Technical problems aside, this is one of the most unique gaming experiences in ages.
No More Heroes stars the eccentric Travis Touchdown. A stereotypical nerd with obsessions of women, wrestling and Japanese cartoons (kind of like Otacon without a conscious) who stumbles upon a light saber ripoff he purchased off the internet. He then enters a tournament to become the world's greatest assassin and has to kill 11 people to achieve that feat.
The story is crazy but that is part of the charm. No More Heroes is a game that meshes everything new and old about video games while throwing in some quasi-Tarantino gore. Even with some technical issues, this creates something so unique you can't help but enjoy it.
Being a Wii title, the game demands some Wiimote action. People expecting to use the Wiimote directly to cotnrol the sword will be disappointed to find out this is not the case. Instead, the Wiimote is used to perform finishing slashes and wrestling moves in the heat of combat. I felt this was a smart move from a design standpoint because there would inevitably be some hurt wrists if the game had you waving the Wiimote like a maniac (you'd also look pretty stupid.)
The combat itself is pretty simplistic since its primarily composed of mashing the attack button juxtaposed with grab attacks but it rarely feels repetitive. This is because Travis will slash enemies in half, blood spewing and body parts flying. There is something so visceral and satisfying in it that I found myself giggling like a school girl every time I chopped enemies in two.
Since being an Assassin requires money (for some reason), the Wiimote is also used in the various minigames that allow Travis to earn enough cash for the next ranked Assassin fight. Travis will do strange tasks like cutting lawns or finding cats. Surprisingly, they are actually fun because of the solid motion controls and you do not need to complete them copious amounts of time. This never makes you feel like your grinding for cash when you could be cutting heads off.
To get around places you ride a pretty awesome looking bike. Unfortunately, the open world setting is a tad questionable. This is because it really didn't need to exist as the game could have been done in a fairly decent. You can customize Travis from his looks, his skills to even his weapon and it allows you to accomplish various other tasks in between the major fights.
Speaking of major fights, this is where the game shines. Players will need to figure out the boss' strategies and use their attacks to successfully defeat them. They are always unique and they are also a lot of fun. They also always end in brutal cutscenes which just can't help but make you squirm. Its really a sight to behold.
Another area where No More Heroes succeeds is in its presentation. The game features 8-bit style menus and sound bytes giving a very old-school look and feel. Combined with the "new-school" Wiimote controls, the game meshes both the old and new and helps to add to its charm. There's something very nostalgic about it and I really liked that aspect.
Graphically the game has a weak framerate and there's a lot of pop-up in the open world environments. The unique cel-shaded visuals are nice from an artistic standpoint but its a shame the game doesn't hold up as well technically.
The sound on the other hand is enjoyable, from good voice acting to retro sound bytes, I actually enjoyed what my ears were hearing. Some moments are also laugh out loud funny from the dialogue that like the game itself is over the top ridiculous. The sword slashes also sound quite brutal and I can't help but enjoy Travis' quips while killing enemies.
Out of this review this is a game which features gore, nostalgic menus, sword fighting, wrestling moves, good Wiimote controls, a badass bike, awesome boss fights and hilarious voice acting. How can you not like this, honestly.
Sure the game has some graphical blemishes and rather uninteresting open world structure but considering what I mentioned, does this really matter? If you're a Wii owner get this game now. You really don't know what you're missing.