No More Heroes III

Over ten years after No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (NMH2), Travis Touchdown returns to the spotlight with a proper third installment, No More Heroes III (NMH3). As a fan of Suda51, I was excited enough for the prospect of NMH3 and Suda51 returning to directing games that it acted as a catalyst for buying a Nintendo Switch in the first place. With little knowledge of the game’s contents, I got a physical copy on release day and eagerly returned to the Garden of Madness, wondering just how Suda51 would wrap up Travis’ story for good. Unfortunately, I felt increasingly disappointed as the game went on and felt cheated by the end result, especially at full price.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (+ DLC) (Switch)

What journey to No More Heroes III (NMHIII) would be complete without a look at Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (TSA), the first in the series released on the Nintendo Switch and the first one directed by Suda51 himself sine the original game? Back when this game first released, its connection to the other games wasn’t certain, so we ended up skipping it. Once NMHIII received a formal announcement, however, we regretted this decision, as demand made owning a physical copy prohibitively expensive, so we ended up buying the game and DLC digitally. While this may be a cheaper and more convenient option for many, however, I’m not sure I would recommend it at full price unless you’re a hardcore Suda51 fan.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Switch)

After playing through both the original Wii and updated PS3 versions of No More Heroes, the next natural step was to play No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, originally released on the Wii in 2010. Much like the original game, however, we didn’t own a Wii at the time Desperate Struggle came out, so when we wanted a copy of our own, we found that due to its low initial sales, it was harder to find. As such, we opted for the physical Nintendo Switch release from Limited Run Games for the purpose of this review. We also discovered that at this point in Suda51’s career, he had less direct involvement in the games developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, so Nobutaka Ichiki directed Desperate Struggle instead. While the game still has merit, the general lack of involvement from Suda51 still shows.

No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise

A few years after the release of No More Heroes, it received a home console port for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3), though only the PS3 version made it stateside. This port, subtitled Heroes’ Paradise, served as an upgraded HD version of the base game, complete with extra content and, notably, standard controller support. As I didn’t own a Wii at the time, and wouldn’t for a few years, I intended this version as my entry point into the world of No More Heroes, but certain statements in reviews of the time put me off. However, when Sony originally announced the end of PS3 store support in 2021, until they reversed it, I snagged a sealed copy before its price could climb out of my reach. As part of our buildup to No More Heroes III, I finally broke the seal and found myself enjoying an overlooked port of an already great game.

No More Heroes (Wii)

Our gradual journey through the work of Suda51 led us to one of his more well-known works, No More Heroes, developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Ubisoft in the US in 2008. Though we got a copy over a decade after its original release, and even got it signed by character designer Yusuke Kozaki at a character design workshop, we wouldn’t get around to actually playing it until we started burning through our gaming backlog during a global pandemic. After all the good things we had heard about it until then, I can safely say that the original Wii release of the game holds up surprisingly well, but holds itself back with some design choices that obviously came from changes in direction during development.

The Silver Case (PS4) - Kill The Past

Back in 1999, game developer Goichi Suda, better known as Suda51, directed and released a visual novel called The Silver Case, the first title released under his studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, for the original PlayStation. However, it remained a Japanese exclusive for the longest time. The first attempt to bring it to the west was a planned remake for the Nintendo DS that never materialized, as Suda51 was unsatisfied with the product, claiming that it would require a lot of changes to fit the dual-screen environment of the handheld. Years later, a proper remaster of the game was released for the PC in 2016, also the first time the game saw the light of day in the west. 2017 also saw a worldwide release of a PS4 port of the game, the subject of this review. Since Suda51 is a favorite on this blog, we wholeheartedly dove in to take a look at one of his first games. Compared to his later output, it’s rather interesting and unique to say the least.

In 1999, a series of mysterious murders is committed within what’s known as the 24 Wards. This prompts the 24 Wards Heinous Crimes Unit to investigate, concluding that the murders were committed by Kamui Uehara, a man who had previously killed a number of government officials in the now-famous “Silver Case” 20 years prior. However, Kamui was held in a mental hospital and deemed unfit to commit crime again, leading the HCU to wonder how he could still be around. The player character, a member of the Special Forces known as “Republic”, has been recruited to help investigate the Kamui case.

The story of The Silver Case is told from two perspectives. The first scenario, Transmitter, is told from the perspective of a detective, the nameless protagonist recruited by the Heinous Crimes Unit, trying to track down Kamui. The other scenario, Placebo, is told from the perspective of a freelance journalist, Tokio Morishima, investigating the Kamui case. Due to the presentation of the story in the main menu, which resembles a sort of record player, Transmitter can be viewed as the A-side and Placebo the B-side.

The Silver Case is split into two sides, like a record.

As for the execution of this presentation, it’s overall very solid. The premise of tracking down a serial killer presumed inactive is intriguing on its own, but it gradually unfolds into a rather elaborate, but engaging, conspiracy involving government politics surrounding the 24 Wards, as well as the true nature of Kamui Uehara and how he relates to it all. I won’t say too much to avoid spoilers, but I will say that’s it’s rather essential to play both Transmitter and Placebo, preferably trading off between them to make full sense of the story; I say this because I played Transmitter and then Placebo and found myself lost a little on some of the details until I finished both. Even though Placebo starts out as more or less Transmitter from a different perspective, the story does pick up sooner rather than later and has its own unique twists and turns.

Though the plot of The Silver Case is a bit odd and has some bizarre twists, which may be more acceptable if you’re a Suda51 fan, what makes it engaging is its themes. There are some elements of postmodernism present, mainly through the game acknowledging itself in odd ways, most notably how it handles the concept of a silent protagonist in a game. In the case of this game, the player character is implied to be literally mute, which elicits some interesting reactions from the other characters; by contrast, Tokio is very talkative throughout Placebo.

The nameless main protagonist of The Silver Case, whom
the player can name (Protip: His "default" name is Akira).

One major theme of The Silver Case, which also loosely ties a few other Suda51 games together, is the theme of “Kill the Past”. A “Kill the Past” game generally involves the protagonist having to either directly confront past events they are at odds with or destroy some relic of their past which burdens them in some way in order to move forward with their lives. This idea of destroying a relic of the past is played out rather well in The Silver Case and manifests itself in an interesting way, though the payoff is better if Transmitter and Placebo are played in the right order.

What’s notable about The Silver Case is its gameplay, or the lack of. Since it’s a visual novel, most of the time the player is reading through text and dialogue to advance the story to its, in this case, pre-determined conclusion. It’s kind of annoying that you can’t adjust dialogue speed or skip through it, however there are certain times when dialogue speed is used for dramatic effect or to recreate use of an online chat room, so it also kind of makes sense.

When not reading text, the player has the opportunity to explore a three-dimensional world in first-person view and interact with objects. Movement in this part of the game is restricted to a grid-like system where the player can only walk between specific points on the map, which operates not unlike “tank controls”, but the player can also look up and down; turning resets the view. However, there are numerous points of interactivity depending on the part of the story and there is some occasional puzzle solving. I will admit, however, that sometimes it’s not completely obvious where the player is meant to go next to advance the story, but fortunately the limited map points make it pretty easy to figure out with trial and error.

A section of actual player interactivity in The Silver Case.

During the actual gameplay segments, the player uses a command ring with four options: M (Move), C (Control), I (Implement) and S (Save). Players normally have to scroll through the command ring and select the command they wish to use, though the options are also accessible through shortcuts. Move and Save are the most likely to see use, while Control, basically interacting with an object, can only be used on map points marked by a sun and Implement, in which you use an inventory item, is pretty rarely used. The controls do take some getting used to, but it’s pretty easy once you adjust.

While gameplay is present somewhat often in the Transmitter part of the game, the Placebo portion is a lot more text-oriented. As such, there’s a bare minimum of actual interactive moments, restricted entirely to four objects in Tokio’s apartment: his computer, phone, apartment window and pet turtle, Red. Due to this more limited presentation, Placebo is more boring to sit through, especially if you play like I did and tried to go through it all in one sitting (this is partly why I discourage the playstyle).

The visual presentation of The Silver Case is rather unique mainly due to the Film Window engine. Film Window was created to take advantage of Grasshopper’s limited resources available at the time, but the way they did so gives it an experimental flavor and helps it stand out even from other visual novels. The way Film Window works is that the game places windows on top of a larger backdrop relevant to each case. In these windows, the player can see 3D backgrounds, 2D artwork (both character profiles and whole shots), dialogue text and both live-action and animated footage. The seemingly random, but ultimately deliberate, placement of each window helps to highlight the emotion of each scene and can easily ramp up the tension at the right moments. The use of numerous mediums is also executed pretty well and can at times create an appropriate sense of unease.

Film Window in action.

Each chapter also feels unique, since they all have unique backdrops and general color schemes which suit each case. For instance, case#3: Parade is presented entirely in black and white and has a dedicated intro animation. case#4: Kamuidrome has a generally green color scheme to match its relation to the internet, also reflected in how the backdrop generates random words in a special typeface, however I did find that this chapter in particular saw some framerate drops due to the number of visual effects in the backdrop.

The visual style of case#4: Kamuidrome
(compare with case#0: Lunatics, above).

Transmitter and Placebo also have general style differences within the 2D artwork each side uses. Specifically, Transmitter uses a generally more realistic style while Placebo uses a rougher, sketchier style. Not only does this difference help each side feel different from each other, it can also create two different appearances for characters who appear in both sides, most noticeably with Tokio Morishima and Tetsugoro Kusabi from the Heinous Crimes Unit. It’s not too jarring, but it can create a different impression of certain characters as a result.

I’ll also mention here that while the game will use the visuals of the remake by default, it’s possible to alter the settings to instead display the visuals of the original PlayStation release instead.

The soundtrack for The Silver Case, arranged by Akira Yamaoka for the remake, is also pretty good and helps to give the game its own identity. Each track contributes well to the atmosphere, including the unique track for each case, and the prevalence of certain cues helps to highlight certain scenes and make the score more memorable.

Before I end this review, I’d also like to mention that as of 2017, the remake of The Silver Case also includes two additional chapters meant to more directly bridge the game to two sequels (these are included in the PS4 version by default). case#25: White Out leads more directly into The 25th Ward: The Silver Case and report*6: YAMI leads more directly into Flower, Sun, and Rain; the former game did not receive a proper re-release until 2018, until which it was considered a “ghost game” by Suda51, and the latter had received only a DS version in the west. These new chapters are pretty short, you can complete them both in less than 10 minutes combined, but they do a good job of making the player want to see what happens next.

case#25: White Out also adopts a similar visual style to The 25th Ward.

The Silver Case is a very interesting game. Its premise goes into sometimes bizarre territory, along with some philosophizing, and has a unique presentation. The actual gameplay is a bit bare, especially in the Placebo portion, but does present a method of interactivity unseen in a good number of visual novels. Considering this is Suda51’s first game under Grasshopper Manufacture, it’s pretty solid overall, but also feels more barebones compared to his later work. What really keeps the player invested, however, is the unique feel the Film Window engine provides as well as how more about each character is revealed through the different cases. I’d recommend this mainly to Suda51 fans who want to see where a lot of traits found in his later output originate, and who want to add one more of his games to their library, or for people who are looking for an interesting visual novel to play. It’s rough around the edges, as plenty of older games are, but worth playing once.

Second Opinion - Lollipop Chainsaw

Lollipop Chainsaw is probably one of the weirdest games I have played this year. However, it's also easily one of the best experiences I've had with a game, due in part to it's interesting concepts, writing, and music. The more I heard about this game as the release got closer, the more I was sold on the idea of a cheerleader slaying zombies with a chainsaw and making rainbows erupt out of them in place of blood and guts. In fact I was sold so much on this game, that this is the second game that I have ever attended a midnight launch for, the first being God of War III. In any case, I had a good time with this game, though it has some minor flaws.

But first, I'd like to discuss what I liked about it. One aspect I would praise is the writing by horror movie writer/director James Gunn, which perfectly sets the tone of how crazy the game can be, with some clever dialogue between the main character Juliet and Nick, her boyfriend that's a decapitated head. The voice acting does a good job at bringing the game's characters to life, including the numerous bosses you must defeat along the way. The game's soundtrack is also really well put together, with some amazing original music mixed in with various licensed songs such as Lollipop by The Chordettes, Mickey by Tony Basil, and You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) by Dead or Alive.

While I'm talking about music, I would like to talk more about the boss battles. The bosses in this game are called the Dark Purveyors, who are various rock gods that each embody a different style of music. As such their levels leading up to them follow some sort of theme relating to their musical genre. Though the Dark Purveyors don't have much going for them in terms of character, it does not stop them from being memorable. Lollipop Chainsaw is also probably one of the only times where I've actually wanted to replay a boss battle, if only because of how awesome that boss is.

As for those flaws I mentioned earlier, while there are a few (including my previous comment on the bosses), they are relatively minor. At times the graphics seem a little outdated, though not too jarring for the current generation like I Am Alive. A little more variety in the gameplay would've been nice, but I still nonetheless had some fun while chopping down zombies in various ways with a chainsaw, even if I was required to purchase more button combinations through the in-game store. Some parts of each level can be a little infuriating, but fortunately once you get past them you don't have to go through them again later.

Lollipop Chainsaw is a unique take on zombie games that I think fans of the genre should at least check out once. While this is my first experience from the mind of Suda51, I think anyone that has played his odd creations may have an enjoyable time with this game's short campaign, as I did. Once you go through the story once, you may find yourself wanting to replay parts of it over and over again.

Lollipop Chainsaw - Zombie Slaying With A Twist

Among the many titles I looked forward to this year, one of them was Lollipop Chainsaw, created appropriately by Suda51. Early screenshots and trailers gave me a good idea of what to expect and almost immediately I grasped onto the idea of a zombie game with a cheerleader as the main protagonist, though it probably helped that said cheerleader was featured prominently. I was hyped enough in fact that I went to a midnight launch party that had a few people there who worked on the game.

You could even play the game in an immobile decorative bus.

After starting the game up the next morning, I was surprised to have been able to play through the entirety of the game, so I realized then that I'd have to write this review up a bit earlier than I expected. Now that I've given myself a chance to think about my experience, I'd say that while I'm very satisfied, I feel that it could have been improved in some way.

The core premise of the game sounds simple at first. It's a hack and slash game about a cheerleader wielding a chainsaw exterminating her school of a zombie infestation. What makes this a bit stranger is that on top of that, her boyfriend, Nick, ends up being a disembodied head hanging by her skirt and a man named Swan  has summoned forth various zombie rock gods as part of a ritual to destroy the world by turning everyone into a zombie. It was these ideas that sold me on the game in the first place and I enjoyed the story that played out as a result of it. Sure it's silly and over-the-top, but thankfully in all the right ways to keep me invested and excited the whole way through.

This is due in part to the characters, who have such unique personalities that seeing them hit can produce hilarious results. The most fun I had was with the main character, Juliet Starling, who constantly skirts the line between innocence and violence in her dialogue and actions. Interactions between Nick and the rest of her family were some of the best, with sanity clashing against an entire family of zombie hunters who treat the most supernatural phenomena as no big deal. Even the rock god bosses come off as wild and insane, though a little one dimensional, but in a cheesy way that preserves the feeling of the game nicely.

Still, the game is very hilarious and finds some new way to get at least a chuckle out of the player. Character dialogue is a big factor in this, but other physical actions such as seeing rainbows erupt out of corpses or running over zombies in a combine helps with more visual gags to round itself out. The prevalent meta-humor from James Gunn's script is also funny at the right times, including a scene in a later level that explicitly refers to zombies and video games (specifically the player character killing zombies in a video game that are playing a video game about killing zombies).

In terms of actual gameplay, this is where Lollipop Chainsaw falls apart a little. Levels usually have you clearing a room of zombies to advance, sometimes with a variation in that you have to either kill a specific number of zombies or accomplish a specific task. Either way, the fighting begins to feel a little repetitive since there are only two main types of zombies, strong and weak, and plenty of sub-types with their own moves, like football zombies being able to tackle you and police zombies being able to fire bullets. It's not like you need increasingly specific strategies to kill each individual type, since common strategies will work wonders in the long run, which I can see helping with accomplishing the goals faster before they reach certain levels of tedium.

The levels themselves however do sometimes inject a lot of variety to keep things interesting. However this can lead to some of the more frustrating portions of the game, such as killing zombies while Nick runs three times around a baseball diamond possessing a headless body. Every level seems to have at least one frustrating section that takes a few tries to get past, so I feel that a little more balancing in the various sections would have made them less of a nuisance. I could also say that lowering the amount of loading screens would help as well, since there are plenty of them to go around.

Weapons that Juliet has at her disposal are her default chainsaw weapon, which can turn into a gun, and even Nick himself, who utilizes a game mechanic where using a Nick Ticket can select a somewhat random ability using his head. They all function well and serve to invite creative ways to kill off the zombie hoards. The only problem with the chainsaw would be the lack of available combos from the beginning, since even the most basic combos need to be purchased from the store for use and certain items and combos are only available at specific points in the story. This still did not prevent combat from being fun at times from the crazy combat implements.

When you do get to the rock god bosses, known officially as the Dark Purveyors, you'll find that not only do they all embody some specific genre of music, but they are all multistage fights. This was something I didn't anticipate, but I found gradually that knowing this can help you plan during the fight to deal with whatever strategy they'll use. They are also the type where generally whatever you learn during the level becomes the way to kill them, a fact which did not really bother me due to the ways they are made interesting (in what other game would you find a boss that literally shouts giant words as one of their attacks?).

On the subject of music, I thought that the game was very well scored and had an excellent selection of licensed songs as well. From electronic and psychedelic to heavy metal and rock, the entire soundtrack fits the game perfectly. I laughed hard when I heard Toni Basil's Mickey play upon activating Juliet's sparkle power the first time; same with hearing Lollipop play while in the in-game store. Graphically, the game looks a little outdated, though still within this generation of consoles. The unique visual style makes up for this, including the cool comic book motif on the HUD and menus, as well as the button prompts.

While Lollipop Chainsaw is short, you can beat it in a day, its unique characters and sense of humor help to make up for its annoyances. Fans of the works of Suda51 will likely find this game intriguing enough, but I also encourage others to give this title a shot no matter how they feel about zombie games. As far as I'm concerned, I had a fun and unforgettable time.