It's far from an uncommon occurrence when popular games on non-Nintendo platforms eventually make their way onto Switch. It's much less common when the publishers swap things around and port Switch exclusives over to other consoles. This is exactly what happened with No More Heroes III, last year's long awaited sequel that received review scores as varied as the game's content. We loved it, but also understand that a game as off the wall as No More Heroes III isn't likely to have universal appeal. But now that it's on PC along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles, it's now available for a much wider audience.

No More Heroes III is one of the weirder games I've ever played, which seems like an intentional design choice that resulted in such mixed reactions during the original release. The tale begins twenty years ago with a boy named Damon Ricotello and an alien named FU. Damon finds FU, and the two become friends before FU returns to his home world. Fast forward to present day and Damon is a high-powered executive and FU returns with plans to conquer the world with the help of his friend. Comparing this to a crossover between ET and Independence Day isn't entirely inaccurate, but doesn't do justice to just how bizarre No More Heroes III is.

To fit in with No More Heroes tradition, FU has enlisted the aid of the top-ranked assassins in the UAA. Travis is clearly upset at FU's invasion and loves taking out rival assassins so of course he dives into the opportunity to take out FU's minions. This require Travis to earn enough money to pay the registration fee for each match so he ventures off into the world to complete several odd jobs to pay the admission fee. These include a variety of minigames, such as cutting grass, unclogging toilets, doing mining expeditions, cleaning up garbage and the personal favorite, blasting Godzilla sized alligators with a tank cannon. These minigames are absurd and not the type of work that one would expect a top ranking assassin to do, but those ranked match entry fees have to be paid somehow.

When wandering the world map to find ways to earn money to take on the ranked assassins Travis isn't limited to only doing those more menial tasks. There are activities throughout where Travis can actually work on his combat skills. There are Designated Matches, which Travis will need to complete a set number of these before the ATM will appear for him to pay his entrance fee and Defense Missions where Travis will have to battle multiple waves of enemies in conventional combat or done his space armor to better some sort of alien monstrosity in outer space. In regular combat Travis is armed with his trusty beam katana along with wresting moves like being able to do flying death kicks or suplexing his enemies.

Fighting the ranked assassins is where battles get more interesting. The different ranked assassins have creative and unique designs. Many of the battles are straightforward brawls where the passing assassin will utilize his beam katana and wresting moves to take down his opponents. Other battles are more creative and take unusual twists. Some of these battles consist of spoofing other well known games with very different game styles. One battle requires Travis to win a children's game before he's allowed to do battle against the ranked assassin. These battles are the highlight of No More Heroes III and each battle is crafted in a way where it feels unique.

No More Heroes III was one of the most enjoyable games of 2021 and playing it again on PlayStation 5 was also a joy. Having gone through the game a second time, more time was spent on the side activities such as looking for scorpions and Jeane's wayward kittens. There are a lot of hidden collectibles and events that aren't always marked on the map, but each area is small enough that searching for everything isn't overly time consuming. A lot of the appeal comes from the unexpected silliness that permeates the title, which doesn't hit as hard on subsequent playthroughs. This version may have upgrades from the original Switch version, but nothing of a substantial nature. Outside of achievement/trophy support there isn't much to sell this version to those who already became the top ranking assassin on Switch. For anyone who missed the original release, however, this is a great game -- particularly for those who appreciate absurdities or are fans of Suda51 in general. This is a game where Travis spews constant obscenities and discussed the work of fictional filmmaker Miike in between ranked matches. Credit scenes seem to happen way too often and because of the crass humor and unconventional approach to storytelling and gameplay, this is not a title that has universal appeal. For those who are a fan of Suda51's unique brand of game design found in his previous works, however, this is a must-play title.

No More Heroes III made technical tradeoffs when it jumped from Switch to these other platforms. The one concession may not matter to everyone, but in coming to these other platforms the motion controls had to go to leave only the conventional game input. In exchange for this the beam katana was used to cut down on load times. The visuals were given polish to allow for higher resolution, but going into higher HD doesn't hide the fact that this is a port of something that originated on Switch. The music isn't memorable to the point where an OST purchase is desirable, but it does mesh with the rest of the aesthetic and mood.

Closing Comments:

No More Heroes III caters to a niche segment of gamers. Because of how well it embraces its absurdity, it's a title not easily digested by everyone, but this is a must play for fans of Grasshopper Manufacture's unusual approach to world building. Conventional battles are interspersed with unusual side job minigames to bring variety to the gameplay, even if mowing lawns to raise money for ranked assassin fights feels shoehorned into the plot. No More Heroes III's quicker loading times and sharper graphics on PS5 are a welcome upgrade of the Switch version, but there are no other improvements or additional content to make a strong case to get this version if the original release is in one's game library.