No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle Q&A - Suda51 Talks Travis Touchdown

One of the big third-party Wii games set to be shown at E3 2009 is No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, the sequel to 2008’s eccentric and hyperviolent story of Travis Touchdown, a young man who takes his trusty lightsaber on a quest to kill the world’s top 10 assassins. What can fans expect to see out of this upcoming sequel? For the answer to that question, we recently spoke with the game’s director, Suda51.

GameSpot: Tell us about the story. Does it pick up where the original game ended?

Suda51: NMH2 picks up three years after the events of the original game. Travis is still living in his same motel room, but things have changed in Santa Destroy, and the city has been overtaken by an industrial conglomerate. Travis soon becomes aware of a terrible tragedy that strikes him close to home. His thirst for revenge pushes him to once again fight his way to the top of the UAA (United Assassins Association) rankings.

GS: What changes have been made to the open world to make it more engaging?

Suda: You will find out more about this later, but rest assured that the city of Santa Destroy has been greatly improved and will offer far more interesting opportunities.

GS: Is the game still broken up between over-world segments--where you must earn money doing odd jobs--and assassination levels?

Suda: The structure of the game is consistent with NMH1. Expect more variety this time around with a wider range of odd jobs and assassination levels that will connect to the main storyline.

GS: Do the dual lightsabers impact how you control the game? For instance, can you use two remotes? Or do you swing the Nunchuk as well?

Suda: The sword system will remain consistent with that of NMH1, with improved accuracy. Having two katanas will certainly impact the gameplay. Sorry, but it’s too early to discuss how it will affect your use of the controller at this time.

GS: Are there more weapons in your arsenal aside from the lightsabers?

Suda: Travis is a good assassin because of his beam katana, so don’t expect any other types of weapons in his arsenal.

GS: Does the motorcycle make a return? Will there be any new vehicles?

Suda: Travis will again ride his motorcycle. More details on this to come, but there will be many cool options available.

GS: Will there be more optional minigames to keep things fresh?

Suda: Yes, there are new minigames and a larger selection to choose from. More information on this later.

GS: What sort of boss encounters can we expect?

Suda: You should expect boss encounters that are just as cool as what you had in NMH1. This time around, you can also expect bigger battles, sometimes with several bosses at once. Look forward to the return of some old favorites along with some really good surprises in store!