Lollipop Chainsaw is the newest title from Suda51′s Grasshopper Manufacture, following up such offbeat titles as Shadows of the Damned, No More Heroes, and Killer 7.  Unlike most of those games, which languished in relative obscurity only to be enjoyed by a niche audience, Lollipop Chainsaw rode an incredible wave of Internet hype prior to its release, due in no small part to the not-really-a-scandal involving cosplayer Jessica Nigri at this year’s PAX East.  Whatever the reason, this game was making the news well before it hit shelves, a rarity these days for anything not safely nestled within a Triple-A franchise.  So how’s the game?  Can it survive beyond the hype?  Does it stand out in a market in which zombie games are nearly as numerous as the zombies themselves would be in a worldwide pandemic?  The short answer is “absolutely”.  For the longer answer, you’ll just have to keep reading.

Read the rest of this entry →