It's kinda fucked up how Sheb Wooley gets relieved that the Purple People Eater only eats purple people. Sure he came to be in a rock and roll band but if he ever gets to a purple person it's over. And he isn't even that good, to be honest. I still think he easily beats Alvin and his devilspawn brothers, we truly live in the worst timeline possible.

In his seminal work, "スペインはアメリカから鉱物を返還しなければならない (Supein wa Amerika kara kōbutsu o henkan shinakereba naranai)" Liquidrocks calls this game a love letter filled with anthrax and after thoroughly playing it and barely paying attention to it I tend to agree with him. This isn't game as much as a shoutbox for Suda51. He's at his most caustic here, going through a list of grievances and screaming and each and everyone of them.

The only place he really holds back is in regards to what I assume he considers his peers, the indie game scene (specifically the western one, and predominantly Devolver at that), constantly showing how they have come to inspire him, narratively speaking at least. Playing this made me remember fondly the times when I started playing videogames, being utterly enthralled by the magic of computers and consoles. There was a whole summer where I pretended to be a Warcraft 3 unit, clicking the ground in my mind to move around the house and looking at the sky wondering if the aliens would get me like in the Sims 2.

This acidic tirade can be a doubled edged sword since it looks like the list that includes you, the player. Simply put, this is not enjoyable to play roughly 70% of the time, with mediocre beat em 'up action and barebones rgp mechanics with skills and yadda yadda. It also doesn't help that you all of the six stages feel like they are about double the lenght they should be and barely use the gimmick of the game they take place in. The only break in monotony are some visual novel segments with their own highs and lows, exceeding at criticizing the medium but in my opinion failing at making the self references to Suda's previous work feel anything but reculer. This was a dissapointment to me, as I expected to vibe with this part of the story, but I ended up looking at what felt to me a man masturbating inside his own game about how cool his other games are. Granted if I ever finish making any of the projects I envision I would do the same 24/7 but it would have class, baby.

All in all a really mixed bag to me, saved by the charm of it all and the pretty well done message of pain inflicted upon the creator. Also Boneface fucking rules, straight A on the designs. 9/11 didn't happen.

The long-awaited return of Travis Touchdown breaks away Nintendo exclusivity with all of its DLC in tow. Meant as more of a teaser for No More Heroes 3 (and possibly Shadows of the Damned 2) rather than the next main entry in the series, Travis Strikes Again features a more arcade style of gameplay with an emphasis on co-op and top-down hack 'n slash action. It's simplistic to a fault as all you're given are a light and heavy attack that can't be chained together in any way to create combos. Grasshopper Manufacture tried to add some depth via rechargable skill chip abilities and giving each stage its own unique mechanic (one might incorporate some platforming while another will have you rotating sections of the map to open up paths), but at the end of the day it all boils down to simply button mashing your way through wave after wave of bland enemy types and I grew tired of that before I even finished the first level.

What ultimately kept playing outside of my completionist attitude was an interest in seeing just what kind of weirdness director Suda51 came up with this time. The plot is disappointingly told through a sometimes tedious to click through visual novel, but the sense of humor and fourth wall breaking antics you would expect are still in place. I really enjoyed seeing Suda tie so many of his games together into one shared universe and the game-within-a-game premise allows for a lot of meta commentary on the industry. Writing and setting-wise this ranks among his strangest works, which should excite any member of his fanbase. I only wish it had been presented in a more enjoyable manner than just text on the screen.

Outside of sharing the same protagonist, the only time this actually looks like a No More Heroes game is during the boss fights. These creatively designed encounters are easily the highlight of the package, but given how limited you are in combat they are in no way able to elevate the experience above its faults in the same way they did for the previous two titles. While certainly packed with content the repetitive nature, lackluster storytelling method, and obvious budgetary constraints made this too much of a chore to play for me to even consider giving it another go on New Game + or grinding enough to fully level up each character. As a result, this is the first Grasshopper/Suda production I've blatantly disliked.

5/10

Travis Strikes Again is a game that I appreciated way more than I personally enjoyed. It's a loving tribute to not just indie games but indie developers, Suda51's previous projects, and gaming as a whole. You truly feel that love in its sleek presentation as it takes you through the worlds of several fictional video games that are both subtle and obvious homages to existing titles.

However, I felt that the core gameplay itself left a lot to be desired, especially coming hot off the heels of the previous two games in this series. I know fans of this entry will roll their eyes reading this, but... it is pretty repetitive. While yes, they do try to spice things up with 'chip sets," which provide rechargeable special attacks with different powers and bonuses, it's not quite enough to sustain interest over 10+ hours of gameplay. Perhaps co-op makes this more palatable, but it felt like a step down nonetheless.

Story-wise, there wasn't much going on here for me since NMH1 was the first Suda51 title I played less than a week ago, and so much of this adventure relies on you following his work throughout the years. While, yes, there were some funny moments and lines of dialogue, as expected, even without context, it was still a shame to be out of the loop for so much of this.

It's a charming tribute to countless things that mean so much to so many in the gaming world, and you really feel the love that went into the presentation of Travis Strikes Again, and if it wasn't for that, there wouldn't have been much incentive here to see the credits.

Still, it got me pumped for No More Heroes 3 so mission accomplished either way I guess!

5/10

a game made for grasshopper fans (not for nmh fans), i can greatly appreciate how personal this game is for suda and how open he is about his emotions and his journey in his life and the gaming industry. a love letter to indie games too, i love how there's a whole level about how awesome hotline miami is lol. maybe its a skill issue but i found this game to be pretty challenging at points (in sort of a bad way). art style is really cute. soundtrack is amazing, one of the best in the kill the past series. enjoyed this alot but i feel like its close to being something really incredible.

slc, a volta de suda51 como diretor e desenvolvedor de jogos não é surpresa que ia trazer algo tão bom quanto Travis Strikes Again. Diferente dos 2 No more Heroes, você tem algo mais reflexivo por parte do Travis e por parte do roteiro. Ainda continua tendo a criatividade insana de Goichi Suda, e uma gameplay frenética, mas quando o jogo se volta para os diálogos, principalmente nas fitas a cada fase final, você vê que é algo completamente fora da vibe dos jogos anteriores... Sua reflexão em desenvolvimento de jogos e a insatisfação de um criador é feita brilhantemente, literalmente te pondo em 6 jogos completamente diferentes uns dos outros em level design e até como você soluciona a fase. Enfim, um projeto bem pessoal e provavelmente o melhor da série (provavelmente pq não joguei o 3). Além do mais a OST é incrível.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=w-pOFYK0WiU

https://youtube.com/watch?v=GS1P9QFwAX8

https://youtube.com/watch?v=aXk7GnukETE

Algumas das minhas favoritas. Experiência muito foda, agora é zerar o resto dos jogos dele antes de chegar Outubro e lançar o 3 pra PC.

I still find it fun despite the kind of weird balancing of gameplay (definitely prefer this easier way to charge the beam sword), but sometimes the movement is a little stuttery which can lead to some big mistakes at key points & with the drastic shifts in visual gameplay some parts I breeze through while others I get completely stuck on (like the level I'm at now, which is why I'm shelving it).

Also unrelated to the gameplay experience (since you can't even really see them in-game), but it's cool to have a game where you can outfit your character with Disco Elysium merch; if only that crossed over into other games...

Introspective Memorial

For the past months, starting with The Silver Case I've been analyzing Suda51's work on detail to see where the fuzz is with him and his works in particular. A clear obsession over someone's work? Everyone has their favorites; Franchises, names, characters, writters, composers, designers, companies all in the name of familiarity under the sense of comfort. No one can deny that Suda51 has made a name for himself in the industry, starting off working with several other companies before creating "Grasshopper Manufacture" his very own company. Their motto is "Video Game Band, Punk is Not Dead" which to a lesser extent refers to the act of rebellion and to standout for themselves in a little confined group of people with a clear identity, tastes and ideas. It is easy to assume that is just clever wording for "it's not for everyone". You might be right, GHM games set themselves to built a loyal fanbase with their products. They do a great job at keeping consistency, different genres or not their DNA is still prevalent.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is to a lesser extent a celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture and a introspective for Suda51 as a creator. It is a very personal title, a love letter to the indie scene and a message to the game industry I'd say. The game industry now can't sustain by itself, at least without making it obvious with predatory practices that directly affects the customer for the worst. Like Ouroboros, the game industry is eating itself up and is not growing as much as the people with money expect to. If anything, the indie scene has been growing and growing this last decade and that isn't a surprise knowing how most big productions turn out to be these days. There is a big sense of distrust amongst consumers, and everyday it seems to be getting worse. Grasshopper itself suffered through this during the best part of the 2010's, their "Dark Age" as I like to call it. Your EAs, Kadokawas, and some more that never got along well with the studio. After all that, Grasshopper shrinked to an indie sized studio and went up to create this game.

Travis Strikes Back is one of those titles that you would find in the Xbox Live Arcade or PSN Store for 20$, it kind of shows. But don't let that fool you, the Grasshopper DNA as I said before is pretty much present here and it is better than ever. Multiplayer hack and slash by day, visual novel by night. But again, underneath all of that is that powerful and personal message of unfullfiled dreams and successes that would end up carrying this company legacy. This is Travis's introspective as an assasin, climbing up the ranks to the top and enjoying what life has to offer after a hard day at work. You are already on the top, what's there to do now? How do you continue your legacy? Keep doing the same? Imrprove? Or start over? When you are lost, looking at your failures, achievements and getting to know yourself better to see what makes you, well, you is the best way to know where to head next. Travis's story hit a climax in No More Heroes 1, which asked that very same question. In Travis Strikes Back he looks back at fallen heroes, old men have already nothing to lose but their lives and this is where Travis's phillosophy shines through his speech. Not necessarily looking down on his enemies but giving his perspective on life and putting your work on the line. This is not the Travis we got to known in the first game, he has grown now, to be a wiser man. A perfect reflection to life experiences, Suda51 itself went hell and back to be where he's now and the same goes for Travis Touchdown. Aside from the main hack and slash game, we get a VN styled adventure which gives us further context of the story. Basically Travis in each scenario is searching for the "Death Balls" around the globe. As a celebration title, this game includes a lot of character from other GHM games such as Dan from Killer7, Sundance from F.S.R, Shirobayu from 25th Ward alongside others. More than anything they're cameos that don't impact much in the overall story and personally I see this just as a funny little gag.

It is as impactful as knowing you best friend deepest secret, explained by himself. All the frustrations, fears and getting to talk about what it is into on detail. What it believes, what wants to achieve, and mainly: personal goals for the future. It is not laid out to be a comprehensive documentary of the company or Suda51 itself, it is first and foremost a No More Heroes game. Though, it is without it's negatives mainly comming from the gameplay that can get old quickly. This isn't necessarily a problem since the game often goes back and forward with new gimmicks that break the main formula every now and then. Though I'd say I did felt this complain was completely valid on the last level.

All and all it is a solid action title, and a happy commemoration of Grasshopper Manufacture history. A happy reminder that even through they might have changed once or twice over the years, they still carry the soul of Punk.

Travis Strikes Again is both a passionate love letter to indie games and a celebratory comprehensive look into Suda51's history as a game developer.

Let's get this out of the way first. I see people complain about the gameplay of Travis Strikes Again all the time and say it isn't fun and I could not disagree more, I was kept thoroughly entertained for my entire 15 hour run and I wasn't even playing it co-op either.

TSA is in a top-down isometric POV, but much like the older No More Heroes games it is a hack-n-slash where you have a classic light and heavy attack control scheme alongside a dodge as well, but now since there's a stronger emphasis on platforming you also have a jump button and there are skill chips you can find which act as various powers from a telekinetic grab to a lightning bolt and more. Yes it is repetitive, but No More Heroes always has been a repetitive game and TSA is meant to be so in a classic and simplistic arcade-like way and even then there's still a lot of variety and depth to it, even more so than first 2 No More Heroes games thanks to the new additions to combat.

In TSA we follow Badman the father of Badgirl as he goes to get revenge on Travis Touchdown for killing his daughter in the first game, but during their fight they both get sucked up into a cursed video game console called the "Death Drive" and learn that if they can find all 6 of the game cartridges known as "Death Balls" and complete them it is rumored that any one wish of your choosing can be granted and naturally Badman wants to wish his daughter back to life, so Travis and Badman set their differences aside and work together to strive towards this goal.

TSA has truly phenomenal presentation. The set-up of having various game worlds to go through leaves the game open for so many creative and experimental style mixups in truest Suda fashion that keeps the game fresh and fun. From a cyberpunk city to a Resident Evil style mansion, racing mini games to a level that is "under construction" in the Unreal Engine and even a major homage to one of Suda's other games, I never knew what was going to be in store for me when I loaded the next Death Ball world. That isn't even mentioning how in between Death Balls there's a Silver Case style ADV section (Which is a great way to break up the combat and gameplay so it doesn't get too repetitive) that shows how Travis gets each Death Ball and in this section he even gets to interact with many characters from past Suda games from Killer is Dead to the Silver Case and more.

Hidden within the meta comedic narrative of "a game within a game" Travis Strikes Again has so much introspective subtext about Suda51's own personal experience about how his vision as a creator has been mangled and twisted countless times by big name publishers and how for the first time in a long time Suda was able to go back to his roots and make a game that was completely in his own vision with TSA by developing it with a very small team of about 10 people in the same fashion an indie game would be developed.

Travis Strikes Again is a game that you can tell is very personal to Suda51 and it wasn't just made for the fans, but for himself too. This is a deep and often existential look into video game development itself. A work of art that is a celebration of art as well. The kind of experience that is meant to stick with you long after you put the controller down. It certainly won't be for everyone, but for the people who truly understand what makes this game as special as it is, you'll find very few games capable of matching how rich the character writing, story, themes and aesthetics are in Travis Strikes Again.

I wish this game was good, man. The story is a return to form, the music is fantastic, literally everything but the combat is amazing. But god, that combat. It's so lame and you have to play so much of it. The game would be 10x better if most enemies could be killed in 1-2 hits. It took them until Killer Marathon to actually understand how to make the gameplay interesting, and it's the DLC for godsake.

Also, Suda, I love you to death, but referencing the fact that Travis is in a video game I am playing every 2 seconds makes me want to rip your head off. Please never 4th wall break again. It only makes the player less invested in the stakes.

Finally getting around to Travis Strikes Again, and this game was an absolute blast. I already knew I would love it, since up to this point I've loved all of Suda51's works. And this game feels like a tribute, a love letter to all of Suda's past works, and to the history of video games as a whole. And not only that, it's also a damn fun co-op game, with some really good levels.
Each level in Travis Strikes Again is themed around specific types of games, which I think is really cool. One level had a Resident Evil style mansion while also having platforming sections. Another was this neon racing game, contrasted by a normal looking outside world. And because of this, each level really stands out, and makes each of them really memorable. And not only that, but the soundtrack each area has is just so damn good. I still remember one level in particular made me laugh so hard, and I loved just the pure hilarity of it.
And god, the combat is really fun. There's of course, the basic heavy and light attacks, alongside some jump and dash abilities. However the skills you can unlock allow for some really fun ways to how you want to build your character. The BCB skill chip was easily one of the best in the game, but I also know I didn't experiment all that much. I think if anything, I didn't like certain enemies that I had to fight, but that's pretty much it.
Travis Strikes Again allows for 2 player co-op, and this is easily what made the experience as good as it was for me. I was able to play from beginning to end with a friend, and it was a blast. Co-Op is interesting as well because there are fun choices made to it as well. For one, while characters can level up in the game, both players use the same pool of experience points. So, if you have enough experience points to level up one player, you might not have enough to level up the other. And some skill chips can actually effect the other player in some way, the Shining Chip for example is a grab, and you have the ability to grab the other player and throw them around. It was all around just super fun.
This leads into something I mentioned at the beginning of the review, that being that this game feels like a love letter to Suda51's works, while also to the history of video games. And I still feel like that's true. Travis Strikes Again feels very personal, as it feels like it really shows a lot of Suda51's journey as a game developer. Hell, one of the levels is entirely based around the issues that arose around his time with EA, and how that ended up creating Shadows of the Damned. And it's really unbelievable how many references to Suda's past works appear in this singular game. I'm certain there's some I've definitely missed. It's so damn impressive how each game features an article that looks like how it would in an early gaming magazine, with cheat codes and those odd metrics too. There's so much love and attention properly crafted into Travis Strikes Again, and I really appreciate it for that.
And as a sort of culmination of Suda's life and work, I really love Travis Strikes Again. It's not my favorite of Suda's works, but it's definitely high up there. There's so much love and care put into this one package, and I really appreciate it. All I have left is No More Heroes 3, and I can't wait to see what it all leads up to.

its fine. a lot better than what i thought itd be, but still painfully mediocre. the writing is the sole reason its worth playing. made me wanna play killer7. also i played the entire game as travis except the last level i just played whoever had the most hp. last level is definitely the lowlight of the game, if thats a thing.



i was 100000% gonna wear the yiik shirt but then i saw a disco elysium shirt and since thats like my second or third favorite game of all time i used that instead, and gave yiik shirt to badman