Grasshopper Manufacture and Goichi Suda (Suda51) is set to release a remastered version of the 2011 underrated cult classic, Shadows of the Damned. The No More Heroes creator sat down with Game ZXC during Pax East 2024 for an interview all about the upcoming remaster, how he feels about the mature tones in his games, if he wants to make an open-world game, and who he wants to play Travis Touchdown in a live-action adaptation.
The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
No More Heroes 3 Director Explains Surprising Backstory Behind Travis Touchdown's Initial Appearance
The director of No More Heroes 3 reveals some surprising backstory behind Travis Touchdown's disheveled appearance in the game's opening.
Q: What was the reasoning for bringing back Shadows of the Damned in 2024 as a remaster?
Suda: We've actually been planning to remaster Shadows of the Damned for a couple of years now. We spoke with EA about it several years ago, and they said, "Yeah, okay, we can do that." But EA wanted the game to be Origins exclusive, and we wanted the title to be multi-platform. So, we spoke with EA about it again, and they were super cooperative. And now it's coming out on several platforms and people can play it for the first time if they missed it back in the day.
Q: Now that Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is launching in 2024, is there anything that you think critics didn't appreciate when it originally came out? Is there anything you want people to be aware of this time around with the remaster? What's new?
Suda:Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a straight-up remaster of the original, so there haven't been many major changes. However, something that I wanted to add in the original release was a New Game Plus mode, which has now been added to the remaster. There are also some new skins for Garcia Hotspur.
At the time of the game coming out, a lot of people criticized it as being too vulgar. I want people to play this game in 2024 and realize that, yes, it is still a vulgar-ass game --that's the biggest criticism I want validated.
There are times when some of us in the studio have to stop each other. Like someone has to say, "Maybe we shouldn't go that far."
Q: Do you ever feel like when you're working on a project, it can sometimes end up being too vulgar? Has anyone working alongside you ever told you to chill out or calm down a little bit with the violence and maturity that's typically present in your games?
Suda: When we were making the original Shadows of the Damned, some of the staff kind of went a little overboard in some areas. I don't speak English very well, but some members of the development team did and would just be like, "Why don't we call this the Big Boner?" And I didn't know what it even meant.
There's also a whole map in the game where you're running around on Paula's naked body. Some of this was all of a sudden added to the game. So the vulgarity wasn't all on me --it was actually the naughty kids on staff that played a big part in that.
There are times when some of us in the studio have to stop each other. Like someone has to say, "Maybe we shouldn't go that far."
Q: Do you ever see yourself making a game that falls into a completely different genre than what you're used to? Like an open world or strategy game?
Suda: Yes, it's something I've thought about--making something a lot different from the games I've made up to now. Stuff like RPGs and strategy games aren't in my wheelhouse, but some kind of open-world adventure that wouldn't need any sort of mature elements at all has been on my mind often. As long as the right idea comes along and the timing is right, it's something that can happen in the future.
Q: Do you ever see yourself making things other than video games? For example, adapting one of your IPs into an anime, manga, TV series, or film, or perhaps just starting an entirely new project?
Suda: When it comes down to it, I’m a game creator, and we’re a game studio, so anything we work on ends up being game-related in one way or another. Stuff like mixing one game with other types of media and collaborations with other game creators is something we definitely want to try out and is something we could try in the future.
For example, if it was something like anime, these days, actually creating something like that is no simple task. A lot of the animation studios we’re familiar with are literally booked up for the next three or four years.
Grasshopper Manufacture really needs the time to prepare for something like that. It all depends on the collaboration. If we were to do something like that, it would need to be someone who’s an expert in animation.
Honestly, if the Shadows of the Damned remaster sells well enough, then putting out a sequel is definitely something we would like to consider.
Q: Are there any specific intellectual properties (IP) that come to mind when making an adaptation?
Suda: I’ve actually had a lot of conversations about No More Heroes specifically –making it into a movie or an anime. Up until now, we just haven’t been able to get it done. If possible, it’s something I would like to try at some point.
We’ve gotten a lot of proposals and ideas from people – it’s just something that has never seemed to work out…, maybe one day.
Q: If there was a live-action version of No More Heroes, who do you envision playing Travis Touchdown?
Suda: Johnny Knoxville and Ryan Gosling. They’re both getting up there in years, but they would be a good fit for Travis.
Q: If Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered does really well and sells enough copies, do you think a sequel could happen, and do you feel like we could see more from these characters? Is Garcia Hotspur’s story complete?
Suda: Honestly, if the Shadows of the Damned remaster sells well enough, then putting out a sequel is definitely something we would like to consider. So, make sure you buy as many copies as you can find in stores.
Even if we don’t end up putting out a straight-up sequel or continuation or whatever, I do have a soft spot in my heart for the characters in the game, specifically Garcia Hotspur and Fleming.
With Fleming, in particular, I strongly considered adding him to No More Heroes 3 and giving him a major role. It is highly possible to have these characters come out in something again, whether it’s a sequel or something else.
Q: I feel like you're in a transitional period in your dev life at the moment. How is everything going right now? And where do you continue to draw inspiration from?
Suda: Grasshopper Manufacture, as a games studio, has been doing really well since joining up with NetEase in 2021. We've been gradually increasing the number of staff --the studio has been growing pretty much as scheduled and expected. It's actually a lot different from what it used to be.
If you walk around the studio in the middle of the day at lunchtime, you'll see staff members, especially the younger ones, just having a great time and playing stuff like pinball and arcade games.
People are generally really chill and like to have a good time. Everyone seems to be getting along and enjoying their work.
Q: Is there anything you've been watching lately that gets the juices flowing for your projects?
Suda: I've actually been reading a lot of the recent run of the X-Men comics. The stories and the direction of the characters in these comics and how the comic itself is made is very inspiring and creative. There's just a lot of stuff that pops into my head while reading it.
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Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered launches in 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and XSX/S.
No More Heroes
- Franchise
- No More Heroes
- Platform(s)
- Wii , Switch , Amazon Luna , PC
- Released
- January 22, 2008
- Developer(s)
- Grasshopper Manufacture
- Publisher(s)
- Marvelous , Ubisoft , Rising Star Games , XSEED Games
