After a decade buried deep in the grave of the seventh console generation, the 2012 cult classic Lollipop Chainsaw lives again! Despite struggling to impress Western critics at the time, Juliet Starling won a devoted fan base. With her plucky style and ultra-violent zombie slaying, the teen heroine is back in action, coming to a console near you!
Three Cheers for Lollipop Chainsaw
For those who missed it the first time around, Lollipop Chainsaw is a very unconventional zombie game. Little surprise given it came from Suda51’s studio Grasshopper Manufacture. It’s like a neon-infused Buffy the Vampire Slayer by way of Devil May Cry with writing by James Gunn.
In fact, Gunn cited Lollipop Chainsaw as inspiration for Harley Quinn’s rampage in The Suicide Squad. Gunn’s brother even voiced one of the antagonists; as did Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence, in addition to Urine composing music for the game.
Players brawl all manner of demented zombies throughout San Romero High school. Juliet’s poor boyfriend is infected early on, only spared from turning at the cost of becoming just a head attached to Juliet’s skirt. Bosses range from a black metal musician who projectile curses at you to a psychotic flower-child hippy. It’s easily one of Grasshopper Manufacture’s strangest games, which is saying something.
A Remake for the Fans
In an interview with Automaton, Dragami Games’ CEO Yoshimi Yasuda explains it’s the fans that have kept Lollipop’s spirit alive. Now, many of the original creative team are returning to a project they all loved, giving it a second chance at success.
Sadly, some of the licensed tracks from the original release aren’t returning this time around. However, a fresh score will accompany a few of the remaining original tracks. Given how important music is to several key moments across the story, it’ll be interesting to see how the remake works around this.
Resurrecting a Hidden Gem
Until recently, the rights to Lollipop Chainsaw were held by the game’s Japanese publisher, Kadokawa Games. Since the 2012 launch, those rights had been just sitting around. Not anymore though!
“It has been some time since players have not been able to access the game on current consoles,” says Dragami Games’ CEO Yoshimi Yasuda “We, the original development staff on Lollipop Chainsaw, think of the game as very precious to us, and did not want to leave it in limbo, where players who want to play it cannot. As such, we purchased the Lollipop Chainsaw intellectual property from Kadokawa Games and decided to develop a remake. We have already contacted Warner Bros. about development and are being supported by them in this endeavor.”
Together with Warner Bros., the recently founded Dragami Games is aiming to release the remake in the coming year. Target platforms haven’t been announced, but current-gen is likely – plus, hopefully the game finally receives a PC release! A more realistic take on the game’s original art style is going to make the most of the latest hardware.
The two early promotional images still show off plenty cheerleader vs. zombie energy, so no worries about Lollipop Chainsaw going all gritty. For Yasuda, it’s a very personal project dear to his heart, detailing in a letter on Twitter (included below). Explaining how he hopes to ensure more players than ever can rev Juliet’s chainsaw and decimate the undead.
It’s always great when a misunderstood gem like Lollipop Chainsaw gets another shot at the love it missed out on. There’s so many amazing titles from the seventh console generation that were dismissed far too hastily. Like Vanquish, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Lollipop Chainsaw’s time has finally come.
