Video Game Review – No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle for the Wii

We now round out the Suda 51 games I own with the continuation of No More Heroes.  This would be game #3 that I own from Suda 51, but not the 3^rd original franchise.  But, let’s not talk about those set of semantics.  Let’s dive into the sequel to one of, arguably, the best titles on the Wii, which may or may not be saying something.  Did this hold up as a solid sequel to its predecessor?  Only one way to find out:  head into the garden of madness!

Graphics

Graphically, the game hasn’t changed too much, quite honestly.  The game does have a better polish and graphical sheen to it.  I’m sure this time they tapped into the full potential of the Nintendo Wii’s graphical prowess.  Comparatively, the game looks a bit smoother than the first.  There aren’t many breaks or issues with graphics.  There are rarely any frame rate drops, but that may have to do with the newly found absence of the free-roaming map and environment as found in the first game.  Also, mini-games have been changed to mimic that of an 8-bit game, as seen through the Nintendo Wii.  No, it’s not in 3-D, like before.  It’s actually 2-D and very funny. 

Sound

Just like the first game, the music takes a very eclectic turn.  There are a bevy of tracks that have an alternative sound, with bits of punk rock showered here and there.  Also, there are different musical styles represented here.  Sound effects remain remotely the same from the first game.  Of course you have new sounds for new bosses, as well.  All the while, the voice acting is still as crisp as ever.  The dialogue could not have been more entertaining, right down to the one-liners said by the assassins that try to kill you.    If it seems like these descriptions are short, it’s because there really is not much to make of it.  Not much has changed, saved for the more streamlined approach to the actual game.

Control

The controls remain the same in this game, with some of the additional controls you earned via the Lovikov balls.  The motion aspect still remains the same, as holding the Wiimote in a certain way will determine the height of your attack.  You get different suplexes, slams, and wrestling holds, for the most part.  You do get to ride the schpeltiger as well, but only in certain battles.  I can’t say too much since there hasn’t been much changes.  Well, there are two changes, and that lies with two new characters to use in the game for the missions they are on.  For instance, one of them has a jump button.  Why?  That’s because there are platforming elements in the level this person is in.  And, no, they aren’t very good.  You can almost tell that this game was not patterned for jumping from platform to platform, by the feel and the mechanics within the game alone.  It was literally added to the game to not only build in order to put over the fact that the character you are using is completely different from the other two.  The stages were simplified in their platforming mechanics so as to not add too much to the game, but just a new dynamic for a new character.  I can tell you already that you won’t want to spend another second in these stages as the mechanics get annoying in a hurry.  Nevertheless, the controls remain crisp and feasible.

Etc.

In this game, Travis Touchdown returns to killing, by first taking care of Skelter Helter, Helter Skelter’s brother (from the first game).  Only thing is, if you followed the true ending of No More Heroes, a lot of questions may come to mind as to why this is happening, let alone what happened to Travis.  Don’t worry about that.  The game has a fine way of answering that question, the only way they can.  Just think back to the battle with Jeane, and you’ll see why this works.  Anyway, Travis is the big man in town, only to return to see that after returning, things have gone straight to the pits.  One such personal thing has to deal with Travis’s friend, Deacon, who runs Beef Head video.  Now, it’s up to Travis to kill past 50 people on the UAA Assassin’s list to get to the top and get revenge.  As the game progresses, you’ll see a few interesting things, like who is behind this, Sylvia’s fate, and even some twisted battles and such, this side of Killer 7.  The game’s extras include to buying clothes, obtaining the most powerful weapons, powering up your stamina, and side jobs just as in the previous game.  However, there are two new extras to look into.  For starters, Travis gets challenged by an assassin as he rises to the top.  On top of that, he has revenge missions to conquer to avenge his friend.  As mentioned before, within the story are two other characters to utilize, but without spoiling anything, they have a pretty major role in the story.  You don’t have to collect cards or lovikov balls anymore.  Also, you can unlock boss rush mode to take on the different targets again.   There’s also a set of minigames you can play at home, involving playing with your cat enough to make her lose weight and playing a flying “shoot-em-up” game with the anime characters in Travis’ favorite anime. The game’s lasting appeal, I suppose, lies in the boss rush mode as the battles versus the assassins have gotten more concise, challenging, and fun.  You don’t have to do exploring for cards, money, or lovikov balls.  Also, there are no assassin missions, as they have been replaced by revenge missions.  Sadly, you can only do revenge missions once in a story run.  Also, the game is very streamlined to only allow you to go from place to place by choosing it on the map and getting transported there, instantly.  They really put the work in to tighten the flow of the game.  This may or may not suit your needs, as this might shorten the game to you dramatically, or leave it just even enough to not seem tedious and lagging. 

Final Verdict

The sequel to No More Heroes is pretty solid, in my view, but according to most, is a mixed bag.  The flow of the game has been changed dramatically, making it a little more compact.  However, with few extras, this might make the game rather short.  You can get everything you want in extras after another playthrough of the game.  This would leave you only interested in battling and killing bosses.  However, the revenge missions do a decent job of keeping you engaged without having you go forward in the game when you don’t want to.  The side jobs are fun, but also not too challenging.  This is helpful for some quick cash to buy new clothes or a new weapon.  Once done, the uses of said games are in question.  But, they are fun to play due to their charm.  Oh, and I should mention that finishing the game on normal does unlock a harder level of play, but getting 100% completion doesn’t really do anything, before or after game completion.  That said, if you’re looking for some of the crazy action you got in No More Heroes, you definitely want to pick this up.  It’s just up to you as to how big that “garden of madness” should be, in your view.