The journey of the Lollipop Chainsaw remake has been weirdly vague so far. First, in June 2022 we were just told it was “back”, without much indication what that meant; a month later we at least got confirmation it was a remake, not just a remaster, and with original producer Yoshimi Yasuda at the helm, but no actual title or platforms announced, and certainly no footage. Since then, it’s been very quiet, despite a planned release this summer.
Honestly, the new announcement put out by developer Dragami Games doesn’t really add that much clarity, but it at least puts an actual name to the project: Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP. It also postpones the release date to summer 2024, which isn’t too surprising given it’s only just been titled.
A follow-up message from Yasuda apologises for the delay, explaining “We are working hard on game development, but we need a little more time. We will do our best to create the game that you will love, so we ask for your continued support.”
Fair enough, though it’s a bit confusing that we still don’t actually know what platforms it’s coming to. The original was only on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, so if RePOP does get a PC version, it’ll be the first time Juliet Starling has ever graced our platform with her presence.
If you’re not familiar with Lollipop Chainsaw, it’s a bit of a cult classic. Starring a chainsaw-wielding cheerleader who battles zombies at her school while carrying around the reanimated severed head of her boyfriend, it won over a dedicated fanbase with its quirky humour and colourful grindhouse aesthetic.
Much of that distinctive charm came courtesy of famously idiosyncratic Japanese developer Suda51, who served as one of the directors on the project, and writing from a then much less famous James Gunn, who went on to make the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Incidentally, it also helped launch the career of Jessica Nigri, now perhaps gaming’s most famous cosplayer, who portrayed Juliet in person as a spokesmodel for the game.
