As a big fan of the first No More Heroes, I was pretty excited to play the sequel. Inserting the disc in to my Wii, I automatically expected more of the same: tongue on cheek dialogue, memorable characters and varied gameplay.
In reality: not quite. No More Heroes 2 plays more like a prettier, stripped down version of the original: no more free roaming, no more telephone call moments, no more K Entertainment?!
Without giving too much away, the plot was also a little contrived. Fifty assassin battles were cut down to more like ten. The final plot twist also felt more like an anti-climax.
You are also granted the ability to play as two extra characters: Shinobu and Henry,both from the first game. Henry's part is fun, bizarre albeit short-lived, but Shinobu's adventure soon outlives its welcome. For some reason her levels include jumping on platforms: which invariably resulted in repeated failures given the clumsy controls.
The main selling point of the game seems to be the retro minigames. Personally, I didn't enjoy these, but I can see how they would appeal to a significant portion of the gaming market.
PROS:
-Plenty of customisable outfits, weapons and wrestling moves.
-Plenty of familiar faces from the original No More Heroes.
-Plenty of minigames
-Pretty graphics
CONS:
-No more exploration
-Short
-Annoying compulsary platforming segment
-Confusing storyline
-Repetitive battles
-Uninspired script.
VERDICT: Worth a playthrough, but the original is far superior.