Two grisly titles from the popular House of the Dead series are being compiled into one action-packed horror shooter for the Wii. Both The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return feature the original arcade experience, complete with branching storylines, over six ghoul-filled game modes and bonus content. Re-live your glory days in the arcades and mow down packs of clawing, biting undead with the new rapid-fire Wii Zapper. Experience the popular arcade shooting action at home. Blast the undead with the quick trigger action of the Wii Zapper. Co-op gameplay. Grab a friend and destroy the undead together including Arcade mode and Original mode. Gory arcade graphics. The House of the Dead 2 & 3 retains the arcade graphics you love.
Does this game hold together or is the flesh starting to rot from these old bones? Find out in this House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return video review.
To quote the video review: “More than a decade since the series of horrifying light gun shooters first came to coin-op, there’s hardly a soul who hasn’t plunked a few quarters into a House of the Dead machine at the local pizza parlor or movie theater. Now, The House of the Dead 2 & 3 have been exhumed from their arcade cabinets to haunt Wii gunslingers.
Sega has brought these classics back just the way they looked originally, but we’re guessing that nostalgia has led you to believe they looked better. The eight- to 10-year-old graphics are extremely blocky and blurry by today’s standards, particularly in House of the Dead 2. The voice work and story are amazingly awful, with lines delivered in monotone or broken English that’s only fit to be laughed at. Players can switch between red and green blood as they desire, and the gaping hole you put in a fat zombie’s gut is still worth gawking at, but otherwise this is one awful looking and sounding game.
For better or worse, The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a faithful representation of the arcade classics, and players interested in reliving these titles again and again can grab a copy at a $30 price point. One can hope that with this and Ghost Squad already under its belt, Sega will stop digging up graves for the Wii.”
Design — 5.0
Gameplay — 6.1
Presentation — 3.0
Overall — 5.4
I completely disagree more with this score. As a fan of the arcade versions I think this is an awesome $30 budget port.