I interviewed Suda51, the creator of No More Heroes, about a hidden moment in Travis Touchdown’s story. This is about Travis’ unique appearance in the reveal trailer for No More Heroes 3 in 2019. In the trailer, Travis had a rugged look, with a beard and neck braces, quite different from the image that No More Heroes fans had grown to love. However, a few moments later in the game, Travis transforms into a well-dressed, clean version of himself after using a Switch-esque Death Glove. This surreal transformation is one of the many surprising moments in No More Heroes 3. Fans of the franchise have learned to embrace such unexpected moments, including encounters with talking cats and ancient scientists turned into trees. Personally, I speculated that the neck brace was meant to aid Travis in recovering from a headache he suffered in Travis Strikes Again, caused by a character based on Jeff Minter’s famous game. However, there was more to the story than that. According to Suda, “Yeah, I wanted to say this in Travis Strikes Again or later, but in the middle of the game and No More Heroes 3, Travis crossed paths with Kimmy Howell. You know how he pursued her in No More Heroes 2 and vowed to come back to kill her when he grew stronger, before ultimately rescuing her. Sometime between the two games, he was unexpectedly defeated but managed to escape alive, then recovered at the No More Heroes motel. You’re the first person to ask me about this.” Additionally, Suda’s translator and friend James Mountain mentioned that he had inquired about this before, but Suda had initially claimed not to remember. Therefore, although I wasn’t the first to ask, I was the first to receive an answer, which I find quite interesting. 
Kimmy Howell’s appearance in No More Heroes 2 and No More Heroes 3 provides extra insight into why Travis ends up facing Kimmy in the final confrontation in No More Heroes 3. The two have a tumultuous relationship and engage in a dangerous conflict before ultimately dueling with their laser swords for the last time. It was disappointing to see how their relationship unfolded, especially because I had always hoped that Kimmy would become Travis’ ally one day. Now I understand why Travis was so unforgiving. 
Jonathan Holmes Destructoid Contributor – Jonathan Holmes has been a media expert since the days of Road Rules, and spends his time covering the mysterious and iconic Destructoid, with more than a decade in the industry “Where do dreams end and reality begin? Video games, I guess.” – Gainax, FLCL Vol. 1 “The beach, the trees, even the clouds in the sky… everything is built from small pieces. Just like a Gameboy game… a beautiful little world… and all its inhabitants. . made from tiny little pieces of wood… Why can’t these tiny pixels be the building blocks of love..? For loss… for understanding”- James Kochalka, Reinventing Everyone part 1 “I wonder if James Kolchalka has played Mrs. 3 pa?” Jonathan Holmes More Stories by Jonathan Holmes
