Masafumi Takada on Music, Games, and Inspiration

Zero Punctuation Relishes No More Heroes

While Yahtzee was a little bit late to squeeze into our No More Heroes Frankenreview, he still offers a pretty enjoyable review of the game, likening the experience to, among countless other colorful, non sequitur metaphors, Branston Pickle. Having never consumed Branston Pickle, I can only assume that this review is absolutely, utterly false in its conclusion. And as I don't plan on visiting Branston's home in England any time in the near future to try it (or even going to the shelf in any large chain store to buy it), I should live a life of blissful ignorance for some time.

Zero Punctuation: No More Heroes [The Escapist]

Goichi Suda, Shinji Mikami Team Up For More Awesomeness?

Word has it that No More Heroes creator Goichi Suda and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami have joined forces for a yet unannounced project. (Previously, the duo worked together on Killer7.) We've been hearing rumblings about this for a while, as has game magazine GamesTM. The latest issue dishes:

UNTITLED PLATINUM GAMES PROJECT
One of our spies informs us that Grasshopper is currently discussing a new game with the ex-Clover studio.

[Thanks, 87th!]

Suda Wants To Make Mario With Guns

There's no doubt about it—the Wii is in dire need of some decent third party titles. That's why we find director SUDA-51's/Grasshopper Manufacture's No More Heroes so intriguing. A sort of Grand Theft Auto meets Killer7 meets light sabers, the game promised to bring action, humor and style to the Wii...without Mario or his friends.

So what did the critics think? Hit the jump for our Frankenreview to find out: not quite every review, but probably more than you're going to read anyway.

Who out there reads instruction manuals? Show of hands. None? That's what we thought. Video game manuals are generally:

1. Boring
2. Not super clear
3. Nor concise
4. Dull
5. Synonym of dull

But this No More Heroes manual is modeled after a comic book and looks to lack Wiimote sketches altogether. Why not take a risk on the manual? It's not like you are going to disappoint anyone if the idea's a miss. Of course, if it is fantastic, chances are that no one will notice then, either.

Marvelous! No More Heroes has a comic book manual [siliconera]

Marvelous Entertainment and Grasshopper Manufacture lare oading up the No More Heroes site with new game clips weekly and now they've added wallpapers to the mix as well. Currently there are two wallpapers available with seven more coming in the next four weeks. As for the videos, they are advertising that there will be a total of fifty-one with thirty-five available at this time. So, if you want to deck out your computer in the latest No More Heroes fashion, head on over to the NMH website.

No More Heroes Website
[Thanks, Luis]

What with TGS and a week in Tokyo, this one seemed to slip by me, but hearing it now is very exciting. According to 1Up, Tecmo has hired Grasshopper Manufacture to work on the next Fatal Frame game which will apparently be made for the Wii. Once Grasshopper is done with No More Heroes, they will start full steam on the as yet untitled Fatal Frame.

I am a huge fan of this series, especially Crimson Butterfly and the prospect of having it on the Wii is intriguing. Seeing how much I enjoyed the point and shoot aspects of Wii remote with RE4, controlling a camera with it seems like a perfect fit. And with Grasshopper Manufacture on board, it's bound to be a title worth checking out.

Editor's Note: So, It seems that this story is a bit contradictory to what Suda himself told our own Luke Plunkett at TGS which was that his next project was going to be for the 360. Perhaps a portion of Grasshopper is working on the project but not Suda himself? An email missive has gone out to Suda and we will let you know what's up as soon as we hear back from him.

Tecmo Planning Next Fatal Frame for Wii [1Up]
[Graphic courtesy Asterick]

Ubisoft Picks Up No More Heroes For U.S. Release

Grasshopper Manufacture's No More Heroes may not have Halo 3 or Grand Theft Auto IV hype behind it, but we're certainly looking forward to Goichi Suda's next. Fortunately, for us English speakers, IGN reveals that the game finally has a Western publisher who's brave enough to take on the Wii follow up to Killer 7. Ubisoft have stepped up to the plate to bring No More Heroes stateside. The even better news? Travis Touchdown and his cel-shaded mates will be coming to the West in February of 2008.

Killer.

America Has No More Heroes [IGN]

Suda on Western, Japanese Gamers

Some Japanese game developers and publishers really don't care about the international market. As long as the domestic customers are happy, then that's all that matters! And hey, if foreign players buy the games, that's just an added bonus. So old fashioned! But some devs are open minded, forward thinking even. Take No More Heroes creator and Grasshopper Manufacturer bossman Goichi Suda. He wears cowboy boots! Here's his two cents on reaching an international market:

...more than anything we felt that Grasshopper's style is more suited to the foreign than the local Japanese market...
The Japanese fans are very important to me too, but we want to make a big breakthrough with the Grasshopper name someday, and to that end it's not enough for us to just focus on the Japanese market. I can't give you an exact percentage, but the Western market is extremely important.
When I make games, I always put in a lot of effort toward making them with an image of the Western audience in mind. The Western market is that important to me. I don't make games with only the Japanese in mind, I treat it as though people from all around the world are going to play my games.

Rumor: Killer 7 Wii Edition