Travis Strikes Again, and I hope he lands the hit

At PAX West, I had the opportunity to interview Goichi Suda (Suda 51) about his upcoming game for Nintendo Switch, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes.

Seven years after No More Heroes 2, Badman confronts Travis Touchdown for killing his daughter, Badgirl. Before he can exact his revenge, they are both sucked into Travis’ video game console, where they must escape by beating the “bugs” in 7 games and the bosses.

The immature, irreverent humor the series is known for is all here. Along with Badman, Travis came across several memorable wacky characters along the way. The top-down beat-em-up gameplay was fine, with power-ups and flashy combos galore. And yes, you still need to shake your beam katana in a hilarious motion to recharge it. While the level I played was stylish, I began to worry about repetition. You fight some baddies in a corridor, then the gate at the end of the corridor opens, you move forward, and fight some more.

I’m hoping the other games Travis and Badman have some different elements and don’t follow the same formula as the Electric Thunder Tiger II level I played.

Travis Strikes Again is developed and published by Grasshopper Manufacture for the Nintendo Switch, and will be released on January 18, 2019

Tim Bledsoe

Podcasts & Single-player games are his thing except on "Adventure Time Tuesdays"