Suda51’s 2012 action game, Lollipop Chainsaw, could return under a new developer, although it’s not yet known how this will be achieved.

Lollipop Chainsaw is best remembered for its unique twist on the zombie apocalypse. The brainchild of independent Japanese developer Suda51 and American filmmaker James Gunn, Grasshopper Manufacture’s hack-and-slash action game stars 18-year-old cheerleader Juliet Starling as she fights off zombie hordes with her pink heart-patterned chainsaw.

Despite cult stardom, the game remains stuck on seventh-generation consoles. But that may not be the case for much longer, as the head of the former publisher of Lollipop Chainsaw has announced the game’s return. It’s not entirely clear what said the return would entail, though.

“Lollipop Chainsaw is back by Dragami Games. Please look forward to it,” tweeted Yoshimi Yasuda, former CEO of Lollipop Chainsaw’s Japanese publisher Kadokawa Games.

Now at the helm of Dragami Games, Yasuda’s tweet confirms that the cult franchise is not dead yet. Unfortunately, he did not provide any further information about the new project. So it’s unclear whether Dragami is working on a sequel, remake, remaster, or simply bringing the game to modern consoles. Neither director Goichi “Suda51” Suda nor co-writer James Gunn has commented on the announcement, nor is it clear if they are involved in the project.

Lollipop Chainsaw turned ten earlier this week, with Gunn and Suda posting celebratory tweets. The 2012 game has received an overwhelmingly positive reception in Japan, with publications such as Famitsu and Dengeki PlayStation writing rave reviews. Western critics, however, were much more divided on the game.

Many critics praised the imaginative concept of Lollipop Chainsaw but harshly criticised the execution, especially the control and camera problems.

Critics were also divided on whether the game’s humour was well done or not. This mixed and often negative reception is summed up by the rather mediocre Metacritic scores: 67% for the PS3 and 70% for the Xbox 360 versions.

However, many have defended the game, and it’s worth noting that Lollipop Chainsaw’s claimed 1 million copies sold was enough to make it Grasshopper’s best-selling title to date.

Given the game’s relative success, it’s almost surprising that the developers have let the franchise sit idle for so long. Unfortunately, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are still not compatible with modern consoles, and the developers never ported them to PC. So the upcoming revival of Lollipop Chainsaw is excellent news for fans, even if it’s unclear what form this return will take.

Source: Twitter

Lollipop Chainsaw はドラガミゲームスで復活させます。楽しみに待っていてください…!!!
Lollipop Chainsaw is back by Dragami Games. Please look forward to it.#ロリポップチェーンソー
#DragamiGames pic.twitter.com/RlcLrxMkKK

— 安田善巳 (@yasudaD5) June 14, 2022

Prof. @JamesGunn (PhD in Zombies) and I smashed our vibes together and made this game!@JessicaNigri's Juliet was impeccable!
Happy 10th Anniversary, #LollipopChainsaw! https://t.co/PCJQgD7zC7 pic.twitter.com/3q4Y9Ztb26

— SUDA51/須田剛一 (@suda_51) June 13, 2022