Interview: Suda51

Inside the fevered brain behind No More Heroes

Words: NGamer UK

Travis has to work hard at lots of grotty jobs. Is that inspired by real life? Have you ever had a terrible part time job?

(A booming, almost disconcerting laugh from Suda and his translator) I’ve done over thirty jobs in my lifetime. Some were better than others, let’s leave it at that. But there is a link between my and my team’s life experiences and the games we make. We want to include the message in our games that “some jobs aren’t important, and you may hate them, but if you do them to the best of your ability, it’ll turn out well. Better times will come.”

Is No More Heroes set in the same universe as your past games? There are clear references to Killer 7 and Michigan in No More Heroes.

No.

Your characters have the most interesting names in gaming. Where do you get them from?

I don’t name them by meaning, I name them by sound. I want their name to have a certain ‘feel’. Travis Touchdown, for example. It’s a name that sounds cool to a Japanese audience, but if a westerner hears it… well, then maybe not so much. That’s where Travis is in life, really.

Do you see much of yourself in Travis Touchdown, or indeed, any of the other assassins?

Yes, I do to an extent. I wish I could live like Travis. React to things the way he does. Face something different. We also share many of the same interests, such as a love for lucha libre wrestling, as you can see in his moves. But, you must understand - not the assassin part. (Eardrum-perforating laughter ensues).

Related Games
Killer 7
PS2
Killer 7
GameCube
The most mediocre box art
PS2 Feature
Jul 24, 2008
E3 Close Standing
360 Feature
Jul 23, 2008
E3 08: The videos you may have missed
360 Feature
Jul 23, 2008
The 100 lamest game-industry clichés
PS3 Feature
Jul 22, 2008
'Alpha Protocol' Will Have Plenty Of Sex Scenes,... N4G
PS3 News from N4G
Jul 24, 2008
Metal Gear Solid 4 New rumor: Another New final? N4G
PS3 News from N4G
Jul 24, 2008
Siren Scares PS3s N4G
PS3 News from N4G
Jul 24, 2008
Spore E-Card Creator Announced: Share Your Spore... N4G
PC News from N4G
Jul 24, 2008
Kojima to attend Metal Gear Online Tournament at... N4G
PS3 News from N4G
Jul 24, 2008