Topic: No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle

[ShyGuy]

Second sword doesn't seem to do as much damage but it doesn't use the battery as quickly either. It's like a GE energy saver light bulb sword.

[Stratos]

I can see myself switching to the CC for the retro minigames for the d-pad alone.

I do miss the overworld a lot. I wish they included it but had a map option that allowed to to go from the free roaming overworld to the quick map selection screen instantaneously so that once you had finished having your wandering fun you could just warp to where you wanted to go next.

[Mop it up]

All right, I've got a little question that perhaps one of you could answer.

I've been considering this game (well, the first game) because it sounds interesting, but I'm not really a fan of overly violent games. However, that depends on how it is presented. In the case of House of the Dead Overkill, with a name like "Overkill," it is very self-aware that it is overdone. That's the way it was intended to be; it is not only an homage to campy horror movies, but is also a parody of itself. MadWorld, however, is overly violent for the sake of being violent. It doesn't really add anything and seems rather unnecessary.

I know this is kind of a different game than those two. But if you were to compare it to one of them, to which style is this more similar?

[ShyGuy]

It's more vulgar than violent. The violence is fairly cartoonish. The whole game seems like a satire working on several levels.

[that Baby guy]

I'm going to spoil the first fight for you:

When you kill the boss, you do a finishing move.  You cut off his head.  It goes flying up into the air, and blood splatters out of his head and his body.  It lands back on his body, and he just kind of stands there, dead.  Later during the cutscene, it turns out he's still alive.  He tells you he's working on revenge against Travis, that his plan takes more than just him, and then he lifts his head off of his body, and holds it in his hand.  I believe blood splatters again, and then he collapses.

The game is over-the-top with it's violence.  Every boss death is similar to the one described above, but usually not as extravagant.  There's blood splatter, but it's not realistic.  All in all, it's cartoonish because it's so exaggerated.  Aside from blood, I haven't seen any actual guts or insides, though.

Also be aware that one of the long-running jokes involve overt sexual overtones with Travis and the leading lady.  And the innuendo is very, very heavy just about every time she's in a cutscene.

[Stratos]

Also be aware that one of the long-running jokes involve overt sexual overtones with Travis and the leading lady.  And the innuendo is very, very heavy just about every time she's in a cutscene.

Not to mention the camera almost solely squared on her cleavage during said cutscenes.

I'm rather frustrated, though. I can't beat the #50 guy. I lose all of the charge in my sword instantly and can't tell why and there is no time to recharge because I'm getting hit my gun placements and rockets of his. I can't get any hits in about half way through the battle. It's crazy.

[that Baby guy]

Really?  I thought he was easy =P

For one thing, roll to avoid the missiles.  You have to wait until they're relatively close, or you'll end the roll when they meet you.

The reason why your sword would be depleting is likely because you're blocking too much.  Every attack you block, at least with the first game, eats away at your sword's charge much too quickly.  Remember you can already own two katanas at this point, and you can switch them on the fly, as well.

Essentially, you want to dodge his attacks, and not block them, unless it's necessary.  If you run out of charge, go into the side room with the chests, and get the battery.  If you run out again, head back that way to charge up, since you're more or less  as safe as possible in there.

[Stratos]

His missiles seemed to find me even in that side room. I might be poorly timing my dodges as well. Do you auto block when you are locked on to an enemy? That may be why it goes so fast because I didn't even think I was blocking. Those pillar guns also seem to be a big pain.

[that Baby guy]

That's exactly how you auto-block, you can't be swinging, either, I believe.  When you go to a corner of the side room, I wouldn't think they could reach.  If you dodge with the right timing, then they'll blow up away from you, unless you're right by a wall or something.

[D_Average]

Just bumped into this blog today and the guy has a pretty decent take on Suda's style.

http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/2010/01/a-fistful-of-suda.html

[TheFleece]

I'm a little past the point where you can play as Shinobu and from that point on I've had a lot of camera issues ranging from not being able to see enemies or not having control of the camera at all. I've resorted to hold the Z button while I move around, but this also makes things hard to handle. Anyone else have this problem?

[ShyGuy]

Boss no 50 was hard.

[Caliban]

It's a shame about those frame rate dips during cutscenes.

#50 wasn't that hard even though I survived with very few heart pixels. I had gone to the gym and completed the stamina and muscle exercises, but I think that the rockets and lasers were doing high damage for the few times I got hit by them.

[Mop it up]

The game is over-the-top with it's violence.  Every boss death is similar to the one described above, but usually not as extravagant.  There's blood splatter, but it's not realistic.  All in all, it's cartoonish because it's so exaggerated.  Aside from blood, I haven't seen any actual guts or insides, though.

I don't mind that so much, because it serves a purpose. Mostly I don't like realistic violence (and realistic games in general), or violence just because they can. If it's supposed to be satirical like ShyGuy says, then it serves a purpose.

And hey, if the gameplay is good then it's all worth it, right?

Also be aware that one of the long-running jokes involve overt sexual overtones with Travis and the leading lady.  And the innuendo is very, very heavy just about every time she's in a cutscene.

I don't really care about that. I probably won't find it humourous, but I'm not bothered by that kind of thing.

[EasyCure]

#50 was the zealot with the boomblaster right?

I'm surprised none of you mentioned this in your tips for stratos (unless I missed it) but you don't have to dodge his missiles.. you can swat them back at him with a well timed hit from your beam katana. It makes the fight SO much easier because it'll stun him long enough to get some good combos in and even one of those "finishers" or two. Also keep in mind that the Dark Side moves work a little different in this game...

In NMH1 you'd get those random power moves depending on the slots that show up when you get consecutive hits/kills, but this never happens in boss fights. With boss fights the only break you could hope for is the "dark side slide" (as I like to call it, which the game never explains) where you could tap left/right on the control stick as you're blocking which would make things go dark and slow-mo as travis would slide around his opponent to unlease a bigger than normal combo. Honestly I don't know how I got thru more than half the game without knowing about it...

Anyway that was the first game. In the sequel your Ecstacy gauge works differently, you'll still get the slots power ups, which still don't appear in boss fights... HOWEVER!...

with enough consecutive hits, without taking damage yourself.. your tiger will fill up to red (with a glowing white border) and you can hit the Minus button whenever you want to perform your Dark Side combos; screen goes dark, lock on your enemy and tap a like a motherfucker. Travis will do some Mattix style combo whee he's just a blur on the screen while your opponent just stands there and takes it like a bitch.

And yes, you can do those it boss fights. Better still, the end of the combo always let's you do a power/finisher slash. I haven't noticed if it kills your battery faster thnan normal or not but..

GOOD players will fight smart and juggle recharging between attacks or retreat to a relative safezone to recharge. Almost every fight has one. For instance for #50, the room where the energy/battery refills are, you can hide behind the wall safely from the Boss' missiles while you do your thing. Without both above tips, I wouldn't of made it past that fat "psychotic ****" Matt.

You're welcome.

[DAaaMan64]

I might start this over. I started playing the game rank #23 right now, the game is just to easy on easy mode. Nothing is challenging. Shouldn't have done that.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Why would you start on Easy?
at minimum Normal mode to start.

[EasyCure]

I might start this over. I started playing the game rank #23 right now, the game is just to easy on easy mode. Nothing is challenging. Shouldn't have done that.

Most terrible username for the most terrible gamer.. *shakes head*

Why dude, why?

[that Baby guy]

The good thing about this game, or at least, its predecessor, is that whenever you'd die, you'd start right back where you left off.  I haven't died yet here, but I'd imagine it's the same way.  Hence, there's no reason not to play on a harder difficulty, so you have to learn to work around boss patterns, and things like that.

[Stratos]

If you don't mind the sex and over-the-top violence, Mop it up, I suggest trying the game. Performing different wrestling moves is the funnest part for me.

[EasyCure]

Mop_it_up, you can also just find the opriginal NMH for pretty cheap. That way you can get a feel for what the game is like, and if you like it you'd know (from all of us) that the sequel is all that but better!

And did we mention that there's minigames in which you play with an adorable cat in eatch game!?!? Its my favorite thing to do now that I can't ride the bike around town aimlessly.

Ps did anyone find my tips useful? :-/ I spent too much time on that post to let it be ignored..

[Mop it up]

The games have an easy mode? Well why didn't you say so in the first place? That puts it higher up on the interest chart, for sure.

[DAaaMan64]

My reasoning is this: in unpolished games, frustration can be tripled, quadrupled even. (lack o' playtesting and iteration) With NMH its more about style and story, neither of which require me to play a higher difficulty to get more of. But it is just too damn easy on this difficulty.

[Peachylala]

I went to Mild and haven't turned back.

The second boss battle, the giant football guy, and his groupies, summon a giant mech. Also, the groupies all look the same and have boobie physics. This is the greatest thing ever.

[Dirk Temporo]

MadWorld, however, is overly violent for the sake of being violent. It doesn't really add anything and seems rather unnecessary.

Wow. You're wrong.