Which No More Heroes game comes out on top?
The No More Heroes series was originally developed with the Nintendo Wii in mind and immediately became one of the most controversial games in the system's library. Created by Goichi Suda — more commonly known as Suda 51 — the first No More Heroes was one of the few Wii exclusives to receive an M rating in North America for its gory journey through the dog-eat-dog world of becoming a professional assassin.
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While the original No More Heroes sold poorly across most markets, it became a cult classic and slowly started to become more popular as time went on. It would take Suda 51 and his team almost fifteen years to finish off the trilogy of games, while also making a few spin-offs between the main entries. It feels unlikely at this point that we will ever see Travis Touchdown return (in a video game anyway) so now feels like the perfect time to chop up each game in the series and see which one can make its way to the top.
The market for mobile games blew up during the early 2010s as titles like Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans dominated a large portion of the world's attention. Suda 51 thought it would be a great idea to adapt No More Heroes' themes and gameplay to a mobile game with the intention of creating "the social game with the most blood".
In the Japan-only spin-off, you would be able to create your own assassin and take on other players in online battles. You would swipe your screen in a direction to deal damage or block an attack, but it was ultimately a shallow recreation of what makes the series special. It was cool seeing former assassins appear as mission bosses, though.
The No More Heroes brand was stagnant for nearly a decade after the release of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. Suda 51 would spend most of this time working on games like Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead before finally returning to No More Heroes after seeing the Nintendo Switch's potential.
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While Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a bold departure from the series' usual tropes, it still encapsulates the humor and attitude shown in previous entries. After being sucked into a magical game console, Travis Touchdown must navigate his way through a series of worlds inspired by indie games like Hotline Miami and Hyper Light Drifter.
For the longest time, it felt like we would never see Travis Touchdown re-emerge in a proper conclusion to the story that began in 2007. During an E3 presentation in 2019, No More Heroes III would finally be announced as the epic final chapter to one of the most ambitious and violent franchises to appear on Nintendo's hardware.
No More Heroes III takes every element that made the series stand out in the first place and pushes them farther than ever before. The boss fights range from adrenaline-filled confrontations to rounds of musical chairs, the soundtrack has some of the greatest songs in the series (specifically, the Sushi Shop Theme), and enough twists and strange moments to leave your head spinning.
Development on No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle began shortly after the original game had seen a fair amount of success in Western markets. The sequel intended to up the ante by forcing Travis to come out of retirement after one of his closest friends is killed. With revenge as his motivation and the new ability to duel-wield katanas, he sets out to once again claim the number one spot in the world of assassination.
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No More Heroes 2 has the best mini-games in the trilogy and arguably the best soundtrack as well, but it fails to live up to other expectations set by its predecessor. It's the only entry not directed by Suda 51, and its writing and narrative feel just a bit off. The gameplay and bosses are mostly phenomenal, aside from an irritating final confrontation against possibly the most frustrating boss in the entire series.
It took a while for No More Heroes to stand out from the flood of games available for the Wii, but it eventually earned the recognition it deserved by word of mouth and its bold premise. After spending a night with the mysterious Sylvia Christel, Travis Touchdown is coerced into becoming an assassin and accidentally finds himself on the path to becoming number one according to the United Assassins Association.
The rest is simple: Travis must now face off against the top ten killers in Santa Destroy to claim the number one spot and all the prizes that come with it. While exploring the open world of Santa Destroy is by far the worst part of the game, everything else about No More Heroes still feels as fresh and iconic as it did when it was initially released. Memorable villains, stellar dialogue, and hilarious motion controls create a riveting, action-packed adventure that never misses a swing.
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Kyle has been playing video games for as long as he can remember. When he is not playing the latest Nintendo title, he can be found listening to music or watching shows like Survivor and Big Brother. He is also the proud companion of four cats and two gerbils.