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Suda51 talks Xbox 360, American market
An Edge interview with Grasshopper CEO Goichi Suda has recently been reprinted by NextGen, and features a few insights into Suda51's development of No More Heroes, as well as the punk-rock designer's future plans.Regarding the Wii, Suda51 felt that No More Heroes was a unique opportunity to appeal to the wide user base for the console, and set out to make the title appeal to both hardcore gamers, and those that might be experiencing their first action game.Beyond No More Heroes, Suda51 expresses interest in developing for the Xbox 360, citing the console's tremendous performance in the States. According to Suda, America is the "Major League" of game development, and it's a market he'd most definitely like to conquer. We'll just have to wait and see what his crazy brain cooks up next.
Suda says U.S. version of No More Heroes is closest to his vision
During a rather extensive interview with Goichi Suda, the man behind No More Heroes and Killer 7 (GameCube), it's revealed that the Grasshopper Manufature CEO has found his experience of working with the Wii a very enjoyable one. And, in regards to the whole bloodless/bloody No More Heroes fiasco, Suda is of the mind that the U.S. version (see: the one with the buckets of blood in it) is definitely closest to his final vision of the game.Nintendo was totally cool with the blood from the get-go, as well. Suda says the U.S. version was the closest to his initial vision for the game, and that the "issue of having blood spilt is an interesting one. Today's technology makes a very realistic visual experience possible, so does that mean blood has to be sprayed all around? I'm not sure." Well, we're glad the blood was added, as looking at the comparison videos shows the blood adds a lot more to the game. %Gallery-4611%[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii Warm Up: Travis wears his sunglasses at night
It's no secret that we've had No More Heroes on the brain since the game's release a few short weeks back. We're doing our best to climb the UAA ranks, but that doesn't mean we don't have time to stop and smell the roses. Some of our time has been spent dumpster-diving for t-shirts and checking out the Area 51 for new apparel. Do you spend any time messing with Travis' looks, or is it all about the Beam Katana upgrades and UAA ladder-climbing for you?And yes, that is our Travis above. Show us yours!%Gallery-4611%
No More Heroes video compares bloody and blood-less versions
We know already that the European and Japanese versions of Suda51's No More Heroes are a tad less bloody than their American counterpart. But exactly how much blood are they missing out on?As the above comparison video shows, there's certainly a lot of blood in the American version that's absent from the others, but whether you'll actually miss it depends on your preference for riotously excess gore. We already know that Suda51 believed the American version simply needed more blood than the others; whether the game is actually better with fountains of ruby will ultimately depend on personal taste (or, apparently, your country of residence). [Via Wii Fanboy]
Comparing the censored and uncensored versions of No More Heroes
Spoiler alert: This is the first boss fight in the game.If there's one thing we can't get enough of right now, it's No More Heroes. Suda's masterpiece (yeah, we went there) came in to our video game collection and proceeded to decapitate every single other game in its pursuit to be the top title of our library. We're so smitten, we've cuddled with the game's case every night in bed, clenching it tight against our chest like our teddy bears of old. But enough about our rampant love of the game. One of the biggest concerns for Europeans is how the censored version would stack up the bloody affair that is the U.S. release. One gamer was kind enough to do just that, taking video of each death scene in the game from both censored and uncensored version of the game. So, if you're beaten the game or just don't care about spoilers, hit up the link below. For the rest of you, go play No More Heroes already!%Gallery-4611%
No More Heroes first planned for 360, says Suda51
No More High-Definition Heroes was almost a reality, had Grasshopper Manufacture's Goichi Suda not been privy to some Wii whisperings during his project's planning stages. "Originally, I'd wanted to make this game for Xbox 360, actually," he told MCV. The No More Heroes designer, also known as "Suda51," explained that he was swayed by Marvelous Interactive president Yashiro Wada, who shared "information about the new Wii and how the new controller would work before it came out." Suda51 admitted to being pleased with his choice, feeling that the distinctive wack 'n slash worked well with the Wii's control system. We're inclined to agree ... but then we wonder if anybody's ever expressed concern over the Xbox 360's "hardcore" audience.
Fanswag: And the No More Heroes winner is ...
With over two thousand entries in our giveaway for No More Heroes, the task of selecting a winner would be a very difficult one. Thankfully, we take the easy way out and select the winner via random drawing. So, without further ado, let's congratulate: Patricia Mortimer, who said her favorite hero is Oprah Winfrey Congratulations to Patricia and better luck next time to the rest of you! Be sure to keep an eye out for our next Fanswag giveaway!%Gallery-4611%
Reminder: Today is your last chance for No More Heroes
Well, all good things must come to an end. And, as such, today is your last day to enter for a free copy of No More Heroes. Arguably a masterpiece of a game, it deserves to be in every Wii owner's library. So, why not try and get a copy into your library? Get to entering already!%Gallery-4611%
Wii Fanboy Review: No More Heroes
Suda 51 is the Quentin Tarantino of game design. Like the hyperactive filmmaker, Suda 51 makes intentionally rough-looking works that celebrate forgotten film genres and are characterized by over-the-top graphic violence and rapid-fire pop-culture references. The major difference between the two is that Tarantino has been successful, making millions of dollars, winning awards, and guest-judging on American Idol, whereas Suda has to make licensed anime games (unconventionally, still) in order to gather the budget for original work. To carry the metaphor further, No More Heroes feels very much like it could be Suda's Pulp Fiction: the game in which Suda finally gets to bring his unique game design to an accepting mainstream audience. It could easily be the crossover hit that he never tried to make. And in true punk style, No More Heroes redefines the AAA game, rejecting most of the considerations that usually denote a game's quality in favor of what he cares about.%Gallery-4611%
Fanswag reminder: Win a copy of No More Heroes [update]
Update: If you want to enter for a chance at winning the game, you have to go here. Comments were never supposed to be turned on for this post. For that, I apologize.Hey, did you know that we're unloading one free copy of No More Heroes onto one lucky Wii Fanboy reader? Well, if not, then you're only a few days behind the others, so all is not lost. What you'll need to do is head on over to the original giveaway post and give it a thorough read. Once you've done that, leave a comment telling us who your favorite hero is and that's it. You're then officially entered. But, be sure to remember that you can come back to that post each and every day, leaving a new comment to increase your chances at winning. You may only leave one comment per day, though, and must be 18 years or older and a current resident of the United States.For the official rules, give a click here.%Gallery-4611%
Wii Fanswag: No More Heroes
Santa Destroy is a rough place, unless you've got the moves to make it to the top of the assassin's ranking list. And we want you to give the game's protagonist, Travis Touchdown, a helping hand. So we're going to hand you a copy of No More Heroes for the Wii. How does one enter for such a prize? Well, each day, from now until Wednesday, January 30th at 11:59pm EST, you can leave a comment telling us who your favorite hero is. It can be a superhero or just your dad. We want to know who it is! But, you can only leave one comment per day, so any more than that and you'll get disqualified. Again, the contest is open from today, January 25th until Wednesday, January 30th at 11:59pm EST. Also, you must be 18 years of age or older and a current resident of the United States. And, be sure to give the official rules a read.Good luck!%Gallery-4611%
Metareview: No More Heroes
We've been eagerly anticipating the release of No More Heroes for a long time. There aren't too many titles that offer Wii gamers a mature experience, and we're looking for more diversity in our libraries. With No More Heroes, Suda 51 attempts to sate our cravings, while at the same time making the game ridiculous and quirky. But, is it any good?You can release the breath that you've been holding; it looks like No More Heroes lives up to all the hype (or at least, most of it).Need some proof? See for yourselves: IGN (78/100) thinks that despite the game's shortcomings, No More Heroes is worth getting: "No More Heroes isn't the most polished game out there, and it certainly has its fair share of quirks all around, but it deserves to keep its place in the libraries of the more serious Wii gamers just the same. Suda 51 promised a violent, stylistic spectacle, and he delivered." GamePro (90/100) raves over the game's combat and its use of the lightsaber: "For every gamer who's felt disappointed by tacked-on motion controls, I present the game that has completely captured the essence of the Force. No More Heroes? Try No More Competition." NGamer (94/100) says that the playing No More Heroes is a unique experience: "The mishmash of visual styles, music and the world's most flamboyant dialogue has no comparison to anything else; it's impossible to put the game in a box, except to say that it is unquestionably, undeniably, unequivocally No More Heroes, and you have never played anything like this before." %Gallery-4611%
Suda 51 clarifies Wii remarks on third-party sales
No More Heroes creator Suda 51 wants to clarify a few comments. In a post on Grasshopper Manufacturer's website (click on "What's New"), the developer points out what he considers is a "misquote" in an interview with CVG. In response to a question concerning the sales of No More Heroes in Japan, Suda 51 said, "Whilst the sales weren't as high as I hoped, other titles for Wii aren't selling so well either. Only Nintendo titles are doing well," adding that this is the case outside of Japan, too.The clarification posted asserts that "unlike a lot of Nintendo Wii titles currently available, [NMH] is the kind of product which will attract a different kind of consumer to the hardware, i.e. gamers who are looking for a different genre to the products which have been successful on this platform thus far." That "different kind of consumer" we're guessing is a more hardcore gamer, given comments earlier in the CVG interview where he said, "I wasn't expecting that Wii would be a console targeted only at non-gamers. I expected more games for hardcore gamers." Obviously, he doesn't want to comment on the sales of other third-party titles, but do you think he might have a point?For those looking for a reportedly more hardcore Wii experience, No More Heroes comes out today in North America.
Suda 51 wants more No More Heroes
No More Heroes isn't even out on shelves yet outside of Japan, most of the reviews haven't even been published, and already director Goichi Suda wants a sequel. The punk-rock Killer 7 creator is already itching to create the next in this bizarre Wii-sclusive action series, despite publisher Ubisoft not yet soliciting for the sequel-itis treatment.Talking with GameSpot, Suda says he's "really willing" to make a second No More Heroes, and is already asking about moving forward with it as a future project. Suda describes No More Heroes as being unlike any other action game for the Wii, likening it to alternative rock band Arctic Monkeys in terms of its energy (uh, whatever you say, Suda).Suda 51 is currently working on American localizations of two Grasshopper-developed DS games -- Flower, Sun and Rain and Silver Case -- and is also working on an undisclosed Xbox 360 title for Konami. No More Heroes drops on January 22 in the US, and February 29 in the UK. We'll see then if it's sequel-worthy.
Suda 51: Only casual Nintendo games selling on Wii
Suda 51's No More Heroes was reviewed very well, but just didn't do so great financially in Japan. In an interview with CVG, he suggests that it's indicative of a larger trend about the Wii audience: that they only really go for games published by Nintendo. "Whilst the sales weren't as high as I hoped, other titles for Wii aren't selling so well either. Only Nintendo titles are doing well." He also said that the Wii audience is focused on casual gaming rather than the longer, narrative games that he tends to make. "Actually I was very surprised about the reality about Wii, because before I was making this game, I wasn't expecting that Wii would be a console targeted only for non-gamers. I expected more games for hardcore gamers. The reality is different to what I expected."Yes, there may be some grape-souring effect at work here, but Wii software sales would certainly seem to bear Suda's claims out. Of course, we've seen this happening since the beginning of the Wii's lifecycle. The Wii is, by and large, the Wii Sports machine for the general public, with Wii Play occasionally swapped in (because why not try out the game that you bought along with that second controller?). The more devoted Wii fans are also buying Super Mario Galaxy, of course, but not much else.We just feel bad for poor Suda. He's made what seems to be a brilliant game, and probably his most accessible yet, but the Japanese audience didn't notice because it doesn't have the word "Wii" in the title or the Nintendo logo on the front of the box.
Wii releases for the week of January 14th
Gamers anxious for something new to play this week have a few titles to choose from. But, like us, we assume most of you are doing what we are: ignoring this week for the excellence that will arrive next week. Be patient, young grasshopper. Our time is almost upon us.In the meantime, however, there are some new titles to choose from this week: Nitrobike Furu Furu Park Kidz Sports: Ice Hockey Samurai Warriors: Katana CSI Hard Evidence Planning on picking up anything new? Or, are you just waiting for No More Heroes like us?
Thirty more seconds of No More Heroes
In case you forgot, there's a game that starts with "No" and ends with "More Heroes" coming out in the U.S. this month for the Wii. Ubisoft just released a new trailer to keep the game fresh in our minds -- one filled with the normal mixture of action and absolute silliness. We posted it after the break, since like many other No More Heroes videos, this one is NSFW.
Flower, Sun, and screenshots
These new screens from Suda 51's Flower, Sun, and Rain pull you in, encouraging you to look again and again until you can stop the bomb from exploding in our gallery. No, wait; that's just ridiculous melodrama. They're only pictures, after all, not a repeat-o-tron. Despite the revamped PS2 title's upcoming March release (in Japan), we haven't been treated to many images from the game, so these are a nice treat. While the game is a little less shiny than the original, which had a strange, haunting quality to the look, the images are very true to the original characterization and feel of the game. Here's us crossing fingers for an English-language release.%Gallery-12911%
No More Heroes in painful detail
Siliconera has posted some in-depth impressions of the Japanese version of our speculative Game of the Year 2008 (you heard me), No More Heroes. If you're super-sensitive about spoilers, avoid the writeup (because the game is discussed) but if, like us, you are ravenous for any scrap of information about Suda 51's latest poorly-selling avant-garde action game, this is the link for you.The post covers things we've heard about like the slot-machine powerup system and the coconut-collecting part-time job minigame, but also includes totally exclusive new information. For example, we thought we understood the controls, but there is an element we absolutely knew nothing about: two fighting stances, selected by the angle at which the Wiimote is held. There's also a detailed account of a certain boss fight that we haven't heard about yet. Welcome to 2008: it's the same year that No More Heroes comes out.
Surfer Girl 'confirms' localized Suda games
The enigmatic "Surfer Girl," who posts a bunch of game-related rumors on a Blogspot site every so often, is at it again. This time she has "revealed" something that we already kinda knew about some DS games in which we're very interested. Specifically, in her post "December Thirtieth Things" she said that the three Grasshopper Manufacture adventure remakes The Silver Case, The Silver Case Ward 25, and the recently-announced Flower, Sun, and Rain, would be released next year in the U.S. Is this really "insider" knowledge? Maybe. Suda already announced that The Silver Case and its sequel were being released worldwide, but it's possible that whoever this Surfer Girl character is saw some release plans from a publisher. The possibility of a localized FSR is news to us. At the very least, this rumor provides evidence that someone, somewhere, who may be related to game publishing, is talking about these Suda 51 adventure games. That's comforting.
