Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP Review (Switch eShop)

Cutting a bloody swath through the undead army, Chainsaw Lollipop RePOP joins Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered on the switch. Both games complement each other, being flawed but enjoyable examples of Grasshopper Studios’ beloved catalogue. Chainsaw Lollipop, a unique collaboration between Suda 51 and director James Gunn, highlights the unique styles of both creators. It’s a hyper-stylized, joke-filled game that remains a uniquely frantic experience. Unfortunately, omissions in content and some instability in execution plague this remaster, marring the colorful chaos.

The plot is both a perfect representation of its era and a perfect opportunity to put Gunn through the wacky horror mode that was suppressed when the MCU beckoned. On the morning of her eighteenth birthday, cheerleader Juliet Starling is troubled by a zombie outbreak in her hometown. Luckily, Juliet comes from a long line of zombie hunters; the undead horde is no match for her skills with a chainsaw and a set of pom-poms. Unable to save her boyfriend from being bitten, Juliet beheads him and wears his magically animated head on her belt. Together, they must navigate their way through high school and defeat five musical-themed dark lords, summoned by an angry goth kid named Swan to end the world.

There was a time when a story like this wasn’t even that strange, such were the beautiful absurdities of the 2010s. It’s a relentless onslaught of violence and puerile humor, even more so than the tonally similar No More Heroes. Although, as fun as the profanity-filled carnage is, your experience may vary.

The tone combines the punk rock energy of Suda 51 with Three the film spirit of Gunn’s early career. Horror references litter the script, while vibrant music and cartoonish visuals propel the action. Juliet (played in English by the flamboyant voice actress Tara Strong) is a great protagonist, always acting like a high school cheerleader despite the fact that she’s essentially a superhero. The supporting characters are also amazing, especially Juliet’s family of hunters and the Dark Purveyors – demon lords who each focus on different genres of music.

Since this is a Brawler with Grasshoppers, the fight is quite ridiculous. When your main character’s main weapon is a powerful chainsaw, subtlety is not the best option. Juliet’s main attack loop is to soften up the zombies with her cheerleader fu before decapitating them with a chainsaw strike. Initially limited, new combo chains can be unlocked using currency collected during battles. Finishing a combo with a powerful saw swing will decapitate multiple enemies at once, activating score multipliers and flashy finishing moves.

When you mow down an opponent, a special meter fills, allowing Juliet to activate the Star Soul Power, which coats her in a rainbow glow and briefly enhances her abilities. Skill progression is well balanced, with extra dash and projectiles for your main weapon helping to expand your offensive options. And it’s not just a pretty face for the ride, Nick is used in several places to clear the way for Juliet via a QTE event. Tickets can also be collected and used to play Nick’s Roulette, a spin of the wheel for a chance to gain the ability to control the crowd.

While Juliet’s skills are visually impressive, targeting enemies has an annoying rigidity. Close range combat feels slow, which isn’t as noticeable with zombie mobs, but is annoying as hell during one-on-one boss encounters. There are multiple ways to attack enemies, but in the midst of a tough battle, movement feels awkward. Luckily, Juliet’s growing repertoire quickly makes up for the clunky combat, and RePop does reduce the financial burden of purchasing upgrades. Despite this, RePop is significantly worse to play than the original version, which was not perfect to begin with.

Apart from the simplified update system, the Dragami Game update doesn’t add much to the experience. The title mode, RePop, is an updated version of the game that, aside from some altered cutscenes, is oddly similar to the Japanese version of the original. Replacing blood and decapitations with colorful effects is reminiscent of the old days of Nintendo censorship. Unfortunately, the licensed music is no longer available, and only The Chordette’s “Lollipop” remains. Some of the game’s best sequences used licensed tracks to make them memorable, and now they just have generic pop-punk music.

Much to our disappointment, performance issues were added. Levels are linear paths with transitions that usually involve Juliet overcoming obstacles. In the original game, this felt dynamic and added to the breakneck pace of the action. This is where the system struggles to cope, and the frame rate drops significantly between these areas. This also applies to large battles and explosion effects, which can cause unhealthy stuttering. Unfortunately, this cleaner and crisper version of the game suffers from poor optimization.

The adventures of Juliet, her family of monster hunters and her desperate boyfriend are still the energetic calling card of the beloved studio. It’s an interesting look at the combined creative forces of Suda and Gunn, who both play to their respective strengths. It’s a shame that RePop isn’t the best way to experience this.

Conclusion

Killing zombies in Lollipop Chainsaw RePop is just as childish, silly, and fun as it was back in 2012. This remaster brings with it optimized gameplay and decent visual polish. Unfortunately, RePop suffers from poor optimization, expired music licenses, and an extra mode that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. If possible, look for the original.