Lollipop Chainsaw introduces you to the sweet and deadly story of high school cheerleader Juliet Starling and her quest to find out who the hell ruined her birthday by starting a zombie outbreak. As soon as you pick up the controller, within minutes of playing the game, you feel as though you are in Japanese manga cartoon that is crossbred with a horror film. You have to remember that this is a game from Grasshopper Manfacture and Suda 51 so you can expect over-the-top zaniness and mind-bending gameplay.
Juliet is running late to school, only to find that it is overwhelmed with the slimy, foul-mouthed corpses of her former classmates. As any girl would do in that type of situation, she pulls opens her cheerleading bag to reveal her heart-studded, pink chainsaw and starts slicing her way to homeroom. After you kill some annoying zombiefied teachers and classmates, you soon find Juliet's hunky boyfriend, Nick. Unfortunately, he takes a nasty bite from one of the undead, and Juliet has to slice off his head in order to save him. This is when the real fun begins because you can now place Nick on headless zombies to help you continue through the game. He will be able to move objects that Juliet cannot budge or give her a hand in jumping over large areas. The most entertaining part of the game is the dialogue Juliet and Nick share during battles.
As you slice and dice your way through the game, you will notice that instead of oozing blood, each kill is followed with sparkles, rainbows and valentine hearts. This adds just the right amount of sugar and spice to any undead apocalypse! One of the most annoying parts of the game is the phone that Juliet carries in her chainsaw. All through the game you will receive calls from Juliet's family, mostly her mother, where you will be given clues that you already figured out or just pointless chit-chat such as pick up milk on your way. Juliet will meet up with several members of her family through the course of the game who will give her birthday gifts to help her fight off the undead. You will also journey to various areas of Juliet’s hometown, which include the high school, a stadium and even a farm. I almost shed a tear as Juliet, who was stoned off her ass on mushrooms, climbed aboard a tractor and mowed down the undead farmers in their cornfields. And if you have unlocked Juliet's Daisy Duke shorts and cowboy boots by this stage, then it makes the experience even more authentic!
Lollipop Chainsaw is a rather short game, but it will keep you entertained with its great rock soundtrack, entertaining mini-games, and clever bosses. The gameplay controls and mechanics are very easy to use in Lollipop Chainsaw, and you will feel completely in control of the action. The combo moves aren't as complex as you will find in most brawlers and are simple enough for even the novice gamer. All in all this game is well worth the money and will give you enough laughs to last a lifetime. However, you may be left with a craving for lollipops and cheerleaders long after the game has ended!
Game Features
Game Information
Developed by Grasshopper Manufacture/Suda 51
Rated M for Blood, Gore and Violence
Available on PlayStation 3(Reviewed) and Xbox 360
Published by Warner Brothers Interactive