#shadows of the damned

[fennwox]

How did I never realize Q did the boss designs for Shadows of the Damned?? Fleming is fucking... THAT'S HER THING 100%

#gaming #shadows of the damned #q hayashida #dorohedoro

[ghenry]

What do you think of GHMs more "Mainstream" titles such as LC, SoTD and NMH3 compared against their more underground works like Killer7, Silver Case and NMH1. I find the latter has a sense of mystique and weirdness that's missing from the former when the studio seemed pigeon-holed in a brand of "Sex, Violence and quirky"

I've been meaning to write about this here, so good question! I gave it a lot of thought after finding a JPN copy of Killer Is Dead and seeing this within the box;

Here's a quote of Suda reflecting on the production of said game;

Suda was not interested in eroticism when it came to his company's games. However, the more mainstream games GHM made (without his direction) were full of instances that were little more than eye candy. Sex appeal for the sake of it. And much of that was against Suda's will;

Paula running around in a thong (and even tits out a couple times if you played the NA version) throughout Shadows of the Damned also reminds me of Tim Rogers recalling his time working at Grasshopper as a designer in the late 2000s. He sat in a lot of meetings with Suda talking to EA and mentioned a time Suda talked about a save function idea he thought of while reflecting on Travis always using a toilet to save in the NMH games.

An early idea was Garcia going to bed with a woman every time he had to save. This was likely when the game was still going to be open world-ish and Garcia was single. From how Tim Rogers talked about this, it was pretty much the only idea Suda had that EA actually showed interest in. Obviously this idea never panned out, instead saving being delegated to a little demon that poops to signify a saved game. Funny that it connects to NMH's toilet save function in that way.

Something else worth bringing up would be the "gigolo missions" from Killer Is Dead. This also derived from a concept Suda had for Shadows of the Damned where Garcia was gonna take girls out on dates, bring flowers, and it'd actually be cute and romantic. At least, from how he described it.

(These screenshots are from Feel the Magic, a DS game where you played mini-games as you tried to win the heart of a girl throughout the story)

This idea was repurposed for Killer Is Dead, but, according to Suda, the sexual aspects of it were conjured up by Hideyuki Shin, the game's director. Therefore, it devolved into x-ray glasses, staring at boobs, and giving gifts to a robot that repeated animations. A cannibalization of the original concept.

Suda seemed afraid of Grasshopper's reputation being mutated into an identity he didn't consent to. Sex appeal is not something he really thinks about when it comes to making games. It's not his style;

The only times Suda has shown sexuality in the games he directed is when it's discomforting or deeply disturbing, almost never for eye candy.

I still appreciate games like Shadows of the Damned, Killer Is Dead, and Lollipop Chainsaw. As much as this era of GHM was railroaded to chasing some mainstream trends and trying too hard to be quirky, they still had unique aspects that help them stand out above other games of the same subgenre. But I can't help but notice a fissure between these games and the ones he actually directed. The nuance, mystery, and thought-provoking stories are most prominent when he's the one directing.

I'm not going to fault people for liking eroticism and such in video games. I've played plenty of horny games too, and there's obviously an appeal there. But anyone still expecting that from Suda is barking up the wrong tree. Looking at how he's been handling everything since 2018 makes it even sadder when you reflect how these publishers tried cramming Grasshopper Manufacture into this box they didn't want to be in.

One last thing I have to retort, though. I don't lump No More Heroes 3 with the quirky "mainstream" games the way you did in the question. Sure, NMH3 definitely went for a more mainstream marketing plan and the game got super silly at times, but it still has an interesting narrative with a ton of nuance. Way more than any GHM game between 2010-2016. Hence my 4+ hour long analysis of the game;

Many people even rejected this game outright because the eroticism and scantily-clad female cast was mostly absent. This was likely expectations they built after experiencing games like NMH2, SotD, LC, etc.

Speaking a bit more on the sense of eroticism, it's funny to think how that was admittedly present in NMH1, obnoxiously expanded upon in NMH2, and then mostly done away with in NMH3. Going as far as turning Naomi--and her balloon tits--into a goddamn tree!

However, I don't believe Suda turned Naomi into a tree for the sole purpose of removing her sex appeal. I believe this just further accentuates how that aspect is not something he's interested in or finds important for the game itself. He likely didn't even think of it that way, but instead "Hey, she should be a tree now."

And then there's Kimmy, whose death was not only a very harrowing moment in the game, it was also depicted in a sexual manner. Similar to Bad Girl's death in the original NMH. Note the motions and angles in her death scene.

Like I said, this rather disturbing sense of sexuality is more Suda's vibe. And I'm happy to see he hasn't lost that edge, so many years later. Anyway, thanks for the question! I had a lot of fun writing out this answer.

#suda51 #grasshopper manufacture #killer7 #nmh3 #no more heroes #no more heroes 3 #lollipop chainsaw #shadows of the damned #killer is dead #the silver case

[jellyghostspace]

✯☠ WELCOME TO HELL ☠✯

#no more heroes #travis strikes again #shadows of the damned #grasshopper manufacture #suda51 #kill the past

[doctorgrambo]

A Damned Tribute collab, done by @heartgrooooove and myself!!

#shadows of the damned #suda51 #grasshopper #illustration #spooky

[fuckyeahgrasshopper]

#no more heroes #shadows of the damned #suda51 #lollipop chainsaw #interviews #didn't see this posted on tumblr yet

[lospassairport]

Shadows of the Damned remaster and Grasshopper Direct announced on the Devolver Digital stream today!

#grasshopper manufacture #shadows of the damned #suda51 #hoping for something more substantial from the direct! #also Garcia fucking killed grasshopper james in the trailer

[satoshi-mochida]

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered launches in 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC

From Gematsu

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam in 2024, developer Grasshopper Manufacture announced. Wishlisting is available now via PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam.

Attendees of PAX East 2024, which runs from today until March 24 in Boston, Massachusetts, will be able to go hands-on with the first playable demo of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered at the NetEase Games booth.

Here is an overview of the game, via its store pages:

About

Shadows of the Damned, an action–adventure road trip through hell, has been remastered at last! Get ready for a story about rock, love, and just a little bit of demon slaying.

Key Features

A Hot-blooded, Hellishly Twisted, Feverishly Filthy, Love and Hate Filled Road Trip – Join the crass Garcia Hotspur and his boney buddy, Johnson, as they traverse the depths of the Underworld to steal back Garcia’s kidnapped lover, Paula, from the clutches of Fleming, the Lord of the Underworld. Let the soul of rock ‘n’ roll run loose in the heart of the twisted hellscape that is the Underworld.

Make It Through Fiendishly Funky Dungeons With the Powers of Light and Dark – The powers of light and dark pave your path forward. Like ravers in a nightclub, demons are emboldened by the dark, but grow weak when exposed to the light. Use your buddy Johnson to blast your way through the darkness of the Underworld.

A Cult Classic Born From the Most Creative Minds in the Industry – A third-person shooter crafted by industry legends Goichi Suda (No More Heroes, Killer7, etc.) and Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil, God Hand, etc.).

View a new set of screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here.

#Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered #Shadows of the Damned #Grasshopper Manufacture #Suda 51 #action adventure #Gematsu

[thefaygowaitress]

Follow For More

#hail satan #satanic kitten #black cat #black witch #dark aesthetic #hell #shadows of the damned #dark art #satanism #occult #demonic entity #satanist

[heyitspizzaking]

Garcia Hotspur & Johnson

Shadows Of The Damned

#artwork #alex rhys #fan art #fanart #shadows of the damned #garcia hotspur #johnson sotd #grasshopper manufacture #ghm

[rachidlotf]

No Gun - Official UK PlayStation Magazine Course/Print/Commission: https://rachidlotf.com/store

All Weapons: Doom: BFG - Hitman: Ballers - DMC: Ebony and Ivory - Namco/Time - Crisis: GCon - PS VR: Gun controllers - Resident Evil: samurai edge - Dead Space: Plasma Cutter - KillZone 2: Arc Rifle - Shadows Of The Damned: Boner - Metro: Pneumatic Rifle - Resistance: Bullseye - Final Fantasy VIII: Gunblade - Half-Life 2: Gravity Gun - Portal: gun - Ratchet & Clank: Combuster - Overwatch: Tracer Pulse Pistols - Destiny 2: Ace Of Spades Gun - Borderlands 2: Torgue Firearm Pistol - Bioshock: Shotgun - Fallout 4: Mini Nuke - wolfenstein: Laser Kraftwerk

#RachidLotf #Artwork #ConceptArt #Rachid Lotf #Concept Art #Doom #Hitman #DMC #Namco #Crisis #Resident Evil #Dead Space #KillZone #Shadows of The Damned #Resistance #Final Fantasy VIII #Half-Life 2 #Portal #Ratchet & Clank #Overwatch #Destiny 2 #Borderlands 2 #Bioshock #Fallout 4 #Wolfenstein

[roguerambles]

I haven’t played Shadows of the Damned, but I AM a hoe for fictional characters voiced by Steve Blum so......I might check it out--

because-

this guy -

has caught my attention 👀

#shadows of the damned #garcia hotspur #video game #suda51

[serious-moonlight]

bunny suits for year of the rabbit (i guess i forgot to post these?)

#shadows of the damned #million gunman #mondo zappa #saltart

[ghenry]

NEW VIDEO! I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet Suda51, the man himself, and conduct a 45-ish minute interview. This video is basically the whole interview cut down neatly, the audio cleaned up to my best ability, and showing visual context where I felt appropriate. Please enjoy!

Man, I've been blazing with these uploads lately, huh? Perhaps part of me just feels charged from getting to meet one of my heroes for the first time. Suda51 means a lot to me as a creator, and I'm still having a hard time believing I received such an opportunity. I was also very happy to meet Grasshopper's PR folks I've been exchanging emails with for a while now.

I have so many more videos I want to make, but I've really slowed down on uploads lately. Of course, part of that has to do with how long some of these videos tend to be. But I feel so insanely motivated to keep going, more than ever, where making this particular one felt almost dream-like the entire way through.

I'll be forever grateful to everyone that supported me throughout the years with their views, likes, dislikes, comments, patronage, everything! It's because of you all I was able to make this happen. You all rock! Thumbnail art by @doctorgrambo!

#Suda51 #Grasshopper Manufacture #Shadows of the Damned #Suda51 interview #Goichi Suda #Garcia Hotspur #Kurayami Dance #Youtube

[devileaterjaek]

#gaming #shadows of the damned #suda 51 #grasshopper manufacture #horror comedy #action horror

[heartgrooooove]

i've uploaded a web version of my 2nd ghm zine. this version does not include the two secret illustrations present in the physical version, but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless

#no more heroes #no more heroes 3 spoilers #killer7 #killer7 spoilers #the silver case #the 25th ward #flower sun and rain #shadows of the damned #killer is dead #lollipop chainsaw #kurayami dance #shin-hopperman

[fuckyeahgrasshopper]

Full Grasshopper Direct!

Quick recap:

Video retrospective of 25 years of GhM

Shadows of the Damned remaster

New GhM art by Peach Momoko for the 25th GhM anniversary

GhM merch store launched (overseas shipping to come)

GhM concept artist Tadayuki Nomaru art exhibition in Tokyo's Gallery Te To Ka 7/22 to 8/6; limited edition merchandise also on sale at the exhibition

2 stills of new game (blocked by Suda51's body...)

#grasshopper manufacture #news #grasshopper direct #suda51 #shadows of the damned #tadayuki nomaru #peach momoko