Random Questions:

So my head is racing, trying to make sense of the game. The problem with Suda 51 is that with his games, he may have something in there with no answer at all, just to mess with the fans. He's about style, not story. That's why the first game ended the way it did.

But now I'm not so sure all of it was pure nonsense. I'm starting to wonder if it's a 'bigger picture' kind of thing. At the end of the first game, we see Sylvia with her daughter in front of a painting of Travis and Henry fighting. At first I thought this was her and Henry's daughter (although I found it odd they named her Jeanne, after Travis' ex-girlfriend/half-sister). Now I think this was a glimpse of her in the far off future, and Travis is the father (which makes much more sense).

In this game we're shown a peep show-type establishment where Sylvia is apparently working. She talks to a mysterious stranger who never speaks, telling him the story that takes place in No More Heroes 2. This is obviously some point in the future, but why she's there is a mystery. Of course, at the end of the game Sylvia steals Travis' bike and takes off. The last cut scene shows Sylvia in the peep house, breaking down in tears. Travis is revealed to be the voiceless customer. He tells Sylvia that "Finally, I found you" and "Santa Destroy needs us."

So this brings up a few questions. First of all, Sylvia already mentioned her voiceless customer had made multiple trips, so I doubt Travis was being literal when he said he found her. I think he meant he finally got to see the real Sylvia for a change. The entire time he's known her, she's stolen from him, conned him, lied to him, and is impossible to figure out. She revealed her true feelings to a stranger (who just happened to be Travis), and he saw a side she was too afraid to show.

But then there's the "Santa Destroy" comment. Earlier in the game Travis swears to take down the UAA (United Assassins Association). Clearly Sylvia no longer works for them and is, in fact, not even in Santa Destroy any longer. So something big has happened between the last fight and this scene, and it screams for a third game to conclude it. So has the UAA gotten out of control? Or did Travis take them down and now there's chaos?

There's also the question of what Sylvia promised to Shinobu for helping take out some of Travis' opponents. This is never touched on again, although a recent document found online indicates there MIGHT be a bonus fight with Shinobu once Bitter mode is beaten. I'm curious if that's true and answers the question. If not, well, there's a chance Shinobu will be the star of the third game.

But that's the other thing: Suda 51 said this is the last of Travis in the series. But that doesn't seem to gel with the ending. The ending practically begs for a third game featuring both him and Sylvia. So was he throwing out a red herring or was he serious? It's hard to tell with him because if his games are anything to go by, the man is absolutely insane.

So overall, I'm starting to see a larger story developing. We've been given hints of the future in both games, but how it comes together is a mystery. The best I can put together, Travis becomes the top assassin and does what nobody else has ever done: disappeared without the UAA finding him (something one assassins mentions in this game, when she talks about being "trapped"). He comes back to get revenge for his buddy's death, becomes number one again, and promises to take down the UAA. Sylvia runs away because she's getting too close to Travis, then... what happens next is unknown. We jump again where he finds her no longer working with the UAA and tells her Santa Destroy needs her. And then we the jump even farther in the future showing they both likely have a kid together.

So many unanswered questions, but at the same time it makes me feel more confident now than ever that there will be a third game (Suda has apparently gone as far as to say he has enough ideas to make up to a fifth game). I guess it all depends on sales, and so far this one has started off better than the first. W00t!

I'm looking forward to starting a new game on Bitter mode, although I might not finish it if the rumor about Shinjobu isn't true. I know the E3 trailer for the game shows up once you complete Mild, so I'll at least look into that.

Other random thoughts: