to answer your question. Most of the people who have gotten NMH have done so because they've been waiting for it, or have heard about it, so they have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Most of the complaints I've seen about the game haven't been about the control, but about the graphics/collision detection, small game world, short gameplay time, and the somewhat repetive nature of the missions.

I'll agree to some extent about those -- this is definitely not "the answer" to San Andreas on the Wii, but the overall package is still extremely fun IMO. I think I'm about 75% done (ranked #3) and it's been great so far.

This is the type of game I got the Wii for; quirky, fun, and inventive. It's definitely something that you would not see on the other systems.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Sounds pretty excellent overall ... even without 1:1 swordplay (which, as most Wii owners know isn't truly possible)

I've made a few "full-price" investments on new games lately, so I'll probably wait for this one to hit the bargain bin (Killer 7 hit it BIG TIME in some places...so hopefully this trends with this title.)

[Sotenga]

Welp, it took my mom a bit of searching, but she found a copy fer me, and I'll be getting it for my birthday... which just so happens to be in a couple of weeks! YAY! ^_^

Seriously, the fubar style of Suda 51 combined with heavy Star Wars influences and a feverish combat system... that's a jackpot right there. I'd almost be tempted to declare this the game of the year for 2008 if it weren't WAY too premature... oh, and of course, Super Smash Bros Brawl. It'll be in the running, however! Be sure of that. :D

ADD: Just watched a nine-minute gameplay vid over on YouTube... I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND, DAMMIT!!! *drools*

[icbrkr]

Picked up the last copy at Gamestop the other day and started playing it this afternoon. All I gotta say is..

Wow.

This game is fun. From the hacking and slashing to the minigames to the purposely 8 bit references, I'm having a blast. The controls are easy to pick up which is very cool. I think I'll be playing this one for quite awhile.

[Rob2600]

The baseball bat in Wii Sports mimics the Wii Remote 1-to-1.

Really? Try swinging the bat half way then stopping. Betcha the Mii will keep swinging.

The accelerometers do a pretty damn good job at slow speeds, but once you speed up the movement the things max out and you don't have any precision.

How about in Kororinpa Marble Mania where the level moves 1:1 with my movements? True, I'm not moving the Wii remote extremely quickly, but it's still 1:1 movement.

Instead of saying the Wii remote can't do 1:1 movement, maybe it'd be more accurate to say it can do 1:1 movement, but only at moderate speeds.

[blissfulnoise]

Anyone beat the true last boss yet?

I haven't due to my lack of patience and my inability to go through that fight without making a mistake.

[Neil Koch]

He's not that hard once you learn his patterns

*** SPOILERS AHEAD***





Keep in close and always target him.

When he does his sword slash/kick combo, do the dark evade (tap left or right twice after blocking) and then start striking. This will usually lead to him getting dizzy so you can hit a wrestling move. If he does get his flip attack off, you'll have to evade twice (tap left or right on the control pad) to avoid it.

When he does his charge rush, do a backwards evade and you should end up behind him, leaving him open for some attacks.

When he charges and points his sword down, he's basically just posing. You can charge up your sword and hit him with a charge attack, recharge your sword, or just take a rest.

When he charges and points his sword up, he's getting ready to shoot out energy balls. These can easily be avoided by evading.

When he charges and points his sword forward, he's getting ready to do his death blow. Take off the targeting, run back and then evade right when he attacks. You should end up behind him again.

It's a long battle (you'll have to deal somewhere in the area of 100 hits) so it really helps to have the attachment for the MKIII that gives you unlimited energy. You can get the money for it pretty quickly by spamming mission #18 with the MKII. Each run should give you $100-$150K.

[Sotenga]

I got the game and was absolutely hooked in it to the point where I was able to beat it all in a mere two days. So... yeah, I heartily approve. :D

Neil-san, I'm thinking of tackling the game on Bitter at a future date, and I was wondering... do you have any advice for beating Shinobu without a hell of a lot of frustration? Still the hardest boss in the whole damn game for me, IMO.

[Neil Koch]

When she does her standard attack, do the dark evade, hit her with a couple of regular strikes, fully charge up your sword, and then launch the attack. This should end up with a pretty good combo.

When she does her charge rush, instead of doing the dark evade, just do the regular evade (so you end up behind her), then it's the same method (a couple of regular strikes, then a charge attack).

I have no idea about her multiple fireball attack. That seems to be her death blow. She does it a LOT once you get her health low on Bitter.

[Sudo]

Shinobu is the only boss who gave me any trouble in the whole game. I was stuck on her for over an hour because I kept getting my ass kicked at the end of the fight with her one shot kill bullshit. It was a good feeling to finally beat her. :)

[Sotenga]

I have no idea about her multiple fireball attack. That seems to be her death blow. She does it a LOT once you get her health low on Bitter.

UGH. Welp, that's gonna suck. I'm just going to have to take a lot of patience to obliterate that biotch. >_<

Off the topic: Neil, I had NO idea you were such a Fear Factory fan! :D

Back on the topic: That's EXACTLY how it went with me, Sudo. My theory is that she's so difficult early on, and she's even harder considering that you're probably not absolutely used to the game mechanics by then. There's quite a few factors working against you in that battle, so I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw her as the hardest fight in the game.

[Neil Koch]

I think she says something in particular before she does the fireball attack, but she does it so quick after saying it, I never was able to figure out when/where to evade to get out of the way.

I did have problems with Bad Girl until I figured out the dark evade. She's not too bad after that, but her avoidance tactics get to be very annoying after awhile.

Jeane can be a hassle because she blocks so many moves (even the dark evade) and she reverses any wrestling moves. I thought Henry was easier than her.

[Sotenga]

Someone in an FAQ mused that the female opponents almost always seem to be harder than the males in this game... I can absolutely believe that, actually. Did Suda intend for that to make a statement or something of the sort?

[Neil Koch]

I think it's probably more of an homage to Hong Kong and Japanese swordplay films, which often feature very strong female characters.

But it is interesting that at the end he is simultaneously "killed" and then saved by women.

[Sotenga]

I think it's probably more of an homage to Hong Kong and Japanese swordplay films, which often feature very strong female characters.

But it is interesting that at the end he is simultaneously "killed" and then saved by women.

Heh... indeed. I was getting a Lady Snowblood/The Bride vibe from Shinobu. All that was missing from Travis' fight with her was an amber freeze-frame and the blaring of Ironside before the fight. LOL

[Sotenga]

I've gotta BUMP this one to ask a question. I'm replaying the game to get all of the artwork, but I think I missed one of the cards and I'll have to replay the game to get it again, goddammit. So, does anyone know where card #67 is located? And also, does anyone know what's on it?

[Neil Koch]

I don't know the location of that card offhand, but when you do another playthrough, there's a bunch of cards hidden in the overworld (like the packs of $2000 that you get the first time through). They'll show up as white dots on your map. You'll also pick up new cards from the treasure chests during the ranked missions.

Also, you can go up to any dumpster and hit A to open it. It'll give you $2000, a tshirt, or a card.

Actually now that I think about it, #67 might be on the Destroyman mission, right by where you get out of the subway to start going to the studio. Don't hold me to that though.

[Ponyone]

Haven't played it in awhile (love it to pieces though, I hope it becomes a saga like Shemue tried to be... need more T. Touchdown!)

isn't the 60's the last pack of cards to get? (when you get to the dark castle guy after they steal your bike?)

If so, #67 is directly behind you after you jump the bridge and crash your bike on the other side of the wall.

[Neil Koch]

No, actually, if you go through a second time, there will be another set of cards that has production/concept art on it.

Some of them also make various otaku toys appear in Travis' motel room.

IIRC, there's about 150 of them total.

As for a sequel if you get the "real" ending, Sylvia says "it's too bad there won't be a sequel" but then there's a screen that has "To Be Continued" on it (written just like the Back to the Future movies). On Suda51's site, he has hinted that one might be in the works. Apparently, the game has ended up selling fairly well in the States (over 100K copies) even though it bombed in Japan, so who knows?

[Ponyone]

I'm still stuck on Jeane, so I haven't had a second run through.

This game cries out saga though. It has the feeling of Shenmue, and all the bad assedness of a trash japanese ultragore movie.

This needs to continue via game, live action movie, or anime.

I could spend a long time just going through the wardrobe and picking out a hot fit yo.

[Neil Koch]

When Jeane does her punch/spin kick combo, do the dark evade. She'll block it about 2/3rds of the time, but keep at it, and you'll nail a combo every once in a while.

When she powers up her charge move, wait until she yells "HIYA" and then do a regular evade. You should end up behind her, which leaves her open to a combo. When she closes the ring for a second time, she'll do two charage attacks in a row, so you'll have to evade one way and then the other (ie, go left and then right)

When she raises her leg, evade backwards.

DO NOT try to do any wrestling moves; she'll always reverse them.

And make sure you have the MKIII sword before you fight her, so that you can fight the real final boss and get the best ending.

[Rob2600]

No More Heroes is currently $33.99 new on Amazon.com:

Amazon.com - No More Heroes (Wii) (http://www.amazon.com/UBI-Soft-No-More-Heroes/dp/B000X25GW2/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2QQEVNABGZ1T4&colid=4819VHGAGFR3)