No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is satirical, nonsensical, and just plain weird. It's also fast, bloody, impactful, and a few other things that I am not sure I can or should put into words. It sometimes makes the original title feel more subdued, which is strange to say since that the first game wasn't exactly tame. Given its much-improved gameplay loop, interesting side-quests, insane boss fights, and hilarious gameplay, NMH2 is indeed a wild rollercoaster ride that must be seen to be believed. If this does not get you hyped for the series' third entry, nothing will.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle for Nintendo Switch allows us to enjoy this acclaimed cult title. We definitely think NMH2 is a good example of how to make a sequel, collecting negative feedback from the first game to fix and improve it.

A superior sequel in every way, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle takes everything that made the first installment so memorable and gets rid of everything else. It also tells a more focused and mature story, though it doesn't shy away from extreme bloodletting and ridiculous humor. It's truly fantastic from start to finish.

Improving everything good about the original while cutting the bad, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle spends a lot more time being a fun action game and gives you plenty of new ways to tear enemies apart for good measure.

A fine sequel, Travis Touchdown’s sophomore effort turns the mania up to eleven for an unforgettable blood-soaked thrill ride. While it’s a little more generic in terms of its narrative, it makes up for this wholesale with brilliant pacing, fantastic minigames and a whole brace of new, ingenious assassins to cut to pieces. As confident a follow-up as you could ever want, this is Grasshopper at the top of their game. Another fantastic port of a fantastic title.

While the first game is missing some content from the PS3 version, No More Heroes 1 and 2 on Switch are easily the best versions of these fantastic games. While it’s disappointing they didn’t take the time to fix any of the games issues like the tedious minigames, both are still well worth playing.

Unapologetically brash and with a swagger that screams ‘love me or loathe me!’, the NMH series has carved a reputation and this is its best advertisement. [Issue #3, p.61]

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle improves on its predecessor in nearly every way imaginable. Successfully maintaining what made No More Heroes so adored, all the while improving on the original without sacrificing the heart and soul of the game: having fun.

I've been playing No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle for more than a decade now as they never cease to amaze me with their untethered style, violent action, and satisfying combat.

Extremely well put together remasters that stay true to the original games. Travis’ brash personality is fun to inhabit and the combat is still extremely satisfying. The series is well worth your time, especially if you missed out on them originally.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a wonderful remaster of one of Wii's best titles. Playing as Travis Touchdown in 2020 is as fun as it was ten years back.

I’ve had more fun with No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle than many of the games I’ve played this year, which speaks volumes to the quality Suda51 and team continue to release; despite all my frustrations, the franchise is still one of my all-time favorites. If you’re set on picking up No More Heroes III in 2021, it’s pretty much a requirement to brush up on No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. And for $19.99? You could do a hell of a lot worse. So grab both and take a souped-up bike ride down memory lane — you won’t regret it.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle has some great gameplay moments, even though it misses the mark on what the original did so well. The adventure hosts some great boss fights, a responsive combat system, and an unlockable difficulty mode that makes the entire experience even more enjoyable with the addition of a kick-ass soundtrack. Still, it remains in the shadow of its predecessor. It’s less goofy and more absurd and ends up being a heavy-handed retelling to correct the original’s plot. If this weren’t a sequel, I would have been praising it far more, but it spends most of its time desperately struggling to figure out what its own identity is.

Desperate Struggle is a great action game. It has some fantastic one-liners, the end boss is a sight to behold, and there are a lot of cool moments peppered throughout. If you fully analyze the good and bad, it’s no better or worse than No More Heroes. Play them both back to back while awaiting No More Heroes III.

It’s not quite as novel, but No More Heroes 2 has the same swagger and charm that permeated the original. I wouldn’t recommend skipping the original title, but if you enjoy it you will certainly be happy with this follow-up. The Switch port is solid and helps address most of the technical issues the Wii version had. Good, stupid fun.

There's no massive additions or changes in the transition to Switch, and some gameplay frustrations still remain that likely shouldn't. But fans will be very happy with what's offered here and newcomers will find this to be the definitive way to experience Suda51's masterpieces.

These two games are straight ports that have been thrown on the Switch to introduce newer players to the No More Heroes series, but they are worth revisiting because it's truly impressive how little they seem to age. Do we have faster-paced and more complex brawlers now thanks to the likes of Devil May Cry V? Sure. However No More Heroes is its own beast because it blends its punkish attitude and humour in with a surrealistic bent and some of the most memorable boss battles you'll ever play in video games. For these reasons, Suda's classics are every bit as entertaining and brash as ever, and it's great that they continue to be available to players on current consoles.

It may be much briefer than the game before it but thanks to its satisfying gameplay, fantastic characters and its focused content, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle manages to be a much more satisfying experience. Bring on No More Heroes 3.

The No More Heroes games make for light action fun, but they feel like they could be so much more if they only focused on what they did best without so much filler.