No More Heroes' appeal is a little unexpected. From the first time I heard about the game I admit I was pretty excited to say the least. However, I then found out that to swing your beam-saber you would not be using motion controls but would be pressing the A button instead, and this dampened my excitement somewhat. Now that the game is out I have to say that this actually fits the game quite well. I remember reading an article with Suda51 (the man behind the game) and he was talking about having to work with the Wii's control setup at first was somewhat difficult due to the streamlined design of the Wii-mote but he said that this actually made him think about the control setup in a different sort of way which inspired him to take the controls in a more "8-bit" direction. This is undoubtedly the vibe that one gets from playing No More Heroes: a bit of the new with a lot of the old. The game's presentation is definitely very modern with a nice touch of retro flare. Your life meter is composed of a large, pixelated heart (quite appropriate I might add) as is your map, pause screen and the large flashing icons that mark places of interest. The thing that really gives this game a very retro vibe is the controls. The controls are very basic and make, surprisingly, great use of the Wii-mote. At first you'll want to flail your arms about (believe me, I did) but after awhile you'll get used to using the A button to attack and remembering to hold the Wii-mote high or low to move into the respective high/low stances. The motion controls are solely used to finish of enemies swinging the Wii initiate a brutally bloody decapitation of your enemy. There are also wrestling moves such as the suplex and are implemented by moving the Wii-mote in a variety of different directions for each different move. The controls are short and sweet but are very satisfying, you'll find yourself having a lot of fun with them.

The story of No More Heroes itself is pretty basic stuff but is very fun to say the least. You are Travis Touchdown, a 20 something slacker with a beam-saber who has been involuntarily goaded into fighting in the Assassins League which pits him up against 10 of the craziest and most memorable characters you will ever find in a game. Just to name a couple you'll fight a singing Cowboy with a penchant for the theatrical and a slightly disturbed school-teacher. The characters in this game really bring it to life and you'll actually find yourself chuckling from time to time.

There are a few flaws to be sure. To start with: the motorcycle that Travis uses to get around town handles like a beast and some of the jobs you have to complete to earn more money to pay to get into the next assassin fight are pretty ridiculous and not much fun (aside from the assassination jobs). The city itself is largely uninspired and admittedly doesn't feel much like a city at all more then it does a backdrop for the game. I didn't have a problem with the music which was actually pretty damn good, however, the graphics left a little to be desired, it is not that they were bad per se it is just that they seemed a little rushed in places especially in the environments. The game is also somewhat short but does redeem itself with offering two initial modes of challenge and additional "bitter" difficulty for you masochists out there.

In the end I would say that No More Heroes is definitely a good game but one that may appeal to only a select number of people. The over the top characters, violence and old-school homage might put some off of the game not to mention the shortness of the game itself. However, this is a game that pays homage to those games that came before it in a very meaningful way that every gamer with a soft spot for old-school style games will undoubtedly respect. If ever there was a game with heart, this one is it, a big, bleeding, pixelated heart.

Learning Curve: Takes a second

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