After the success of No More Heroes, Grasshopper Manufacture got to work on a sequel that was released a few years later. The game continues the story of the charismatic degenerate Travis Touchdown, and it’s the only game in the series without the original director in the driver’s seat. Fortunately, the game did just as well as the first one, with some critics preferring it to the original. The game was praised for its quirkiness and improvements on the first game’s formula. However, the game isn’t perfect as its graphics aren’t as good in some parts and it still makes use of certain voice lines repeated ad nauseam. You can read our review here!
©Grasshopper Manufacture
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Premise
Picking up three years after the conclusion of No More Heroes, Desperate Struggle feels like the next natural step for the franchise’s game design. No More Heroes 2‘s combat is pretty much the same as the originals except for the new ability to swap between beam katanas mid-combat. Also, the clunky overworld is now gone in favor of a menu-styled fast travel system. Some could argue that the combat doesn’t evolve enough from the original game, but all in all, it’s still a solid gameplay experience. If you like No More Heroes then you’ll like this one.
©Grasshopper Manufacture
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Main Characters
- Travis Touchdown: The main protagonist and assassin who is on a quest for revenge.
- Sylvia Christel: Travis’s handler and the UAA representative.
- Henry Cooldown: Travis’s twin brother and fellow assassin.
- Shinobu Jacobs: A former assassin turned ally, now a playable character.
- Bishop Shidux: Travis’s friend and the owner of Beef Head video store.
- Dr. Letz Shake: A mad scientist and the 10th ranked assassin.
- Skelter Helter: The first ranked assassin the player faces in the game. He is ranked 51st.
- Margaret Moonlight: A goth assassin and ranked fight opponent. She is ranked 4th.
- Nathan Copeland: A hip-hop artist and the 50th ranked assassin.
- Alice Twilight: The second ranked assassin.
- Kimmy Howell: A schoolgirl assassin obsessed with Travis.
- New Destroyman: A cyborg version of the original Destroyman from No More Heroes.
- Charlie MacDonald: The leader of a cheerleading squad and ranked assassin. He and his squad are 25 of the top 50 assassins.
- Million Gunman: The wealthy and flamboyant, 9th ranked assassin.
- Captain Vladimir: A space-themed assassin who is ranked 3rd.
- Ryuji: A swordsman and motorcycle enthusiast who is the 7th ranked assassin.
- Mimmy: An android assassin. She is a unique boss fight to Henry Cooldown and is the only time he is playable.
Other Titles In The No More Heroes Series
- No More Heroes (2007)
- No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (2010)
- Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (2019)
- No More Heroes III (2021)
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Cheats
Unlockables
Prequel bonus
Have a saved game file from the original No More Heroes to unlock all the masks previously obtained on the walls of your room.
New Game +
Successfully complete the game and save. Then, start a new game with the cleared saved game file to start with all your equipment and items from the first play-through.
Memory Of Demon ability
Get Jeane the cat’s weight under 11 pounds by playing mini-games to unlock the Memory Of Demon ability from the original No More Heroes. To perform the move, shake the Nunchuk to do a damaging slash attack. Note: This uses more beam katana energy than normal.
Avoiding death
When Travis is out of health and begins to fall over, shake the Wii-mote + Nunchuk repeatedly. If done correctly, he will not die, and instead return with a small amount of health. Note: This can only be done a total of five times and has no effect if you are lying on the ground when you run out of health.
Beam Katanas
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Berry | Available at the beginning of the game. | |
| 001 | Camellia Mk-III | Purchased from Naomi’s Lab for LB$50,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Peony | Purchased from Naomi’s Lab for LB$300,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| ROSE NASTY | Available after ranking eighth. |
T-Shirts
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Good Shot 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Good Shot 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 003 | Letter 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 004 | Letter 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 005 | Swng 88 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 006 | Swng 88 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 007 | Graphic 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 008 | Graphic 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 009 | Go Out 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 010 | Go Out 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 011 | Space Logo 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 012 | Space Logo 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 013 | Fly B 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 014 | Fly B 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 015 | Sound 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 016 | Sound 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 017 | Halifax 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 018 | Halifax 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 019 | I Love You 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 020 | I Love You 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$2,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 021 | Panda 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 022 | Panda 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 023 | Ongaku 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 024 | Ongaku 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 025 | Typo 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 026 | Typo 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 027 | Hibiscus 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 028 | Hibiscus 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 029 | Lime Leaf 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 030 | Lime Leaf 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 031 | Vinyl 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 032 | Vinyl 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 033 | Qat 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 034 | Qat 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 035 | St Pburg 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 036 | St Pburg 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 037 | LMF 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 038 | LMF 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 039 | Stuttgart 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 040 | Stuttgart 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$3,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 041 | Music 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 042 | Music 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 043 | Tree 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 044 | Tree 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 045 | Apples 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 046 | Apples 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 047 | Modulation 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 048 | Modulation 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 049 | H Bones 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 050 | H Bones 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 051 | Granz65 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 052 | Granz65 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 053 | Balloon 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 054 | Balloon 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 055 | Poster 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 056 | Poster 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 057 | P Face 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 058 | P Face 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 059 | D Cats 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 060 | D Cats 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 061 | Re Edit 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 062 | Re Edit 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 063 | Ice Cream 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 064 | Ice Cream 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 065 | S Bones 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 066 | S Bones 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 067 | Mods 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 068 | Mods 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 069 | Lock On 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 070 | Lock On 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 071 | Big Star 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 072 | Big Star 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 073 | Rainbow 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 074 | Rainbow 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 075 | Spirale 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 076 | Spirale 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 077 | Nature 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 078 | Nature 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 079 | Space Typo 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 080 | Space Typo 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 081 | NMH2 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 082 | NMH2 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 083 | NMH3 03 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 084 | NMH2 04 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 085 | NMH2 05 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 086 | NMH2 06 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 087 | NMH2 07 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 088 | NMH2 08 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 089 | NMH2 09 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking third. |
| 090 | NMH2 10 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$12,000 after ranking second. |
| 091 | Uh T-Shirt 01 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 092 | Uh T-Shirt 02 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 093 | Uh T-Shirt 03 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 094 | Uh T-Shirt 04 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 095 | Uh T-Shirt 05 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 096 | Shigan | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 097 | Saving | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 098 | Red Rocket | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 099 | Muscle | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$15,000 after ranking fifty-first in New Game +. |
| 100 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 101 | Band T-Shirt 01 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 102 | Band T-Shirt 02 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 103 | Band T-Shirt 03 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 104 | Band T-Shirt 04 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 105 | Band T-Shirt 05 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 106 | Band T-Shirt 06 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 107 | Band T-Shirt 07 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 108 | Band T-Shirt 08 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
| 109 | Band T-Shirt 09 | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Jackets
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Old School | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$30,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Mad Rebellion | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$30,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 003 | Cyber Cell | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$55,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 004 | Wa | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$55,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 005 | B.T.T.B. | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$80,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 006 | Homie | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$80,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 007 | Nerd | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$80,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 008 | Dude | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$98,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 009 | M-283 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$98,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 010 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Pants
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Old School | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$10,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Mad Rebellion | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 003 | Cyber Cell | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 004 | Wa | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 005 | B.T.T.B. | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$30,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 006 | Homie | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$30,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 007 | Nerd | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$50,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 008 | Dude | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$60,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 009 | M-283 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$60,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 010 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Sunglasses
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Old School | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Mad Rebellion | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 003 | Cyber Cell | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 004 | Wa | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 005 | B.T.T.B. | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 006 | Homie | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 007 | Nerd | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 008 | Dude | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$25,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 009 | M-283 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$25,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 010 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Wristbands
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Old School | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Mad Rebellion | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 003 | Cyber Cell | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 004 | Wa | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 005 | B.T.T.B. | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 006 | Homie | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 007 | Nerd | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$5,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 008 | Dude | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 009 | M-283 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$8,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 010 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Belts
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Old School | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$6,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Mad Rebellion | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$6,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 003 | Cyber Cell | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$10,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 004 | Wa | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$10,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 005 | B.T.T.B. | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 006 | Homie | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 007 | Nerd | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 008 | Dude | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 009 | M-283 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 010 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Shoes
| No. | Name | How To Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Old School | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$10,000 after ranking fifty-first. |
| 002 | Mad Rebellion | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$16,000 after ranking fiftieth. |
| 003 | Cyber Cell | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking twenty-fifth. |
| 004 | Wa | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking twenty-fourth. |
| 005 | B.T.T.B. | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$20,000 after ranking twenty-third. |
| 006 | Homie | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$30,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 007 | Nerd | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$30,000 after ranking eighth. |
| 008 | Dude | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$35,000 after ranking fifth. |
| 009 | M-283 | Purchased from Airport 51 for LB$35,000 after ranking fourth. |
| 010 | Casual | Available at the beginning of the game. |
Secrets
Control loading screen
At the loading screen, tap B repeatedly to make the star surrounding Travis’ head spin faster. The faster you tap, the faster it will spin.
Easy money
In Job 7: “Getting Trashed”, collect all the trash on Stages 3 and 4, and return it to the ship, except for one piece. Leave the last piece just outside the shuttle bay doors. Intentionally die by crashing into the planet or suffocating. When the game resumes, collect the last piece of trash to get an easy time bonus. You can get over 20,000 in Stage 3 and almost 100,000 in Stage 4.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Grasshopper Manufacture.