Skip to main content

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

Travis Strikes Again: PAX West Trailer - Nintendo Switch
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.

Editors' Recommendations

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
No More Heroes and its sequel are coming to Steam next week
no-more-heroes-1-and-2-coming-to-steam-next-week

No More Heroes and its sequel No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle are coming to Steam on June 9, marking the first time the mainline series will appear on PC. This news comes directly from publisher Xseed Games, which released a set of trailers for the upcoming Steam releases.

No More Heroes (Steam) - Launch Date Announcement Trailer

Read more
Goichi Suda talks building ‘Travis Strikes Again’ in the long shadow of Zelda
travis strikes back interview again duel

No More Heroes games are defined by bizarre, over-the-top action, focused on flamboyant, audacious protagonist Travis Touchdown. The next entry in the series, Travis Strikes Again, promises a magnificent return to form, pulling players back into the bizarre world of Santa Destroy, with a few twists to keep you on your toes.

The first of these was revealed in the launch trailer for Travis Strikes Again. Travis and his rival, Badman, get sucked into the Death Drive Mk-II, a futuristic game console made of bones. Like we said -- No More Heroes is bizarre.

Read more
No More Heroes director’s The Silver Case gets a PC remake in 2016
suda51s the silver case gets localized pc release this year silvercase thumb

A landmark adventure game from Japanese developer Grasshopper Manufacture and No More Heroes series director Goichi Suda (aka Suda51) will be playable in English for the first time ever with the upcoming PC launch of The Silver Case HD, Famitsu revealed this week.

Developed in collaboration with indie-focused Japanese publisher Playism, The Silver Case HD will feature remastered graphics and other improvements compared to its original 1999 release.

Read more