When it comes to horror entertainment, zombies have been done to death. Between movies, comics, TV shows and games, there’s no shortage of tales of the walking dead rising to return, feasting on the flesh of the last men on earth. With so much zombie media being just a click away, it can be tricky to find something that makes a zombie game feel unique. Lollipop Chainsaw is one such game. The premise of a zombie infestation in itself isn’t anything new, but having the last vestige of hope for humanity being a high school cheerleader wielding a chainsaw is unusual. Lollipop Chainsaw was originally released in 2012 and has gathered quite a cult following. And now, like the brain-eating baddies plaguing San Romero High School, Lollipop Chainsaw is back from the dead in the remastered Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP.
Lollipop Chainsaw is an interesting game. The original was a collaboration between game designer Goichi Suda, more commonly known asSuda51and filmmaker James Gunn. In some areas the gameplay mechanics were rough around the edges and there are many legit criticisms to be made about the game, but it had enough charm that those shortcomings could be overlooked by many who still had a great time with it. The main questions withLollipop Chainsaw RePOPare what it does to enhance the original game and is it worthwhile for fans who still have a way to play the original?
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The zombie apocalypse begins on Juliet Starling’s 18th birthday, which is almost as terrifying as what her boyfriend Nick Carlyle had planned for that day: meeting Juliet’s parents and sisters. As if the undead uprising wasn’t bad enough, poor Nick is bit by one of the zombies. to prevent him from turning, Juliet is able to perform a magic ritual on him which saves his life. Unfortunately, the ritual only leaves Nick’s head, which is then worn on Juliet’s hip as a talking fashion accessory, years before Kratos was doing the same with Mimir. This is when Nick learns that Juliet comes from a family of trained zombie hunters and she can wield a chainsaw like a ninja master. Now that Juliet has successfully saved her boyfriend and has the chainsaw revved up, she’s off to rid her school of the zombie infestation, while Nick undoubtedly has a lot to contemplate.
Lollipop Lollopop Oh Lolli Lolli Lolli
Juliet was trained by Sensei Morikawa and has an unorthodox zombie fighting style. Her quicker attacks involve using her pom poms in what can best be described as cheerleader kung fu, and her slower, more powerful attacks involve using her chainsaw, which can be outfitted with a blaster later one. Finding a balance between the quicker pom pom strikes and limb removing chainsaw finishers is the key to battle success, and even if the controls are loose, fighting the hordes of zombies is one of the areas whereLollipop Chainsawshines.
For better or worse, the creators decided to add several mini-games throughout Juliet’s progression to help break up the monotony of simply fighting zombies. Most of these are enjoyable enough, at least during the initial playthrough, but they can start to feel like a chore during replays when the player is trying to farm platinum coins to complete their collection of unlockable items. Some of them are amusing, such as playing basketball with severed zombie heads, but other ones such as the gondola obstacle course just seem out of place with the rest of the game.
Juliet can collect coins by killing zombies and committing acts of vandalism, such as running her chainsaw over school lockers or trash cans. There are gold coins and platinum coins that can be spent at vending machines. Gold coins can be used to purchase health replenishing lollipops, augments to her health and attack power, combos, collectibles and some costumes. Other “premium” costumes can be purchased with the rarer platinum coins. She doesn’t gain levels or experience points, but this does function as a light leveling up mechanic.
You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round Like A Cherry Bomb Right Round Round Round
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOPis a case of give and take. Some new features have been added, such as the new RePop mode. This givesLollipop Chainsawa new look, which is supposed to present the original in 4K with new pop-up art for damage infliction. Increasing the resolution in a 2012 game is just going to make it look like a slightly smoother 2012 game, and honestly, this may be nostalgia talking, but the original mode just looks better. They’ve added a streaming mode and there are additional cosmetic items that can be purchased for Juliet.
One of the problems with licensing is that it expires, and oftentimes they’re not renewed when a remaster comes along.Alan Wakewas briefly delisted from storefronts due to soundtrack licensing expiring, but thankfully the licenses were renewed and the songs were back in the remaster. This is a lesson Dragami Games should have taken note of. Fans of the originalLollipop Chainsawknow how licensed songs worked their way into moments of the game that just enhanced the experience. HearingMickeywas the perfect complement to Juliet entering sparkle mode, whileNeedled 24/7was the perfect song for testing out Chainsaw Dash. It’s impossible for OG fans to hear the songCherry Bomband not be reminded ofLollipop Chainsaw.The new original soundtrack is generic and forgettable, and while it doesn’t ruinLollipop Chainsaw RePOP,it does feel like something is missing.
Is this Lollipop any Sweeter?
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOPis not without its issues, but it’s also not bad. If you’ve played the original, your opinion ofRePOPis probably not going to be much different than that of the 2012 release. The controls are still janky, there’s too much emphasis on the minigames and the boss fights still feel gimmicky, though each boss fight does feature some unique strategy and interesting character design. Some of the pop-culture references can seem even more dated, but that’s what happens when you remaster a twelve-year-old game. In spite of this, it was still fun to play for the review. The banter between Juliet and Nick is still entertaining, and at times does contain a good deal of depth given the overall context. The downside to the banter is Nick will sometimes repeat his catchphrases too often, which is especially true during boss fights. This is a game that knows how to balance horror and humor, and mowing down zombies is still highly entertaining, whether it be with a chainsaw or farming equipment.
The main questions withLollipop Chainsaw RePOPis what it does to enhance the original game, and is it worthwhile for fans who still have a way to play the original?
Loading times have been greatly improved. There are times the loading is so quick the loading screen just flashes on the TV for a second, and then it’s an abrupt transition to the next area. Some other improvements include faster chainsaw combat, and quick time events can be set to be almost automatically done, which is a nice quality-of-life improvement, since the controls for some of those left something to be desired in the original. Beyond that, this is stillLollipop Chainsawand the controls are just as janky as they were in the original version. During the review there weren’t any game-breaking glitches that forced a restart, but there were mildly annoying audio glitches.
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Limited physical edition of Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP are now available for preorder
Closing Comments:
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is a fun way to revisit a cult classic, but ultimately doesn’t do much to improve it. It’s a remaster, not a remake, so fans should temper their expectations going in that this is pretty much the same game they played over a decade ago. There are new cosmetic items to get and the new RePOP mode offers a different visual style for the game, but there are a few missing costumes from the original and the iconic soundtrack has been completely scrapped. Being able to play on modern hardware is nice and having a new achievement/trophy list to unlock can be appealing to some, but saying this is an improved version is a tough sell.Lollipop Chainsaw RePOPcan be a fun way to experience the game, especially for first timers, but overall, the original release is the better version.
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP
Xbox Series X
Destroy hordes of zombies with the power of cheerleading and chainsaws in this remastered version of Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP
