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.

Love Will Tear Us Apart, again

No More Heroes III is a very strange game. It's more No More Heroes people long yearned and waited for. What? Was it 11 years since No More Heroes 2? Do not try to look it that way, rather it was just 3 years after Travis Strikes Back in case you are really into Grasshopper and Suda51. This is not an easy game to talk about, at least for me as I have very conflicting feelings towards it.

It takes the best aspects of No More Heroes, with the overall improvements found in No More Heroes 2 combat and the Death Glove's abilities added from Travis Strikes Back. So, this is for me the most fun combat No More Heroes ever had and probably one of the core aspects the team at Grasshopper focused on during it's development. It is really fun on a fundamental level, never gets old on sequential playthroughs or any combat sequence that is. But this is just the combat, aspects such as the open world and the mini-game do not hold much of the importance as they once had in the first game. It is sparse, messy, unorganized but the open world is somehow still beautiful underneath it's ugly appereance. As while it doesn't convey exactly what it wants to communicate, it's clumsiness and overall silly, empty yet full of personallity appereance makes it seem like an honest to heart attempt at making an open world. Ambition when the budget is not high, in a console that isn't particulary made to handle a load this heavy. A recipe for disaster that to some extent was fixed in the prior home-console release.

As a tradition in Grasshopper titles, the presentation is as distinctive as it is very in line with Grasshopper. It is bold, rash but most importantly confident of itself and knows were to go regardless what throws at you. It is not afraid to surprise you, nor afraid to show it's true intentions. There is passion plastered all around it. To me, this is a direct contrast to Grasshopper's "Dark Age" as while their signature style was still there, it was afraid to be seen, didn't hold enough meaning or was totally turned down in favor of cohesion with the base game visuals. No More Heroes III embraces it's wacky but endearing presentation with open arms and runs with it, as far as possible without looking back.

As far as the story goes, it's a direct contrast to Travis Strikes Back seemingly confined but personal adventure. This time is an over the top alien invasion over not just Santa Destroy but the world itself. Sets the tone perfectly, and doesn't get much deeper than that. As usual in Grasshoppers work, there are undertones that don't get explored directly but are hidden and left for interpretation. And this is exactly why I love talking about Grasshopper titles so much. It is not without it's flaws though, or rather bits that seem unfinished or aren't fleshed out for the most part. Things that flat out doesn't get explained and appear out of thin air, expecting you to care or have previous knowledge of it. Midori, Kamui, Blackhole, Bishop's brother know Travis, but he doesn't know any of them. So it comes out a bit akward, extending some of that fanservice Travis Strikes Back lefts us. It's like being in a party up late at night, most people left but you are left with a couple of strangers and old friends to share drinks with. What is important is the narrative that unfolds all the way to the end, and there is a lot to unpack there just as No More Heroes did back then. In No More Heroes the rank, and the assasins were and work around Travis arrival. It was the sign of his future, or what he could be in that world of assasins but in No More Heroes III everything works for FU, as everything centers around him. See the contrast? FU is number one on his very own rank on a contest he suddenly came up with while invading earth. FU is Travis if he never had fight to make it to the top, because he was aready up there from the beginning. The assasins bend their knee to FU for different reasons that get explored as the story goes on. In fact, Travis goes for FU not only becuase he's annoying but as an act of revenge. It is close enough of what No More Heroes 2 did back in the day. Simple, but it works at the end of the day. Travis Strikes Back already stablished "most" of the principals that would mold No More Heroes III story, go play it if you haven't.

Suda51 and the No More Heroes series go a long way, and the games made him more known here in the west. It was this sucess that leaded into giving this franchise a try once again with No More Heroes 2, and serve his reflection in Travis Strikes Back. No More Heroes is Suda51's son or the embodiment of everything he likes mashed into one product. This is the end of the series, one that was never meant to be more than a one-off job but ultimately grow bigger as we know now. And it is strange because every single game from this franchise feels different from each other with something that makes them unique and standout from each other and don't pile up as "This, but better" as most franchise tend to do. III's wacky ending doesn't tell me that this is specifically the end, but the start of something different. A new era of sorts. It's like sending your kid to college on another city far off were you live from, making sure as a father that everything would be ok before his eventual departure. Over the top, as high as it can be to make sure all of what the team wanted is fullfiled as ridiculous as it might sound.

Go out with a bang!

Goofy little fun 3D platformer! The ones you barely see nowdays, and it's really good.

It takes the best aspects of certain games that have been established in the genre for a long while by now. Super Mario Galaxy hub area, Sunshine level selection and the special slide movement, Banjo Kazooie progression system and some collectathon elements scattered around some levels just to give some examples.

Felt a little too short, or maybe it because I was having such a really good time with it! Levels were varied and really fun to complete and don't take your controller for any sort of weird special gimmick just to add forced variety into a level, you know. You're in control all the time which is a relief.

If I had to critique something it might be that the hats didn't add much to the gameplay itself outside of the one that let's you run and ride a scooter. Were situational and pretty much useless outside it's main function. That's pretty much it.

Aims just to be a happy jolly good 3D platformer, it's a fun time. Wishing for sequel, there is serious untapped potential here.