The series dubbed "Kill the Past" is a long and complicated one. There are so many games that fall under this title, and they actually date back to the mid 1990s. Goichi Suda, known as Suda51, began this series with the Japanese exclusive Twilight Syndrome, and nearly every game he has released since then is a part of it.
The meaning of the name "Kill the Past" actually refers to the individuals who have experienced a traumatic event in their life, and continue to dwell upon it, yet can continue being themselves by repeating said patterns. Now that's not a direct quote, but it's the meaning that Suda himself has given to the title. It is a theme and central idea that is found in every game that is a part of this series, and the core of a little title called "No More Heroes."
No More Heroes originally released on the Wii back in 2007, and was one of the few entries in the series that could be played stand alone. While most of Suda51's other games begin where a previous entry left off, No More Heroes started the story of Travis Touchdown, and required no knowledge of what came before it. All you needed to know was explained within the game, and while those in the know would have a deeper understanding of the world, it wouldn't give them an advantage over anyone jumping in for the first time. No More Heroes was a perfect starting point, and a game completely designed with the Wii in mind.
However, things have changed since then.
Since the original release, No More Heroes has been ported forward multiple times. The first release was a PlayStation 3 exclusive titled "No more Heroes: Heroes' Paradise," which was an enhanced version of the original, with extra features. The game made use of the PlayStation Move motion controllers to mimic the original Wii's gameplay, but it also had standard controller support as well. This version was later ported to Xbox 360, but that version remained a Japanese exclusive.
The next version of No More Heroes to release was none other than the Nintendo Switch version. This version was an "HD" port of the original Wii release, and no longer contained the content added for Heroes' Paradise. This is also the version that would go on to be ported to PC, and the current staple for playing No More Heroes.
With all of that being said, how is the game? It's a part of a long running series, has had multiple ports, and multiple direct sequels, but what makes it so special? And above all, is it still worth playing?
Well, let's grab our beam swords, make some inappropriate gestures, and find out!
The story of the man who wanted to be the very best:
The opening of No More Heroes is very straight forward. We are introduced to our "hero" Travis Touchdown as he makes his way through a residence killing everyone in his way. Dawning a bean sword, Travis holds it in front of his groin, shakes it until it powers up, and then proceeds to chop off the heads of whoever crosses him. Blood sprays left and right covering the world and dying it crimson, and Travis doesn't slow down for anything. F bombs flying along with the body parts, it's a very straight forward depiction of who we will be playing as here, but the question remains; why? Why is this happening?
Well after killing the first "boss" of the game, we finally get some context of what is going on. After taking out his first "target," Travis is told that he is now number 11 within the "United Assassins Association" by a woman named Sylvia. It turns out that Travis won his beam sword from an online auction, and joined the assassin rankings to obtain more money to continue buying video games and anime. Of course upon entering the rankings, his otaku gamer self has taken over, and he decides that he wants to be the best. He wants to hit that number 1 spot, and Sylvia is there to tell him he really doesn't have much of a choice.
After ranking higher, Travis has now become a target, and his options are to either keep climbing the ranks, or to die. That's it. He has a target on his head because he himself is at the top of the rankings, and if he doesn't keep climbing he'll eventually be taken out himself. So day after day Travis works his part time jobs to raise the money needed to enter the next fight, and then takes on his next challenge. But to what end? Is it really just to become the top ranked assassin? Or is something else happening behind the scenes? This is a part of the "Kill the Past" series after all, so what is it that Travis is truly trying to kill?
Overall the story is pretty straight forward, but at the same time a lot of smaller details are hidden throughout the game. Players need to be observant to get the full experience here, and those who play the game a second time are sure to realize some things they missed the first time through. That being said, this isn't some cutscene filled game, nor will players be bombarded with constant dialogue. If anything, you learn more about Travis' life from the video story calling about his overdue adult videos than you do from Travis himself. Of course his room also provides more context, and the locations he frequents, but the rest of the game is pretty vague about who he is. It isn't until the conclusion that all of the pieces fall together, but that's also what helps keep the game interesting from start to finish.
The Core Gameplay and the Core of Kill the Past:
As previously stated, to Kill the Past means to remain yourself by repeating patterns, and that's exactly what No More Heroes does with it's gameplay.
No More Heroes is an action hack and slash game, but it's also a lot more than that. Every single chapter will start with Travis "saving" in his apartment (using the toilet), and then checking his answering machine for new messages. He always gets a message from the movie rental shop, asking him to return whatever 18+ rated video he still has, and then he'll receive a message from the Assassin's Association asking for payments for his next fight. These fights aren't free, and Travis (or the player) must obtain the required fees before jumping in. To do this, Travis must continue repeating his pattern.
Upon leaving his apartment (which is actually an extended stay motel) Travis jumps on his bike, and sets out into the open world city to go about his daily chores. There is the movie rental shop where he can purchase movies to learn new moves, there's a Yakuza office that'll help train him and increase his stats by playing exercise mini games, you have a weapon upgrade store to change up Travis' beam sword, and there are the multiple side jobs that can be taken to move on.
Every single day Travis will follow this same pattern, and will visit the same places to advance through the story. Money will be obtained from doing the side jobs, which are mini games, and said money will be used to upgrade Travis and eventually pay for the next assassin fight. The mini games themselves are pretty monotonous, with Travis having to do things like cut the grass, or pick up trash on the side of the highway. Doing these side jobs will also unlock side assassination challenge jobs, but these too tend to be the same. Some are to kill all the enemies with in a set time limit, others are to hit a baseball through as many enemies as possible, and then you have the challenge ones that ask you to not take any damage yourself.
Again, even these side assassination jobs are a part of Travis' daily pattern, and it never changes. This is what you will do the entire game, with an actual assassin fight taking place once you have obtained the money.
That being said, the true fights are all pretty unique!
Once you jump into an assassination mission, Travis activates his beam sword, and players get to enjoy the hack and slash gameplay. Travis has a series of high and low slashes he can perform with his beam sword, but he also has high and low physical melee hits he can combo with. Using non-sword based attacks such as this will also allow him to pull off wrestling moves, which are a great way to do some extra damage or finish off enemies.
Once an enemy's health is low enough a directional arrow appears on the screen, and by using the right analog stick (or motion controls in supported versions) you can use a finishing move to actually kill said enemy. These moves are pretty bloody and mainly where the flying limbs come in, but the cutscenes have plenty of that as well.
Although the constant finisher moves can feel like they disrupt the flow of gameplay, they're actually pretty satisfying to watch. There's a verity of different finishing animations Travis can pull off, and it's not like all enemies can be taken out with a finisher right away. No More Heroes has a pretty in depth combo system overall, with boss fights forcing you to make full use of Travis' combat skills, and an energy meter that controls how much you can actually attack in a row. If you run out of energy you'll have to stop for a second and "recharge," and doing so at the wrong time can be a matter of life or death. It took disrupts the flow at times, but it also adds to the challenge.
As every single stage and boss is unique, not all of the same strategies will work from start to finish. Some bosses will require you to block more than attack, while others will reward you for playing more aggressively. Then there are the fights that have unique mechanics that completely break everything you thought you knew, and those are usually accompanied by flashy visuals. It helps keep all of the fights interesting, and gives you a reason to push forward and see what happens next. Because you truly never know what, or who, is coming next.
And then once you kill the boss, you go back to repeat your pattern.
Take a "save." Check. Forget to return your adult video. Check. Find out how much you owe the association. Yep. Get on your bike and crash into something because of the awkward bike controls. Yeah, that'll happen... Go to each of the facilities across the city and upgrade yourself. And finally, work your part time jobs until you have the money to move on. Again, this pattern never changes, but once you accept that, it's oddly fulfilling.
Heroes' Paradise:
Although this review is for No More Heroes, I feel it's important to mention Heroes' Paradise for anyone who may only have access to this version. Yes it is an old release on the PlayStation 3, but it's still a viable way to play No More Heroes. That being said, the game is mostly the same with a few exceptions.
Heroes' Paradise's biggest upgrades came from it's HD visuals, a slimmed down city map, a handful of extra side jobs to complete, and the inclusion of bosses from No More Heroes 2. That's honestly about it. This version does let you replay boss fights however, and there's a new mode that puts the female characters in more revealing outfits (which fit's Travis' pervy personality), but there's not a whole lot that makes this an "improved" version. In fact it actually suffers from technical issues like screen tearing, making the original Wii version more definitive in some ways. This version does include a Score Attack mode however, and you can choose when to activate special moves in combat. The original No More Heroes has special moves as well, but they are activated automatically as you fight with no control over them.
Other than these changes, Heroes' Paradise is still No More Heroes.
Is it worth playing?
No More Heroes is a unique game, and it will not be for everyone. Some may find the repetitiveness of the game to be a bit too much and never get through it, but at the same time it's actually a very short game. Focusing on the main story will put you at around 8 hours of gameplay, and doing everything isn't going to add too much time onto that. You do end up spending more time living out Travis' daily life than you do in missions fighting, but the missions themselves are memorable enough to make up for the lack of time spent in them.
The gameplay itself is also a lot of fun. At first it appears to be a button mashing hack and slash, but over time it develops into something much more; especially at higher difficulties where simply attacking wont cut it. The unique bosses also help flesh out the gameplay, and they are always something the player has to look forward to.
As for the story, there is something interesting going on here, but you also have to be willing to just accept what is being thrown at you. Travis doesn't take his life seriously, and neither should you. What happens in this game is over the top and pretty much always out of left field, and you can expect some 4th wall breaking from time to time as well.
Players should also keep in mind that this is an M rated game, and Suda51 isn't really known for holding back. You can't let things bother you in a game like this, and if you don't have a thick skin, then some parts might be just be too much. The game is filled to the brim with crude humor, adult jokes, perverted comments and innuendos, and then you have the scene that "had" to be "censored" to keep the age rating down. The funny thing is, the censor can be "removed" and players can see the cutscene in it's entirety with a little outside help. As for what the scene is? Well without spoiling anything, let's just say it for sure isn't family friendly... Or safe for work...
With all of that being said, No More Heroes is a game that players should at least give a chance. If it doesn't click at first, don't force it, and come back to it when you are feel you are ready. As someone who has gone through both Heroes' Paradise and the newest port, I can for sure say I appreciate it much more now than I did back then. I went into it for the first time with the wrong mindset, and my enjoyment for sure suffered because of that.
Is it the most amazing game ever? No. But is it a fun ride? Yeah, it can be. Just get used to cutting grass about 30 times and you'll be fine. (Or pick up trash! That one is easy and has a high payout rate.)
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