"Lollipop Chainsaw" is one of the most genuinely stupid games I've played in my entire life. Its dialogue is reliant on a nonstop barrage of crude jokes and puns, its gameplay consists of decapitating hoards of zombies as a cheerleader, and it makes loving references to 80's pop music, internet culture, and, most obviously, zombie films. This is a game where Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Right Round" blasts as you're mowing down undead mobs with a tractor combine, and where a motor attached to the protagonist's chainsaw propels her fast enough to jump hundreds of feet into the air and produce a giant rainbow behind her. Everything about this game is over the top, silly, and utterly idiotic. That is why it's one of the best games I've ever played.
Suda51, creator of beloved gems like "No More Heroes", has teamed up with the writer of "Slither" to produce a brilliant throwback to the insane arcade games of the mid-90's. You know the ones I'm talking about. The brawlers with vibrant colors, nonsensical plots, and infectious music. Games with satisfying gameplay, insane characters, and boss stages that are as creative as they are punishing. In a market brimming with dark shooters and motion control minigames, this game is a beautiful, bloody spew of rainbow vomit. Not content to put forth any less effort than 120% at all times, the world Grasshopper Manufacture has created is nothing short of extraordinary.
The concept is about as out there as they come. The gleefully destructive Juliet Starling, along with her sisters Rosalind and Cordelia, has been trained in the ways of zombie killing since she was a baby, killing her first fiend when she was six months old. She also has a pathological obsession with lollipops and is an ace cheerleader. Her boyfriend, Nick, has fallen pretty hard for her, but doesn't know quite how to react when she decapitates him and begins to wear him on her hip to save him from a zombie infection. This unlikely couple, one a ditsy optimist and the other a sardonic pessimist, have to work together if they hope to exterminate the root of a zombie plague that threatens to destroy humanity.
This re-donk-ulous concept is anchored by Juliet herself, played by the wonderful Tara Strong (Twilight Sparkle in "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"). No matter the situation, Juliet always has something witty to say, whether it be a unique observation or an entirely abstract musing about the most random of things. She is not a cold female warrior or a victimized survivor like too many female protagonists are these days. This character is funny, courageous, and a true lead in every since of the word. Her actions are defined by nobody but herself, which is such a rare thing in games today. Hats off to Suda51 for breaking the mold once again with another stellar lead character.
The gameplay should not be overshadowed by the zaniness of the game itself, however. What has been cooked up in this department is nothing short of miraculous, a sweet slice of brawler goodness. Juliet is, pardon the pun, a cut above every other beat-em-up protagonist today not because of the strength of her attacks, or the arsenal she wields. No, because even though both of those things are great, what defines this character is the fluid and creative way her cheerleader routines get thrown into the combat. Wielding a chainsaw is much more satisfying when it's prefaced by piggybacking over an enemy, whacking them with your pompoms a few times, then executing a twirling jump into the air before slicing straight through their neck. But this is all stuff you can do at the beginning of the game. When you start unlocking more moves and new upgrades, combat gets elevated to a whole new level within an hour or so of playing. "Lollipop Chainsaw" delivers some of the most intense and fun fights I've ever had, and the level of control it gives is enough to alleviate the occasional frustration brought on by camera quirks and cheap enemy knockdowns.
Variety is the spice of life, though, and the game also delivers this in spades. Sure, the brunt of the experience is spend chopping zombies to bloody, rainbow-tinged bits, but that's not all you do. No, you also get to baseball by shooting zombies with explosives while Nick (temporarily possessing a body) runs the bases; you get run through a kart racing-style obstacle course and hurdle off of rainbow ramps. Shooting, obstacle courses, driving... this game offers such a wealth of varied gameplay styles that one's head begins to spin, not knowing what's going to happen at any given second, which is exactly how the developers intended. It's constantly defying expectations, which sets it apart from the pack.
Graphically, it's not a triple-A title, but what it lacks in polish it makes up for in inventiveness. You'll be slashing your way through schools, farms, arcades and hallucinatory dystopias inhabited by giant killer chickens. You're not going to get these types of locations from any other game. Same goes for the overall aesthetic look of the combat. Instead of just packing on the blood and guts (which it does as well), the carnage is punctuated by giant glowing hearts and vibrant rainbows. Nothing says "brutal murder" like a huge heart exploding from a decapitated corpse, after all. Also a nice touch are how remarkably well-designed all of the characters are, including the zombies. Juliet herself can be decked out in a ridiculous amount of costumes, her older sister looks like a butch biker, and her younger sister looks like something the 80's threw up. Zombies range from obese farmers to lanky rockers to bubblegum-chewing baseball pitchers. There's a big emphasis on clothing, so much so that there's an Achivement/Trophy for staring up Juliet's skirt for an extended period of time. You're welcome.
The sound is just as wonderful as everything else. Musically, the game is broad and diverse, covering a huge range of genres. This is thanks to famed composer Akira Yamaoka, whose wealth of musical knowledge fits this game like a glove. Techno, jam band, and garage rock are just a few of the types of music you're going to hear. Spicing this up is an astounding amount of licensed music, my personal favorite being Toni Basil's "Mickey", which cranks up every time Juliet activates her powered-up mode. Others include cuts by Dead or Alive and The Runaways, which round out one of the most diverse games of the past decade. Also worth noting is the boss stage music by Mindless Self Indulgence frontman Jimmy Urine, who also voices the first boss stage.
While the game itself is somewhat short, this isn't something you play just once. So many costumes, so many unlockables, and (from my understanding) an alternate ending are all good reasons to keep playing, but something else may drive players out there to wear this disc out: Scoreboards. This game is more arcade-style than most of the "arcade games" on the Live Marketplace or Playstation Network, and it's perfect for single-level playthroughs to get JUST ONE MORE POINT than the other guys and gals playing. It was a smart inclusion in what was already a great package.
Grasshopper Manufacture has struck gold once again, and created the best game to come out of them since "No More Heroes." "Lollipop Chainsaw" is a bright, gaudy, and joyfully stupid breath of fresh air to an industry plagued by far too military shooters and kiddie games. There has never been, and most likely will never be, another game like this. On top of that, it's a dang fine time for just about anybody. Years from now, I'll still be remembering this game, and comparing what I'm playing at the moment to it.
Exceeding all expectations, "Lollipop Chainsaw" has become one of the greatest games I've ever played. Well played, Suda51. Well played.
Plot: 10
Gameplay: 10
Graphics: 9.75
Sound: 10
Overall: 10 (Must-Play)