In 2012, Suda51 and James Gunn came together to bring life to a pretty wild concept. They thought up a cheerleader that doubles as a zombie killing badass. If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because that notion captures the Buffy the Vampire Slayer essence. Lollipop Chainsaw has sold upwards of a million copies to date and in doing so, solidified itself as a cult classic to many. I’ve got fond memories of playing it when it came out, much to the chagrin of my ex. It was a weekend filled with bliss, allowing the Protagonist, Juliet Starling, to leave her mark. 12 years later and I’ve got the chance to relive that magic.

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP began as a complete remake of the original. However, as time went on, it quickly transformed itself into a remaster but my excitement didn’t waver. All that I care about is the chance to revisit San Romero High. I also needed to prove to myself that nostalgia wasn’t blinding me, and after a 7-hour marathon to the finish, I have thoughts.

While this iteration is developed by Dragami Games, it’s still a Suda51 creation. That said, the dialogue is going to be a showcase of immature humor. It discusses great tits, the cutesy design of Juliet’s panties, and tentacles. I found it funny because I knew exactly what to expect. It was written in stone that it would be perverse and dumb. The impending cringe didn’t shock me. I could sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride for what it is, and what it is, is a product of the 2010’s, with references spanning My Chemical Romance to Mindless Self Indulgence. I felt like I was back in my apartment. Whether you laugh or don’t, that’s subjective, but there’s no mistaking the odd charm that it has.

Surprisingly, beneath the insanity, there will actually be sincere undertones. There’s heart poured into the script and sure, it didn’t leave me sobbing but I did crack a smile. The way in which it was mixed with the banter between her and her boyfriend, a disembodied head, felt natural. Their quips do a fantastic job of communicating how deep the bond that they’ve cultivated is. Okay, comments about yearning for a penis or a not-so-subtle oral joke do muddle the actual impact of the moment but then again, it wouldn’t be a Suda51 project without that. If you’re prepared for unfiltered lunacy, then there’s an amazing romp here.

As for the gameplay, well, that’s what I found most memorable about Lollipop Chainsaw. Granted, it’s your standard hack-and-slash affair with blood and gore, but there are also rainbows. This is about Juliet who is a girly-girl with a pension for adorable objects, after all. In the midst of her brutality, glitter will rain. If I were to string together a combo, resulting in the massacre of a group of zombies, it goes into a special overlay known as sparkle hunting. Yea, I can see the transition into it being a tad tedious, especially as it happens frequently, but it’s a half second flash before getting back into the action – I didn’t find it disruptive.

What I specifically love is how the theme behind Juliet’s move-set revolves around her being a cheerleader. She can strike with her Pom-poms while doing cart wheels as she slices and dices all of her enemies with her chainsaw. There’s a commitment to her identity which I appreciate. We won’t be seeing Juliet suddenly turning into an expert swordswoman when she’s just a senior. In that regard, I liked her sense of realism. She uses what she has in her arsenal. However, what won’t be delightful is how at the start, her movements felt stiff. It isn’t until I unlock combo additions that it’ll smooth out. It’s a minor gripe since by level 2, I’ll have bought a couple to solve it, but until I do, then the swings are sluggish.

Now, I’m going to address the elephant in the room and admit that Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is a short journey. We’re going to be in these hallways, controlling Juliet, for maybe 6 – 7 hours. I repeat, it’s a bite-sized, insane adventure, bringing replay-ability into question. I reckon that, thanks to the Arcade flair and a focus on accumulating points, it’s a factor. See, Dragami Games have been kind enough to include a leaderboard for players with a competitive soul. You’ll be tasked with speed-running, with the current top rank clocking in at a staggering 2 hours and 34 minutes for a complete run. It’ll be tough to beat but for those that are up for the challenge, your prize is bragging rights.

Alright, let’s discuss Nick, Juliet’s love interest. If you’ve seen the assets for Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP, you’ve probably noticed the head hooked to her skirt – that’s him. He plays a pivotal role – dude is a literal mechanic. Throughout the few maps I’ll explore, I’ll stumble on headless bodies that I can insert him into, allowing him to use it to clear obstacles that block my path. As an extra adorable detail, as I’m hitting buttons in a sequence, Juliet is off to the side, cheering him on. That isn’t all as Nick can also help slaughter zombies. He has a ton of whacky methods of doing that but I’ll let you discover what those are yourself. I mean, it was always a joy seeing everything that he had to offer.

I suppose after reading the above, a huge fear is how repetitive the fighting is going to be. The basis of it is us pressing the same three buttons ad nauseam. The truth is that yea, it’ll be inherent, but thanks to the duration of a session and how fun turning my foes into mince meat is, it wasn’t ever a worry. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP does try shaking it up a bit by introducing mini-games, too. I may be playing Pac-Man one minute and protecting Nick as he runs the bases during a mock game of Baseball in the other. I will note, however, that I did occasionally feel that some ruined the pacing, bringing it to a crawl. It was jarring, but luckily, it lasted only for a brief second before it then recovered.

When it concerns graphical fidelity, Dragami Games has been all up in that cookie jar. As I’ve mentioned, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP was announced as being a full remake but as time rolled on, that narrative changed. If you take a gander over at the visuals, you can see where that decision took effect. Take Juliet and her model – she’s gorgeous. The majority of the environments are equally so, with the lighting being leagues improved and, this might be weird, but the fire textures are awesome. The zombies fall off a cliff, though. It didn’t seem as if they got much refinement or polish. It’s redone but the level of effort by comparison is lower. It betrays the realistic look RePOP is hungry for.

To be frank, I’m not entirely positive where I stand on which one is better cosmetically. RePOP’s presentation is superb. In that same breath, the cartoony, cel-shaded-like vibe of the PS3 version fit perfectly – like a glove. It beautifully matched the absurdity of Lollipop Chainsaw to a tee. It would have also masked the lack of attention to enemies. To be fair, I did like the boss designs. Yes, this particular complaint is subjective, and objectively, the remaster is a big upgrade – call it a nitpick since it eventually will grow on me. Regardless, if you’ve played in 2012, then how it used to look will be missed. 

For anyone in the dark, the reason that Lollipop Chainsaw was taken from every digital storefront was due to the soundtrack – it fell into licensing hell. The deals in place had expired and because the bulk of the OST included Joan Jett and Arch Enemy, it made it impossible to be sold. That’s why a key promise of RePOP was recording self-made tracks so as to avoid the same fate. Well, as a big fan for a decade and change, I’ve got a soft spot for the old but I wanted to give it a chance and I’m glad I did. Granted, it didn’t have the same feel but I jammed to songs like “I’m a Cute Zombie Hunter” and “Strawberry Flavored Lollipop” because they were catchy – be it the guitar riffs or vocals, I was vibing.

As far as performance goes, it’s a conundrum. I’m on the PS5 but this game struggles to hit 60fps consistently. For instance, the first stage hovers around 45 but when I’m in the second, it’s closer to that 60 frames with a handful of dips. The original was 30, but by tweaking the resolution to a paltry 480p or so, it would rocket to, you guessed it, 60. I’m going to be straight: there’s zero reason the PS5 can’t reach those heights. In fact, the poor optimization is hindering RePOP. I’m hearing that there is a future patch planned to address the issues but given how beefy Sony’s console is, I can’t fathom why it isn’t a thing from the beginning.

AND THE REVVING VERDICT IS…

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP had my lips curling upwards as a warm, bubbliness fluttered in my tum tum. It retains the all-star voice cast that aided in making it one of, if not the very best, Suda51 game. This remaster keeps the stupid silliness and crazy energy that made me a diehard defender all those years ago. Dragami Games did an admirable job at reproducing the OST, too, and have a few bangers to show for it. I would’ve preferred a remake, especially because of how amazing the areas and Juliet’s model is. The talent is there but one look at the undead, it’s clear when the pivot happened. Regardless, I have always thought Lollipop Chainsaw was above average, and RePOP validates that.

Graphics: 6.5 Juliet Starling has gotten a full facelift and she looks wonderful. The environments share that compliment but as you get further, it shifts into a mixed bag. One area may be amazing but then the next is mediocre. Same deal for my surroundings. What I can say is lighting and shadows are improved. It’s brighter than the PS3 edition. The realistic look could have been great but the fact there’s disparities in quality holds it back. I also just miss the cartoony look.	Gameplay: 7.0 I can’t hate on the tried and true hack-and-slash formula. It stands the text of time for a reason and that’s due to how fun it is. What brings the score down are those mini-games that break the momentum. Like, there’s a part where I’m going through a field with a Combine Harvester. I have to run down hundreds of zombies before I can advance. Plainly, it’s monotonous and the bad news is I’ve got to do it twice. It’s quick but so damn out of place.
Sound: 8.0 I did like some of the music. I do think there’s a lack of heavy metal to match the intensity on the screen. While I did like the more Japanese aesthetic the sound took, Lollipop Chainsaw, at its core, was a fusion of Eastern and Western. Again, I say this as a diehard and having lost hours to the PS3 edition. I just feel by ignoring the latter half of the globe, it lost a piece of its identity. To its credit, I currently have a newer song stuck in my head, so.	Fun Factor: 9.0 I adored it. The small increase to frame-rate is still a difference that you can feel. It’s puzzling that on PS5, that silky flow isn’t constant. Instead, there are fluctuations between the levels I go to – it might be a sturdy 30, increased to 45, or hitting 60. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. I was simply smitten by the arcade goodness, the unlockables, the outfits, and the rush I got from trying to beat my highest score.
Final Verdict: 7.5

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch

Reviewed on PS5