When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
To know Goichi “Suda51” Suda’s work is to also know its reputation.
Simply put, Suda51 creates cult classics.
How did Suda51 get here?
Start, as they say, as you mean to go on.
SNES fighters were best known for simplistic victory screens and straightforward stories.
It would be a shocking ending for a game now, let alone in the early ’90s.
But it was compelling, and remains so even to this day.
Suda51 tells me he still remembers the development of that finale well.
I wanted to make it into more of a story-heavy, story-focused game."
“I ate a lot of shit for the way that I decided to end the game.”
The original concept was to have multiple endings.
World events affected where he landed with it.
Not everyone loved it.
But it was bold.
“A lot of people were really pissed off.
I ate a lot of shit for the way that I decided to end the game.”
It was a jump Suda51 was keen to make.
Shortly after, Suda51 founded Grasshopper Manufacture in 1998.
It’s the studio he leads to this day.
“We were both sort of bouncing off each other with this stuff.”
It worked, and the text-heavy format allowed Suda51 plenty of creative experimentation.
Weinterview Suda51about the original release!
With the likes of No More Heroes, hyper-violent action has become another constant in his portfolio.
“To be honest, particularly recently, I have thought about it several times.
I kind of do think about it a lot,” says Suda51.
“I’ve always had a real soft spot for indie games.
I like making games on a slightly smaller scale.
Beginning with three employees, Grasshopper Manufacturer quickly ballooned in staff size.
“Part of it was making fun of myself and that sort of genre.”
Suda51 still remembers the infamous scene well.
“It just ended up getting really long!
And I didn’t want to cut it out because it was all really important stuff.”
But also, he says, “This shit is expensive.
Even back in the Wii days.”
“It was kind of a win-win situation,” says Suda51.
Being self-aware is a large part of Suda51’s work.
Playing in that space, and messing with expectations, is a hallmark of his style.
And it means we never know quite what we can expect next.