Grasshopper's Suda 51

Another key difference between the two audiences, or so the publisher of No More Heroes seems to believe, is their appetite for violence. The US version of the first game was full of blood and gore, while a toned down version went on sale in Japan. When word came that Europe would get the softer one there was uproar, and in the end both versions were released here. Why does Suda think we were so keen to get the gorier game? "I'm not sure... Maybe Europeans just like blood!"

That's all he can come up with on the subject, but when it comes to the issue of videogame violence and censorship Suda is more forthcoming. "For developers, it's not a good thing to be restricted when it comes to creating something. But at the same time, it's dangerous to have a situation where everyone can do whatever they want to do," he argues.

"For example... If a character dies and the player understands why the character dies, then it means something. There has to be a message for the player. Without one, if players can just do anything they like within the game - that can be dangerous." In other words, violence shouldn't be gratuitous - it should be part of the storyline? "Yes."

While Suda's in a serious mood we turn to the subject of the Japanese games industry, and I bring up the comments made by Capcom's Keiji Inafune at last year's TGS. "Man, Japan is over," Inafune said. "We're done. Our game industry is finished." Does Suda agree?

"Maybe he was just in a bad mood..." he chuckles. "There are a lot of young gamers out there, so I think there's potential. Especially now we don't just have a console-based system. There's the iPhone, WiiWare, stuff like that, which allow young game designers to try out new things. So I think there's potential for a new type of games designer in the future."

What about Suda's future? So far he's kept quiet on the question of what's next after No More Heroes 2. He won't spill the beans today so instead I ask him to tell me just one thing about it, one secret he hasn't told anyone else.

"Haha! OK," he says. "I'm a big fan of The IT Crowd." The Channel 4 sitcom? "Yes. So I want to create a game just like that. About some guys who aren't, you know, any good, but who have fun with life. That's the kind of game I want to create."

With that our brief interview is over. As I'm gathering up my stuff I mention Oli's 2008 TGS interview, and Suda's comments about the pants. "Yeah, yeah! Pants! Yes!" he exclaims excitedly, before the translator's even finished her sentence. "Yes! When Grasshopper have our own booth at E3, I will do it."

Suda stands up and puts his hands on the waistband of his designer jeans. For a minute I think he's going to drop his trousers and show me his actual pants, but he's just indicating where the branding will go. "Here, where it usually says Calvin Klein - it will say Grasshopper."

It may be a while yet before Suda gets to achieve his ambition - he says the studio's still not quite ready for an E3 booth, so there won't be one this June. But if No More Heroes 2 sells well enough in Europe, and Suda's IT Crowd-inspired follow-up is a success, who knows? Perhaps next year could be the year he finally gets to throw pants.