See what’s indie news this week.

Hello and welcome back to another of our Indie News Weekly segments. It’s the time of the week when you scoop together all the stories you might have missed from the indie sphere, all in the hopes of you being the person who scoffs and says, ‘gah! I can’t believe you haven’t heard of Artsy Indie Game 2019!” So sit back, get yourself a cup of something, and enjoy.

Katana ZERO and its time-bending samurai are coming to the Switch in April

Nintendo was running a “Nindies Showcase” during GDC and along with announcements that included Cuphead making its way to the Switch this year, we also got an update on Askiisoft’s stylish Katana ZERO, with the game set to arrive on Switch and PC on April 18.

If you haven’t heard much about the game then you’re in for a right treat, mostly because Katana ZERO offers up what’s essentially a series of deadly puzzles. You fight through a series of hallways that are full of fairly peeved henchmen that want to murder you, using your trusted sword, a few plant pots, bottles, and Molotovs to cut down anyone in your way. Along with some pretty addictive gameplay, Katana boats an impressive story, design, and a ridiculously good soundtrack so it’s well worth checking out.

It’s not the only game that Devolver and Nintendo announced at GDC, with another explosive game you may have seen doing the rounds, My Friend Pedro, arriving on Switch and PC in June.

ShockRods promises ‘fast, frantic, and over the top’ gameplay to its arena shooter

Stainless Games has teamed up with Greenman Gaming to announce ShockRods. The behicle-based arena shooter is promising a return to the “fast, frantic, and over the top” action that’s apparently been lost in all the touchy-feely games that are being thrust upon us.

Playing as sentient cars with massive guns, the premise for ShockRods is pretty simple, kill all othe other cars, that’s pretty much all we gathered from the game’s reveal trailer. But along with ShockRod’s welcomed simplicity is a collection of maps that look like they’ll offer the perfect backdrop to the chaos that ensues, with what appears to be a jungle being carved up into a dome full of ramps and crevices for you to duke it out in. Hopefully, ShockRods’ combat will hit a similar note to what GRIP managed when it released last year, while the style of maps the game uses looks set to deliver some much-needed pandemonium.

If you’re headed to Rezzed at the start of April, you’ll be able to play a bit of ShockRods though we’re non the wiser about when the game will be released.

And Finally… SUDA51 talks Travis Strikes Again and the studio’s future

Suda51, the man behind the No More Heroes series, spoke to Gamesindustry.biz about the reception that the Switch exclusive Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes received since launching early this year. Admitting that the divisive welcome the No More Heroes spin-off has had was something he expected, Suda explained that it wasn’t a concern during the game’s development. He went on to say that rather bend to what’s popular in the market at the moment, he acted to make a game that would play to his revamped studio’s strength and in “doing so, we strengthened the team and that suited the philosophy of Grasshopper as a company.”

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Review | GGS Gamer

As to the future of No More Heroes, Suda told us in an interview that the plan was for Travis Strikes Again to lead directly into No More Heroes 3, though those plans may have change a smidge since the game’s launch. In his latest interview, Suda explained that “I can’t disclose too much about our next title, but it may be a sequel,” He went on that the team the project garnered is on he wants to stick with, saying that “I really like this working environment and feel we should do it again with the next title.” Just what that next title will be, either a full No More Heroes sequel or a return to Travis Strikes Again, remains to be seen.