KILL THE PAST: 25 YEARS OF GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE BOOK ANNOUNCED!

Lost In Cult is exceptionally proud to unveil KILL THE PAST: 25 YEARS OF GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE – a book 25 years in the making.

Explore the unique and wild worlds of Grasshopper Manufacture and SUDA51, featuring never-before-seen art, exclusive interviews, essays, and more. KILL THE PAST is the ultimate and definitive celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture, its games, and its history, as never told before.

Across more than 400 pages, we’re revealing the behind-the-scenes stories of landmark games from this acclaimed, beloved, and iconic Japanese studio, as told by the people who were there, as well as long-time partners such as Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil), and many more.

Our limited, pre-order campaign-exclusive Deluxe Edition brings even more to the table, with its beautifully embossed black box containing a treasure trove of additional Grasshopper ephemera, from stickers, pins, and posters, to a full set of 4 separate expanded essay books on Killler7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, and The Silver Case.

KILL THE PAST: 25 YEARS OF GRASSHPPER MANUFACTURE is available to order now – pre-order campaign open until October 18th. Shipping Q2/Q3 2025.

STANDARD EDITION

The Standard Edition of KILL THE PAST is perfect for fans and collectors alike, presented as a 400+ page hardcover book, with its cover designed by Anton Weflö marking a visual homage to Grasshopper and their biggest works, complete with a clear, see-through, super glossy dust-jacket adorning their studio logo.

Written by Blake Hester (Game Informer, Polygon, Vice), KILL THE PAST: 25 YEARS OF GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE tells the story of one of the most interesting studios in video game history through in-depth interviews with dozens of creators across the developer’s long and rich history. Put simply, this is the single most definitive and comprehensive look at Grasshopper Manufacture and their works ever seen.

Explore how classic games such as No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, Killer7, The Silver Case, Michigan: Report from Hell, Flower, Sun, and Rain, and more were made as if you were there in the room with its creators, and enjoy loads of development art, behind-the-scenes concepts, and never-before-seen looks into the design process. We dive into the origins, creation, the community, and influences of Grasshopper, covering the past, present, and future of this important studio.

The book also includes interviews with many key people at Grasshopper, including the man himself, Goichi Suda (SUDA51), as well as other names at Grasshopper including Hiroyuki Tamura, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Tadyuki Nomaru, Ren Yamazaki, and James Mountain.

We’ve also created an exclusive, limited edition set of Grasshopper trading cards, inspired by SUDA51’s love of baseball. Every book comes with a single, random trading card (full pack available in the Deluxe Edition).

DELUXE EDITION

KILL THE PAST: 25 YEARS OF GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE – Deluxe Edition is our ultimate, definitive edition, presenting our complete, ideal vision for what this project should look like. We’ve pushed the boat out with our extra goodies and touches for this sensational edition – befitting of the prestige we feel Grasshopper are worthy of receiving.

Available as an exclusive, limited time-only piece during our pre-order window campaign for mega-fans, the Deluxe Edition is enshrined inside a beautiful black box, embossed with Grasshopper’s logos throughout time.

Housed alongside our wonderful book, within is a treasure trove of Grasshopper ephemera. Decorate your home with beautiful posters displaying art from across the 25 years of Grasshopper’s library – including art from No More Heroes, Killer7, The Silver Case, and more. Find a full set of our limited edition pack of Grasshopper trading cards, alongside a set of pins and stickers to adorn your bags, jackets, or home with.

The highlight of this edition are the four, Deluxe Edition-exclusive essay books. These four, completely separate expanded essay books are worthy releases in their own right, covering four key games from Grasshopper’s history. Each comes in a unique physical booklet, full of interesting art and behind-the-scene details, as well as in-depth critical essays from hand-selected writers about a game of their choosing.

Killer7, by Ed Smith

Shadows of the Damned, by Ashley Bardhan

No More Heroes, by Diego Argüello

The Silver Case, by Suriel Vazquez

SIGNED DELUXE EDITION (limited to first 1000 orders)

Available exclusively to the first 1,000 orders of the Deluxe Edition only, owners will be upgraded to our very special Signed Deluxe Edition – with a signed bookplate inside the box by the one and only SUDA51.