'No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again' features 'Hotline Miami,' 'Shovel Knight'

Grasshopper Manufacture surprised fans by debuting the first trailer for No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again at Nintendo’s “Nindies Showcase” this week. The third entry in the series, and the first since 2010, Travis Strikes Again will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch in 2018.

“We’ve received a tremendous amount of support from our fans over the years, and we are delighted to finally share Travis Touchdown’s next great adventure with fans of Nintendo Switch,” said Goichi Suda, the Grasshopper Manufacture founder commonly referred to as Suda 51.

The trailer further clears up some confusion about the nature of Travis Touchdown’s next game. Originally teased during the Nintendo Switch Tokyo press event in January, it wasn’t entirely evident whether the game would be “No More Heroes 3” or a spinoff. As it turns out, it’s kind of both, which actually makes sense given the disorienting nature of Suda 51’s games.

Travis Strikes Again is a story of revenge set in the countryside in the southern United States, just one year after the events of the first game. At the end of the first game, Travis inflicted fatal wounds to Badgirl, and Badman is now seeking revenge for his daughter’s death. What initially sounds like a typical tale of vengeance set between No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle gets thrown for a loop by the “Death Drive MK-II” console.

Described as a phantom game console concocted by Doctor Juvenile, the Death Drive MK-II — first seen in Grasshopper’s Soulslike Let it Die — drags Travis and Badman into its game world. Acting like a genie of sorts, the console will grant wishes to the competitor who uncovers and completes six games scattered around the world.

Grasshopper Manufacture has partnered with indie studios for at least some of these games. The trailer showed off Dennaton Games’ Hotline Miami, so we know the 2012 hit will be one of the challenges. Suda also revealed that Yacht Club Games’ Shovel Knight would be included during a live-stream on event on August 31.

The indie game challenges will be accompanied by the action the No More Heroes franchise has been known for. Travis will once again use his beam katana to slaughter hordes of enemies and bosses.

Travis Strikes Again marks the first time in a decade that Suda 51 will serve as a director on a game.

Grasshopper Manufacture promised to share more information about Travis Strikes Again “in the coming months.” Grasshopper is also at work remastering The 25th Ward, an episodic mobile game previously only available in Japan.

Update: Added information on Shovel Knight and Let it Die.