GamesRadar: What's your opinion on the trouble gaming has come in for recently, with people criticising it for being too violent or accusing it of being dangerous?

SUDA51: It's a really dangerous situation that a lot of creators cannot make what they want to make in a game because of these restrictions. Some creators have had to adjust what they wanted to design for the ratings system. When I make a game I don't want to think about it. The most important thing is that my ideas come instinctively. But if the industry is not allowed to that then we have a very very dangerous situation, because people have to change the work they want to do.

GameRadar: So you think that artistic freedom is more important than anything else?

SUDA51: Yes, it's very important.

GamesRadar: What was the thinking behind toning down the gore in the Japanese and UK versions of No More Heroes?

SUDA51: I actually like both versions. People might think that the US version is better, but there's no difference in quality. I used a new type of effect in the Japanese version, and when people have played it they've actually felt more refreshed than when playing the American version because the coins are coming out right away and the speed of the gameplay is actually faster.

We're not allowed to display any packaging if the game is Z-rated in Japan. I decided before I started making this game that I wanted more people to get a chance to play it, and Grasshopper and Marvelous Interactive Inc. made the decision together to make the change.

GamesRadar: To round off, what are you most proud of in No More Heroes, and what does it give gamers that they can't get anywhere else?

SUDA51: When the you play as Travis, you'll feel like you are him. The characters really come right up to you and feel close to you. That's what makes it different to anything else.