Another thing worth pointing out, anyone familiar with the development cycle of Shadows of the Damned and how EA forced Suda to make changes to it will notice some real world paralell's in the story. It's actually super duper cool, I'm sure the hardcore Suda fans will be crazy into it.

I literally have no idea how you dropped Chameleon Twist and this back to back. You hold too much power!

this is a long one boys, hold on to your butts: I played TSA and didn't really feel it at first. Gameplay wasn't my favorite and the story felt kinda meh. But then... I kept playing it and I realized this game is something truly special. Bumping up the difficulty, learning about what the Death Drive MK II REALLY is from extra faxes, and thinking about the story turned a game I was pretty "oh this is kinda cool i guess" towards into somethin' I very well might just carry with me for a long time. Seeing Bad Man (someone who is at rock bottom fight for the SLIM CHANCE to get his daughter back) and Travis (who ran away from everything and refused to take the exit to paradise he so desperately fought to find in the first game) characterized the way they were in this game (especially with the brand new intro) made me fall in love with both of them. Travis grows so much in this game since we first saw him in '08. He's weary, but still a badass in every sense of the word. What REALLY ended up wowing me though was the story. Under all of the wacky shit, gamer jokes, and fourth wall breaks lies a story about coping with creations not turning out the way that you wanted them to- for things not working out and shit hitting the fan in general. For Suda, it's games like Killer Is Dead and Shadows of the Damned being meddled with by publishing companies and his company losing a LOT of capital and becoming a small fraction of its former size. For Dr. Juvenile it's developer disputes and government involvement. In the face of that pain though, the story is also about finding your purpose again and going out there to KICK SOME ASS even if it doesn't always work out 100%. For Travis, it's getting back to his life in Santa Destroy and fighting assassins after seven years of hiding. For Suda, it's finally directing a game again for the first time in ten years. Seeing Suda give LOTS of love to Shadows of the Damned (a game which the development went really poorly for him) was great too. This game found me at a weird time in my life. Things are unstable. Everything is falling apart right before my eyes. I'm scared. But TSA made me feel something. I want to create something badass now- games, music, art- anything. There's a small part of my mind going "Fuck giving up. Get out there and kill this shit dude. Who cares about the punches life's giving you? You can do it." and I think I have this stupid game to blame for that. I know TSA won't hit everyone as hard as it hit me, but fuck me it hit pretty hard. So much I teared up a little as the credits scrolled. TL;DR - this game is fuckin good man. Pick it up and really give it a chance and you might end up really loving it. Good tunes, decent gameplay, great style, and a fantastic story when you really dig in- all for 30 burger bux (40 if we're including the season pass). Suda and the gang put their hearts into it.

The main issue with the game is definitely variety. I actually think the foundation of the combat is better than NMH, the jumping/attack options and skill chips is better than NMH imo. There is also actually a lot more enemy variety in the game than NMH, but the issue is like you say, all the enemies look visually similar, so the different enemy types aren't as effective as they should be, and they're often specs on the screen. NMH was very simple, but the variety in locations, scenarios and story really helped keep it fresh. This game drags out each level to ridiculous degrees (well, most of them). Most of them outstay their welcome. The perfect game imo is the Shadow of the Damned one, perfect length and the location variety made it a joy to play. I actually did really enjoy the game though, but it's best in short bursts. I don't regret buying it though.

It's mad fun to see so many polarizing opinions about this game. Lotta folks say that it's better solo, or that it's better in multiplayer. Got even more people who think the self-awareness is too present for its own good, but others just eat it all up. The fact that it manages to tie most of the Sudaverse together by itself all while being game dev satire just seems really, really impressive. For what it's worth, it's a low-budget entry that at the very least succeeded at being talked about a lot. I'm pretty sure there's a message in there somewhere.

7.5 for Killer7 was actually a good score at the time. It was well before critics starting using 7 to mean 5. Honestly since Suda51's game are more niche products I imagine critics are more honest when they review his games since they don't need to be worried about the blacklist for a game studio no one cares about.

covering this before the main games.... *HOW BOLD*

The Reggie quote is broad, I agree, but I see it less as "If the game isn't fun, don't bother with it at all" and more like "If you don't find anything about the game enjoyable (style, art, music, etc.) or if no one learns anything from the game to improve in the future, then you shouldn't bother with it". Of course, I wouldn't necessary DISAGREE with the general consensus, considering that I've played a lot of games with great appeal that have had gameplay that's turned me off from it. Even if it's a good idea, one bad execution of it in action can really ruin it. A restaurant can have great atmosphere, design, convenience, but the food could still be bad. A novel might have interesting characters, setting, and captivating writing in dialogue or certain parts, but the actual story might be uninteresting.

the way scores are talked about for video games always confuses me, apparently 6.8 is considered 'bad' now and even a 7.5 is being talked about here as something lackluster which has always been odd to me. The only reason for this I can figure out myself is that video games take a lot more of your time compared to something like a movie so the time investment needs to be more worth it compared to other mediums, why pick up and play a 6.8 game for 8 hours when you can get one that scored a 9 right. But at the same time does that mean the reviewer thought the game wasn't good? I'm not so sure at this point anymore

*Will we EVER get a review of Rayman Legends and Rayman Origins?*

While I think I enjoyed the game slightly more than Nitrorad, he did an excellent job of going over the game's strengths and weaknesses. If you're not a Suda51 fan, I wouldn't recommend it.

Just got to say...the game is a solid 7.5/10 beatemup, but it’s really important purpose is basically to fund NMH3 and to let no more heroes fans know about Suda’s future plans and hopes. Spoiler alert: no more heroes 3 is in development l and we may be getting a shadows of the damned port/sequel.

Riding that hype for nmh3 since 2010 when the second one came out. I've literally never waited for anything in my life as long as I have nmh3. A little over 11 and a half years later and we have the release of 3. August is gonna be the best August I've had in a long time. Both of my childhood dogs passed away on different days in different Augusts years apart. August has been seeming harder and harsher every year but not this year. This year I'm celebrating. This franchise meant so much to me that my son's name is Travis. I hope me and him can meet Suda one day

"If ItS nOt FuN wHy BoThEr" - Regie Fillsup Me 1874

No more heroes 2008 is such a great game. Even i like the visual style

This was my first Suda51 game and although I can't help but agree with the video, I ended up adoring the game because of the writing alone. Makes me hope we get more Suda games on the Switch lol

I recently started a NG+ on hard as Bad Man after playing through as Travis. I feel like the combat really shines here, fighting the mid boss felt brutal, like one slip up and half of your health is gone. I admit that most levels outstay their welcome though. First level was great as it felt like a journey from the desert, to the city via a powerplant and the Damned level was fantastic, there were points where I was like "I remember this area". The last level though, really was tedious especially when you get the enemies with guns that basically stunlock you.

Nitro Rad Strikes Back

No More Heroes:3d world

At the end credits there is a teaser for a new no more hero's game you didn't mention it in the video so I thought I would mention it

The Gaming Brit did a video on Suda51 which I felt did a good job explaining why some of his other games didn’t do so well critically.

This is the first ever time Grasshopper bring all their games (and even Suda's manga) together, and it's a pretty important game in that regard, considering recent rumors about them having now only 25 people in staff, and their parent company and director of Let it Die and Killer is Dead leaving them, and considering its story about a game developer, who's projects resemble Suda's projects, and Travis, who shared some of Suda's personality since first game. It's the most personal game he made so far, and it's kind of sad it's this tedious. Although maybe not quite as tedious as grinding for money in NMH1. Or that fight in NMH2 in a parking lot that takes 30 minutes to complete. Or almost entirety Flower, Sun, and Rain. Maybe there's some meaning in this one's pace too, but I'm not the one to figure out, in a lot of ways it seems like a main roadblock to at least some popularity for those. But ultimately games that are very much not 10/10 stay in my head a lot longer because they often dared to do something weird, even failing at it.

Will you ever review Sly Cooper?

For me this game was my first no more heroes game, ive been following the series for a very very long time since I was a child actually (yes I know, probably shouldn't be watching shit like that, but it worked out for the best). When I heard a no more heroes game coming to the switch I was fucking ecstatic, I couldn't contain myself and when I picked it up I had nothing to compare it to, only the guy I've grown up to know and love, Travis Touchdown. I accept that its not a good no more heroes game, but its a fantastic game in general, the story, and especially the undertones of sudas personal strife really made the game worth playing. To really honor what the game was trying to tell the players I decided to 100% it and I gotta say it was the most fun 4 days I've had in a very long time.

Have you ever played Bastion? That's a really good hack'n' slash game, And I think you will like it because of the subtle details and visuals that are everywhere.

The first one actually does have a cutscene intro. It's the only missable one in that you have to return to it and wait on the load screen for a bit. It's a really nice cutscene.

You should try out "Silver Case" from Suda himself. Its very great imo for a niche title.

I said this once and I'll say it again. This is why I like watching you. You talk about stuff I never heard of instead of Mario and Zelda for the millionth time.

THANK YOU so much for supporting this series it needs all the support it can get the style and story is still amazing to go through from start to finish and im glad I bought my physical copy

I mean I find the gameplay fun, I’m used to repetitive Beat’em Ups and Hack’n Slashes and this game isn’t repetitive to me. By that I mean that I haven’t gotten bored of it like you did because of its repetition; the game introduces enough new enemies at just the right moments to keep the gameplay and strategies you use to fight interesting. Not to mention the collectibles are big part of the investment for me, if feels so good to get a chip and then figure out how it can be helpful to certain battles.

You look good with the aviators on!

I'm a "hardcore Suda fan," and even I haven't played everything you need to get every reference. The fact of the matter is that if you aren't familiar with... - No More Heroes - No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - The Silver Case - The 25th Ward: The Silver Case - Flower, Sun, and Rain - killer7 - Killer is Dead (the game) - Killer is Dead (the killer7 side story originally written for DENGEKI magazine) - Shadows of the Damned - Diabolical Pitch ...something's going to go over your head. I kept asking myself, as I was playing the game, "who is this for?!" as yet another obscure reference popped up, or I encountered a character that appeared only in 25th Ward, a game that I remember praising when fewer than a thousand people owned it on Steam. The fact that it's selling (marginally) well is because it has "No More Heroes" in the name, and for those who enjoyed NMH at a rudimentary level (there's another several paragraphs about No More Heroes as criticism of video game culture that could be posted here) they're intrigued, and ultimately disappointed, because of that. One final, gameplay-oriented thought; I think the levels weren't designed to be played in one go. That's why there are so many toilets, so you can save the game and come back later after you're done. Granted, it's not a perfect system (Coffee & Doughnuts remains my least favorite level because of the monotony that comes from having to run back and forth to the ONE toilet in that stage), but it feels like a purposeful inclusion for those who could burn out easily on the gameplay.

Personally I found the game a blast from the start to second to last level. I like beat em ups that can be repetetive so that might explain it

Suda, Swery, and Yoko Taro are my go-to creators, so I’m still willing to give this a shot. :)

i played this and i personally loved it, and because i liked it a lot i'm now trying to get both no more heroes 1 and 2 for the wii and i started playing killer7 and killer is dead.

I agree with you on your stance regarding the Reggie quote, but too be fair, would this game not be better if the core gameplay was more fun? The quote isn't going to apply to everything, but I think it does here. It's basically why you said the audience for this game is just for die-hard Mesuda fans.

The other main distinction between this and the main NMH games? How the minigames were implemented into the game. In NMH 1 & 2, they were a fun diversion to the main game that added variety and added to the game by earning you cash to upgrade your weapon while also providing some much needed downtime between the main fights. I think that's why the gameplay feels more repetitive than its predecessors.

the only problem i have with this video is the idea that there a cut and clear fun, fun is subjective take for instance smash bros playing competitive and non competitive are two different experiences and one could be not fun for you while the other is a blast, (the irony that both sides complain that the other doesnt understand this fact and is complaining about how they play is neither here nor there) as long as taste is subjective fun will never be cut and dry

KILLER7 with a score of 7........ coinciden,irony i don't know.

Honestly, you explained your viewpoint about the camera and whatnot, but I fully think this game has way better gameplay than NMH 1 and 2. You especially feel it if you go the extra mile to make it as difficult as possible, bitter difficulty and not levelling up. The final level in particular is satisfying because of how intense and relentless it is. I would say your review is a bit of an odd ball because you 'get it' why people would love and enjoy what the game has to offer, but didn't really like it that much yourself. Suda will forever remain one of my favorite developers and directors because he can always deliver something that no one else in the industry can, memorable games that leave an impact on me more than the feeling that it was a 'fun' game. Hell, after TSA's ending(the actual ending, not the teaser post credits) had me feeling inspired and creative, and actually wanting to go out there and create art myself. The amount of his heart and soul he put into this game truly touched me, and I can't wait to see what he makes next, NMH or otherwise. Oh, and how could you not mention the music in TSA? I think I already found my personal sound track of the year right here. Seems off of you to gloss over something like that, when your reviews are often extremely thorough.

I’ve played the game twice already and loved it both times. I recently finished my new game + mode with Shinobu. I really enjoyed this game and can’t wait for the last piece of DLC for it.

Great work. As a giant fan for Shadows of the Damned, that custcene, the interactions between Johnson and Garcia in the boss fight, almost made me cry. I enjoyed the game and hope this title improves in the sequel.

every video game channel and non video game channel : kingdom hearts nitro rad : travis strikes again .

This review is pretty spot on, although I wouldn't say you need to be a hardcore Suda fan to enjoy the game. Rather, you need to be someone willing to sit through the mediocre gameplay to experience the cool story, music and visuals. And yes this is meant to be a 2 player game. It's a beat 'em up. Or hack and slash, whatever, same thing..

While I do get what you're saying about playing games for more than just "fun", that's kinda the whole reason I play video games and watch movies and read books. Sure, there are pieces of media that aren't fun but have their own qualities, but I kinda hate those. I'd rather sit down with something I can have a blast with that also manages to have some depth rather than something that has depth for the sake of being deep.

I am just by Coffe and Doughnuts but the Game is a solid 8/10 for me. Gameplay doesn't varey much but I had just as much fun as in the first No More Heroes.(I didn't play the second because I have no Wii and Ps3 anymore but it looks and sounds Fun.)

I played it and had fun, but it was because I played No More Heroes. So if you love the writing in that one you'll love this one.

After having watched TGBS' video essay on the game, it's pretty clear to me now that you simply didn't get the game. And that's ok. It wasn't really made for you.

You shouldn't write off Reggie's quote as stupid, fun isn't just one objective factor to a game. You love Killer 7 so clearly you had fun with it, just in a different way you would with say Astro Bot. Don't defend the idea that video games don't need to be fun.

So this is my stance on the "fun issue: Gameplay isn't "everything" but it's like %80-%85 of it BUT story can carry an experience ASLONG AS (I'll stop now) the gameplay is "fine" so let me explain what I consider "fine" it's when gameplay isn't annoying, frustrating, boring, tedious .ect it can be simple or not exciting but not give even the slightest negative feeling but it's why puzzle games like portal are still fun despite being simple and not particularly but it compensates with interesting scenarios and atmosphere And when it comes to story again the gameplay has to be fine and the story has to be REALLY GOOD AND not drag on and you shouldn't spend most of your time not pressing anything Note how I say "pressing buttons" specifically because I actually kinda like telltale games to be fair I've only recently played one of the which was tales from the borderlands which on the surface breaks all of the rules but really it doesn't because you don't spend ages not pressing nothing as you're always making desicions in what you're gonna say and the conversations have a fast pace (for the most part) and usually have comedy in them and are about something with actual consequence and are usually interupted by "gameplay" that while usually just quick-time events it atleast keep you on your feet and arnt frustrating and aren't constant (Well...) or simple puzzles engaging your brain at least a bit and not making you fall asleep or put the game down and since they're structured to be split up into episodes it leaves each on a cliff hanger and again keep you on your toes but I would only ever boot it up when I'm feeling tired enough to not play a "real" game but not enough to watch something or just relax (heh relaxing that would be nice but that darn anxiety amirite?... please laugh at me... please) Though again games like halo, far cry, doom (the old one) doom (the new one) smash bros ect. Are always gonna beat any story based games but like I said non-exiting games like portal, hitman and such are also extremely fun but not inherently exiting And fun can come in many forms which is why horror games can be """""f-u-n""""" when it's really more a test of endurance as the whole appeal is seeing if you can power though it and the thrill or unease of the horror but it's engaging and satisfying to finish it (I think any way I'm not a horror guy but I understand the appeal) or at least what I think the appeal is) to qoute Sid Meier "A game is a series of interesting choices." TL'DR: SANTA ISNT REAL

You can have a game that's crazy experimental and provides new experiences and still have it be fun. Just think of, say, Shenmue or Yakuza. I dunno about experimental per say, but these games are still to this day kind of unique and niche, and yet all of them--or at least all of the Yakuza titles--have a consistently high quality level and are a lot of fun to play. Come to think of it, Takeshi's Challenge is also experimental and unique, but how many points does that earn it when it takes you years to complete? (See: JonTron) Games can be as weird and new as they want, but at the end of the day, they're meant to be played and enjoyed. (Unless you're Beat Takeshi and hate video games so much that you show up to a Dev meeting drunk off your ass.)

*REGGIE WANTS TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION*

I weirdly resonate whit this one tjought: maybe it is a alegory or what ever to that that some point games start to loose their magic when you grow up..... Im kinda in same spot right now, now days games dont grab me as much as they did back then

You should really play Crosscode if you let it slide by last year. It's the best action-RPG I've played yet and it's setting is an MMO, making for unique character interactions and plot. Also the level design is god-like: it lakes you want to explore everything everywhere and turns that into a puzzle.

I have a ritual every so often when I come home late to cook myself a nice meal, and eat it on the couch in front of a good movie or KZfaq video. Nitro Rad is often among my choices, so thank you for entertaining my meals dude !

I think you missed the opening of the first game world, you should check it out, it only appears after spending some time on the title screen. The production quality of it is *insane,* I’d love to see more of that artstyle!

It makes me happy to see you get more recognition, views, and subscribers! 😌 Hard work really pays off

You know what I like about you,, Nitro Rad? You have possibly the most well-thought out, nuanced thoughts on gaming I've come across. Cheers & thanks, mate

Actually the Electric Thunder Tiger game has a 3D anime intro if you wait long enough on it's title screen.

Never knew you were a Suda fan, but it all makes so much sense in retrospect! And behind this and the Deadly Premonition GDC talk that was released yesterday, I'll definitely have my appetite for weirdness satiated for quite some time~ The coincidental timing gives me an idea, though - Swery is pretty much a bootleg Suda51, making the same sort of surreal games but with lower production values and more questionable design decisions. It feels like his games would pretty much be a perfect fit for your reviews (e.g. comparing Deadly Premonition to both Twin Peaks and Resident Evil 4 and see in which ways it managed to capture the magic of its inspirations in its own way, what stuff it straight up ripped from them without creative input, and what it fails to replicate entirely)

Awesome video man! If you ever get Brady to voice his thoughts on a title, please do. I think having the same 2nd person for the multiplayer aspects of the game should voice their opinion on what they thought of that part even if they're not aware of the game as a whole. See if they found it fun, interesting or the like. Outside of that, yeah, I may pick it up later once I do play through most of not all Suda51's games. I don't mind the repetitive gameplay if it features interesting dialogue, characters or visuals, yet at the same time I am not in a rush to play it front to back. I am surprised that there wasn't a sleuth of minigames or unlockables or side content besides the future DLC content with Bad Girl & Shinobu. It strangely resembled more of the amount of content that Lollipop Chainsaw had with its game if that makes any sense.

I actually just beat the game last night!

I didn't have much spare change, and I decided Kingdom Hearts 3 was a bit more important than this, but I will pick this up at some point.

Personally I think Travis Strikes again was awesome. What it have is gameplay and feeling above all other. The visual style is also pretty insane at moment. It also is sort of fun to mix different powers. Sort of love the animation when you go into a game. It also is a really great co op game where you constantly cover each others back while you charge up your powers. But yeah this game is not no more heroes 3 but if you can accept that and your looking for something very different the game is actually a pretty good pickup. This like all Suda51 games are for gamers that are tirred of way to many games looking the same.

Just want to mention that that's my favorite channel on youtube of all time It's so freaking good

You made a really good point about experimentation in the industry and the inevitability (but importance) of failed experiments :)

Thanks for this Nitro Rad. I've been on the fence about this, I actually haven't played NMH but I've played some of his other titles and was initially interested (I make it a habit to play games out of release order to subvert expectations and nostalgia) but then reviews seemed to suggest the gameplay was highly repetitive. I think with your review, I'm better off playing the originals first and saving this for a rainy day with a buddy.

I think the reason why the camera is the way it is is two-fold. The obvious reason is that the camera's trying to fit the game that it's paying homage to at the time. However, it's also zoomed out to accommodate two-player co-op. It's interesting that you brought up Super Mario 3D World's camera as an example, because it's another multiplayer co-op game. I get that it's to show both players at any given time, and the over-the-shoulder camera angle just wouldn't work in a two-player co-op game. But you're right, it does remove that intimacy and spectacle. But like you said, the game was made with two-player in mind. A possible work-around could be to split the screen in two so that each player gets that over-the-shoulder, up-close-and-personal experience. But that goes back to the first issue, which is the fact that TSA is a game that mimics other games, and that extends to the camera. For example, a side-scrolling platformer's camera needs to be zoomed out so you can see what's ahead, and splitting the screen in half would only hinder your field of view to see what's ahead. Maybe if the game just had a more dynamic camera: the camera could be zoomed in or out depending on what "game" you're in and whether or not you're playing with one or two players; if it's one player, it could get really up-close as it needs to be; if it's two-player, the camera could zoom out depending on how far each player is from each other. But yeah, just my thoughts about the camera.

I bought this because I'm a huge NMH fan, and I even played Suda's other games like Lollipop Chainsaw, Killer is Dead and Shadows of the Damned. I agree that combat can be boring, but the music, bosses and constant Suda51 crossovers keep me coming back! You also forgot to mention DLC, which will definitely increase the replay value.

Dude why did you scrap the awesome old thumbnail?

Brady channeling his inner 90's cool kid there. "Yeah, it's a game I guess. *sniff* Whatever."

something kinda cool is that death drive is actually a reffrence to let it die, which is cool. The afro guy in the manuals is also in let it die.

I personally had a blast with the game barring coffee and doughnuts. But I can see why people wouldn’t be super into it

Nitro rad: Combat is meh Me: Heh beam Katana go voom

The problem with the game can be explained with a scene from the first level. You walk into a hallway with an electric zapper and 3 paths to the top, left and right of it. In order to go down any of those paths you HAVE to wait for the zapper, since it only stays off exactly as long as it takes for you cross. If even a single instant has passed since it stopped, you're already too late. So, the path you need to go to progress is clearly up, but as a gamer, you know theres probably some secret down one of them. So, you wait for the zapper, go down the left path and walk for 15 seconds or so only to find a measly couple of coins. so you think "damn it, it must have been the other path". So you walk back, wait for the zapper again, go down the right path and then find another couple of coins... Well, what a waste of time, right? So you go back, wait for the zapper, go up and... well what a surprise, its the exact same situation as before! So, you repeat what you just did, with all the forced waiting intact, and the exact same result occurs. The long side paths are both useless dead ends. This happens 5 more times and the last possible side path contained a secret finally... and its just slightly more coins that you got before... whoopdedoo. Whoever designed that level thought it would be fun to just slap a bunch of needlessly long dead ends repeatedly in a hallway. It gets worse. Not too long down the level, you find a side path with zappers on literally every tile of the ground which alternate. "*Wow, a challenge in a sidepath that could potentially lead to treasure, but you have to weigh the risks of whether or not the damage you could take over the potential treasure?*" Sounds cool, lets do it! So, you stutter step down the hallway, as you have to wait for every single zapper after every single alternation several dozen times, and when you finally get to the end you find...GASP! nothing. It's a dead end. Walking to the wall triggers a fight for some reason, but you get absolutely nothing for beating them. All you get for your curiosity is wasted time and a long stutter step of shame as your forced to renavigate the stupid zapper floor to get back. WHY WAS THAT EVEN THERE!? I could maybe assume you were supposed to come back to that area after beating the level or flipping a switch or something, but you'd have to go through the whole damn thing twice just to se that theres nothing there for you get curious and maybe come back later. The entire first level is just like this. When it's not hallways and fights, its badly designed exploration with fights and "puzzles" that are no more than "hit switch, open door" or even better "hit switch, open path leading to other switch, hit that switch to open another path, repeat ad nauseum with fights mixed in and then go through the door"

I really like you pointing out that Reggie-quote; even though it's a somewhat decent point to have floating in the mainstream videogame ether (a LOT of publishers could take note of their approach), I also feel like it's too reductionistic and can drive away experimentation with the artistic medium as a whole - 'cause that's what games still are. I personally find games the most interessting if they deliberately incorporate a specific narrative into the gameplay - even if that means the gameplay has to, yeah, deliberately suffer (Undertale's Genocide route comes to mind); if it's there to prove a point, it is absolutely fascinating.

I was so happy to hear you praise killer 7... when you gave focus to no more heroes at the start I was expecting another person to gloss over it as a "failed attempt before suda got it right" like so many others do

As a NMH fan, I really was hyped for TSA and honestly. I acknowledged the opinions and critiques people have about the game to their fullest. I love the game for what it is and tbh, I think when you get to "Eight Hearts" you'll only love it more. Seriously, the reveal of that character and how they portrayed them in this game made me fall in love.

While I personally loved TSA, I also really liked your video! I'm a newbie to your channel (hey there!), but I really like how you don't just bash the games you didn't like, which is what most reviewers do nowadays: try to invoke the good old vitriolic review ala AVGN and just bash without putting thought into what they're saying. You were honest about what you experienced and about which public this game is really aimed at, and because of that it doesn't mean it WILL be bad for everyone. You took people's thoughts into consideration and I can appreciate that, since most reviews I saw seemed to just bash the game for the sake of bashing. I loved your channel and I'm definitely gonna stick around because I can feel you certainly put your real thoughts and genuine care when making these videos. Keep doing what you're doing man!

Thanks for the Video Nitro Rad! I've been looking to this game to see if i'd want to try it as a person who's never played a Suda or a No More Heroes game yet. Despite it's flaws, i heard if this game game does good, then they'll make a No More Heroes 3, so i've thinking of picking up TSB to support NMH3 .

Ah man, this makes me want to go back and finish the first two games! Great video as always, dude!

Aw yiss, I was super hyped for this video. This is pretty much a very early birthday gift.

As a hardcore Suda fan, this makes me really curious what you'd think about The Silver Case and its sequels. Those are basically peak Suda.

The only Suda51 game I had played before TSA was Killer is Dead and I enjoyed that game. Killer is Dead got me interested in Suda games, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan before. The second Suda game I played was TSA, I really enjoyed it, and loved the nods to other games like Hotline Miami, Shadows of the Damned, Killer is Dead and Killer7. I always wanted to try out Suda’s other games and now this game kind of got me to finally do that. I recently own and have played NMH 1 & 2, Shadows of the Damned, and am now moving on to Killer7. Also playing LET IT DIE on PC currently. I can now say that I am a Suda51 fan and can’t wait for NMH 3 if it’s actually in development according to the end of TSA.

I mean, a top-down/isometric doesn't have to be zoomed out and not gory, games like Hotline Miami really hammer in how brutal and visceral the executions are, where you just frantically bash a dude's head in. Or the Interplay Fallouts where you could blow off half of someone's body with an SMG and you see every detail.

I just love how the game has the same font as Stranger things

i belong in the small percentage that not only likes but loves the game, its a game that has just enough of what i need in action, story and jokes, it's a nice extra stress relieve after a workout. for me there is nothing better than coming home after a long bike tour, take a shower and then just lay on my bed and play NMH:TSB

In that intro cinematic, guy is playing Hotline Miami. That game right there has a beautiful soundtrack

BTW Badman is voiced by Steve Blum who also played Darkstar in the first game(and gracia Hotspur from Shadows of the Damned)

Since you said you’re a fan of Killer 7, do you think you could do a review at some point? I’m sure it would be a great video, and I’m really interested in the game...even though I can’t really check it out myself for a number of reasons.

“Well again, it’s not a direct sequel to No More Heroes 2, though they are directly related and take place in the same universe. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes takes place seven years after the events of No More Heroes 2. As you’ve probably noticed it’s ‘Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes’, so ‘No More Heroes’ is more a subtitle, there’s not a number on it. This isn’t a direct sequel and it’s not No More Heroes 3, but it does address some of the things that happened in No More Heroes 1 and 2. While it is sort of a continuation of that stuff, it is not a direct sequel partially because No More Heroes is about one assassin against other assassins, and this isn’t like that. This isn’t exactly a spin-off, or something like that, and while it’s not a direct sequel it is something of a stepping stone on the road to No More Heroes 3. So the way I’d like people to think of this game is like the beginning of a new battle for Travis, a new series within the series.” well, I guess it was neither a sequel nor a side game... Yay..?

I’ll be honest that I haven’t been able to finish this game yet due to having to leave the switch back at the house during my last semester of college, but while I find the combat a bit repetitive I at least respect the fact it’s not entirely the same as the previous 2. It had good potential and I do hope there is a proper third entry soon, but as it stands I’m at least happy we got something else after NMH2

Reggies quote was about games taking risks and being experamental to try and have fun instead of just being boring cookie cutter copies of the same junk or putting little effort into a the gameplay yet making the game massive and take forever, at that point its just a chore.

Sick Rayman shirt! Where did you get it? :)

You didn't thank me for getting through the whole video like you usually do... and now I'm sad. Great review as always though :-)

The one thing with this game is that you really need to want to get into it. I've noticed a lot of reviewers, this video included, completely overlooking the charge attack, and the metagame of maintaining a level 3 charge for as long as possible. On top of that, this game actually has the minute-to-minute gameplay take a backseat to the rest of the content the game has to offer, something NR does actually touch on (thankfully, as most reviewers just passed on that). Personally, I actually liked the game a lot, and think that it's got more enemy variety than the original 2 games (sans the boss-fights, of course), and the skill chips are a lot of fun to experiment with to get better grades on the boss fights. That being said, if you're the type who cares solely about the gameplay, and nothing else, then yeah this won't do it for you.

Completely agree with your review. I'm not a Suda guy so much as I'm a No More Heroes guy. I'm at the fifth stage and I think I'm completely fried. These levels are too long and are only made longer by how irritating it is to find collectibles. If, like you said, the camera was pulled behind him, even if everything else was preserved as is, I think this would have been a much more interesting experience, at least in single-player. As it is, the side stuff is really awesome and interesting while the actual gameplay is completely tedious. That said, good review as always, homie.

This game isn't for everyone. I love beat 'em all and hack n' slash, but if I want extra good gameplay, I will play Bayonetta or Devil May Cry. No More Heroes : TSA is full of references, to Suda's work, to real life events, it glorifies the independant scene of video games with all the shirts of indie games and references to Hotline Miami. It's a love letter to video games, an analogy of Suda's carreer, and unfortunately, I didn't find an interpretation for the gameplay being like that. It's a big game for people who knows their stuff about Suda 51. But if you don't know the guy, you will just be bored. And I get that. We don't learn about him in History Books and we don't expect all the same things in video games. But if in any way you're interested in learning about the history of video games and you want to know more about Suda 51, take the game ! If you want solid action gameplay and killing people with extra style, just take Bayonetta :)

I think I'm really one of those hardcore grasshopper manufacturer fans cuz I really enjoyed this haha but I'm really glad you brought up the whole games don't need to be fun bit at the end, because I totally agree. just like you, I enjoyed killer7 not for being fun, but for being such a unique and interesting experience. I think for games to mature as a medium, we should really allow games to do other things besides just being fun

Just finished a week long dev project and I'm finally in bed. This video is how I end my day before I pass out! As always, great video dude...love your in depth reviews. You deserve so much more subs!