Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes | |
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multiplayer |
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes received mixed reviews upon release, with critics praising its story and imaginative presentation, while finding the game play aspects repetitive. Five months after the game's initial release, No More Heroes III was announced at E3 2019, acting as a follow-up to the game, and a proper sequel to the series, released on the Nintendo Switch on August 27, 2021.[3]
Gameplay
In a change for the series, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is played from a top-down perspective. As Travis, players are tasked with going through multiple video games and defeating the bugs in each game. The levels are inspired by various video game genres such as
Travis can return to his trailer at any time during game play, where the player can purchase new attire to wear, and access the "Death Drive MK-II", which hosts the video games the player will explore. From the trailer, the player can also access "Travis Strikes Back" - an adventure mode designed as a classic visual novel where Travis explores the real world in search for "Death Balls" that contain the Death Drive's video games.
Plot
Seven years after the events of No More Heroes 2,[5] a former professional baseball player turned assassin named Badman is on the run from the Smith Syndicate. He is tracked down by one of the syndicate's assassins, Dan Smith, who is seeking retribution for being double crossed. Badman justifies his actions as being for the sake of his own survival, as he wishes to get revenge on Travis Touchdown, who had murdered his daughter, Bad Girl, during the events of No More Heroes. Dan successfully tracks down Travis' location, granting Badman a Death Ball and allowing Badman to live, under the condition that he kill Travis, and use the ball to resurrect his daughter.
Travis — now 37 years old — has isolated himself and lives in a camper in a forest in Texas, where he spends his time playing video games. When Badman attempts to ambush Travis, the two accidentally awake a dormant video game console in Travis' possession — the "Death Drive MK-II". The console reacts to Badman's Death Ball, and the two get transported into the video game that's contained in it. Travis and Badman learn from the console's AI construct, Death & Drive, that the unreleased console was created by Dr. Juvenile, and completing the six Death Balls that contain the only games developed for the console will grant its player one wish. The two form a truce, opting to team up to locate every Death Ball, and defeat all of the games, in order to resurrect Bad Girl.[6][7][8][9][10]
Despite warnings, Travis and Badman successfully complete every Death Ball; however one of the games — Killer Marathon — turns out to be an incomplete version of the game. As such, when they wish for Bad Girl's resurrection, she ends up being resurrected in the form of a dog. Travis later ends up locating a prototype for a Death Ball which, rather than transporting him into a video game, transports him directly into the CIA. Massacring his way through the facility he locates the Death Drive mother machine which is being guarded by Dr. Juvenile, who has infiltrated the facility and taken the form of "White Sheepman". Travis, expressing respect for her talents and sympathy for her suffering, reluctantly battles and ultimately defeats her. He interacts with the mother machine and is transported to Mars, where he meets John Winter; the creator of the very original Death Drive and Juvenile's mentor. Winter explains that he retired to Mars to escape Earth's problems, and safeguards the planet, opposing the government's plans to emigrate there. He offers Travis the opportunity to stay on Mars and live a perfect life. Travis declines, realizing that he can't abandon his past, and deciding to face his problems head on. Winter responds by decapitating Travis, as the only way for him to return is to "die".
Back on Earth, Travis is approached by his self-proclaimed pupil, Shinobu Jacobs, who asks him to return from hiding to face the assassins. Travis remarks that it's time for bloodshed. In a playable post-credits segment, Travis is controlled from a third person perspective similar to the previous No More Heroes games, set in a default Unreal Engine level. While attempting to approach a dummy, Travis berates the player for treating the area like a game, saying that they're currently "in development".
DLC #2: Bubblegum Fatale
Following the events of the main campaign, Travis and Shinobu are intercepted by Travis' twin brother Henry, who is now part of an enigmatic order with a vendetta against Travis. Travis and Shinobu prepare to battle against his subordinates before they're interrupted by a pair of villainous alien lucha libre wrestlers bent on world domination, and a self-proclaimed super hero named "Notorious". When Travis questions the sudden presence of the new characters, Shinobu wonders whether they are foreshadowing "the next game". The standoff is once again interrupted, this time by Death & Drive, who have broken free of the Death Drive MK-II and are seeking a battle against Travis. He manages to beat them in a game of Fire Pro Wrestling, obtaining the location of the completed version of the Killer Marathon Death Ball, which is in the possession of Travis' wife, Sylvia Christel. Travis returns to her estate, obtaining the Death Ball and reconnecting with his daughter and wife in the process. After beating the completed version of Killer Marathon, Travis and Badman successfully resurrect Bad Girl. Travis also spots a glimpse of the Death Drive mother machine, which states that coding has been completed.
Development
Following the release of No More Heroes 2, Goichi Suda had been looking for an opportunity to continue the series, but became busy with other projects, such as his involvement with Let It Die. In mid-2016, as work on Let It Die was concluding, he was invited to one of Nintendo's pre-release developer meetings for the then-upcoming Nintendo Switch. While the console was different from the Wii, it offered similar motion-based features through the Joy-Con, and he recognized he could revive No More Heroes for the system. He felt the game would fit in well among the planned Switch titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.[6]
Suda considered the No More Heroes series as "fun slash 'em up kind of games", but with Travis Strikes Again, he wanted to play around with the history of video games and the idea of retro games, and "how Travis would interact with the individual rules and the individual vibe from each game".
There will also be sections of the game that use the standard gameplay approach as the other No More Heroes titles.[12] One goal of the game for Suda was to have it be completely playable on a single Joy-Con controller for the Nintendo Switch version, simplifying the controls compared to the second game.[9] Reporters from Eurogamer and Polygon have taken Suda's comments that the game may support multiplayer, since the Switch supports two Joy-Con. Suda was unable to speak on this under confidentiality at PAX West, but did tell reporters who asked about this that there are "two main characters, so draw your own conclusions, if you want".[9][19][5]
The game is being developed in Unreal Engine 4.[20] At the time of reveal, Robin Atkin Downes, the voice of Travis in the previous titles, had reportedly not been asked to reprise his role in Travis Strikes Again.[21] He was later confirmed to be returning to the role in December 2018.[22]
Travis Strikes Again was teased during the January 2017 reveal conference of the Nintendo Switch. Suda was present for the live event, and appeared on stage to show a promotional image of Travis Touchdown wearing a shirt that said "Travis Strikes Again";
On November 14, 2018, Grasshopper Manufacture announced that Travis Strikes Again would receive a physical edition which would be distributed by
A
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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USgamer | 3.5/5[40] |
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes received "mixed or average reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic.[28]
Several reviewers for Famitsu noted that the concept of switching between different "games" was a unique approach that offered the game a constantly refreshing sense of presentation, praising the game's ability to make the player want to keep playing in order to find out what happens next. The visuals and combat of the game were also praised for their explosive style and satisfying feedback, though a few reviewers felt that at times the combat could end up being a bit of a grind.[32]
The Switch version of the game met internal expectations for sales,[42] reaching 24th on the eShop best sellers chart.[43] The PS4 version did not place in the top 30 in its week of release.[44]
Notes
References
- ^ a b Romano, Sal (August 1, 2019). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition launches October 17 in North America and Europe". Gematsu. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is 35-40% Complete Says Suda51 - Siliconera". Archived from the original on 2019-01-18. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
- ^ @NintendoAmerica (June 11, 2019). "Travis Touchdown returns to Santa Destroy after a ten-year absence in the latest numbered entry in the No More Heroes series... No More Heroes 3 for #NintendoSwitch is coming in 2020! #NMH3" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Doolan, Liam (November 9, 2018). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Physical Listing Reveals Season Pass". Nintendo Life. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- ^ US Gamer. Archived from the originalon November 22, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ a b c Fillari, Alessandro (September 13, 2017). "Suda51 Talks His Love For The Switch, No More Heroes, And His Destiny To Be With Nintendo". GameSpot. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ a b Dornbush, Jonathon (August 30, 2017). "No More Heroes for Switch Officially Revealed". IGN. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^ US Gamer. Archived from the originalon September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Matulef, Jeffrey (September 5, 2017). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes can be played entirely on one Joy-Con". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Makedonski, Brett (September 5, 2017). "When it comes to Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, I'm most interested in the bad guy". Destructoid. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Brian (November 5, 2017). "Suda51 on Travis Strikes Again – development progress and team, the game's crazy backstory, more". Nintendo Everything. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Shea, Brian (September 4, 2017). "Suda51 Talks No More Heroes And Apologizing To The Interpreter From The Switch Reveal". Game Informer. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Knezevic, Kevin (September 11, 2017). "Nintendo Switch Exclusive No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again's Game Crossovers Don't Work Like You Think". GameSpot. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
- ^ Pereira, Chris (March 20, 2018). "Even More Switch Games Confirmed After Nintendo's Showcase Stream". GameSpot. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Conduit, Jessica (September 15, 2017). "'Travis Strikes Again' puts 15 indie titles in one Suda51 game". Engadget. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
- ^ "Wind Waker T-Shirts Are Heading To Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes". NintendoSoup. April 15, 2019.
- ^ "Here's How to Unlock Zelda: Majora's Mask T-Shirts on Travis Strikes Again". 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes reveals new t-shirts, including Zelda II". 27 February 2019.
- ^ Gill, Patrick (September 5, 2017). "Suda51 hints at No More Heroes multiplayer on Switch". Polygon. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Nintenmau5 (3 September 2017). "Suda51 Talks About The Gameplay For No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again". MyNintendoNews. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Fischer, Tyler (2 September 2017). "Robin Atkin Downes Will Not Reprise His Role as Travis in No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again". DualShockers. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ @Grasshopper_EN (December 20, 2018). "Introducing the #TravisStrikesAgain #NoMoreHeroes Voice Cast! Of course, you can't have Travis Touchdown without Ro…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Travis Touchdown Is Back With A New No More Heroes On Nintendo Switch". Siliconera. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
- Siliconera. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Sal Romano (November 14, 2018). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes physical edition to be released in North America and Europe, includes Season Pass - Gematsu". Gematsu. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
- ^ @NintendoAmerica (December 20, 2018). "The #TravisStrikesAgain: #NoMoreHeroes Season Pass will be available to purchase in #NintendoSwitch #eShop on 1/18 for $9.99 and includes two volumes of additional content!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @Grasshopper_EN (December 20, 2018). "Introducing the all-star lineup of #TravisStrikesAgain #NoMoreHeroes' main voice cast!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - Complete Edition for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Carter, Chris (16 January 2019). "Review: Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes". Destructoid. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Goroff, Michael (16 January 2019). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Japan: Here's Famitsu's Travis Strikes Again Review". My Nintendo News. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- Game Revolution. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Vazquez, Suriel (16 January 2019). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - Returning to bat country". Game Informer. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Higham, Michael (16 January 2019). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Review - Short On Heroics". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Petite, Steven (16 January 2019). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Review". IGN. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Travis Strikes Again No More Heroes: A Generous and Uninhibited Journey". Jeuxvideo.com. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- Nintendo Life. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Ronaghan, Neal (16 January 2019). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- USgamer. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Robinson, Martin (18 January 2010). "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes review - a banal bore of a game". Eurogamer. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Vazquez, Suriel (12 June 2019). "Suda51 Tells Us What To Expect From No More Heroes III". Game Informer. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "Switch eShop charts (1/26/19)". Nintendo Everything. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ Romano, Sal (30 October 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 10/21/19 – 10/27/19 [Update]". Gematsu. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)