2008 Woodie Awards
The Wii's first bloody good game
Taylor Hall
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: Mixed Plate
"No More Heroes" is a game that relies on its style and the acceptance of its format to deliver an action game experience that effortlessly reaches the lonely plateau of must-have third party Wii titles.
Travis Touchdown buys a "light-sabre" off the Internet and decides to become the No. 1 killer in the world. Throughout the game, the intricacies of the story open up as Travis' ambition reveal to be something else entirely.
The visuals and gameplay of NMH reaches to the early video game roots to excel in its vision of the future. Everything is a mish-mash of stereotypes and cliches to invent something heartfelt and new. The world is a beach resort town that proudly wears Southern insignia and stereotypes, while at the same time being filled with irony-free otaku (Japanese fans). The cell-shaded look is the only sign of modern game design. The health bar, the start screen, the menu, the sound effects when you click on something and especially the list of killers are all rendered in early '80's nostalgic pixel designs.
Protagonist Travis Touchdown is an effete metrosexual who loves the ladies, his cat Pierre, has a giant Gundum in his living room and was trained in the ancient art of Mexican wrestling. He is a new form of hero who retains the take-no-crap, save-the-damsel personality cliches that were all the rage in the '80s action movie boom.
The action in NMH retains the feel of an arcade "beat-em-up"-like "Final Fight," while existing in a 3-D environment. You'll be mashing "A" for hours on end but the action never feels repeatable, thanks to the smart Wii-mote design. Slash your final slash with the IR, body-slam foes and giggle in delight the first time you get a call on your "phone" and have to hold the remote to your ear. The funniest use of the remote is shaking it like a soda bottle to charge your saber as onscreen Travis mimicks what every 13-year-old is thinking.
If NMH has any faults, it's the tricky camera. With nothing but a reset button for camera positioning, tight hallways become a nightmare of navigation. It must be stressed that this is nothing but a little dust on an otherwise unique must-play title.
Crotch-guns, singing and baseball-loving bandeleroes, giant razors and bathroom jokes every five minutes, NMH is a strange but intelligent delight that only belongs to Wii owners. Though the game tanked in Japan, NMH is more of an American game anyway. It's hard-hitting, dirty and isn't afraid to be itself.
Travis Touchdown buys a "light-sabre" off the Internet and decides to become the No. 1 killer in the world. Throughout the game, the intricacies of the story open up as Travis' ambition reveal to be something else entirely.
The visuals and gameplay of NMH reaches to the early video game roots to excel in its vision of the future. Everything is a mish-mash of stereotypes and cliches to invent something heartfelt and new. The world is a beach resort town that proudly wears Southern insignia and stereotypes, while at the same time being filled with irony-free otaku (Japanese fans). The cell-shaded look is the only sign of modern game design. The health bar, the start screen, the menu, the sound effects when you click on something and especially the list of killers are all rendered in early '80's nostalgic pixel designs.
Protagonist Travis Touchdown is an effete metrosexual who loves the ladies, his cat Pierre, has a giant Gundum in his living room and was trained in the ancient art of Mexican wrestling. He is a new form of hero who retains the take-no-crap, save-the-damsel personality cliches that were all the rage in the '80s action movie boom.
The action in NMH retains the feel of an arcade "beat-em-up"-like "Final Fight," while existing in a 3-D environment. You'll be mashing "A" for hours on end but the action never feels repeatable, thanks to the smart Wii-mote design. Slash your final slash with the IR, body-slam foes and giggle in delight the first time you get a call on your "phone" and have to hold the remote to your ear. The funniest use of the remote is shaking it like a soda bottle to charge your saber as onscreen Travis mimicks what every 13-year-old is thinking.
If NMH has any faults, it's the tricky camera. With nothing but a reset button for camera positioning, tight hallways become a nightmare of navigation. It must be stressed that this is nothing but a little dust on an otherwise unique must-play title.
Crotch-guns, singing and baseball-loving bandeleroes, giant razors and bathroom jokes every five minutes, NMH is a strange but intelligent delight that only belongs to Wii owners. Though the game tanked in Japan, NMH is more of an American game anyway. It's hard-hitting, dirty and isn't afraid to be itself.
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