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The House of the Dead (video game)

April 11, 2024

The House of the Dead[a] is a 1996 horror-themed light gun shooter arcade game developed by Sega AM1 and released by Sega. It is the first game in the House of the Dead series. Players assume the role of agents Thomas Rogan and "G" as they combat an army of undead experiments created by Dr. Curien, a mad scientist.

The House of the Dead
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
  • Sega
  • Forever Entertainment (remake)
Director(s)Takashi Oda
Producer(s)Rikiya Nakagawa
Composer(s)Tetsuya Kawauchi
SeriesThe House of the Dead
EngineUnity (remake)
Platform(s)
ReleaseHouse of the Dead
September 13, 1996
  • Arcade
    • JP: September 13, 1996
    • WW: March 4, 1997
    Saturn
    Windows
    Mobile phone
Remake
April 7, 2022
  • Nintendo Switch
    • WW: April 7, 2022
    PS4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One
    • WW: April 27, 2022
    Xbox Series X/S
    • WW: September 23, 2022
    PlayStation 5
    • WW: January 20, 2023
Genre(s)Horror, light gun shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemSega Model 2[5]

The game was developed for over a year on the Sega Model 2 arcade hardware. Targeting an adult audience, AM1 devised a story and atmosphere inspired by Western horror films. AM1's plans for detailed environments, non-linear level designs, and a gory aesthetic were challenged – and often limited – by the Model 2 hardware and other factors.

The House of the Dead was well-received by critics. It has been, along with Resident Evil, credited with popularising zombie video games, as well as re-popularising zombies in wider popular culture from the late 1990s onwards, leading to renewed interest in zombie films during the 2000s. The game has also been credited with introducing fast running zombies, which became popular in zombie films and video games during the 2000s.

A remake of the game was developed by MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One in April 2022, for Xbox Series X/S in September 2022, and for PlayStation 5 in January 2023.

Gameplay edit

 
Gameplay from the first chapter, as the player approaches the house

The House of the Dead is a rail shooter light gun game. Players use a light gun (or mouse, in the PC version) to aim and shoot at approaching zombies. The characters' pistols use magazines which hold 6 rounds; players reload by shooting away from the screen. When a player sustains damage or shoots a civilian, one point of health is removed. The continue screen appears when all health is lost. If the player runs out of continues, the game is over. First-aid packs are available throughout the game which restore one point of health; some can be obtained from rescued hostages, while others are hidden inside certain breakable objects. Special items can be found within other breakables, granting a bonus to the player who shoots them. The player can earn additional health at the end of each level based on the number of hostages rescued.

Throughout the course of the game, players are faced with numerous situations in which their action (or inaction) will have an effect on the direction of gameplay.[6] This is exemplified in the opening stage of the game when a hostage is about to be thrown from the bridge to his death. If the player saves the hostage, they will enter the house directly through the front door; however, if the player fails to rescue the hostage, the character is redirected to an underground route through the sewers.

Players can score additional points by shooting enemies in the head, rescuing hostages and finding hidden items.[7]

Plot edit

The renowned biochemist and geneticist, Dr. Roy Curien, becomes obsessed with discovering the nature of life and death. While supported by the DBR Corporation and its own team of scientists, Curien's behavior becomes more erratic and his experiments take an inhumane and gruesome turn. The Curien Mansion, which serves as his home and laboratory, experiences an outbreak.

On December 18, 1998, AMS Agent Thomas Rogan receives a distress call from his fiancée, Sophie Richards, from the Curien Mansion. Rogan and his partner, "G", fly to Europe and arrive at the estate, finding it overrun with undead creatures, which Curien unleashed. A mortally wounded scientist gives them a journal containing information about Curien's creations and their weaknesses, and urges them to rescue the survivors still inside.

Rogan and G reach Sophie, only to witness her being carried away by a flying gargoyle-like creature called the Hangedman. The two enter the house, and later find Sophie, just before she is attacked by the Chariot, a large, heavily-armored mutant armed with a bardiche. After killing the mutant, Rogan and G attend to a wounded Sophie, who warns them that they must stop Curien at all costs, before collapsing from her wounds. Furious, Rogan and G push further into the mansion, and upon reaching the rooftops encounter the Hangedman. In the ensuing battle, Rogan and G are nearly thrown to their deaths, but manage to shoot it down. Fighting deeper into the mansion’s laboratories, the two eventually find Curien, who is protected by a massive, spider-like creature called the Hermit. After killing it, Rogan and G continue their chase.

Upon arriving at the mansion’s underground laboratory, Curien unleashes his masterpiece, the Magician, a powerful humanoid creature with pyrokinetic abilities. However, the Magician refuses to serve any master and kills its creator. To prevent it from escaping, Rogan and G fight the Magician, and after being defeated, the Magician explodes. With both Curien and the Magician dead, the agents leave the mansion.

Endings edit

The game features three different endings, which are determined by the player’s score, number of continues used and rank. The first two endings feature Sophie in the mansion’s foyer, either alive having survived her injuries or as having become one of the undead zombies (which the game developers referred to as the “true” and “normal” endings respectively). In the third ending, only a far view of the mansion is shown (leaving Sophie’s fate ambiguous).[7]

Development and release edit

Development started in December 1995 and took one year and three months.[7] None of the development team could speak English, so they arrived at the name The House of the Dead by taking various horror-themed phrases in Japanese and picking the one where the English translated text had the most "cool" visual, without concern for what sort of connotations the phrase might have to English speakers.[7] The team saw people in their 20s and 30s as their target audience, and hoped that the game would primarily be experienced as a two-player game.[7]

The House of the Dead was built on the Virtua Cop game engine.[6] The developers wanted to have a more complex system of path branches, and to have the system impact the game's story, but eventually realized these ideas were too ambitious to fulfill within the time allotted to make the game.[7]

The enemy designs were drafted quickly, going from idea directly to design drawing without any rough sketches.[7] Anticipating that foreign markets, particularly Germany, would require the violence be toned down, they built in an option for operators to change the color of the game's blood, with green, purple, and blue available in addition to the traditional red.[7] To avoid potential controversy the developers removed an elderly looking female zombie, and several enemies dressed in suggestive attire.[7] The Chariot was animated by using motion capture with an actor wielding a broom, but the other enemies were all animated manually, using motion capture for reference only.[7]

Sega AM4 designed the game's cabinet using screenshots and illustrations given to them by AM1.[7] The House of the Dead came in two cabinet formats, both upright: one with a 50-inch monitor and one with a 29-inch monitor.[8]

Ports edit

In late 1997, Sega confirmed that work had begun on a port to Sega Saturn, as an early version had been delivered to them.[9] The port was handled by Tantalus Interactive and released in 1998, with a port to Windows (PC-CD) by Sega arriving the same year.[10] Aside from game modes were added to both ports, which include selectable characters with different weapons and a boss rush mode.[11]

Both the Sega Saturn and PC editions have slightly remixed soundtracks. On Chapter 2, there is a reference to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, as the words "Challenger, go at throttle up", spoken by Richard O. Covey from the mission control room only seconds before the explosion, can be heard three times before the music loops.[12] These words do not appear in the arcade version; a snickering laugh is heard instead. The title, and boss themes are reversed on the PC port as well.

A version for mobile phones was released in Japan, and aimed to recreate the gameplay and locations from the arcade version. The pre-installed trial version containing the game's first chapter was included with Vodafone V603SH in February 2005, and utilized the phone's accelerometer functionality to control the camera.[13]

Remake edit

In April 2021, it was announced that a remake of the game was to be released for the Nintendo Switch. The House of the Dead: Remake was developed by MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment under license from Sega.[14][15] In January 2022 news outlets reported that the game was expected to launch in March 2022,[16][17][18] but it was ultimately released on April 7, 2022.[19] Ports for PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One were released on April 28, 2022,[20] followed by Xbox Series X/S on September 23, 2022,[21] and PlayStation 5 on January 20, 2023.[21]

Sega reportedly lost the source code to the arcade version of The House of the Dead, requiring MegaPixel Studio to remake the entire game from scratch in the Unity game engine.[citation needed] Due to licensing issues,[citation needed] the original soundtrack by composer Tetsuya Kawauchi was replaced by a new soundtrack that is heavily inspired by the original.

Like the original home versions before, the remake uses an analog controlled crosshair for aiming by default. The Switch version also includes an alternative control by utilizing the controller’s built in “gyro aiming” system to emulate the use of a light gun, and the subsequent Xbox One and PS4 ports also had alternate control methods, such as USB mouse control and the PlayStation Move/Aim controllers respectively.

Reception and legacy edit

In Japan, Game Machine listed The House of the Dead on their May 1, 1997, issue as being the second most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.[38] The arcade game was also a major hit overseas.[39] It went on to be the highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1998 in Japan. By 1998, it had sold 8,600 arcade cabinets worldwide, including 1,600 in Japan and 7,000 overseas.[40]

Reviews edit

The 1996 arcade version of The House of the Dead received positive reviews upon release. Computer and Video Games magazine called it "the best shooting game ever!"[27][41] Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Overall, this is an excellent take on the light-gun genre - a sheer bloody scream." The review praised the branching levels, story, creature design, graphics, and destructible environments.[34] In a retrospective review, AllGame awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, likewise praising the story, graphics, and destructible environments, but particularly focused on the game's intelligent challenge. The reviewer dubbed it "one of the best shooting games to hit arcades in the late 1990s."[23]

The Saturn version of The House of the Dead garnered generally favorable reviews. It had a 71% rating on review aggregation website GameRankings based on five online reviews.[22]

The Nintendo Switch remake received mixed reviews.[42] Starburst praised the new soundtrack, added game modes, and the exciting atmosphere. They concluded that the remake is "a fantastic revival of an old favourite".[43] Gaming Bible similarly commented that the graphical upgrades and extras are appealing.[44] Nook Gaming was laudatory of the game's "clever camera angles and situations" that encourage efficient play.[45] Reviewers criticized the gyro and thumbstick controls.[44][45][46] Nintendo Life felt that unlike the Wii, the Switch is unsuitable for light gun games due to its lack of a sensor bar, without which the gyro controls cause the cursor to twitch when firing. They concluded that while the gameplay still held up and the graphical upgrades and extras were reasonably well done, those who are not fans of the original game might not have the patience for it.[46]

Cultural impact edit

According to Kim Newman in the book Nightmare Movies (2011), the "zombie revival began in the Far East" during the late 1990s with the Japanese zombie games Resident Evil and The House of the Dead. The success of these two 1996 zombie games inspired a wave of Asian zombie films, such as Bio Zombie (1998) and Versus (2000).[47] The zombie revival later went global following the worldwide success of Resident Evil and The House of the Dead, which inspired a wave of Western zombie films during the 2000s, such as 28 Days Later (2002) and Shaun of the Dead (2004).[47] In 2013, George Romero said it was the video games Resident Evil and House of the Dead "more than anything else" that popularised his zombie concept in early 21st-century popular culture.[48][49]

The House of the Dead has also been credited with introducing a new type of zombie distinct from Romero's classic slow zombie: the fast running zombie. After appearing in The House of the Dead, they became popular in zombie films and video games during the 2000s, including the Resident Evil games and films, The House of the Dead film adaptation, and the films 28 Days Later (2002) and Dawn of the Dead (2004).[50]

Controversy edit

When the American city of Indianapolis attempted to ban violent video games in 2000, it argued that The House of the Dead was obscene and so unprotected by the First Amendment. This required U.S. Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner to review the game at length, ultimately finding Indianapolis' ban was unconstitutional. Unimpressed by the graphics, Judge Posner wrote "The most violent game in the record, The House of the Dead, depicts zombies being killed flamboyantly, with much severing of limbs and effusion of blood; but so stylized and patently fictitious is the cartoon-like depiction that no one would suppose it 'obscene' in the sense in which a photograph of a person being decapitated might be described as 'obscene.' It will not turn anyone's stomach."[51]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Japanese: ザ・ハウス・オブ・ザ・デッド, Hepburn: Za Hausu obu za Deddo

References edit

  1. ^ . December 2, 1998. Archived from the original on December 2, 1998. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  2. ^ . June 28, 1998. Archived from the original on June 28, 1998. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "Press release: 1998-05-05: The House of the Dead Finds New Home On Sega Saturn". Sega Retro. March 12, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  4. ^ . IGN. September 3, 1998. Archived from the original on April 12, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
    "Sega has released The House of the Dead, a first-person shooter."
  5. ^ "AOU". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 93. Ziff Davis. April 1997. p. 79.
  6. ^ a b "NG Alphas: House of the Dead". Next Generation. No. 29. Imagine Media. May 1997. p. 108.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harrod, Warren (September 1997). "Interview: The House of the Dead". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 23. Emap International Limited. pp. 58–63. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  8. ^ Webb, Marcus (June 1997). "Sega and GameWorks". Next Generation. No. 30. Imagine Media. p. 28.
  9. ^ "News in Brief". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 25. Emap International Limited. November 1997. p. 15. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "Official Sega Saturn Magazine Issue 31". May 1998.
  11. ^ "House of the Dead: The Zombie Smash Comes Home". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 105. Ziff Davis. April 1998. p. 44.
  12. ^ Tetsuya Kawauchi (October 29, 2011). "The House Of The Dead Music: Chapter 2". Sega Saturn.
  13. ^ . IT Media Mobile (in Japanese). February 1, 2005. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  14. ^ "First Look at House of the Dead: Remake on Switch, a Stylized and Spooky Reboot". IGN. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  15. ^ "THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Remake for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Game Details". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  16. ^ "The House of the Dead: Remake for Nintendo Switch". Gamepressure.com. January 26, 2022.
  17. ^ "Nintendo Direct February 2022: New leak hints at what to expect from next Direct". Daily Express. January 26, 2022.
  18. ^ "Nintendo Direct 2022 May Debut In February; Featured Games And Announcements Details Leak Online". International Business Times. February 9, 2022.
  19. ^ "The House of the Dead: Remake launches April 7". March 4, 2022.
  20. ^ "The House of the Dead: Remake is Coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia". April 21, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Romano, Sal (January 16, 2023). "The House of the Dead: Remake coming to PS5 on January 20". Gematsu. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  22. ^ a b . GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  23. ^ a b Baize, Anthony. . AllGame. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  24. ^ House, Matthew. . AllGame. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  25. ^ House, Michael L. . AllGame. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  26. ^ "The House of the Dead". Consoles + (in French). No. 76. May 1998. pp. 106–8.
  27. ^ a b "Arcade: Sega's Greatest Gun Game! The House of the Dead". Computer and Video Games. No. 188 (July 1997). EMAP. June 11, 1997. pp. 84–5.
  28. ^ Randell, Kim (1998). "PC Review: House of the Dead". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on June 24, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  29. ^ Edge staff (April 1998). "House of the Dead (SAT)". Edge. No. 57.
  30. ^ "The House of the Dead (SAT)". Game Informer. No. 61. May 1998.
  31. ^ Ferris, Duke (September 1998). "The House of the Dead Review (SAT)". Game Revolution. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  32. ^ Alway, Robin (March 25, 1998). "The House of the Dead". GamesMaster. No. 67 (April 1998). pp. 46–8.
  33. ^ Fielder, Joe (April 23, 1998). "The House of the Dead Review (SAT)". GameSpot. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  34. ^ a b "Dead Men Walking". Next Generation. No. 34. Imagine Media. October 1997. p. 183.
  35. ^ Williamson, Colin (December 1998). . PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  36. ^ "PC Review: The House of the Dead". PC Zone. 1998.
  37. ^ "The House of the Dead" (PDF). Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 1998-10 (April 3, 1998). March 20, 1998. p. 194.
  38. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 540. Amusement Press, Inc. May 1, 1997. p. 21.
  39. ^ "The House of the Dead". Computer and Video Games. No. 196 (March 1998). February 11, 1998. p. 35.
  40. ^ Akagi, Masumi, ed. (February 1, 1999). ""Tekken 3", "House of the Dead" Top Annual Chart" (PDF). Game Machine. No. 580. Amusement Press, Inc. p. 22.
  41. ^ "Arcade: House of the Dead Player's Guide!". Computer and Video Games. No. 189 (August 1997). EMAP. July 11, 1997. pp. 82–5.
  42. ^ "THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Remake". Metacritic.
  43. ^ Jackson, Chris (June 4, 2022). "The House of the Dead Remake". Starburst. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  44. ^ a b Diver, Mike (April 6, 2022). "'The House of the Dead: Remake' Review: More Zombies, Rotten Controls". Gaming Bible. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  45. ^ a b Parker, Isaiah (April 22, 2022). "The House of the Dead: Remake - Review". Nook Gaming. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  46. ^ a b Scullion, Chris (April 8, 2022). "The House of the Dead: Remake Review". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  47. ^ a b Newman, Kim (2011). Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen Since the 1960s. A&C Black. pp. 559–566. ISBN 9781408805039.
  48. ^ Weedon, Paul (July 17, 2017). . Paul Weedon. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  49. ^ Diver, Mike (July 17, 2017). "Gaming's Greatest, Romero-Worthy Zombies". Vice. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  50. ^ Levin, Josh (December 19, 2007). "How did movie zombies get so fast?". Slate.com. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  51. ^ American Amusement Machine Ass'n v. Kendrick, 244 F.3d 572 (7th Cir. 2001).

Further reading edit

  • "The House of the Dead". EGM2. June 1997.

External links edit

April 11, 2024
house, dead, video, game, house, dead, 1996, horror, themed, light, shooter, arcade, game, developed, sega, released, sega, first, game, house, dead, series, players, assume, role, agents, thomas, rogan, they, combat, army, undead, experiments, created, curien. The House of the Dead a is a 1996 horror themed light gun shooter arcade game developed by Sega AM1 and released by Sega It is the first game in the House of the Dead series Players assume the role of agents Thomas Rogan and G as they combat an army of undead experiments created by Dr Curien a mad scientist The House of the DeadArcade flyerDeveloper s Sega AM1MegaPixel Studio remake Publisher s SegaForever Entertainment remake Director s Takashi OdaProducer s Rikiya NakagawaComposer s Tetsuya KawauchiSeriesThe House of the DeadEngineUnity remake Platform s ArcadeSega SaturnMicrosoft WindowsMobile phoneNintendo SwitchPlayStation 4StadiaXbox OneXbox Series X SPlayStation 5ReleaseHouse of the DeadSeptember 13 1996 ArcadeJP September 13 1996WW March 4 1997SaturnJP March 26 1998EU April 10 1998 1 NA May 5 1998 2 3 WindowsNA September 3 1998 4 EU 1998Mobile phoneJP 2005 RemakeApril 7 2022 Nintendo SwitchWW April 7 2022PS4 Stadia Windows Xbox OneWW April 27 2022Xbox Series X SWW September 23 2022PlayStation 5WW January 20 2023Genre s Horror light gun shooterMode s Single player multiplayerArcade systemSega Model 2 5 The game was developed for over a year on the Sega Model 2 arcade hardware Targeting an adult audience AM1 devised a story and atmosphere inspired by Western horror films AM1 s plans for detailed environments non linear level designs and a gory aesthetic were challenged and often limited by the Model 2 hardware and other factors The House of the Dead was well received by critics It has been along with Resident Evil credited with popularising zombie video games as well as re popularising zombies in wider popular culture from the late 1990s onwards leading to renewed interest in zombie films during the 2000s The game has also been credited with introducing fast running zombies which became popular in zombie films and video games during the 2000s A remake of the game was developed by MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment for Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Stadia Windows and Xbox One in April 2022 for Xbox Series X S in September 2022 and for PlayStation 5 in January 2023 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Plot 2 1 Endings 3 Development and release 3 1 Ports 4 Remake 5 Reception and legacy 5 1 Reviews 5 2 Cultural impact 5 3 Controversy 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksGameplay edit nbsp Gameplay from the first chapter as the player approaches the houseThe House of the Dead is a rail shooter light gun game Players use a light gun or mouse in the PC version to aim and shoot at approaching zombies The characters pistols use magazines which hold 6 rounds players reload by shooting away from the screen When a player sustains damage or shoots a civilian one point of health is removed The continue screen appears when all health is lost If the player runs out of continues the game is over First aid packs are available throughout the game which restore one point of health some can be obtained from rescued hostages while others are hidden inside certain breakable objects Special items can be found within other breakables granting a bonus to the player who shoots them The player can earn additional health at the end of each level based on the number of hostages rescued Throughout the course of the game players are faced with numerous situations in which their action or inaction will have an effect on the direction of gameplay 6 This is exemplified in the opening stage of the game when a hostage is about to be thrown from the bridge to his death If the player saves the hostage they will enter the house directly through the front door however if the player fails to rescue the hostage the character is redirected to an underground route through the sewers Players can score additional points by shooting enemies in the head rescuing hostages and finding hidden items 7 Plot editThe renowned biochemist and geneticist Dr Roy Curien becomes obsessed with discovering the nature of life and death While supported by the DBR Corporation and its own team of scientists Curien s behavior becomes more erratic and his experiments take an inhumane and gruesome turn The Curien Mansion which serves as his home and laboratory experiences an outbreak On December 18 1998 AMS Agent Thomas Rogan receives a distress call from his fiancee Sophie Richards from the Curien Mansion Rogan and his partner G fly to Europe and arrive at the estate finding it overrun with undead creatures which Curien unleashed A mortally wounded scientist gives them a journal containing information about Curien s creations and their weaknesses and urges them to rescue the survivors still inside Rogan and G reach Sophie only to witness her being carried away by a flying gargoyle like creature called the Hangedman The two enter the house and later find Sophie just before she is attacked by the Chariot a large heavily armored mutant armed with a bardiche After killing the mutant Rogan and G attend to a wounded Sophie who warns them that they must stop Curien at all costs before collapsing from her wounds Furious Rogan and G push further into the mansion and upon reaching the rooftops encounter the Hangedman In the ensuing battle Rogan and G are nearly thrown to their deaths but manage to shoot it down Fighting deeper into the mansion s laboratories the two eventually find Curien who is protected by a massive spider like creature called the Hermit After killing it Rogan and G continue their chase Upon arriving at the mansion s underground laboratory Curien unleashes his masterpiece the Magician a powerful humanoid creature with pyrokinetic abilities However the Magician refuses to serve any master and kills its creator To prevent it from escaping Rogan and G fight the Magician and after being defeated the Magician explodes With both Curien and the Magician dead the agents leave the mansion Endings edit The game features three different endings which are determined by the player s score number of continues used and rank The first two endings feature Sophie in the mansion s foyer either alive having survived her injuries or as having become one of the undead zombies which the game developers referred to as the true and normal endings respectively In the third ending only a far view of the mansion is shown leaving Sophie s fate ambiguous 7 Development and release editDevelopment started in December 1995 and took one year and three months 7 None of the development team could speak English so they arrived at the name The House of the Dead by taking various horror themed phrases in Japanese and picking the one where the English translated text had the most cool visual without concern for what sort of connotations the phrase might have to English speakers 7 The team saw people in their 20s and 30s as their target audience and hoped that the game would primarily be experienced as a two player game 7 The House of the Dead was built on the Virtua Cop game engine 6 The developers wanted to have a more complex system of path branches and to have the system impact the game s story but eventually realized these ideas were too ambitious to fulfill within the time allotted to make the game 7 The enemy designs were drafted quickly going from idea directly to design drawing without any rough sketches 7 Anticipating that foreign markets particularly Germany would require the violence be toned down they built in an option for operators to change the color of the game s blood with green purple and blue available in addition to the traditional red 7 To avoid potential controversy the developers removed an elderly looking female zombie and several enemies dressed in suggestive attire 7 The Chariot was animated by using motion capture with an actor wielding a broom but the other enemies were all animated manually using motion capture for reference only 7 Sega AM4 designed the game s cabinet using screenshots and illustrations given to them by AM1 7 The House of the Dead came in two cabinet formats both upright one with a 50 inch monitor and one with a 29 inch monitor 8 Ports edit In late 1997 Sega confirmed that work had begun on a port to Sega Saturn as an early version had been delivered to them 9 The port was handled by Tantalus Interactive and released in 1998 with a port to Windows PC CD by Sega arriving the same year 10 Aside from game modes were added to both ports which include selectable characters with different weapons and a boss rush mode 11 Both the Sega Saturn and PC editions have slightly remixed soundtracks On Chapter 2 there is a reference to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster as the words Challenger go at throttle up spoken by Richard O Covey from the mission control room only seconds before the explosion can be heard three times before the music loops 12 These words do not appear in the arcade version a snickering laugh is heard instead The title and boss themes are reversed on the PC port as well A version for mobile phones was released in Japan and aimed to recreate the gameplay and locations from the arcade version The pre installed trial version containing the game s first chapter was included with Vodafone V603SH in February 2005 and utilized the phone s accelerometer functionality to control the camera 13 Remake editIn April 2021 it was announced that a remake of the game was to be released for the Nintendo Switch The House of the Dead Remake was developed by MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment under license from Sega 14 15 In January 2022 news outlets reported that the game was expected to launch in March 2022 16 17 18 but it was ultimately released on April 7 2022 19 Ports for PlayStation 4 Stadia Windows and Xbox One were released on April 28 2022 20 followed by Xbox Series X S on September 23 2022 21 and PlayStation 5 on January 20 2023 21 Sega reportedly lost the source code to the arcade version of The House of the Dead requiring MegaPixel Studio to remake the entire game from scratch in the Unity game engine citation needed Due to licensing issues citation needed the original soundtrack by composer Tetsuya Kawauchi was replaced by a new soundtrack that is heavily inspired by the original Like the original home versions before the remake uses an analog controlled crosshair for aiming by default The Switch version also includes an alternative control by utilizing the controller s built in gyro aiming system to emulate the use of a light gun and the subsequent Xbox One and PS4 ports also had alternate control methods such as USB mouse control and the PlayStation Move Aim controllers respectively Reception and legacy editReceptionAggregate scoreAggregatorScoreArcadePCSaturnGameRankings71 5 reviews 22 Review scoresPublicationScoreArcadePCSaturnAllGame nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 23 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 24 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 25 Consoles 90 26 Computer and Video GamesPositive 27 5 10 28 Edge7 10 29 Game Informer8 10 30 GameRevolutionC 31 GamesMaster85 32 GameSpot7 3 10 33 Next Generation nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 34 PC Gamer US 88 35 PC Zone76 36 Sega Saturn Magazine26 30 37 In Japan Game Machine listed The House of the Dead on their May 1 1997 issue as being the second most successful dedicated arcade game of the month 38 The arcade game was also a major hit overseas 39 It went on to be the highest grossing dedicated arcade game of 1998 in Japan By 1998 it had sold 8 600 arcade cabinets worldwide including 1 600 in Japan and 7 000 overseas 40 Reviews edit The 1996 arcade version of The House of the Dead received positive reviews upon release Computer and Video Games magazine called it the best shooting game ever 27 41 Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of the game rating it four stars out of five and stated that Overall this is an excellent take on the light gun genre a sheer bloody scream The review praised the branching levels story creature design graphics and destructible environments 34 In a retrospective review AllGame awarded it 4 5 out of 5 stars likewise praising the story graphics and destructible environments but particularly focused on the game s intelligent challenge The reviewer dubbed it one of the best shooting games to hit arcades in the late 1990s 23 The Saturn version of The House of the Dead garnered generally favorable reviews It had a 71 rating on review aggregation website GameRankings based on five online reviews 22 The Nintendo Switch remake received mixed reviews 42 Starburst praised the new soundtrack added game modes and the exciting atmosphere They concluded that the remake is a fantastic revival of an old favourite 43 Gaming Bible similarly commented that the graphical upgrades and extras are appealing 44 Nook Gaming was laudatory of the game s clever camera angles and situations that encourage efficient play 45 Reviewers criticized the gyro and thumbstick controls 44 45 46 Nintendo Life felt that unlike the Wii the Switch is unsuitable for light gun games due to its lack of a sensor bar without which the gyro controls cause the cursor to twitch when firing They concluded that while the gameplay still held up and the graphical upgrades and extras were reasonably well done those who are not fans of the original game might not have the patience for it 46 Cultural impact edit According to Kim Newman in the book Nightmare Movies 2011 the zombie revival began in the Far East during the late 1990s with the Japanese zombie games Resident Evil and The House of the Dead The success of these two 1996 zombie games inspired a wave of Asian zombie films such as Bio Zombie 1998 and Versus 2000 47 The zombie revival later went global following the worldwide success of Resident Evil and The House of the Dead which inspired a wave of Western zombie films during the 2000s such as 28 Days Later 2002 and Shaun of the Dead 2004 47 In 2013 George Romero said it was the video games Resident Evil and House of the Dead more than anything else that popularised his zombie concept in early 21st century popular culture 48 49 The House of the Dead has also been credited with introducing a new type of zombie distinct from Romero s classic slow zombie the fast running zombie After appearing in The House of the Dead they became popular in zombie films and video games during the 2000s including the Resident Evil games and films The House of the Dead film adaptation and the films 28 Days Later 2002 and Dawn of the Dead 2004 50 Controversy edit When the American city of Indianapolis attempted to ban violent video games in 2000 it argued that The House of the Dead was obscene and so unprotected by the First Amendment This required U S Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner to review the game at length ultimately finding Indianapolis ban was unconstitutional Unimpressed by the graphics Judge Posner wrote The most violent game in the record The House of the Dead depicts zombies being killed flamboyantly with much severing of limbs and effusion of blood but so stylized and patently fictitious is the cartoon like depiction that no one would suppose it obscene in the sense in which a photograph of a person being decapitated might be described as obscene It will not turn anyone s stomach 51 Notes edit Japanese ザ ハウス オブ ザ デッド Hepburn Za Hausu obu za DeddoReferences edit sega europe online December 2 1998 Archived from the original on December 2 1998 Retrieved May 3 2023 Sega Online Central Press Releases June 28 1998 Archived from the original on June 28 1998 Retrieved May 3 2023 Press release 1998 05 05 The House of the Dead Finds New Home On Sega Saturn Sega Retro March 12 2016 Retrieved May 3 2023 News Briefs IGN September 3 1998 Archived from the original on April 12 2000 Retrieved December 6 2019 Sega has released The House of the Dead a first person shooter AOU Electronic Gaming Monthly No 93 Ziff Davis April 1997 p 79 a b NG Alphas House of the Dead Next Generation No 29 Imagine Media May 1997 p 108 a b c d e f g h i j k Harrod Warren September 1997 Interview The House of the Dead Sega Saturn Magazine No 23 Emap International Limited pp 58 63 Retrieved November 4 2019 Webb Marcus June 1997 Sega and GameWorks Next Generation No 30 Imagine Media p 28 News in Brief Sega Saturn Magazine No 25 Emap International Limited November 1997 p 15 Retrieved December 3 2019 Official Sega Saturn Magazine Issue 31 May 1998 House of the Dead The Zombie Smash Comes Home Electronic Gaming Monthly No 105 Ziff Davis April 1998 p 44 Tetsuya Kawauchi October 29 2011 The House Of The Dead Music Chapter 2 Sega Saturn V603SH向けに ザ ハウス オブ ザ デッド モバイル IT Media Mobile in Japanese February 1 2005 Archived from the original on July 12 2022 Retrieved September 9 2022 First Look at House of the Dead Remake on Switch a Stylized and Spooky Reboot IGN April 14 2021 Retrieved April 14 2021 THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD Remake for Nintendo Switch Nintendo Game Details www nintendo com Retrieved April 15 2021 The House of the Dead Remake for Nintendo Switch Gamepressure com January 26 2022 Nintendo Direct February 2022 New leak hints at what to expect from next Direct Daily Express January 26 2022 Nintendo Direct 2022 May Debut In February Featured Games And Announcements Details Leak Online International Business Times February 9 2022 The House of the Dead Remake launches April 7 March 4 2022 The House of the Dead Remake is Coming to PC PS4 Xbox One and Stadia April 21 2022 a b Romano Sal January 16 2023 The House of the Dead Remake coming to PS5 on January 20 Gematsu Retrieved February 25 2023 a b The House of the Dead for Saturn GameRankings Archived from the original on May 18 2019 Retrieved February 16 2014 a b Baize Anthony The House of the Dead ARC Review AllGame Archived from the original on November 13 2014 Retrieved September 28 2016 House Matthew The House of the Dead PC Review AllGame Archived from the original on November 13 2014 Retrieved September 28 2016 House Michael L The House of the Dead SAT Review AllGame Archived from the original on November 13 2014 Retrieved September 28 2016 The House of the Dead Consoles in French No 76 May 1998 pp 106 8 a b Arcade Sega s Greatest Gun Game The House of the Dead Computer and Video Games No 188 July 1997 EMAP June 11 1997 pp 84 5 Randell Kim 1998 PC Review House of the Dead Computer and Video Games Archived from the original on June 24 2007 Retrieved February 16 2014 Edge staff April 1998 House of the Dead SAT Edge No 57 The House of the Dead SAT Game Informer No 61 May 1998 Ferris Duke September 1998 The House of the Dead Review SAT Game Revolution Retrieved February 16 2014 Alway Robin March 25 1998 The House of the Dead GamesMaster No 67 April 1998 pp 46 8 Fielder Joe April 23 1998 The House of the Dead Review SAT GameSpot Retrieved February 16 2014 a b Dead Men Walking Next Generation No 34 Imagine Media October 1997 p 183 Williamson Colin December 1998 House of the Dead PC Gamer Archived from the original on March 3 2000 Retrieved March 26 2014 PC Review The House of the Dead PC Zone 1998 The House of the Dead PDF Sega Saturn Magazine in Japanese No 1998 10 April 3 1998 March 20 1998 p 194 Game Machine s Best Hit Games 25 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 Dedicated Videos Game Machine in Japanese No 540 Amusement Press Inc May 1 1997 p 21 The House of the Dead Computer and Video Games No 196 March 1998 February 11 1998 p 35 Akagi Masumi ed February 1 1999 Tekken 3 House of the Dead Top Annual Chart PDF Game Machine No 580 Amusement Press Inc p 22 Arcade House of the Dead Player s Guide Computer and Video Games No 189 August 1997 EMAP July 11 1997 pp 82 5 THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD Remake Metacritic Jackson Chris June 4 2022 The House of the Dead Remake Starburst Retrieved December 31 2022 a b Diver Mike April 6 2022 The House of the Dead Remake Review More Zombies Rotten Controls Gaming Bible Retrieved December 31 2022 a b Parker Isaiah April 22 2022 The House of the Dead Remake Review Nook Gaming Retrieved December 31 2022 a b Scullion Chris April 8 2022 The House of the Dead Remake Review Nintendo Life Retrieved December 31 2022 a b Newman Kim 2011 Nightmare Movies Horror on Screen Since the 1960s A amp C Black pp 559 566 ISBN 9781408805039 Weedon Paul July 17 2017 George A Romero interview Paul Weedon Archived from the original on August 23 2018 Retrieved June 2 2019 Diver Mike July 17 2017 Gaming s Greatest Romero Worthy Zombies Vice Retrieved June 2 2019 Levin Josh December 19 2007 How did movie zombies get so fast Slate com Retrieved November 5 2013 American Amusement Machine Ass n v Kendrick 244 F 3d 572 7th Cir 2001 Further reading edit The House of the Dead EGM2 June 1997 External links editThe House of the Dead at MobyGames The House of the Dead at the Killer List of Videogames The House of the Dead at SegaSaturn co uk Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The House of the Dead video game amp oldid 1203772061, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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