Just wanted to ramble about No More Heroes, now that 3 is coming out tomorrow. This is probably gonna be long winded, just so you know. These are just some thoughts on NMH and Suda 51.
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Suda 51. He's probably the most influential creator to me personally. His work really shaped me as a kid. No More Heroes in particular. I got it when I was 11. Ordered it online with a Visa gift card because I wouldn't have been allowed to play it as a kid. Those early years of puberty really shape who you become in your future, and I played NMH at that perfect time. Situation at school and home sucked. Mental health problems and all that jazz. Family was in this stupid rat race to see who's kid was the best, boxing us into who they wanted us to be. Parents were strict on top of that. It felt super restricting, like you couldn't breathe. The whole punk theme of NMH really resonated with me at the time. It was super liberating. It was like vulgarity cranked up to the max. It was rebellious. It was violent and sexual in the best, most exaggerated way possible. It was human. And it was cool as fuck. But there was actual substance to the game too. It was fun. At the same time, there's depth to the storytelling. You're there for the violence and tits, but the themes of the game are also thought provoking. The characters were amazing. I wanted to see more of (almost) every assassin. The soundtrack was a masterpiece. I could go on and on. But as I got older, my appreciation for the game matured. When I think of games being art, I think of Suda's work. Because that's what they are. I always think of Suda being a visionary and artist rather than a game developer. There's a point and message in all of his work. Most of them really thought provoking, at least anything he directs. NMH 2 was a great game, but he didn't direct it. He had a producer roll. The game was NMH on the surface, but it lacked the layer beneath that made a Suda game in my opinion. I love NMH 2, but not nearly as much as 1 for that reason. Killer 7 is another game that's super layered, and I remember there was a point where it was literally all I thought about for months. There's so much there to dissect and interpret, it's like one of the world's greatest pieces of art. And that's kinda why his games are so divisive. They sacrifice game design sometimes for the sake of the ideas presented. But the games he directs always have soul, and they always stand out in the hundreds of bland ass games that come out every year. They're genuine. They're human. And they're stylish as fuck.
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Anyways, hope you fuckers enjoy No More Heroes 3. Thanks for reading this shit if you did. Can't wait to return to Santa Destroy.