No More Heroes

Motion controls punctuate the face-offs with
lethal, combo-closing slashes. Weaned on a smorgasbord of violent pop, Travis
doesn't limit himself to staid samurai swordplay. Between slashes, he unleashes lucha libre-inspired
power-bombs and piledrivers, also triggered via visceral Wii-mote movement.
Game nods also show up in quantity. The city of Santa Destroy is Vice City
re-imagined as a SoCal border town. But instead of smothering players with an
overload of sandbox options, No More Heroes keeps non-mission
busywork to a minimum. Granted, Travis still gets sidelined with chump work.
Odd jobs, such as lawn-mowing, kitten-catching, and graffiti removal are a
mandatory, surprisingly fun, part of his climb to the top. Santa Destroy could
easily be in the same Thomas Guide as Tarantino's Los Angeles, a place where
the mundane and the grindhouse mingle. In Kill Bill, you only get to observe
the wacko world. No More Heroes lets you live there.

Beyond the game: Suda 51's Killer 7 used a similar cell-shaded
style, and was also plotted like a Takashi Miike movie. Some weren't fond of
the game's experimental controls, but it's still a must-play for anybody
interested in the creative fringes of video games.

Worth playing for: No More Heroes takes frequent left
turns. Surprise mini-games, plot twists, and changes in style and tone are the
rule.

Frustration sets in
when: Some
boss fights are damn tough. They aren't unfair, just demanding. Mastering each
enemy feels all the more satisfying.

Final judgment: Fucking awesome.