Henry Cooldown boss battle guide: tips, tricks, and strategies — No More Heroes 3

In Polygon’s No More Heroes 3 boss battle guide, we’ll show you how to defeat Henry Cooldown. We’ll demystify each phase of this sibling battle by explaining each of the boss’s attacks, showing you how to avoid taking damage, and sharing general tips, tricks, and strategies.

Henry Cooldown: Phase 1

Grid View

• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon
• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon
• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon

In a previous cutscene, Prince FU inadvertently kills Paradox Bandit, who was meant to be your #2 ranked battle. Taking place for that fight is a climactic encounter with your brother, Henry Cooldown.

In the first phase of the Henry Cooldown boss battle in No More Heroes 3, your brother performs three different moves. The first two are basic sword combos.

1. One series of attacks hits at close range with multiple strikes.
2. The second variation begins after Henry extends the length of his Beam Katanas allowing him to hit you from farther away.
3. Henry’s final attack of this phase is a leaping strike. First, your opponent leaps into the air then charges up energy before crashing down with a slash.

Most of these attacks hit multiple times, so blocking too much will drain your Beam Katana’s charge meter. Create some distance to learn each attack’s timing, and then try to perfect dodge his attacks.

Henry Cooldown: Phase 2

In the second phase of the Henry Cooldown boss battle in No More Heroes 3, your brother powers up and can now teleport and shoot projectiles.

Grid View

• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon
• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon
• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon

His close-range sword combo hits much faster and includes several more strikes this time. The extended Beam Katana combo hits much faster than in the first phase. Again, try to learn the timing of these new variations and punish Henry with a perfect dodge counterattack.

Henry also begins using two projectile attacks. The first is a swarm of energy orbs that your opponent shoots one at a time. The other attack is a series of beams that come out of each of Henry’s sword slashes. He’ll usually do these if you get too far away from him, but they are easy enough to dodge.

Your brother also performs his leaping strike, but it is sped up to become more difficult to dodge. Block it if you have difficulty performing a perfect dodge against it.

Henry Cooldown: Phase 3

Grid View

• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon
• Image: Grasshopper Manufacture via Polygon

In the final phase of the Henry Cooldown boss battle in No More Heroes 3, your opponent adds two powerful moves to their arsenal.

1. His first move involves him striking the ground and causing a series of rotating spikes to appear. Run around them to avoid getting hit.
2. The other move is a long-range series of sword swipes that you either need to block or jump over.