Given the nature of No More Heroes, I'm not sure whether my altered perspective detracted from my experience or enhanced it. I'm going to go with enhanced because as I read over my notes from that meeting all I see are good things written around giant smiling cats I don't remember drawing. It must've stuck some kind of chord.

The thing I feel bad about, though, is not knowing how to say "stress fracture" in Japanese. Suda 51 was kind enough to inquire why I was limping at the end of the appointment and the best I could do was "It's a little broken." Which I think freaked him out because either something is broken or it isn't right?

What Is It?
No More Heroes 2 is the sequel to Wii game No More Heroes in which players take the role of Travis Touchdown and go about laser-swording various enemies to death for cash and stuff. The third person action adventure game is broken up quite nicely with some motorcycle segments and 2D mini-games. The major appeal comes from the game's insane brand of mature humor, which targets a very niche and dedicated audience of Wii owners.

In NMH2, Travis is dragged back into a tournament-style chain of fights once again as part of a revenge quest. Many character favorites from the first game return and you actually get to play as other characters besides Travis, like the sexy Shinobu.

What We Saw
I shared a playthrough appointment with some journos from 1UP where we passed the controller around for a series of mini games, a section in Travis's apartment, part of a Shinobu level and the first level of the game where Travis fights Skelter, brother to some dude you killed in the first game (which I confess I never beat).

How Far Along Is It?
Near final. The game is due out January 27th.

What Needs Improvement?
If You Can't Stand The Crazy, Get Out Of The Game: No More Heroes 2, like its predecessor, is weird, violent and totally proud of both. The narrative is bizarre, the action is gory and the mix of gameplay types between story missions and side missions can leave you reeling. Do not ride this ride if you have a heart condition, a poor sense of humor or a weak grasp of Suda 51's brand of insanity.

Camera Is A Little Bit Too Crazy: I noticed during Shinobu's level that the camera would sometimes have trouble keeping up with her during sharp turns in narrow corridors. Shinobu seems to move a lot faster than Travis, so I could see this becoming a real problem if you're racing through the level, slicing up a storm.

It's No Longer "Open" World: If you liked the open world of the previous game (although some people found it small), you're going to be disappointed to hear that NMH2 sticks to a map system instead. The map system marks where story and side missions are in town and when you select one, you teleport there. To me, it didn't make the world feel small or anything (and given my drugged state, I actually really appreciate the hand-holding with regards to knowing where the next story mission is), but I can think of a few people who wanted more open world, not less.

Shinobu's High Heels: Just watching her sprint in those thigh-high puppies made me want to cry, imagining my poor ankle going through the same motions.

What Should Stay The Same?

Still Endearingly Crass (And Violent): "Tone it down" is not in Suda 51's vocabulary — not even in its Japanese equivalent meaning. From the fourth-wall-breaking narration where Sophie dismisses the need to catch the audience up on the plot of the first game to chopping off people's heads in slow motion with buckets of blood flecking the screen, NMH2 is every bit as inappropriate and violent as the first game. And I don't think the fans would want it any other way.

Still Pretty Easy To Pick Up: There are some updates to gameplay that make bosses more complicated to beat and the training gym mini-games are notoriously difficult. But other than that, it's not hard to master the sword fighting moves or the procedure for charging up your weapon. Newcomers won't be lost.

Fashion Statements Are An Option: You can take Tavis clothes shopping and customize a great deal about his outfit — right down to some shades straight out of the 80s. But what I found really cool is how developer Grasshopper Manufacture gave a nod to Japanese fans by holding a shirt design contest. You can find the winning entries on the racks at the clothing store.

OMG Kitty~! My favorite thing next to the anime video game you can play in Travis's apartment is Travis's cat, Jean. At the end of the first game, she appears to have let herself go and is now a big ball of cat blubber. A mini-game lets you train her with "cat exercises" and arrange her diet so that she loses weight over time. The cat exercises were pretty hilarious — one of them involves Travis hoisting her up over his head, which probably benefits his weight loss more than hers. So adorable! And probably the reason I drew giant smiling cats all over my notes.

Final Thoughts
Now that my ankle is mostly better and I no longer am under the effects of painkillers, I realize how ridiculous the cat thing is. My cat would kick my ass if I tried to lift her over my head under the pretense of trying to make her lose weight.

Also, here's some news you can use:
—There are about 10 hours of gameplay total (side missions and all).
—No save data from the first game carries over or has any impact on the game.
—It doesn't use Wii MotionPlus.
—The motorcycle returns in some side missions.
—Suda 51 had nothing to say either about the ports of the first game to the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, or about his ongoing project with EA.

Some modders have managed to insert Suda's leathery star into two of Valve's more recent titles, Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2.

You can see the Left 4 Dead one here. It's by DethKlan, and is just fine.

Finer, though, is the Travis Touchdown mod for Team Fortress 2 (by MechaWare), which not only sees him dropped into the game, but he gets an energy drink and custom baseball bat as well.

How Travis met Zoey: No More Heroes invades Valve-world [Destructoid]

Wada tells Edge Online that No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is getting the high-definition once over to "bring the game to a wider audience." To wit, Marvelous isn't "currently considering to use uncommon new technology" like Project Natal and Sony's still-unnamed(?) motion controller.

No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is being reworked for a prettier, motion control-free release by Lost Odyssey and Ninety Nine Nights II developers Feelplus. Wada says that the new analog control scheme should "improve the sense of being in the game."

Should No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise find a new publisher and make it to these shores, rest assured, dear reader, that we'll spend ample time sensing the amount of improved being in the remake, holding Wada to his word.

Interview: Yasuhiro Wada [Edge Online]

In a statement to G4, the French publisher said that unlike the original Wii game and its sequel No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise shan't carry the Ubisoft logo on these shores. No reason given, apparently, but here's to hoping Grasshopper Manufacture can find a friend for those of use interested in experiencing "Very Sweet Mode" stateside.

Ubisoft Not Publishing No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise (Aka No More Heroes HD) [G4's The Feed]

Better textures, improved lighting, more pixels, less clothing on the female characters... it's all here! And it can be experienced there—and by "there," we mean Japan—on February 25 of next year. A North American and European release, sure to be announced by someone—a publisher whose name rhymes with Ubisoft, perhaps—is almost a given.

For now, enjoy a batch of No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise screens in the gallery below.

And that's about all we know at this stage, other than a supposed title, No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise.

But we can't say that No More Heroes making the high-definition transition from the Wii to the PS3/360 is much of a surprise. Grasshopper lead Goichi Suda has previously expressed his interest in bringing Travis Touchdown and crew to other consoles.

And, considering Suda's interest in Project Natal—and presumably Sony's PS3 motion controller—the No More Heroes franchise seems like a no-brainer kind of port.

Or maybe Suda and crew were motivated by No More Heroes' Japanese publisher Marvelous Entertainment, which has expressed its disappointment with domestic sales on Nintendo's console, hinting at the possibility of up-res ports of its moderately selling Wii games.

We'll know for sure later this week, when Famitsu would likely reveal more.

UPDATE - The game is indeed in the latest issue of Famitsu, which reveals that it's due out in Japan on February 25. Some new stuff being added for the platform jump include Japanese voice-acting and a game mode where the ladies aren't wearing too many clothes.

You can check out some images from the game below.

"It's not just that," Suda explains. "I wanted to revisit Travis Touchdown. I wanted to write the continuation of his story." NMH lead hero Travis Touchdown is joined by more characters and boss battles this go round in No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle. The title has been in development for about a year and a half and is shooting for an early 2010 release.

"Right now, I don't think I'll make another one, though," says Suda. "This game does wrap up Travis' story nicely." But so many movies are in trilogies — a point that movie buff Suda is quick to concede.

With the advent of Sony's new wand-like motion controls, it would not be a stretch to see something like No More Heroes ported over to the PS3. "I'm not playing platform favorites," says Suda. "For me, No More Heroes is about two handed controls — the way you play. But I do very much think of the game as being a Wii title."

Although, speaking to 1Up, Suda also made clear that "I've finished the story for Travis [Touchdown]. It's completely finished in No More Heroes 2." Anything developed will involve "a different character, or something like that within the series - starting on the next Nintendo platform."

Suda's comments themselves don't betray any knowledge or certainty of such a console, other than the assumption that, yes, its day shall come. So for all of you who took this to mean No More Heroes as you knew it was done, the answer is no.

Actually, I answered differently, and it may have been misinterpreted. What I wanted to say was, looking at the Wii, I think No More Heroes 2 will probably be the last iteration for this current platform. But there's probably going to be a "Wii 2" or other next-gen system from Nintendo at some point, so I was saying that I would want to do another game in the series on the next Nintendo platform.

Goichi Suda Interview [1Up, thanks Joseph L.]

While No More Heroes and its star Travis Touchdown have captured the hearts of many fans on the Nintendo Wii, Suda's ambition might just be too big for the platform. Once the sequel hits store shelves in early 2010, it could be curtains for the Wii franchise.

"I think ['No More Heroes 2'] is the last ‘NMH' that is going to be developed on the Wii. To expand ‘NMH' to new possibilities, we need a new platform. Wii is a great platform, but we've done everything we can with it now."

While disappointing news for Wii owners, it is a move that makes sound business sense. Despite an excellent reception, the first No More Heroes didn't exactly fly off store shelves. One would imagine that a mature title with the charm of NMH would do amazingly well on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or even the iPhone.

Where would you folks like to see No More Heroes go next?

No More Heroes Will "Need A New Platform" [Edge Online via MTV Multiplayer]

No More Heroes designer Goichi Suda is already making off-handed remarks about his desire to see NMH hero Travis Touchdown in the next Smash Bros.. Suda tells Nintendo Power:

I love him (Travis), and I want him to be a huge star. That's why I'm working very hard to make this game as interesting as possible. Maybe in the future, we can see him fighting alongside Link in the next Smash Bros. [laughs] That would be great.

Yes, yes it would.

Suda 51 wants Travis Touchdown in next Smash Bros. game [Nintendo Dpad via IncGamer]

"We developed No More Heroes with the Wii remote in mind," says series designer Goichi Suda, "but now I want to think about games with Natal in mind. I have to ask myself, as a game designer, what new games can be done with this, what can be an interesting experience and challenge, and I'm looking forward to that."

Suda adds, "It's hard to really understand it unless you use it, and it remains to be seen what you can do with it, but I think it'll be a huge device."

Japan's Game Creators Spout Their Takes on E3 [1Up via Kombo]

The "middle audience".

Here, let's let Suda explain. "Well, there are a lot of core gamers, and a lot of lighter users playing on platforms such as the DS - but there's nothing in-between," he said. "I think it's going to be very important for games to be created for that middle audience, and that will help bring the market back on-track. "

This sounds like he's talking about the hard casual players. So, yeah, it could happen.

"Middle audience" to spur Japanese market revival [Games Industry]

Marvelous isn't necessarily publishing the kind of Wii fare that targets the "blue ocean" consumer. Instead, the company is responsible for titles like No More Heroes, Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Arc Rise Fantasia, games that typically make brief appearances on Japanese software sales charts.

A staff post on the official Marvelous site, partly translated by Canned Dogs, partly by GameSetWatch, indicates that staffers there are crestfallen over the company's lack of Wii success, writing "I truly have teary eyes. I feel like crying."

Marvelous staffers appear to be bearing some of the responsibility for the company's current sales situation. Some of the company's titles, No More Heroes for example, sell better in other territories under other publishers.

The unnamed staffer also asks readers to pre-order the upcoming Little King's Story, saying that numbers are dangerously low.

Marvelous Entertainment stuff [Canned Dogs]
Marvelous Teary-eyed Over Poor Wii Game Sales [GameSetWatch]

Marvelous publishes Grasshopper's games in Japan, and the exec says this about that mysterious PS3 title: "If we do that [game] we might go bankrupt," Wada joked to game site Siliconera. "We are making it, but if we make everything then it's a little too risky."

Taking risks is good. Taking risks that bankrupt your company? Less so.

Marvelous Entertainment Publishing A PS3 Game Made By Grasshopper Manufacture [Siliconera]

The game once again stars beam katana assassin Travis Touchdown and Japanese Ukrainian co-hort Sylvia Christel. There's a new character — a hip-hop killer named Nathan Copeland who is ranked 50th by the United Assassins Association. He carries a shape-shifting boom box.

In Desperate Struggle, Travis learns the art of dual beam katana wielding. Details are currently scant about how this translates into gameplay. Expect more details at E3 — hopefully!

Oh. One more thing. The game's developer, Grasshopper Manufacturer, appears to be taking applications for in-game t-shirt designs.

Game site 1UP asked Goichi Suda, the game's designer, whether No More Heroes could ever appear on another platform in the future. "Actually, a lot of the fans were dying to play the game on other consoles, so I think it'd be great if I could do it, but there's no plan yet," said Suda. "[If so,] I would match the content to [fit] the other consoles. No More Heroes could be a big title, like a big IP, so it'd be good to have a chance to release the game on other consoles, and that would maybe maximize the market."

The designer also revealed that the game's sequel, No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, is at the "very end of production". Desperate Struggle, however, will not be playable at E3.

Suda 51: No More Heroes Sequel at "the Very End of Production" [1UP via Develop] [Pic]

The French publisher is bundling both Wii titles in one package, a practice we've not seen much of this generation, particularly on the Wii. EBGames is listing the No More Heroes/Red Steel bundle for a March 19th release in the U.S.

Granted, buying both titles, new and separately, would only set you back about eight bucks more. I'd think it's worth it, if only to hide the shame of not owning an original copy of No More Heroes.

No More Hereos/Red Steel Bundle [EBGames via Kombo]

The Nordic Game Conference pulls devs and industry pundits from all over Europe for their speakers list. As the event has grown in scope and size, they've started scheduling speakers from North America and Japan. Last year, the conference guested ICO and Shadow of the Colossus dev Fumito Ueda.

From the press release:

"Having Keiji Inafune and Goichi Suda join Nordic Game this year highlights the strong and growing relationship between the Japanese and Nordic games communities" said Tom Felices, executive director of the event, "and will offer attendees a unique opportunity to meet two of the most exciting game creators today".

The Japanese duo joins a roster that is guaranteed to draw the attention of the industry around the world: Tom Edwards, Englobe (US), Lars Gustavsson, EA DICE (SWE) and Ryan Schneider, Insomniac Games (US), as well as speakers from Media Molecule (UK) and Grin (SWE) are among the industry heavyweights appearing at Nordic Game 2009.

Nordic Game 2009 kicks off in Malmö, Sweden May 19. Check out the official site for more info.

"What's with all the secrets? Making another No More Heroes game doesn't seem outrageous," I said. "It seems rather obvious." Grasshopper Manufacturer doing No More Heroes 2 should come as big of a shock as Grasshopper Manufacturer doing, says, No More Heroes 3.

"People would get angry at me," Suda said. "Marvelous would get angry at me." He's signed a contract, and most likely a big chunk of that contract included stipulation that he was not to discuss the game.

In film, some directors talk eons in advance, letting everyone know what type of project they're working on, thinking about or even writing. But film is not gaming and gaming is not film. The game industry is different. (Take, for example, the other day when we asked the Ninja Blade producer what the hero's name was, he turned to the Microsoft staffer asking if it was okay to answer. Who cares, really.)

"There are always secrets in the game industry," Suda said, "which is why there's so many rumors." He is right, but things should change. Why not announce that you're working on a new game? Why not say what the game is? Or what's it about? Is the one-two-punch of announcing the game and then showing screenshots or a trailer really the best way? Would it be better to release a trailer much closer to the actual sale date instead of years in advance?

People are waiting for those first images. So make them wait. And drawing that out them, instead of starting with them and literally showing them for years makes a lot more sense.

For the way it's done now, there is a logical progression Suda assured. "You don't simply watch a game," he said. "You have to actually play it, and it takes time to explain that. Players might feel cheated if they don't know exactly what they were getting. Play time is important." No one is disagreeing. It is important. Though, whether or not it's necessary to wait to even talk about a title until there is a batch of screens or a new trailer is another issue altogether. Announcing a new title is no big deal. Announcing what that new title does is.