>No More Heroes 2 doesn't take itself as serious as the first one did >>Cut to No More Heroes 1 having the most stupidly hilarious final hour in any videogame ever.
>Turning the series into a wacky parody playground >The series that was intended to be wacky parody Why do so many No more hero fans completely miss this fact? There is are so many moments in the first game that are HUGE flag. ESPECIALLY the last few moments of the games...
The parody elements in NMH1 are a lot more subtle and thematically effective than those in NMH2; the best example of this is the final boss with Jasper Batt Jr., which could've worked as an impactful finale if the Glastonbury fight or Mimmy didn't already exist.
Pretty sure I'm just overthinking it (and giving the creators a bit too much credit), but I always thought that the shift in tone was very deliberate. Through the act of trying way hard to become cool, Travis became cool to us fans. But that also meant him raising more attention than ever before, and thus getting under fire more frequently. The bosses did more cool stuff because that's pretty much all they know about Travis and consequently, the only ground to compete on besides power. And the soundtrack seemed to reflect on that. Where the first game was all about Travis and his "style" (and a catchy leitmotif to go along with), the second game was more about his motivation put up against a more pronounced cast of opponents (and their various mindsets/personalities).
I'd say that's pretty spot on, dude. I think Suda and the team absolutely knew what they were doing with Travis' progression and the tonal shift. Also, the first game was already pretty wacky and indulgent, the sequel just went more into it
Well, yeah. I'm just saying that Metroid Prime: Trilogy is also a very good game for the Wii. They may not be similar in any way, but they're both awesome.
I was never able to whistle until I heard Travis whistling the theme song. I'm not even kidding, it just suddenly came naturally randomly to me one night to start whistling the theme, and I still whistle it sometimes when I think about it. One of my goals in life is to annoy Ricky Gervais with it.
Those games are disgustingly underrated in every respect. I'd be tempted to get a switch just for the new one. Thank you for slamming me with an unexpected wave of nostalgia. Can't believe I played these when I was like ten such insane nostalgia
And here I am, 7 years after release, came just to say: *NO SHIT! IT'S ORGASM IN SOUND FORM!* This video needed to exist, though. Spread the word, brother!
3 is up there. All of them go for a different vibe. 1 is trying to convey that nerdy video game sound. 2 is really trying to catch the punk rock vibe. 3 tries to feel more modern while keeping the older tones. I personally think it's a good unintentional reflection of how Travis' music tastes change over his life.
@@spaciouswheat4580 NMH1 feels like a videogame adventure in real life and that's exactly why its OST is still my favorite. Haven't played III yet but from what i've heard it seems the vibe is similar to TSA's. Especially with those japanese tracks, very much a Killer Marathon vibe. I'll have to see when i get to play it, my comment was expecting the game to have Red Orca's vocals and that wasn't the case and i don't know how to feel about it.
Thanks for going all out on this amazing soundtrack! I used to dj at this bar in Miami called Kill Your Idol, and threw Ryan's Gym theme occasionally.. made a bunch of people get down and boogie.
I always love it when a game's music is used to actually add to the experience. One of my personal favorite examples is "Holy Orders III" from Guilty Gear Xrd. Holy Orders is the theme of the character Ky Kiske for the majority of the series, but when they switched over to Xrd everyone got a new theme. Part of this has to do with the state of the characters in the series having changed drastically between the previous major title and Xrd. The way Ky has changed has been him going from a brash go getter ready to smash the bad guys, into a much older and calmer man who needs to maintain a level head since he's now a king. While everyone got a new theme, the devs still decided to make a new version of Holy Orders, and just due to how it's used it has to be my favorite of the 4 (if we count "Holy Orders?"). When in a match, if the Ky Kiske has an instant kill used on him or is killed by a move that causes a hard knock down he loses the thing holding up his pony tail. Then, starting in the next round, "Holy Orders III" starts to play, which not only is a nice little easter egg, but adds to Ky's character as it's a representation that there's still a brash head strong kid in there ready to fuck some shit up.
Years late, but Holy Orders III wasn't actually made for Guilty Gear Xrd. It's cool how they used it there, but it was originally made for Guilty Gear 2: Overture where it was just Ky's theme, and they just reused it in Xrd.
Yeah, my man, that goddamn map screen music. I love it so much. It's so chill and just nice. Like you're on a road trip with friends, or you're on a beach just having a good time. Sounds really nostalgic to me for some reason. Which is funny, because I've never played NMH2
Great soundtrack has a lot of impact. Metal Gear Rising Revengeange's last boss would have been a way more painful experience without the amazing soundtrack it had. It kept me going when I was struggling. For me a good soundtrack is something to be noticed while playing. Not something that is in the background, becoming a mere noise in the soundscape. That's one of the bigger sins games of today often do (atleast big ones). Cinematic soundtrack = forgettable soundtrack for me most of the time.
Amazing video, I own NMH1 physical soundtrack but to this date is hurts me by how impossible it is to track down NMH2 physical soundtrack. Only 1000 copies of NMH2 soundtrack were made :(
No More Heroes was my first real shot at a crazy hack-and-slash action game, so the OST definitely stuck with me for a long time. I spent less time with the sequel so I don't think its music sunk in as much.
For years I wanted the OST on CD but could not find it. Then this gem of a video resparked my hunt but today, finally, I have the OST in my hand thanks to the Limited Run re-release of the full 3 disc CD album. Boy does it sound so much richer than ripped from RU-vid. Again thanks for this video, I have used it several times to introduce people to the NMH universe, so I felt it was fitting to drop a "thank you" this day.
The best thing about these games it they know they are wacky and satire as hell and break the fourth wall very often. But, suda51 put a lot of thought in the mystery and the under lying layers.
By the way, thanks for getting me into Suda 51 games. I picked up the silver case and loved it, and I've been playing through every single one of his games since.
I'm always amazed when you put out a video because I just can't imagine anyone else on RU-vid being able to achieve the level of flow that your videos exude. I really noticed this in your ratchet and clank comparison video as not once did I ever feel bored throughout the entire thing. Thank you for making this incredibly satisfying content.
I remember what it felt like for the first time to hear that jingle transform into "No More No," a total downer that drew me gradually out of the mood, and then "Do you want more" plays and turns you back in the other direction. Also, pay attention to the brass in "Ms. Teller" and listen again to "Season of the Samurai."
What a lot of people forget and was never mentioned. Kill or be killed and we are cowboys remix were on a soundtrack called No More Heroes Sound Tracks Dark sides. A good majority of the album was used in the game. I agree it was implemented very well but I think it was the sing molding the level/boss as opposed to the other way around. For the two songs from the dark sides album.
The gameplay actually is a lot better and you can control the camara better too. When I played I really did not get knocked down much, they expand a little more and you do a bit more than the 1st. The only difference is you can't walk around. Both games were wacky and both as dark. Also bosses still both have long invincibility frames you have to wait for to than attack, it was actually way worse in 1st. Depending on katanas used depended on how much damage you did also you had to train in the gym to kill enimes faster.
My biggest gripe with the combat in 2 is that the sound effect when you slam dudes into the floor with wrestling moves is so flaccid compared to the sound they had in 1. It actually made wrestling moves unsatisfying to me.
Not gonna lie, when you showed the theme for the second title I suddenly began to cry. Guess it's been a while since I've heard that song, what great memories it brings. You nailed that build up. Thanks.
Just found your channel, you have great content man I've subscribed and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your content, anyway now we know were getting NMH3 lets hope they get the soundtrack as kickass as they did for 2 as well as refine the game play and create a new and interesting game whilst keeping the familiarity of the previous games
cant believe how good these tunes sound . . . . so many games fail to provide memorable music. Im gonna buy or download this ASAP. Thanks gaming brit - sincerely
Just recently finished the second game for the first time, listening to the soundtrack makes me appreciate the series more than ever, can't wait to see(hear) what nmh3 had to offer. This Friday Baby!!
@@ChiefMedicPururu The first point is a tragedy, yet unavoidable, but the latter is not that bad. I honestly love the shitty autotune used in the Japanese version. To me, it adds a certain sinister tone that the U.S. version just didn't have.
Im really glad I got recommended 'Its Kill or Be Killed Mix' randomly on yt, otherwise I wouldve never gotten into this fever dream of a series. Also its one of my favorite pieces of VG ost of all time, its just so damn MOE~
I never got around to playing the games yet but I did give the soundtracks a listen prior and I loved what I heard, definitely some of the best game soundtracks ever made :)
I lol'd at the giant baby battle. I can't believe I watched a whole video about the soundtrack to a game I'm never ever going to play, but this is some top quality content m8
Toothpaste is legendary. The track on its own is godlike, but the way it is presented in the game makes sure it sticks with you forever. You also forgot to mention tile in style, fucking amazing side mission tune.
Tooth Paste is also used nicely since most of the level is just you killing guys in silence, having it play during the final stretch with the images of the abandoned playground and apartment complex really help set the mood.
One could argue that having so many different people work on a single soundtrack can cause some disjointed feelings, which I can definitely feel in NMH2's OST. Masafumi Takada is one of my all time favorite video game composers, so maybe I'm a little biased when it comes to his work, but I definitely think NMH1's OST is the superior one in the end. Not that I'm particularly knocking 2's soundtrack, there are quite a few songs I like a lot, but nothing can top Takada's cohesive and masterful work in full. Nothing in 2 even comes close to matching the atmosphere and outright awesomeness that We are finally cowboys brings to the table. Just my two cents.
Kang Frast yeah I feel the same way. NMH2 gives us a better overall package but NMH1 just works better as a game ost since it all flows much better and it feels more consistent. It's also worth noting that the vocal NMH song came from another album and weren''t made for NMH2, same with NM Riot and NMH the outer rim. This really adds to that disjointed feeling for me since they just took existing tracks and just slapped them on to an already inconsistent soundtrack.
I could have sworn that occasionally in NMH2 that when you're going through a level, theres a little bit of the original theme that plays during the song. The easiest for me to notice was the song that plays on the way to matt helms
This is the only game I haven't played myself that I actually listened to the soundtrack backwards and forwards to I love the music of the no more heroes games
Damnit, man. You gushing over this soundtrack just makes me want to play through the game for an eighth time and put the soundtrack on repeat for three days straight. Stop it.
For years I was convinced NMH2 soundtrack wasn't as good as the first one. NMH2 had some cool tracks but it's not as varied and gritty, I have NMH1's ost and I listen to it still to this day. To me NMH2 is mostly punk rock which I like but there was so much. I liked NMH1's boss themes better cuz each one was radically different. You sir turned me around on this. Maybe I just needed context or I didn't play the game enough to be able to appreciate the soundtrack. Which now warrants me to play through NMH2 again with the volume turned up. Thank you sir. Feel free to do more videos like this.
The soundtrack is the best thing about NMH2 because the rest of the game falls short NMH1 was one tune but a fantastic game I never really listened or cared enough about the theme to Nathan Copeland's level to notice it was even a remix. Nice bit of trivia to know though. I also never knew about the Henry remix or credits theme (it's been years since I played it entirely.)
Oh fuck off, No More Heroes 2 is an excellent game, it doesn't "fall short", it's just lacking in some spots but improved in others. The writing got MUCH better by the second one.
JC4R Yeah, I agree. The game falls short in a lot of ways. The soundtrack is definitely the best part, in my opinion. The first one is better in every aspect.
the game doesn't fall short at all, and it doesn't matter what TGB says since one of his points (the game not taking itself seriously) is completely invalidated if you actually played the first game, especially at the last half hour of the game.
Man, I never even knew about some of these tracks due to all the beam noises and grunts screaming!! I really should replay this someday with the SFX slider turned waaay down, so I can appreciate the music more
Man, please tell me you have a Souncloud. Your tastes in music are just... pretty fucking great! Also nice vidéo as always, and now I have some new tracks to listen
The map screen theme and heavenly star from the first game are two of my main summer time tracks Also my first time playing this series was my first summer of college
Ever since Persona 5 was released, and I have heard the battle theme for that game, I've been like "damn, NMH2 main track really gives off Persona vibes".
Persona 5 soundtrack is badass. The theme when you're knocking about your bedroom and the coffee shop is in my head all the time when i'm wandering about in town.
This reminded me of like a Digibro video. Should've titled it 'music is narrative' and then you'd be good to go. Seriously though, this was a really good video especially considering sound was the ain focus and it was very informative for me. They put an incredible amount of effort into the soundtrack.
