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No More Heroes (video game)

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No More Heroes
File:No More Heroes.jpg
Developer(s)Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher(s)


Designer(s)Goichi Suda
Platform(s)Wii
Release



[1]
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single player

No More Heroes (NO MORE HEROES ノーモア★ヒーローズ, Nō Moa Hīrōzu) is an action video game for the Wii video game system. It was directed by Goichi Suda (aka Suda 51), developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, and published by Marvelous Interactive Inc., Spike, Ubisoft and Rising Star Games for the Wii video game console. The game was previously titled Heroes.[2]

The game is not a sequel to Suda 51's earlier game, killer7, but an all-new game running on a new engine. Though the two games have stylistic similarities, Suda 51 has said that while killer7 focused on political issues, No More Heroes focuses on social ones.[3]

Gameplay

Throughout the game, the player controls the character Travis Touchdown. The game has a free roaming world,[4] allowing Travis to move around on foot or on his motorcycle, the "Schpel Tiger".[5] Game play is open-ended, with the concession that the player must kill the top ten assassins for the storyline to progress. There are numerous part time job side quests to earn money and gain additional weapons.

Control is handled through the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment, with the Remote controlling his weapon, the beam katana and the Nunchuk moving Travis. Most attacks are performed using the "A" button, with certain other moves, including finishing strikes and sword lock breaks, executed by following on-screen instructions. Further, since the sword runs on batteries, the player has to shake the remote from time to time to recharge it.[6] While the sword does not follow the exact position of the remote, it is able to distinguish between different height levels and the angle of attacks. Successful execution of these moves provide additional chances for attacks. Travis has also been shown demonstrating professional wrestling maneuvers to subdue opponents, including an array of suplexes, done by manipulating both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Travis has a secondary "mode", "Darkside Travis", that can be accessed by lining up three objects in a slot machine mini game after killing a foe. His beam katana can also be upgraded throughout the game, initially starting with the Blood Berry, followed by the durable Tsubaki, then the Tsubaki MK-II (which is comprised of five rotating beams)[7] and finally the Tsubaki MK-III, an extremely powerful beam katana that emulates the style of a traditional Samurai sword.

Plot

The story follows Travis Touchdown, who is a stereotypical otaku—his motel room decorated with professional wrestling and anime collectibles—living in near poverty in the No More Heroes motel of Santa Destroy, California.[8] After winning a beam katana in an internet auction, he becomes a hitman. When he runs out of money to buy video games, he accepts a job to kill the 'Drifter' aka Helter Skelter, which earns him rank 11 by the UAA, a governing body of assassins. Realizing that he has now made himself a target for aspiring assassins, he sets out to secure himself as the number one hitman in the UAA.[2]

Characters

Above Travis in the UAA are ten other assassins, such as Destroyman, Death Metal and Dr. Peace. The person that provides ranks and sets up matches for the assassins is Sylvia Christel, a "mysterious" and "cold" woman.[9][10] Travis is aided by a weapons maker named Doctor Naomi, Thunder Ryu, and the drunken old Randall Lovikov. [9] Doctor Naomi sells upgrades and more powerful beam katanas, whilst Thunder Ryu operates a gym, allowing Travis to increase his speed, combos and health through paid training sessions. Randall Lovikov is a drunken old man. His memories reach out to Travis to teach him special moves and skills.

Two enemies of Travis are a young-looking man named Henry who wears a full black outfit and wields a beam katana, and Travis's half-sister, Jeane, who is a professional assassin that hates Travis and his side of the family for causing her mother to commit suicide.

Development

Suda 51 has cited the film El Topo among the inspirations for No More Heroes,[5] and saying the game is violent. In one interview he went so far as to say he would try to make it "as violent, or even more violent than Manhunt 2,"[4] a game that received an AO rating from the ESRB in its original form. A trailer shown at the March 2007 Game Developers Conference featured Travis Touchdown using the beam katana to decapitate or cut enemies in half, with copious amounts of blood being spilled.[11] Later videos featured clouds of black pixels and objects resembling coins spurting from enemies instead of blood.[12] it was later explained that the "black clouds" version would be released in Japan, while the United States and Europe would receive the game with the previously seen blood.[13] Later, however, Suda 51 decided to release the bloodless version in Europe as well.[14]

Yūsuke Kozaki, who has previously designed characters for Speed Grapher, designed the characters for No More Heroes.[15] Others on the team include costume designer Okama, who designed the OP for Densha Otoko, and weapons and mechanics designer Shigeto Koyama, who worked on Eureka Seven as an illustrator. Suda 51 has stated that he is "very interested in online play" and that if it is not incorporated in No More Heroes, then it will be used in his next Wii game.[16]

Reception

Overall, No More Heroes generally has received positive or above average reviews. The game received a 34/40 from Famitsu. Universally, complaints have been targeted to the game's city; GameTrailers, in their review remarked that there isn't much to do in the city. Overall, most critics rated No More Heroes favorably, with GameSpot rating the game with an 9/10 and received the editor's choice award.[19]

For the Japanese release, a poorly attended launch event for the game was held on December 6, 2007 at Akihabara's Sofmap Amusement featuring both Suda 51 and Wada Yasuhiro signing copies of the games and giving away premiums. After 20 minutes passed without any purchases, a Famitsu reporter had a copy signed while others took photos.[20] No More Heroes sold approximately 10,000 copies on its first day of release in Japan.[21]

Suda 51 expressed disappointment in the Japanese sales of the game, saying that only Nintendo is doing well in regard to the Wii's success because of its adoption by casual gamers.[22] Suda later stated his comment was being misinterpreted. "My point was that No More Heroes, unlike a lot of Nintendo Wii titles currently available is the kind of product which will attract a different kind of consumer to the hardware, ie. gamers who are looking for a different genre to the products which have been successful on this platform thus far." [23]

Staff

Production staff

Voice actors

Three voice actors from Suda 51's previous production, killer7, returned for the voice casting of No More Heroes: Robin Atkin Downes (who voiced Hiro Kasai, Hasegawa and the maître d' in killer7, and Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes), Steve Blum (who voiced Kenjiro Matsuoka, Benjamin Keane and Trevor Pearlharbor in killer7, and Dark Star in No More Heroes), and James Horan (who voiced Jean DePaul in killer7, and Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarskii in No More Heroes). Kris Zimmerman, the voice director for Killer7, returned to direct the voice recording for No More Heroes. Zimmerman and many of the voice actors in No More Heroes have also worked together on the Metal Gear Solid series.

References

  1. ^ "News: European 2008 Release Schedule". N-Europe. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2007-12-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b "No More Heroes". IGN. Retrieved 2007-09-21. Cite error: The named reference "IGNProfile" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Eason, Pat (2007-08-10). "No More Heroes Previewed". My Arcade Planet. Retrieved 2007-09-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Casamassina, Matt (2007-02-16). "Suda 51 on No More Heroes". IGN. Retrieved 2007-12-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b Ogden, Gavin (2007-04-12). "Interview: No More Heroes man talks shop". CVG. Retrieved 2007-06-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Harris, Craig (2007-09-21). "TGS 2007: No More Heroes Hands-on". IGN. Retrieved 2007-09-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "No More Heroes Wallpaper". Marvelous Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  8. ^ "Travis Touchdown has a comfortable home life". Nintendo Wii Fanboy. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  9. ^ a b "No More Heroes: Characters" (in Japanese). Marvelous Interactive. Retrieved 2007-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  10. ^ "No More Heroes". Wii Previews. 1UP.com. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
  11. ^ "No More Heroes Trailer, Videos and Movies". IGN. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  12. ^ Walker, Torrey (2007-09-19). "First hands-on impressions of Suda 51's newest Wii title". 1Up.com. Retrieved 2007-09-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Plunkett, Luke (2007-09-22). "No More Heroes Violence Toned Down For Japanese Market". Kotaku. Retrieved 2007-09-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Parfitt, Ben (2007-12-12). "Studio boss chose to censor Euro No More Heroes". MCV. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "No More Heroes: Staff" (in Japanese). Marvelous Entertainment Inc. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
  16. ^ Ogden, Gavin (2007-04-12). "Suda 51 considers online play for No More Heroes". CVG. Retrieved 2007-06-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Famitsu review scores - No More Heroes, Tales of Innocence, and more". Go Nintendo. 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "No More Heroes for Wii Review". Gamespot. 2008-01-22. Retrieved 2008-01-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "No More Heroes for Wii Review". Gamespot. 2008-01-22. Retrieved 2008-01-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (2007-12-10). "Mini-Skirt or Not, No More Customers". Kotaku. Retrieved 2007-12-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "DS「テイルズ オブ イノセンス」初日で約7.5万本を販売、他" (in Japanese). 忍之閻魔帳. 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2007-12-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "Suda 51: Third party Wii games aren't selling". Computer and Video Games. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  23. ^ "Suda 51: Misinterpreted Comment". Grasshopper Manufacture. 2008-01-20. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
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