Introduction
If you liked No More Heroes then you'll love Madworld. It's got the same over the top special effects and art styles and very similar combat. Surprisingly it's not actually made by the same developers. Although Madworld is quite similar to No More Heroes it's actually very unique and it's refreshing to see a beat em' up/hack and slash type of game still being released on the current gen. I haven't had this much fun since Streets of Rage/Golden Axe!
Plot
Without giving too much away the game is set in a bleak dystopian future. Sounds familiar right? You probably WON'T be playing this game for the storyline, just a warning. While being somewhat cliche the storyline is actually fairly interesting and theres definitely enough content to get you by.
The story is told via cutscenes that are mostly Jack being spoken to via his bluetooth mobile headset dongle thing by XIII and Jack's female ally. The voice acting is extremely solid and the voice actor who plays the main character JACK has also been featured in many different anime/video games that require dubbing. (HE PLAYS MUGEN IN SAMURAI CHAMPLOO)
Gameplay
The gameplay is solid and while it's only flaw is that it can get repetitive it's still a giant gaping flaw. The repetitveness is quite irksome considering the longevity of Madworld being fairly short, though not as short as portal (lol).
The player controls Jack Coleman as he bashes, slashes, stabs and rips his enemies asunder. Much of the environment can be used to kill your enemies in creative ways which can be extremely enjoyable and often outrageous.
One of the more outrageous things in Madworld is the minigames. The minigames are basically just games where you have to kill the most enemies a specific way in before the timer runs out. Some can be VERY fun while others can be a bit of a swing and a miss (read: Human darts).
For most of the game you'll be racking up points and collecting things from the environment so that you can face the boss. Most levels feature a miniboss that appears around halfway through the level and a main boss at the end of the level.
It doesn't really pay to be creative when fighting these bosses and I was a little annoyed that they removed what little sandbox elements this linear game has but I guess I got over it when I saw how awesome the wii waggle was.
Using the wii waggle in similar ways to how it was used in 'No More Heroes'. Many finishing moves using Jacks chainsaw appendage or just using his normal body parts can be executed and it makes the game just that much funner. Additionally when facing the bosses different Wiimote waggle movements are required and this makes up for the rigidity of boss fights.
Multiplayer?
While I'd have liked there to be a legitimate CO-OP mode with online play and a ranking system and a wii headset thingy there simply isn't and this isn't the kind of game that would benefit from it.
The game does feature multiplayer mode but it's simply the minigames from the levels with two players.
Music
Thank god, I was waiting for this. The music in Madworld is probably one of the most innovative things about this game. The developers who produced this game contacted several indie rap artists and asked them to write songs for specific levels. The artists were put on contracts and some of the music (- rapping) was already supplied. They were given a list of things to mention and the only words they weren't allowed to say were: "Pussy" and "Cunt' (sorry if these words are banned on smogon, just edit them out of my post mods).
Heres my favorite song from madworld: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUpIzhabqi8
Graphics
Because of the Wii's limited processing power and graphical capabilites the game is rendered entirely in black and white. While some may find this annoying it kind of grows on you. If you're a huge Sin City fan like me and/or you really thought Schindlers List was totally awesome then you're going to be a fan of the art direction of Madworld because it's black and white and very gruesome.
Conclusion
This game is a must buy. Whatever you prefer. If you don't play this game then you're a sissy girl.