No Paradise | No More Heroes III Analysis
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- No More Heroes III is a very complicated game, despite appearing aimless. I do my best dissecting the game and describing what the creators--including head director Suda51--were going for regarding the story and game design. Is it a shallow sequel that's only designed to attack our senses for hours on-end, or a big-brained meta scope on this world of No More Heroes? The answer is . . . yes.
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00:00 Video Intro
06:00 Prologue | The games before NMH III
18:42 Gameplay
44:11 Story | Introduction
51:02 Story | Mr. Blackhole
1:05:24 Story | Gold Joe
1:19:21 Story | Black Knight Direction
1:26:09 Story | Vanishing Point
1:39:49 Story | Velvet Chair Girl
1:44:17 Story | Midori Midorikawa
1:56:19 Story | Sniping Lee
2:06:36 Story | Sonic Juice
2:18:47 Story | Paradox Bandit
2:35:45 Story | Side missions, Miike
2:51:40 Story | FU
3:19:23 Story | Extra thoughts
3:31:14 Further evaluation
3:58:53 Why?
4:14:14 Conclusion - Hry
Travis in NMH2: would girl do me?
Travis in NMH3: Sylvia can I please see my kids?
Sylvia in NMH3: nah I’d rather you do me
Travis got lucky Sylvia and him did it after he took out Alice Twilight. I loved the triumph in his voice when he stepped out of his room stark naked.
Travis: "DOWNWARD FUCKING DOG!!!" #NoMoreHeroes2 #DownwardFuckingDog
The real enemy is having no power over when you can see the kids
Travis became kanye west
God I love Travis in NMH 3. He really feels like the wise mentor who'd go to his hot-blooded pupil and say "You know, I was once like you..." It's such a unique personality for a protagonist, as in most other stories it would belong to a side character.
That is the exact reason why I love Travis in no more heroes 3 and Solid Snake in MGS 1
What are you talking about? They ruined the story and Travis. Nmh3 even ruined the combat
@@gloving4hirenobody but yourself will agree with you
Personally, I think the part in the final battle where all of Travis' allies come in to help is a great way to point out how different Travis and FU are, with FU killing Paradox Bandit and Sonic Juice, and basically being a dick to Damon the whole game. FU is left all alone to fight Travis, while Travis has the aid and backing of the friends he has made in the trilogy.
*Quadrilogy.
@@ChiefMedicPururu *Tetralogy
*GodDamnItTravisYouveDoneItAgain
it differentiates Travis from BU but I think this moment is an ironic shitpost to make fun of the expectations that a player has for this kind of moements in games with conventional narratives. A way for suda to say: this is redundant. Like some kind of commentary about the overused trope of the power of friendship. I mean, this moment was so frivously set up, lazily executed and full of token cheesy lines that if I were to take it seriously I couldn't really praise it. I think that would be unfair to the artists that take the time and effort to make these moments feel credible and rewarding and have more impact, which is ultimately what makes them inspiring.
Nmh3 gets ridiculous
It is so detached from nmh and they basically became a superhero group.
Don't forget the rose petals after some of these bosses are killed
Mr.blackhole after being killed mint green petals come out which means a new beginning like killing the past! And sudden change
Henry when he's killed his blue petals come out which means mystery
When ohma dies white petals come out which means purity Thier soul being freed
When sonic juice is killed peach red petals come out which means mourning or regret
These are what I noticed in game
Excellent
@@scikoolaid yeahh I love symbolism in florals and Honeslty when you reach the blue petals in nmh it means mystery before you are going to fight
Red means bloodshed
@@JoseJimenez-vc7we Makes sense
If there is going to be a No More Heroes 4, i want Travis's journey to finally end, to pass on and let his kids continue his legacy. Give him the paradise he deserves.
he possibly die like that old swordsman boss from first game in that scenario ironically
Take this with a grain of salt because I can't find the interview rn but I remember seeing in an interview that Suda considers Travis' story to be done and if they return to the No More Heroes universe, it will feature a new protagonist
I really felt the "kill the past" theme in this game. Whenever Travis met a character that wasn't from Travis strikes again, it felt like things went wrong. Sylvia avoids talking to him about their family, Kimmy became spiteful and failed to grow up and Henry became a crazy cultist and wants to kill him (which I'd say is especially tragic since he and Travis did seem to have a sort of brotherly bond in NMH2 even if they still didn't like each other). Heck you could even say Destroyman became worse as he is now a full blown super villain threatening the world or that Naomi fits into this as she apparently stopped being a person, though I guess these are a bit of a stretch.
And obviously this theme also applies to FU and Damon.
The whole "can't trust your memories" theme that goes on might also play into this a bit. Because if you meet someone from your past and realize that they have somehow become worse than you remember you are sure to question your own memories of them. You would ask yourself if they were always like this or are your memories of them just wrong?
And you know? This game as a whole can be seen as us, the fans reuniting with the franchise and having to come to terms that it is flawed, looking back at the older games to see if these flaws were always present or not. Similarly it is also a goodbye to the franchise, so maybe we shouldn't reunite with it, because the next time we'll meet it might be different and not match our memories anymore.
Nice analysis. Honestly I still love NMH1, NMH2, and Travis Strikes Back. Although I enjoyed NMH3 I feel it IS the weakest entry in the series. Unlike all the other games NMH3 left me unsatisfied. I wanted more but there simply wasn’t. I appreciate this video but I feel it’s over thinking a rushed and tragically incomplete game. I have come to terms with this.
True. These games have largely been kept alive thanks to our nostalgia for them and as we have grown older we have come to notice the flaws in the series. However, this shouldn't be a rejection of our memories of the games or their stories, but an acknoledgement that we have come to recognize their flaws and simply try something different. Regardless, I think regardless of what happens to this series now, I think everyone, especially Suda, will still love these games and the impact they had on their lives.
@@bradleybourgeois4710 I do not believe what keeps these games alive is simply nostalgia these games are good and still one of a kind experiences. NMH1 and TSA are amazing experiences and NMH2 is still a great experience. NMH3 although rushed was also fun. They all have flaws specially NMH3. Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s bad or lost it’s impact. Even the great thinker and writer CS Lewis believed this.
@@ironrex6979 Yes they are and so are the stories of these games. I'm sorry if my intention from the previous comment wasn't clear. I'm not saying that these are bad games, but was trying to say that our nostalgia has lead us to keep asking for more from this series and from what I get with this video Suda wants to take a break from Travis' adventures and try something different. People want the next No More Heroes 1 and while that game is great, it isn't perfect and that that's okay no game truly is. If Suda wants to do something else, we should welcome what ever crazy idea he throws our way.
@@bradleybourgeois4710 Oh I understood now! I apologize and fully agree with you. I believe everything should come to an end at some point. There’s nothing wrong with that. NMH3 might of left me a bit unsatisfied, it was mostly because it left me with a sensation of wanting more from it, however I believe it does a good job at wrapping up the story. I’m also anticipating Suda51’s future games. (I believe one of them is Hotel Barcelona? Have you heard any recent news about it?) Hopefully they’ll be even more creative and rich in layers of symbolism.
Interesting video. Brought up some things I haven’t considered or touched on. I would say that Travis has reached his paradise in a way though. Travis at the end of 1 was stuck in the cycle of endless bloodshed with seemingly no way out as becoming an assassin didn’t improve his life and only came to realize Death Metal’s words a little too late.
In 3 he has friends, family, and a much more mature outlook on life and violence. He gets to hang out and watch movies with friends and he uses the media he loves as a way to connect with people and show how much he’s grown (the Miike podcasts being a nice contrast to to way Fu treats his friends) and as said at the end of TSA he even visits his kids when he can.
This even somewhat extends to the others as Shinobu was able to teach at a dojo and Bad Girl now has a 2nd chance due to the stuff in TSA. On the opposite side you have Henry as he was unable to escape his past and the life of meaningless bloodshed and now has his cult. Where Travis has improved himself, Henry fell. Still the “cool, handsome foil” but in a new context and kind of a reflection of what Travis could’ve been in some ways.
NMH 3 was the best case scenario for someone like Travis. He has matured and has actual people in his life who like and care about him as opposed to his only friend being the guy from the video store he rents wrestling and porn from.
It’s not the glamorous mansion but he hasn’t died a lonely or meaningless death like countless others in the series. And due to the introspection he had in TSA he now uses his bloodlust to save the town rather than for purely self gratification and he kind of has become a hero in his own way.
No More Heroes 3 was a great way to end Travis’ character arc and wrap around to some of the themes and ideas of the 1st game. Travis Touchdown has in some ways become Death Metal albeit with a better ending. He found his paradise in a way. An unconventional one, but a paradise nonetheless.
That's what I took away and I'm sorta surprised the video never touched on it. For me NMH3 is about growth, legacy and community and how these all relate to each other. This is the most mature and probably happiest we've ever seen Travis, he has actual meaningful connections with people and goes on to develop new relationships with the likes of Notorious and Midori. He started as a loser with no one and worked his way to having his own little found family by maturing and growing up. I also don't really see this as a revenge narrative. Travis seems more upset that aliens are invading his home more than anything. In his discussion with Notorious he specifically mentions the "duty" of the people who live somewhere to protect it. He was also involved with the rankings and stopping FU before FU's attack on Travis's cohorts. This extents to the mini games this time around too, where they all carry a really heavy vibe of community services; lawnmowing, picking up trash, dealing with local gangs, helping with an infestation of invasive animals (in this case crocodiles), and dealing with public services in the form of toilets. To me it also explains why they're less grindy like in the first game and more fun and fantastical. They're not meant to be a chore, they're meant to be a service, community service. To me this is the end of Travis's journey. After all he's been through and all he's done, he finally really is a hero acting selflessly to save the world. He might be weird and unconventional, but Travis finally being the hero he always wanted to be. That's why its important he builds that bond with Notorious, that's why he says "Superhero? You must mean me!" in the reveal trailer, and that's why he says "To think that I'd be saving the world. Weird huh?" Because Travis really has grown and become the hero of this story. I was honestly taken aback when GhenryPerez laughed at that line, cause to me its such a focal point of the game. I think Travis's last words to Damon really drive it home. "I've still got somewhere to go home to, you don't!" Travis finally built up a life that he can be a little proud of.
Thank you this is a gorgeous analysis. I also thought Travis by the end of his story line became a hero. I don’t believe he became “Death Metal albeit with a better ending” but I believe what you mean is he [Travis] lived and found meaning in his life. Travis lived a fulfilled life. At least that’s what I felt. What more could someone ask for?
@@ironrex6979 Yeah I could’ve worded that a bit better but you got the basic idea lol. I do think he has become somewhat Death Metal-esque though due to how Travis is much more about getting the job done as is much more mature as opposed to the fighting is fun attitude he had in the the beginning of 1. Although instead of dying in a mansion unfulfilled he’s comfortable in his motel.
@@turtleman7360 f
My thoughts on the Henry thing: The way Henry acts seems a bit...unhinged to me, I don't think there's any profound reason behind the "don't cry" line. It seems to me that the event was traumatic to him and Travis crying is what takes him back to it. Even though it's not happening it keeps playing back in his mind and he wants travis to stop it or at least acknowledge it. Maybe his way of "killing the past" is to kill Travis, the thing that connects him to that awful time.
Idk, thats just the vibes I got from it, of course that's greatly informed by my own experiences and people I have met so I'm probably wrong.
Sounds about right to me.
Henry didn't LITERALLY get that way from watching Thor, he has "the cursed crucifix blade", he obviously watched passion of the Christ, he's even running a cult now.
Dude, this video is amazing. The fact we were able to be a part of a game that had so much impact on not just Grasshopper's community, but the gaming community as a whole.
We appreciate you always Ghenry! Your analysis videos always hit so hard!
Stay positive and drink plenty of water ❤
Itadaskimasu!
Holy shit it's okumura
@@alexpousson5237 holy shit it's Alex Pousson!
@@hasdachatlogs Itadakimasu!
@@okumuramusicgroup Hello 👋
Counterpoint to the whole 'who Damon wanted killed' question, he starts shouting "You, you, YOU!" at Travis right after blowing up Fu, obviously still more obsessed with his hatred for him than he ever could have been with Fu. He hit him in TSA, and that was enough for him to harbor a grudge so deep, he'd do anything to have him killed. Even use aliens and hire hitman.
I think that was only because he killed FU, I thinking FU was a bigger priority for Damon, than killing Travis.
@@sibel9272 As he said to the "mysterious man", he considered FU a "hassle", almost like their reunion was more work than he expected. He used FU's powers to push himself to the top, and was going to use FU to kill Travis. FU was however, one step ahead this entire time and the plan backfired, therefore putting Damon in a spot to want to go back to when FU wasn't part of the equation.
When Travis says "it's the ones who don't look like bad guys who are the real bad guys" I think it means a lot of things at once. Travis's most close allies look sketchy and dangerous, which definitely fits with this viewpoint. But I think it's also a nod to the idea that people who excessively manicure their image to be nonthreatening probably have ulterior motives. In recent times there's been a lot of examples of this in the indie game space, key members of self described "wholesome" groups getting outed as abusers. They use visual and social cues that imply innocence as a mask for their true intent, blending in with people who earnestly love that aesthetic.
To go a step further and put on my Game Theory Hat, I think this is also a critique of media in general. Not just games. The lead up to the fight against gold joe is Travis expressing repeated disdain for an industry standard of using the most "advanced" techniques, encouraging a primarily superficial approach to art. All the way up to gold joe's flashy intro that lacks any real substance. I think Travis strikes again supports this considering the game was made at a smaller scale with an emphasis on creating a unique style above graphical fidelity, while ALSO hyping up indie games in a huge way.
A movie filled with state of the art CGI or a game with cutting edge graphics can never beat a modest piece of art made by people who completely believe in what they're making
I think FU ultimately being like a dark reflection of Travis, similar to how he was in the first game and even the second, is another good way to close off the series. To show Travis' progression through the antithesis to what he is today. Also the fact that Travis is a big fan of Japanese culture, while it can be inferred that FU is at least somewhat a fan of American culture, furthering how opposite they are.
And even in other ways. How FU is content to let others do things for him, while Travis gets pissed his kill is stolen. And yet FU has toxic relationships, while Travis has healthy ones. How really, if FU and Damon could just reconcile and properly work together, along with the space assassins working together, they would've quite easily won. Only through their toxic relationships are they undone and ultimately fail.
Another thought that I had that I just had to share. Was that I believe it could be argued that FU and Damon's relationship is what turned FU into the toxic scumbag that he became.
His friendship with Damon was so perfect, so idealistic, that once he no longer had it, he didn't know what to do with himself. He surrounded himself with people, and even tried to make attempts to connect with them, but none of them, not even Sonic Juice, could truly connect with FU the way he had connected with Damon when they were children. He came to Earth thinking he could rekindle that friendship, but in the end both he and Damon had changed too much for it to just go back to that simple way of life. FU lashed out at Damon as he was no longer the supportive, innocent kid that took care of him and helped him return home. And Damon grew increasingly tired that the little puffball he cherished as his best friend was now pushing himself aggressively back into his life and taking control of it.
In the end, if FU and Damon never met, they both might've ended up as better people. Or at least FU probably would've just been a spoiled prince that didn't have this impossible ideal of what friendship was, and Damon wouldn't have been able to obtain all that power and probably would've just been a normal person.
Weren't a third of FU's intermissions related to Japanese culture in some form?
I feel like NMH 2's complexities are often undermined so I'm gonna leave this thing I wrote about it here in the hopes to start a conversation about its nuances:
I believe No More Heroes 2 is a game about commercialism and how it negatively effects art.
At the game's start Santa Destroy is this huge cityscape overrun with wannabe assassins. Like the fans of the series, the world idolizes Travis as an almost godly figure; pedestaling him to his confusion as well as the audience's. Wasn't this guy a care free loser who learned his lesson? Shouldn't we be meeting that guy? Well, no apparently. Travis starts the game as a vehicle for the commercial agenda. He's fueled by vengeance only to satisfy the need to make a second game. This is blatantly apparent during the fight with Nathan Copeland where Travis slices up two innocent women along with his adversary. The honorable warrior we've come to identify him as would never do something so low and depraved and yet he does. At this point in the story he isn't Travis. That's been taken away from him. He doesn't really get it back till the fight with Ryuji: a character that literally emphasizes Suda's ongoing theme of East meets West and vice versa. In fighting him, Travis regains a sense of his personality and feels loss when Sylvia murders him like a common criminal. The real Travis returns and honors the fallen afterwards. He remembers Margaret's song and makes sure that Captain Taktarov gets to rest in peace. He becomes furious after Alice is killed. He pleads that he and others like him are humans too and thus returns to form. Right after this, he fights Jasper Batt Jr. whose literally all of commercialism condensed into a single character (and also the most bs boss fight ever); a fast food mascot superhero. This Travis seeks to overcome the world that pulled him down. When he does, he becomes the character we see in full force in Travis Strikes Again.
Sidenote I think the most amazing part of the game that really shows its message blatantly is a moment right before you start slashing your way to Alice. There's a segment where Travis is walking amongst many apartment complexes. The scene is silent and he is nearly completely dwarfed by the size of these structures. The path is linear and tight. There's no where to go but forward. Before it ends, you reach a building with a large mural of Travis. It is a reflection of what has become of his character. He's been cheapened and tossed into the commercial mix. Though presented as big, it's quiet and empty. For all intents and purposes the world of NMH 2 has no more heroes.
There are also minor things that display how the world of Santa Destroy has been cheapened. Naomi's design is clearly altered for the purpose of fanservice, most of the bosses are references to big blockbuster films, Sylvia's Paris, Texas phone calls are extremely provocative. Also Suda's own involvement with the project kind of ties the whole idea together. The original creator not having full control over a project is often central to the notion of commercial takeover. In not having directorial control, Suda literally paved the way for the message of the game.
I had a huge ass reply that kept on with your comment and disagreed on some points but accidentally discarded it and now I'm sad. Pretend I wrote something cool or something.
TBH I never thought about that idea to the storytelling. I always kind of thought the pointless feeling in the game was because of how the plot is basically about Revenge and how worthless a cause it is. Up until Ryuji every boss is crazy weak. Cause they're here for foolish reasons. Travis cuts them down because he's seeing them a nobodies. Stepping stones on his way to the man who killed Bishop. But as he fights more powerful opponents, as well as remnants of his past that remind him how truly fucked up his first journey was, he remembers why he walked away. When he finally defeats Jasper, the last remnant of his past, he is rewarded with finding out what truly makes him happy. His Paradise.
I feel the same way. most people take it face value first and last, and make no distinction that Maybe the intent was that. so basic.
Well said
I agree with this but sadly, and I think most people would think this, is that this take could be more on interpretation side rather than it being 100% accurate. In my opinion, that is. My interpretation of No More Heroes 2, is that the theme is the consequences that killing/being an assassin holds rather than the gravity of death itself, and the risks of living your life as a killer. Travis has endured lost before, but the lost he has to endure this time is the indirect result of his own actions, which is a plausible reason to become fueled with pure rage like he did. With his honed skill and power, mentioned in the first fight in the game, he thought he could just brute force his way into doing what he wanted, which was taking revenge as at this point that's what he's used to doing. But the last fight showed that even so, you will have to sacrifice something, evident by him getting "Revenge", but it would have came at the cost of his own life had it not been for Sylvia saving him
Thing is, rather my interpretation or yours is agreed upon, arguably, a lot of things wouldn't have happened the way it did had Travis didn't lose his personality in the first place. At times he felt more like a caricature of himself, but anyone that's gone through a traumatic experience changes dramatically. Again, it's arguable to me. And a lot of his actions doesn't make sense considering the impactful lessons he's learned in the first game, however I would consider that arguable as well. I feel like No More Heroes 2, where it dropped the ball, was Travis being too different than he was in the first game in terms of character development/growth. Had he retained the lessons and original values he had, and not be too dramatically different than most people who hate No More Heroes 2 would have liked, it would have been a much better, clearer, and well received sequel. Also, the Pizza Bat/Butt tie-in is not fleshed out enough and feels like they just pulled it out. If things like that was more fleshed out, perhaps it would be liked more but as it stands, it will forever be a sequel a lot of the fandom doesn't consider a true No More Heroes game.
Regardless, I love No More Heroes 2 and I think it does have a place in the No More Heroes series.
I think night in Prague is from FU's perspective. It's also why FU thinks Earth is so evil (as told through Sonic Juice). Damon'a psychic link with FU fed all that negativity and spoiled trash into FU's mind and being. It's why the twist at the end is going back to Damon being mad about being hit and not even his dad hit him...he was never disciplined to any degree. He's the ultimate sociopath of the story and FU is his mirror.
The "creator doesnt want a sequel but is obligated due to popularity" really feels like the story behind Kojima and MGS2
I honestly don't buy that for this game. If you know anything about Suda, how much he appreciates his fans, and how NMH3 was conceived right along side Travis Strikes Again, it doesn't seem likely.
Isn't that every Metal Gear game to an extent?
Metal Gear 2 has been theorised to be a game made in order to steer the public image of the first game away from the NES port and its weird sequel, both of which were made with no Kojima involvement
MGS was a retread of the story of Metal Gear 2 using superior technology
MGS2 is pretty much that but with more explicit meta commentary and anarchist philosophy
MGS3 uses elements from the series to talk about how people can completely misunderstand a person's goals and philosophy only to end up interpreting it as an endorsement of endless, repetitive violence.
There's probably a lot more but I haven't played the series beyond the PS2 era games
@@casanovafunkenstein5090 kinda, but he only came on the 3 due to the struggle the dev team were having, and 4 due to death threats and harassment when fans found out he wasn’t directing it. I think he stated some time ago that he doesn’t want to only be defined by Metal Gear.
@@ectofriend IDK it doesn't feel like it even cares about the previous two in terms of tone of pacing. It feels like he wanted to make a different game and just slapped NMH flavor on it. The complete abandonment of what little grounding the series had made me really unable to maintain interest in this one. It felt like all style no substance.
I don't think so, this was more than anything a gift for the fans
When humanity dies out.. when every last copy disintegrates into the atmosphere.. then you will finally have your paradise Travis..
Unless some alien civ comes from space and uploads everything to their version of the immortal cloud.. then you’re fucked 😩
NMH 2 will always be my favorite game of all time. The tone, music, levels, boss fights and arenas. And again, the music. I actually really liked Travis in that game.
Also. Kimmy isn't a meaningful call back to the second game. The only other call back I was able to find that seemed meaningful? I believe in Santa Destroy, near one of the toilets in a back alley, there's a discarded Pizza Bat sign leaned up against the building. That blew my mind and seemed way more meaningful to me than Kimmy.
Thank you to everyone involved with the creation of, along with everyone supporting Grasshopper & NMH. LOVE YALL
YO
@@18themxxn_ YOOOO
Very interesting analysis. I enjoyed your take despite not agreeing with some of them especially near the end. At the end of the day as you said different interpretations is the whole point of it all.
I will stop a bit at Sylvia and her role in NMH3. While she resumes her role as the omnipotent observer, her being a mother puts a few things in a different perspective.
Her visual novel part in TSA ties well how she behaves and what she does in NMH3. Travis returns and apologizes to her for putting them in danger and she replies by saying that her and the kids are not weak. That section of the visual novel ends with her sensing incoming danger which I took it as a teaser for the future events of NMH3.
Her working as a secretary/assistant for Damon is merely a cover to keep an eye on Damon's plans and increasing interest in Santa Destroy.
She ignores Travis's questions about needing to talk or how the kids are because she needs him to focus on the task at hand and cut the small talk for later. Defeating the aliens directly influences the wellbeing of their kids.
It's especially telling when they talk after Gold Joe is defeated. She tells that the aliens are dangerous and shouldn't be left unchecked while also saying she is a supportive wife to Travis. This is also reinforced when she joins the Miike podcast. Travis asks her what she is doing collaborating with the aliens to which she replies as the organizer she can move freely and keep an eye on them. She keeps pushing Travis to disregarding anything else but the fight with the aliens.
To summarize, Sylvia has always had her ulterior motives whether those were money or something else but in NMH3 she acts like a mother first. It fits with the theme of family and friends.
Travis's questions are never answered because they need no answering as they directly correlate with the defeat of FU and his underlings. Ultimately the after credit scene answers his question about the kids.
“There’s too much popular culture stuff” *plays a game that has a dude who’s literally just weeb Johnny Knoxville using a lightsaber, and is into anime and has an ending that’s just a back to the future reference*
The problem is that No More Heroes 3 relies way too much on pop-culture references that it undermines alot of the original setting of NMH franchise & we didn't get the chance to actually delve deeper into the characters' backstories been reintroduced in TSA that never come to fruition in NMH3. There's a reason why people are critical of the excessive use of pop culture references in this game.
Travis is the embodiment of consumer culture, always has been, down to his character, appearance, weapon, mode of transportation, and even city are all stemmed from specific pieces of pop culture. All they did in NMH3 was make it more obvious what he draws inspiration from. It doesn't undermine the original NMH setting, it expands it.
@@GhenryI want to like NMH3; but unfortunately, it still hasn't age any better since it's released. NMH3 game play is the only exception, but the story is extremely scattershot presenting so many ideas that didn't go anywhere in a way it feels like it has an identity crisis as it doesn't know what point is trying to prove; even after going through the analysis. I will say I'm also glad Grasshopper is done with No More Heroes because NMH3 feels more like a filler episode while TSA:NMH definitely has a much more of a definite finality that I kinda wish the story could've ended there. I wish NMH3 tackled the aftermath of the CIA massacre incident & goes deeper into Dr. Juvenile, but again, NMH3 refuse to further elaborate. Who knows, maybe NMH3 takes place in some kind of weird purgatory fever dream since Travis probably died by using the Death Drive during the event of TSA as Clark mentioned about how the Death Drive Mark 2 destroys the player's cerebral cortex & the rest of their body functions, just a theory though 🤷♂️. Hopefully; the new IP might mention it, but a part of me has doubts.
@@GhenryI think TSA:NMH is a great example on how to strike a perfect balance between the usage pop-culture references & it's original setting in a way that doesn't detract over the other. If anything; I still believe TSA: NMH is easily best grasshopper game I've experienced since Killer7.
Henry losing his Irish accent can be explained by him regaining his "real memories".
After all, Henry was never actually Irish to begin with. He and Travis are twins, and Travis is American, and thus so is Henry.
dude, i am so proud of you for finally completing this gargantuan project. your videos got me into no more heroes and suda51 as a whole. suda has inspired and changed me in more ways that one, and no more heroes has and will be the most influential piece of art in my eyes.
your videos are like an extension of those games, like a dlc to these games, and i will be forever grateful for your youtube channel and the work you put into it.
sincerely,
a mind you have inspired.
Nice touch fighting Kimmy using the NMH2 jacket. Really hit home how little she changed that the fight itself is almost a weird tragic mirror of the first time around.
Everything about Henry in this game was somehow scary than the first person horror section.
I loved Prince FU's build-up, it made me overprepare for the fight even
After watching and listening to this, it really gave me a better understanding of Suda51. This was a great video about your perspective on NMH3. You put a spot light on those details that I didn’t really see. The characters, gameplay and the plot were all well explained.
There were parts in video that were entertaining. The little jokes were fun. I know you were nagging about recommending the Silver Case and 25th ward throughout some parts of videos. It did give me a laugh and a bit of interest look into them.
The theories were interesting too. I never thought that NMH3 might be a revision on NMH2. I also like how grounded your conclusions were at the end of this video.
This video was super long but I can understand why. Suda51 and Grasshopper are people that I want to see new things from. I am okay with letting NMH go. It was a fun journey with Travis.
I’ve checked out your previous works. They show how much time you are willing to put about video games. The people brought in to make this video is still wild to me. Thank you for your time making this.
I watched all 4.5 hours.
Amazing job.
Cannot wait to see what Suda51 does next.
Hopefully it really is a remake or an uncut cersion of Killer7.
I love any content related to this game, this was a great . I feel like the combat is incredibly underrated, I uploaded a video 8 months ago and it still gets views. Imo best in the series, but sad so many other things fell short. I'd say It's only behind the original though, very good game overall.
By and large I'm fascinated with most of your interpretations of this game, and it helps me to better contextualize some of the plot points I wasn't clear about. I remember watching your videos about the other NMH games and they helped me to appreciate TSA and Suda a bit more.
I do find it interesting because I feel like most people didn't appreciate Henry in this game. But you adored it because you picked up on thematic connections to past Suda cases. So that tells me that this is the strongest point of "you'd get more out of this if you knew the whole Suda library" in the game.
Travis' life is rather tragic as you describe it here. But only by certain parameters of paradise. Look at where he is now, he's got all these friends, a wife and kids who love him (enough to time travel to save him), a grandson who looks up to him, he's even connected with the brother of his dead friend for regular Miike movie nights. Travis' life is pretty great compared to the beginning of the series.
More subjectively, I feel like you're a little too eager to dunk on NMH2. You make good points, but I don't think it's fair to act like there's absolutely nothing of value in the game and its place in the series. I don't think you really gave it credit for any of the positives in 3, other than Kimmy's death (which 3 did half the work for).
But overall, a good dissection of the game- warts and all.
When it came to the space sections and the turret alligator mini game, I was hoping there would be gyro aiming. Suda is known for utilising all of the controller's functions. I'm surprised he didn't add the best use for it
I don't think I've ever anticipated a CZcams video this much. Thank you to you and everyone involved in bringing this together 🙏
Man No More Heroes as a series has so many parallels to Flower Sun and Rain, it's crazy.
Going back to that bit about Travis's clone body, maybe the Travis that got killed was Suda's Travis (he was supposed to get killed off in the 1st game anyway) while the one from that point onward is like Marvelous's Travis and whatever they decide to do with him later
I finally got to playing this game just a few weeks ago, and I personally loved it despite its several flaws. I could definitely tell Suda had a lot to say, like for instance Fu’s whole attitude being a corrupt echo of Travis’s own old behavior in NMH1 and NMH2, being another great story of “killing the past.” If this were to be his “supposed last game” like Suda says, I would totally be fine with that, even if it really isn’t because of the fans and Marvelous. Between this game and TSA, it was really fun to see the original creator’s return to the director’s seat, and these videos on Grasshopper’s games have been some of my favorite looks into this punk-loving game company. Thank you Suda51, GhenryPerez, and Goodbye No More Heroes…
(Also even as a big fan of Final Fantasy, that part revealing that Travis and Sonic Juice were actually talking shit about the series was freaking hilarious)
Haven’t even watched this all the way yet, but thanks for your passion and dedication to these games. I didn’t even realize that I’ve been keeping up with these analysis videos for years now
At first I was skeptical of the work on this video thinking “it’s gonna be like 2 hours long bro hurry up” as you do.
The I see the video is 267 minutes and 5 seconds long and I swear my jaw hit the floor and bounced back up.
You proved me so wrong, glad you got it finished.
I’ve been looking forward to this video since No more heroes 3 came out almost a year ago, and I have to say it was definitely worth the wait. Your analysis have helped me get more out of the No More Heroes games and even gotten me interested on Suda’s library of games. The No More Heroes games and Suda51 have inspired me to follow my dreams of becoming a game designer, and to this day that passion still remains inside of me. This may seem irrelevant to the video but I’d like to share a personal story about my connection and attachment to the no more heroes games.
This year was my last year of high school, meaning I had to figure out how I was going to make my dream of becoming a game designer real. I applied to a ton of schools around where I live but there was one school that I applied to that I never imagined I’d get into, the university of Southern California. To my surprise I got an email in February saying I got accepted and I had been considered for a full scholarship, but I needed to have an interview with the people at the game design program before they could decide that. The time for the interview came around and I decided to wear my no more heroes shirt that I’d bought a while ago (the same shirt that Travis wears in NMH3) and hopped in the interview. To my surprise the director of the game design program noticed the shirt and told me he’d worked with Suda on the original no more heroes and that they could call him down to usc to share some of his secrets. This absolutely blew my mind and I left the interview not believing what I had just heard.
Suda and No More Heroes continue to inspire me to create my own art and indulge myself in the game industry as an independent creator. Right now I’m 17 years old so it’s going to be a while before I make anything notable happen, but no matter how long it takes I will create something that can inspire others the same way suda and No More Heroes have inspired me. Thank you Ghenry for being part of that inspiration, as your analysis have helped me appreciate these games even more that I did when I first played them.
The one thing that I got that I can definitely answer about the fact that Travis is called the no more hero or the uncrowned king is from the fact that in no more heroes 1.5 is where he is considered a hero for cleaning up Santa Destroy but leads into him being put back into rank battles after killing someone that resembles his old self making his rank Noll and void.
Also I'm kinda disappointed you didn't bring up the fact Gold Joe's materials that he said was 'super dangerous' didn't hurt him at all unless Travis actually beated him like a club. Those minerals were fake, like Gold Joe.
I kinda love that this game is basically Suda just deciding: No more heroes? No, more heroes.
I wanna posit an alternate take on Henry, where he initially represented a more 'together' Travis. Travis is defined in NMH1 for his desperate search for fulfillment, while Henry just is Fulfilled. Travis needs the fights to feel alive, to escape the gnawing feeling that there's no point and he'll never feel satisfied, while Henry is content living on his own terms, feeling no need to explain or define anything. This also carries over to NMH2 where Henry just walks out of the nonsense Travis has found himself in because he has standards, he's better than this. But by now, all that Henry had that made him whole and fulfilled is gone, while Travis has defined his own satisfaction and lives on his own terms. Now Henry is the one picking a fight out of a futile belief that this is what will make him feel whole, while Travis is the one who wouldn't really mind just walking away. Gone is Henry having a more refined, trained fighting style compared to Travis' brutal swings, instead now Henry is swinging two beam katanas around like a maniac, and you have to imagine that the reason he picked up a second was also a futile attempt to fill the void he finds inside himself, now taking on the image of Travis at arguably his lowest, as he was in NMH2 swinging Rose Nasty on a pointless quest for revenge that saw him tearing up a world that had been in a way, remade in his image.
Only almost halfway through but I’m loving your analysis so far.. it really has been worth the wait.. love you and your work brother
(2 hours and 40 mins in now and this is by far some of your best work.. thank you for going so in depth in the kill the past games man you really reinvigorated my love and appreciation for them)
(Finished.. ecstasy)
Your deadly individualism video on no more heroes got me hooked to play Suda51 games. I have to thank you for helping find games that deeply impacted me. Thanks for making videos and I can't wait to see what you have in store.
Man, after one week I'm finally able to finish the video.
Awesome work and analysis, No More Heroes is one of my favorite IPs and watching such an extensive analysis was a treat to watch and hear
Only a few seconds in and treated to some awesome editing. This is gonna be quite a treat. Look forward to watching over the next several days!
This is definitely one of your chonkiest videos yet, my guy. This was the analysis I've been waiting for and it was worth the wait. I've replayed the NMH series so many times it's insane now. I love hearing your perspective on the series and Suda51 himself. This video was so well put together and I gotta say thank you for making this big ole chonk of an analysis on the game.
Been waiting a long time for this one and 4 hours no less? It's GAME TIME, thank you, Ghenry!
Whats hillarious about OHMA that pink octopus is she keeps yelling Adrian. A reference to Rocky yelling to his wife Adrian during the boxing matches. 🤣 Stallone Octopus
Another BANGER VID Ghenry. As flawed and divisive as 3 is I'm still in love with it. A beautiful and interesting mess that you can only get from the madmen at Grasshopper and the collaborators they've been bringing in. I think most of what I thought of the game was expressed in the vid itself but as long as we keep getting special games like these Grasshopper will be my favorite game studio by far. Other companies might make "better" games, few make anything more interesting. 3 is a lot of things but easy to talk about isn't one of em. I'd say the same even without doing Gold Joe's track.
Can't wait for the next Suda joint! Shouts to Abo-san, Sekitova, Okumura, and Natsu Fuji for their contributions.
I've been thinking about some of the thematic similarities between No More Heroes and Danganronpa lately, and your analysis here really highlighted to me how much their third games in particular feel like thematic parallels to one another, both games dealing with themes of violence fatigue, killing as voyeuristic entertainment, and the risk of over-sequelization turning a series redundant.
Amazing video. That monologue from NMH1 where Travis can't find the exist always stood out to me. But now I can't look at it the same way because of how Travis never dies and his adventure continues without closure. In a way, there's a mystique to it. Makes me wonder how the universe would keep Travis going through crazy things, and I don't need a next game to answer that. I want to let my imagination run wild.
i disagree with your thoughts on travis's character in NMH2. i feel like hes in this state of denial, trying to push out all the horrors hes seen and its clearly shaken up by throughout the game, which all comes to a ehad in as early as the margaret fight, and especially shows in the vladimir and alice fights. he believes hes too far gone. luckily, he's on a more correct path now, feeling like a true person.
Something interesting i noticed is how Travis has the loop off his life preventing paradise you mentioned and how that may connect to FU's superhero gimmick since most superheros are in the cycle of constantly dying and being revived due to popularity im not sure if its intentional
While this retrospective is quite enlightening, the amount of references to prior Suda51 games often felt like context without sufficient support. They still feel random, just moderately less so.
Great video, thoroughly enjoyed your breakdown, you really helped vocalize my feelings towards this series. Keep up the great work!
Finally had time to sit and watch this to its entirety after waiting avidly for months to hear your thoughts on NMH3. Absolutely did not disappoint, very cohesive and very well done.
Been waiting so long for this. Glad it’s finally hereee!
I've been waiting for this like a blockbuster movie. Thanks for giving this series some love, it really means a lot because this series was so inspirational to me and I wish NMH was more popular. Thanks again
I've been waiting on this every since I watched your other No More Heroes analysis videos.
oh so this 4 hour MONSTER of a video is why the videos taken so long.
well worth the wait, awesome video Mr. Ghenry :)
This was a really fun video! I played the first NMH back on ye olde wii but really fell into the Suda51 rabbithole this year after picking up NMHIII on switch. I've finally played all the NMH games and I'm now slowly making my way through the GHM catalog. Videos like this that are kind enough to point out all the references to other Suda51 games/inspirations helps to make more sense of the universe. I love the post-game analysis at the end, especially the Rocky series parallels.
Can’t believe I watched a 4 and a half hour video on CZcams but just shows how much I love no more heroes ❤
Thank you for this video. This game merits more discussion than is being done on it. This was very comprehensive, I'll be going back to the game to marinate on all you've discussed.
The opening to this video is god tier editing man. I'm waiting for my copy to vome in before I watch, but I am pumped to see it after the last 3 NMH vids!
This is amazing! I was waiting for this video!
No joke I saw your videos and it made me want to finally finish this game, which I did literally yesterday. Couldn’t have more perfect timing.
Always thought the decision of remoning the open world in 2 was a fine one.
To be clear, i love the first game: for the 10 years old me it was the typical game that you played, you finish it, passes 2 month, you played again, you finish and the cycle continues; and the open world in 1 had carisma and charming. But it had issues.
And after playing 3... yeah, sorry, it didn't hit me.
Excellently made video Ghenry and everyone who put in work to make this godly breakdown of no more heroes and suda51.. I wish the best for grasshopper and suda moving forward. I love Travis and NMH more than every other game by a long shot but I rather see suda and his team follow their dreams than be chained to the past any longer. Y'all are legends
There's so many layers to this game and the man behind it. I can't imagine where to start in seeing it all.
You are insane. That is some dedication, good job man and thank you.
It’s finally here
What a ride this game was .. been waiting forever for this video and what a treat right as I get out of the hospital
Been hyped about your complete analysis for NMH 3. I enjoyed your other analysis vids on the series too! I just love that while you explain the hidden messages that this game portrays, you also include Suda's own gaming philosophies. At 3:59:00 it covers most of my favorite parts of his opinions.
I've really enjoyed watching all of your NMH analysis videos! I'm glad I can listen to someone else gush about NMH and the love they have for Suda51's games! I really enjoyed NMH III for what is was, and while I wish more could be done to flesh out the game as a whole, I'm still satisfied with what we got. I loved the soundtrack so much that I actually got into listening to Red Orca! Can't wait to see how it'll look on PC, and I'm excited for the future Sudaverse that Grasshopper envisions in the coming years!
I am ready to watch this all! Thank you for your work!
YO, I NOTICED THE CHANGE IN BOSS LINEUP FROM THE SHORTENED TRAILER!! Made a post about it on Reddit and everyone called my crazy for suggesting the lineup was a hint to how many of the characters would be killed either off screen or by other characters.
No More Heroes III is one of the Suda's game ever made.
At ths point
No more heroes is a better soundtrack than a game
Ayyyy I’ve been waiting for this!! Excited to dive in!!
This video is INCREDIBLE. I've learned a ridiculous amount about what went into this fantastic game and that every inch of it is based as fuck. Thank you so much dude!!!!
I COULD CRY! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR AS LONG AS THE GAME MY BROTHER! SINCE YOUR TSA VIDEO I HAVE BEEN LONG, LONG AWAITING THIS! GOD FUCKING BLESS YOU GHENRY YOU MADE MY FUCKING DAY!
I kinda argue that No More Heroes 2 was about the damage Travis has caused to people's minds from his climb to the rank. These innocent people see him and think it's cool and Travis is slowly becoming the jaded assassins who were warning him to go home in the beginning.
I got goosebumps with the intro already great edit bro
That was one hell of a video, enjoyed all 4 hours of it! What more can I say? Your analysis videos on Grasshopper's games are very thought-provoking.
To put it out there, I love Travis Strikes Again a lot more than No More Heroes 3. NMH3 is VERY FLAWED. However, NMH3 is also fun as hell and the story is very intriguing with fantastic moments. Playing the majority of Suda's games over the past 4 years gave me a lot more appreciation for NMH3, Henry being the best part. Basically, a lot of how I feel is described perfectly in your video. This game definitely feels like the perfect conclusion to both Travis and No More Heroes. As sad as it is to say, I'm very glad Suda can finally move away from this series and go where he wants to go instead. I very much look forward to where Grasshopper goes next.
The biggest aspect of this game that I love the most though is the music, just like TSA. Everyone involved did a fantastic job. I'm very glad you had okumura, Tony Astro, and SEKITOVA give insight into how they composed their tracks. Really makes me appreciate Gold Joe's theme a lot more than I already did knowing the background of it.
Now that it's over, I very much look forward to whatever videos you do next. Whether they will be related to Suda or not, I am very excited. Very glad that you approached me so that I could also be a part of this video as well! I am happy to continue to be as supportive as I can as a patron!
Thank you for all that you do and keep up the great work! 💚
I wasn't here for the whole ride, but I'm glad I got on before it was over (in a sense). Great work to all involved.
been waiting 8 months for this bad boy
Don't worry without Columbus you could fulfill your true purpose, as a willing and suitable Aztec sacrifice.
Excellent analysis and I can't wait to see what you have on the older Suda games, especially Flower Sun and Rain. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for making all these videos man.
Suda has stated that if he were to make a nmh4 & marvelous greenlit if it would be like Rocky IV which is even referenced in 3’s ending had Sylvia blatantly say (I’m assuming the Villian from the north would be Henry)
My mouth fell open and I jumped a little in my seat when I was thinking of Run Saber and you immediately mentioned it
Those of us driven by creative revolution propel each other forward. Suda’s story has brought more depth to my own tales. Thank you Ghenry, for sharing your thoughts and dissection of it
The only thing I've been looking for on CZcams. I haven't watched it yet but I know it's going to be amazing!
thank you so much for making this video i love your analysis on sudas games and finally seeing no more heroes being put to rest was beautiful, i would have loved to see the other ideas suda had for nmh3 like the blackhole prison
I really like the portion where you bring up the idea of a relatively obscure game as a kid you used to play that no one else had. for me it was Custom Robo and I played it on my gamecube back in like 2005/6. I loved the game but I didnt know anyone who even heard of it til I was like 22 and a friend brought it up randomly and it gave me a massive hit of nostalgia.
This video was amazing. NMH3 is a game that hasn't completely left my mind since finishing it. I was actually thinking about replaying it recently, so I'm happy to see you analysis of it come out. After hearing people call the story bad and shallow, it was great to hear someone really dive deep into what the game had to say, and present ideas I might not ever have considered myself. An amazing, well thought out, engaging analysis all around.
Hooooly crap, it's finally here! I'll say what I think when I'm finished with this bad boy. Thanks for all you do, Ghenry.
Instantly clicked this when I saw the notification
Outstanding! This is a chef's kiss analysis.
I WAS WAITING FOR THIS ONE LETS GO!!
Really loved this game, can't wait to see this in full