Vinyl City is a neon-soaked nightmare if you aren't into EDM. Honestly, that's the whole hook. When Metronomik dropped No Straight Roads back in 2020, people were immediately drawn to the art style, but the heart of the game—the thing that actually makes the rhythm-action combat work—is Mayday. She’s loud. She’s impulsive. She’s a "Bunk Bed Junction" co-founder who literally carries a guitar twice her size.
She isn't your typical stoic hero. Mayday is a walking disaster of enthusiasm.
Most rhythm games give you a protagonist who is a blank slate or a cool, collected musician. Mayday? She’s the person who brings a guitar to a laser fight and expects to win through the sheer power of rock and roll. It sounds cheesy because it is, but the game leans so hard into that earnestness that you can’t help but root for her. Along with her partner Zuke, No Straight Roads Mayday represents a specific kind of counter-culture energy that feels authentic to anyone who has ever been told their art "doesn't fit the brand."
The Messy Reality of Mayday’s Revolution
Mayday is flawed. Like, really flawed. This is probably the most refreshing thing about her character arc throughout the game. At the start, she and Zuke enter the Lights Up audition, hoping to bring rock back to Vinyl City. They get laughed off the stage by Tatiana, the leader of NSR, who claims rock is irrelevant.
Mayday’s reaction isn't to go home and practice. She gets mad. She starts a revolution.
But here’s the nuance: Mayday’s revolution is kind of selfish at first. She isn't trying to save the city from some dark, hidden evil in the beginning; she’s just pissed off that her favorite music was insulted. As you play through the boss fights—taking on superstars like DJ Subatomic Supernova or the digital idol Sayu—you start to see the collateral damage. Mayday’s "heroism" is messy. She yells. She makes assumptions. She ignores Zuke’s more rational advice.
This makes her human. In a world of polished, robotic EDM perfection, Mayday is a feedback loop.
Why Her Design Works (and That Massive Guitar)
Visually, No Straight Roads Mayday is a masterclass in silhouette. She’s got the wild, triangular hair and the oversized red boots. But the guitar is the focal point. It’s a weapon. In the game’s mechanics, you aren't just hitting notes; you’re physically smashing drones and projectiles.
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The contrast between her and Zuke is vital.
Zuke is the rhythm.
Mayday is the melody—and the volume.
If you look at the concept art by Wan Hazmer and Daim Dziauddin, they clearly wanted her to look like she was always in motion. Even when she’s standing still, her design suggests a kinetic energy that’s about to boil over. This reflects her gameplay style. While Zuke focuses on combos and keeping the beat, Mayday is the heavy hitter. She’s the one you switch to when you need to break a shield or deal massive damage to a boss's core.
No Straight Roads Mayday and the Fight Against the Algorithm
If you look deeper into the subtext, the conflict between Mayday and the NSR elite is basically a metaphor for the modern creator economy. NSR represents the "Algorithm." Everything is curated, perfectly timed, and designed for maximum mass appeal. Mayday is the "Indie Creator." She’s raw, she’s unrefined, and she doesn't care about "optimal engagement."
She just wants to shred.
This is why people connected with her so much. We live in an era where everything feels like it’s been run through a focus group. Mayday is the antithesis of a focus group. When she shouts "Bunk Bed Junction!" at the start of a fight, it’s not a polished catchphrase. It’s a battle cry from a kid who just wants to be heard.
There’s a specific moment in the game—no spoilers, but it involves the boss Yinu—where Mayday has to realize that her "rock is better than everything" attitude might be hurting people who actually care about their own genres. It’s a rare moment of growth for a platforming hero. She has to learn that being a revolutionary isn't just about tearing down what you hate; it’s about respecting the art in others, even if it’s played on a synthesizer instead of a Gibson.
The Voice Behind the Chaos
We have to talk about the voice acting. Su Ling Chan (English) and Ayane Sakura (Japanese) both bring an incredible amount of rasp and grit to the role. Usually, "spunky" female leads in games can drift into being annoying or overly high-pitched. Su Ling Chan keeps Mayday grounded in a way that feels like a real person who has stayed up too late drinking coffee and practicing riffs.
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Her chemistry with Zuke (voiced by Rafiz Wan) is the glue. Their banter isn't just "gameplay hints"; it’s the sound of two people who have lived in a tiny apartment together for years. They bicker. They finish each other's sentences. They disagree on whether or not they should actually be blowing up a massive satellite.
Mastering Mayday’s Combat Flow
Playing as Mayday requires a different mindset than playing as Zuke. While the game is a "rhythm-action" title, it’s not a traditional rhythm game like DDR or Guitar Hero. You can move freely, but the world—the attacks, the environment, the lights—all move to the beat.
- Heavy Hitting: Mayday’s attacks have a slight delay compared to Zuke’s. You have to anticipate the beat more than react to it.
- Transformation: Her ability to transform props into weapons (like turning a speaker into a rocket launcher) is her main utility.
- The "Rock" Factor: She can pick up "notes" (ammo) and fire them at distant enemies. It’s less about precision and more about overwhelming force.
If you try to play Mayday like a standard hack-and-slash character, you’re going to die. A lot. You have to listen to the soundtrack. The boss themes—composed by the likes of Falk Au Yeong and James Landino—actually change based on who is winning. If you’re playing well as Mayday, the rock elements of the track become more prominent. The music literally adapts to her presence.
The Cultural Impact of the Rock Revolution
When No Straight Roads launched, it didn't have the marketing budget of a AAA title. It relied on its aesthetic and its characters. Mayday became a fan favorite almost instantly in the fan-art community. Why? Because she represents a "type" of girl we don't see often in games: the messy, hyper-fixated musician who isn't sexualized and isn't a "chosen one."
She’s just a girl from the sewers with a dream and a very loud amplifier.
In 2026, looking back at the game’s legacy, it’s clear that Mayday paved the way for more expressive, character-driven rhythm games. We’ve seen a resurgence in the genre lately, with titles like Hi-Fi RUSH clearly sharing some DNA with the energy Mayday brought to the table. Both games understand that the "rhythm" isn't just a mechanic—it’s the personality of the world.
Acknowledging the Limitations
Is Mayday perfect? No. Some players find her constant screaming a bit much. The game’s camera can sometimes struggle to keep up with her frantic movements during the crazier boss phases, like the fight against Eve. And let’s be real, her "rock supremacy" attitude at the start of the game is borderline obnoxious.
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But that’s the point.
You’re supposed to find her a bit tiring at first. You’re supposed to think, "Wow, she needs to chill." Because by the time the credits roll, you realize that her lack of "chill" is exactly what Vinyl City needed to break out of its stagnant, corporate loop.
How to Get the Most Out of Bunk Bed Junction
If you’re diving into No Straight Roads for the first time or returning for a replay of the Encore Edition, there are a few things you should do to really appreciate Mayday’s journey.
First, don't ignore the collectibles in the sewer. The banter between Mayday and Zuke in their home base adds so much context to their relationship. You find out about their past, their failed gigs, and why they’re so desperate to succeed. It turns them from "game characters" into "people."
Second, play with a good pair of headphones. The way the audio pans when Mayday switches from melee to ranged attacks is a subtle piece of sound design that most people miss. The "rock" version of the soundtrack is packed with layered guitar work that only really shines when you can hear the separation of the instruments.
Finally, pay attention to the boss transformations. Each boss represents a different phase of the music industry. When Mayday is fighting them, she’s not just hitting a health bar; she’s deconstructing a genre. It’s a beautiful, chaotic dance that only works because she’s the one leading it.
Mayday isn't just a character in a game about music. She is the physical embodiment of why we play music in the first place: to be loud, to be seen, and to change the world, even if we’re just doing it one power chord at a time.
Practical Steps for New Players
To truly master Mayday and see the story through to its end, focus on these tactical shifts:
- Prioritize the "Triple Morp" Upgrade: This allows Mayday to create more powerful musical installations during boss fights. It’s her biggest game-changer.
- Watch the Floor, Not the Enemy: In No Straight Roads, the floor pulses with the beat. It tells you exactly when a shockwave is coming. Mayday’s jumps are floaty, so use that air time to avoid the "on-beat" ground attacks.
- Switch Often: Even if you prefer Mayday’s high damage, switching to Zuke to build up the combo meter is essential. Then, switch back to Mayday to "cash in" that combo with a heavy finisher.
- Invest in "Ellie": The little robot assistant provides buffs. For Mayday, look for the upgrades that increase ammo capacity. Since she relies on throwing notes for long-range combat, running out of "bullets" during a boss’s flying phase is a death sentence.