PixlBit

Let’s all put aside our preconceived notions and take a critical look at Suda51’s latest effort.

Misogyny. It’s a word that’s been thrown around in tandem with Killer is Dead since the fated Gigolo Mode was first revealed. However, creator Grasshopper Manufacture has gotten a raw deal. This tongue-in-cheek mode (that only features two unique encounters) has thrown the stars completely out of alignment for the studio and the game at large. The fact of the matter is, Killer is Dead is quite similar to Suda51’s past works. Combining the frantic action of No More Heroes with the third person shooting from Shadows of the Damned and the darker atmosphere offered by Killer7, Killer is Dead is a fantastic fusion of some of Suda51’s oeuvre. The cryptic narrative that undercuts the experience further accentuates the charm of this excellent action game.

Read more »

Despite the retail setbacks of the first game, Grasshopper wants another crack at it.

Last year’s Shadows of the Damned was well-known for two things. The Grasshopper Manufacture game was a dream collaboration of Suda 51 (No More Heroes), Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), and Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil). It was also a colossal flop, selling a meager 24,000 copies in its first week on store shelves. Not a company to be held down by disappointing sales, it sounds like Grasshopper is eager to do another chapter in the life of Garcia F’ing Hotspur.

Read more »

“OK” just doesn't cut it this time.

No More Heroes looked like an intriguing game when it came out on the Wii, but after playing it I wasn't too impressed. You play as the badass Travis Touchdown and your simple goal is to kill everyone in your way until you are number one. The gameplay was interesting and the story and characters were entertaining, but these just sugarcoated a fundamentally flawed game. Upon hearing about this remake, subtitled Heroes Paradise, I hoped that it would all be smoothed over. Again I walked away disappointed.

Read more »

Nick provides his initial impressions of the just released third person shooter from Suda51, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka.

Yesterday, we had our first chance to play the long-awaited title from Grasshopper Manufacture and EA. Of course, the game is also known as the super project between fan-favorite, Suda51, and Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami. As a fan of both developers involved, Shadows of the Damned has long been on my must-have list, so I’m excited to report that the game thus far is living up to my expectations.

Read more »

Inspired by the release of the second game, Nick revisits No More Heroes for PixlBit's second Review Rewind.

I definitely missed the boat with No More Heroes. Sure, I bought it near release, but the best I ever did was wipe out the first boss and get into a few side jobs. Other things seemed to come up and the game got shelved indefinitely. As we all know, the second title in the series has just been released, which incidentally acted as a pretty good motivator to go back and finish what many called one of the Wii's greatest games.

Read more »