No more boredom

I think I've found my rhythm in No More Heroes. So long as there's not much to buy between title bouts, saving up for the next one can be relatively quick. Relatively.

The game definitely becomes much more interesting and much more fun once you've unlocked Lovikov's combat techniques. Being able to dash, and seeing enemies on your minimap are fine, but the jump strike and the jumping downward strike are two things that make combat much more than Wiimote flailing and button mashing. There's almost strategy to it now, since the jump strike knocks opponents back, allowing for an instant finishing move, and Travis' increased strength makes it easier to daze enemies, leaving them vulnerable to wrestling techniques.

Plus, completely unexpectedly, the lead-up to the seventh title fight continues to innovate the "hallway-of-enemies-before-the-boss" formula. Not by too much, perhaps, but still. It's the atmosphere of the lead up that sets it apart.

You go into a subway, that's completely deserted, make your way to the train, fight your way through it, and then go through another apparently abandoned subway station. After returning to the surface you find yourself at a warehouse/studio space and fight your way through to the boss. None of the enemies are particularly difficult, but the intro video for the title fight is entertaining, and the boss battle that follows is excellent.

In the style of so many 3D fights with the Legend of Zelda's Ganondorf, part of the battle involves hitting Destroyman's projectiles back at him. The rest of the fight breaks with this classic pattern and requires you to wait for openings in Destroyman's offense/defense to attack. Executing wrestling moves on him does major damage and is incredibly satisfying. The challenge of this boss fight, and the degree to which they seem to be actually steadily increasing in difficulty, makes it likely that this could still turn out to be a decent game.

Just so long as the grinding doesn't get ridiculous, though it looks likely that the entry fee for the last fight will be £1,000,000.