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IGN
US, February 16, 2007 - You may not recognize the name Goichi Suda, but you probably know his handle: Suda 51. The moniker is a play on the word Goichi; in Japanese, 'go' is five and 'ichi' is one. Suda is president of Grasshopper Manufacture, which has made such titles as Super Fire Pro Wrestling for Super NES, Contact for DS, and perhaps most memorable of all, Killer 7 for GameCube. The latter effort -- a gruesome, surreal adventure title -- received critical acclaim for its stylized visuals and engaging storyline. It remains one of the most violent projects available for any previous generation console. Now, Suda and his 40-plus-man team at Grasshopper are working on No More Heroes for Nintendo's new Wii system. The game is set to be every bit as original and brutal as its predecessor. We recently had the chance to chat with Suda about his game design philosophies and No More Heroes. Here's what he had to say:
IGN Wii: is it true that you worked as an undertaker before breaking into game development? What prompted you to try your hand at game design?
Suda: Yes, it is true. My former job was as an undertaker . I used to work in the flower shop, mostly preparing flowers for the funerals as well. When I worked as an undertaker, a game studio called Human, which produced "Fire Pro-Wrestling," the most popular pro wrestling game at that time, was recruiting staff members. I had a strong confidence due to my knowledge of professional wrestling and thought that I could probably create pro wrestling games. So, that's how I started my career as a game designer.
IGN Wii: What is your favorite videogame of all time and why? On the same note, what is your favorite movie of all time and why?
Suda: My favorite game is Out of this World. I was shocked and impressed by the game by Erick Chahi. My favorite movie is Paris, Texas. I was very moved by this movie, and that feeling still remains today.
IGN Wii: In your opinion, are developers telling good stories in videogames?
Suda: I think videogames telling "good" stories do exist. However, I feel that there are still few videogames that actually tell good stories in the game. Not to cause any misunderstandings, but what I would like to say is that it is probably because most of the time, not many publishers look for and request or expect developers to tell/focus on good stories in the game. Unlike the movies, I think people are not expecting to hear "good" stories when playing the game. So, there are only few opportunities for the developers to tell good stories in the game.
IGN Wii: Do you consider games an art form?
Suda: I assure you that videogames are an extension of an art form. In my opinion, the highest form of art is the existence of videogames.
IGN Wii: You have been a big Nintendo supporter -- first on GameCube and soon on Wii. Why have you decided to put your games on Nintendo platforms?
Suda: I find Nintendo's support to be very satisfying. Since GameCube was an ideal platform as a developer, I decided to develop a new game on Wii as well.
IGN Wii: We loved Killer 7. Would you ever consider doing a sequel?
Suda: I am happy to hear that you loved Killer 7. Thank you! I don't exactly know whether there will be a sequel, because the Killer 7 IP belongs to Capcom. I am not at all opposed to the idea of developing sequels to the game at all, but I always want to challenge and create games with new ideas if possible.
IGN Wii: Please explain the premise for No More Heroes.
Suda: The main character, Travis Touchdown, was born from my imagination -- an idea that Johnny Knoxville (an actor from Jackass) is a Japanese anime otaku (animation freak) and this led him to be interested in Japanese martial arts. Then, he finds himself talented in martial arts. Johnny is also a Star Wars freak, and happens to purchase a lightsaber on an Internet auction. After that, he starts to make his living as an assassin using this lightsaber. This is how Travis was born, and after that I started to work on planning No More Heroes.
The story begins when Travis is ranked at the eleventh place of the killer association by an unexpected coincidence. Travis is now a qualified assassin on this ranking list, and aims to become the ultimate, strongest assassins of all. It is sort of like a growing-up story of a young assassin/kid which progresses by defeating all other assassins from 10th to the 1st place. This ranking match with other assassins is the main part of the story.
IGN Wii: Killer 7 was an "on-rails"-style adventure game. How is No More Heroes different in terms of what you can do and where you can go?
Suda: No More Heroes is not an "on-rails"-style adventure game. It is a free running/roaming style action game. The title is set in a small fictional town called Santa Destroy, located on the US West Cost. Story missions (Killer ranking rounds) and submissions (money earnings) are scattered throughout the map. The game progresses after players choose missions. No More Heroes is a genuine action where players control main character, Travis, but it hardly uses the wireless remote controller, which is one of the characteristics of Wii. The basic tactic is to attack with A button. The finishing move/attack is made by using the motion of the Wii controller. It is totally a different type of game from Killer 7.
IGN Wii: Killer 7 was both profane and violent. How does No More Heroes compare?
Suda: No More Heroes is violent as well, but it is different from Killer 7. The game's style will be very standard. I'm not quite sure if this would be the kind that pushes the envelope, but Travis is very poor -- he lives in poverty. We prepared some missions besides the regular levels. For example, there are missions where players volunteer to pick up trash, a real boring part time job as a stamper, and an incomprehensible job like human bowling.
IGN Wii: Can Travis go anywhere in Santa Destroy?
Suda: Yes, Travis is able to roam freely on the full map.
IGN Wii: What vehicles can you drive?
Suda: Travis will be able to roam around on his favorite motorcycle, "Schpel Tiger." However, players will not be able to steal vehicles.
IGN Wii: Is the game running on the same engine as Killer 7?
Suda: No, it is completely new engine. We made the engine so that it would be compatible with the new free-running gameplay.
IGN Wii: In your opinion, is Travis Touchdown a likable hero?
Suda: I would be certainly be happy if people like Travis because yes I think he has an attractive personality.
IGN Wii: Are there any plans to support WiiConnect24 with downloadable content for No More Heroes?
Suda: We are still deciding whether or not we will support that feature.
IGN Wii: Will the title run in progressive-scan and 16:9 modes?
Suda: Yes.
IGN Wii: What do you think of the Wii hardware so far?
Suda: I think that it is probably best to forget and abandon the existing game design know-how once you develop for Wii. I feel that Wii enables developers to create new types and styles of games. I'll do my best and create No More Heroes as a standard violence game.
IGN Wii: Wii is selling very well around the world. Did you expect that to happen?
Suda: Yes, ever since E3 of last year, I was expecting Wii to sell very well around the world.
IGN Wii: What do you think of PS3 and Xbox 360?
Suda: I am very interested in Xbox 360. I want to develop games for Xbox 360 as soon as possible. In fact, I am planning the next project for Xbox 360. As for PS3, I don't have enough materials/topics to comment on this because there is only a small chance for us to develop for the console at this point in time.
IGN Wii: Who is your favorite videogame designer?
Suda: Erick Chahi. I am also a fan of Kojima-san and Mikami-san, and at the same time I respect them very much.
IGN Wii: There is word that you're planning to work with Hideo Kojima on a game for Wii known only as 'Project S.' Is this true?
Suda: I am sorry, but I can't make any comments on this.
IGN Wii: Is Project S a sequel to the classic franchise Snatcher?
Suda: I am sorry, but I can't make any comments on this either.
IGN Wii: Fair enough. Finally, why do you think fans should be excited for No More Heroes?
Suda: We are tuning up No More Heroes to be simple and comfortable, but exciting and refreshing as a game. The game has a unique sense of humor and I hope fans will be excited about and look forward to it.
I'll also try my best to make No More Heroes as violent, or even more violent than Manhunt 2!
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