The saga of Travis Touchdown returns in No More Heroes 3, the next game from Goichi Suda and the team at Grasshopper Manufacture. Eleven years since the release of No More Heroes 2, Travis returns to the town of Santa Destroy to defend his world against an alien invasion. Originally announced via trailers at E3 and The Game Awards in 2019, Travis’s next adventure had another spotlight in the first Nintendo Direct of 2021. The new trailer revealed footage of the game’s intergalactic antagonists as well as the exact date when fans can pick up No More Heroes 3 for Nintendo Switch.
For those who never played the series before, No More Heroes is a series of action-adventure hack and slash games starring an otaku slacker named Travis Touchdown. After winning a beam katana in an auction, he becomes one of the world’s foremost assassins, fighting ridiculous bosses throughout two games of over-the-top episodes. No More Heroes originally premiered on the Nintendo Wii and took full advantage of the Wiimote’s motion controls, but eventually arrived on other platforms with a more traditional button layout. No More Heroes 3 will likely offer both sets of control options, as it is a Nintendo Switch exclusive at launch.
Despite fans waiting eleven years since the release of No More Heroes 2, there has been one other game that bridges the gap between the numbered sequels. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is an experimental spin-off title that shifts the franchise’s signature third-person action to a top-down perspective. When it released in January of 2019, it received a mixed critical reception, with some loving the compact design and others finding the gameplay rather repetitive. Despite that, the game only served to whet the appetite for a fully-fledged sequel, which is now confirmed to be coming out later this year.
What No More Heroes 3’s Release Date Is
No More Heroes will arrive on Nintendo Switch on August 27, 2021. The game has not been confirmed for additional platforms at this time, but the series has had limited ports in the past. Most recently, the original No More Heroes arrived on Amazon’s cloud gaming service Luna, and there have been rumblings of the original two No More Heroes games finally arriving on PC at some point in the near future. For now, if players want to experience the further adventures of Travis Touchdown as soon as possible, they’ll be playing on Nintendo’s handheld hybrid.
While there are many enthusiasts who are big fans of No More Heroes, the series never quite hit the mainstream. It was one of several harder-edged Wii titles that clashed with the majority of the console’s family-friendly library, but series creator Goichi Suda is used to going against the grain at this point with his creations. Even with ports to other platforms, it’s hard to get the full Travis Touchdown experience without gripping the Wiimote, but Nintendo’s Joy-Cons will likely be a fine substitute. For now, the long wait until August 27 begins for No More Heroes fans and curious onlookers alike.
