To know Goichi "Suda51" Suda's work is to also know its reputation. His portfolio of games all have rough edges and a prickly spirit, but are all endearing as a result. There's a punk edge about them that rebels against the extreme levels of polish that sand down the corners of the biggest blockbuster games. Simply put, Suda51 creates cult classics. Whether it's the strangeness of Killer7's world and shooting system; the beam katana hyperviolence of No More Heroes' world of ranked assassins; or the gory cases of The Silver Case's Heinous Crimes Unit; every game has impact.
How did Suda51 get here? Start, as they say, as you mean to go on. Entering the industry with Human Entertainment's Fire Pro Wrestling series, he served as director on Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special in 1994, as well as being the scenario writer. SNES fighters were best known for simplistic victory screens and straightforward stories. But here, it saw hero Morio Sumisu so beaten down by the events of the game, even in victory, that it ends with the character taking his own life. 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.
