[WARNING: Spoilers for No More Heroes 3 ahead]
No More Heroes 3 features a surprising crossover with another video game, resulting in a literal Deus Ex Machina that resolves a tricky situation. Luckily for Travis Touchdown, No More Heroes 3 tells an unconventional story, and the response to the crossover will likely be a positive one, especially as it has a couple of different layers to its meaning.
No More Heroes 3 takes a different approach with its villains. Gone are the assassins and gangsters that Travis Touchdown cleaved through in the old No More Heroes games. In No More Heroes 3, the enemies in the story are alien invaders who have come to flex their extraterrestrial might and take over the planet Earth. The alien leader, Jess-Baptiste VI, decides to make things a little more fun by instituting his own little tournament. This is how the Galactic Ranking system is introduced, allowing Travis the chance to defeat each of Jess-Baptiste VI’s cronies in succession before earning his battle with the leader of the aliens.
The battle is against Jess-Baptiste VI is one of the hardest fights in No More Heroes 3, as the player needs to work out the secret to his forcefield. Once Travis defeats Jess-Baptiste VI, he comes face to face with a new foe. This leads to Travis being dropped from the sky and plummeting to the ground. He’s saved by an unexpected ally, who flies in and gives Travis the means to overcome his foe.
A Marvelous Cameo In No More Heroes 3
Once Travis finally defeats Jess-Baptiste VI, the focus shifts to a human named Damon, who is the one who led the aliens to Earth in the first place. Damon pilots a massive mech suit which is ready to squash Travis, who is now descending towards the ground. All seems hopeless until Travis receives a message about an energy source from another dimension. Suddenly, an Arsenal mech from the game Daemon X Machina appears. Travis is able to pilot the mech and destroy Damon’s own robot battlesuit, leading to the final battle of the game.
Daemon X Machina was developed and published by Marvelous Inc., which is also the publisher for No More Heroes 3 in Japan, as well as the recent remasters of No More Heroes 1 & 2. The crossover is also a reference to the name of the game, as the term Deux Ex Machina refers to a problem solved by an outside occurrence. In this case, it was a robot from Daemon X Machina coming to save Travis, while also undermining the efforts of a character named Damon.
No More Heroes 3 is available on the Nintendo Switch beginning August 27, 2021.
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