Heavily inspired by the Jason Voorhees character from the Friday the 13th films so popular in the 80's this game is a hockey mask wearing, butcher knife wielding gorefest! For those who aren't familiar with the game it is basically a 2D scrolling fighter. Unlike it's contemporaries like Double Dragon (and it's Megadrive sequels) the action takes place on one plain so you can't just weave up and down to avoid the nasties. This may sound restrictive but it makes for a much tenser game as a result.
From the start to the end the pressure is on as your character Rick sets out to save his girlfriend. You'll come across all manner of horrible fiends who you can take out with punches, sweep kicks or a sliding attack. In addition to that there are loads of weapons on offer. First a wooden stick to splat bad guys against the wall, then a butcher's knife and before you know it you're taking out chainsaw wielding freaks with a shotgun!
The visuals and sound are spot on. The weapons make convincing sounds when they connect and the music is suitably eerie. The backdrops are very gloomy and suit the mood of the game nicely. The boss fights are one of the best elements to the game. All of them are set pieces and feature tactics you must learn to get through them unscathed. Whilst this game is not easy by anyone's standards it is wise to resist the urge to use the continues. Take a defeat as it was intended and start again, that's the only way you will master the nuances of this game.
Perhaps the only criticism we can level at this game is by today's standards the main characters movements are a little sluggish meaning sometimes it's difficult to react as speedily as you would like to oncoming attacks. Still that is a minor gripe. This game is heartily recommended to anyone who likes a good beat em up, they don't come much better than this.
Fact fans: Rick's mask is red rather than white in the TurboGrafx version of the game. Presumably this was to play down the likeness to a certain Jason Voorhees!
1. Hillis
27 Feb 2007, 19:52 GMT
I still remember the comic book ad for this game from when I was 5 or 6, where the main guy has some weird red featureless mask on instead of the hockey one; it looks like that old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin blows a giant bubbles that breaks all over his head and thinks he blew his head inside out.
2. Yoshi175
03 Mar 2007, 20:33 GMT
I loved splatter house 2 on the megadrive so I hope this one will be as good
3. Jazzem
06 Mar 2007, 21:36 GMT
Isn't this meant to be mega violent? We may have the VC's first 16+ game
4. Bass X0
16 Mar 2007, 00:05 GMT
How will the Virtual Console stop minors from downloading the game?
5. Elamaton
16 Mar 2007, 08:06 GMT
It's 11+. Probably too cartoony by today's standards to be considered more mature than that.
6. clarky84
17 Mar 2007, 16:37 GMT
always wanted to play this game, and still aint got a TurboGrafx-16 game on my Wii!! think come thursday once my tele is fixed i'll be getting this downloaded
7. DEMON212
19 Mar 2007, 03:05 GMT
Thing is though, how can you say that he's a rip on Jason just because of the mask?
Because i'm pretty sure Hockey tenders in the NHL wore them for years before Jason did in Friday the 13th.
8. Al80
19 Mar 2007, 13:05 GMT
Yeah sure, but putting together a hockey mask with a hulking, machete wielding murderer is not rocket science when you're searching for influences is it?
I bought this game yesterday and have cained it to death. A real retro gem.
9. SmashYourFace
19 Mar 2007, 16:52 GMT
The pictures shown are from the arcade version, ala the white mask. Is the VC download a TB16 port, or an arcade emulation?
10. Damo
19 Mar 2007, 16:58 GMT
The pictures shown are from the Japanese PC Engine version. The Japanese version had the original hockey mask.
11. 20by20
19 Mar 2007, 19:43 GMT
Splatterhouse is awesome and all, but is the download the PCE version or the edited TG16 version? I'm aware that both were censored for gore, but the PCE version had most of the other content intact. (Such as the level 4 boss) Playing the TG16 version would be very odd, as I NEED the hockey mask for the game to feel right!
12. SmashYourFace
19 Mar 2007, 20:06 GMT
I agree, Morty. I wonder why they wouldn't just do arcade emulations for these games. Must be something to do with licensing I assume. I will still download it tho
13. Masuyo
19 Mar 2007, 21:05 GMT
very accurate score! It's the one with the red mask (NOT WHITE) It's a shame that they wussed out and went for the less-gory version. I really wish they just had the roms locked with parental controls then we can download 18+ stuff if we wanted. Not a big deal. GREAT GAME!
14. Jeremy
20 Mar 2007, 02:49 GMT
Great game! Very cartoony and doesn't really feel like a horror game anymore but it is still very fun, I recommend it to everyone!
15. TriggerHappy
30 Mar 2007, 19:39 GMT
Jason is from the Halloween movies, Friday the 13th is Freddy.
16. Mendez
02 Apr 2007, 00:06 GMT
@TriggerHappy- Freddy is from Nightmare on Elm Street...
I loved part 2, so I got this straight away and wasn't dissapointed. I did find part 2 much more difficult though, and the red mask is a little annoying. Other than that, it's all good! Easily best VC turbografx game available!
17. MrChris
11 Apr 2007, 00:47 GMT
@TriggerHappy... Jason Vorhees is from Friday 13th, Halloween is Michael Myers (Halloween 3 is best).
Anyway loved playing this in the arcade back when I was a Spectrum owning kid and such graphics were the thing of dreams - can't wait to give this a try!
18. elvampe_13
02 May 2007, 01:02 GMT
Damn! This is the censored version! But even so, I downloaded yesterday and it is still unbelievably fun. Definatly recommended, now to just wait for it's uncensored sega genesis sequels. If you want to know EXACTLY what was censored in the TBG-16 version, go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splatterhouse and check the "Ports" section.
19. Yoshi175
08 May 2007, 13:21 GMT
If you look at the screenshots of the arcade version you'll see the graphics are a lot better and there's dead things on the floor
20. Clint
18 Jun 2007, 07:31 GMT
Jason is from the Halloween movies, Friday the 13th is Freddy.
---
No, Jason is from Friday the 13th, Freddy is Nightmare on Elm Street, Micheal Myers is from Halloween
21. Yoshi175
24 Jun 2007, 16:50 GMT
This game is great, but I wish they put the arcade version on that one looks so much better
22. Virtual Cake
28 Jun 2007, 15:51 GMT
I am really hopin' that nintendo releases Splatterhouse 3 for Genesis. Incredable graphics on that one.
23. Mendez
21 Jul 2007, 14:07 GMT
Brilliant game. I hope they bring out the Megadrive sequel soon.
24. Matt
30 Jul 2007, 17:51 GMT
Ugh. I want my money back. I got it because I never played it and always wanted to. I loves me a good beat-em-up, but this ain't even close. Not even worth it for the camp value. Get Streets of Rage 2; that's a legitimate classic. Leave this rubbish in the trashbin of time.
25. Northerner
09 Aug 2007, 13:40 GMT
I fell in love with this game in the arcades and prayed for a home conversion on the Snes or MD - Alas it was never to be - I couldnt afford a PC Engine on "grey import" - so now half a lifetime later its here - and Im still impressed with this game not as gory due to the conversion but Id recommend it nevertheless.
26. Mii be you
13 Sep 2007, 00:05 GMT
I agree with Matt. If you want a good beat em up, Get Streets of Rage 2. The most superior beat em up on the VC.
27. Yoshi175
10 Oct 2007, 00:55 GMT
above posters, don't you realise this game is NOT a beat em up so it's very unfair to rate it as one.
The third splatterhouse was a beat em up but this and the seqal are definatley not.
28. Rossi
14 Oct 2007, 17:29 GMT
Splatterhouse was the first game to ever get a parental advisory disclaimer in 1988 (four years before Midway's Mortal Kombat would be released).
So yes it is a very violent game and should have an age limit on it, but did you ever like your parents holding you back when you wanted a kick ass game? And its the TurboGrafx-16 port version due to the pink/purple mask.. Only the arcade had the white mask... It was changed so it did not clash with Jasons mask!
29. Mii be you
20 Oct 2007, 02:53 GMT
"above posters, don't you realise this game is NOT a beat em up so it's very unfair to rate it as one.
The third splatterhouse was a beat em up but this and the seqal are definatley not." -yoshi175
Well, what IS it(besides arcade conversion)?!
30. usmc2003
22 Oct 2007, 19:24 GMT
I never played this when it was out the first time, always wanted to though. I was dissapointed by it. I don't know why, i guess that the gameplay was too simplistic. Which is wierd because I love Castlevania and Contra.
31. MaxK
01 Nov 2007, 03:28 GMT
That's exactly what I felt when I played it. Splatter House, an arcade port, is a game with a mix bag of good and bad qualities. It's not great, but it's not entirely crappy either. The second has similar gameplaying mechanics while the third game is a sidscolling beat em' up.
32. Yoshi175
18 Nov 2007, 17:42 GMT
"Well, what IS it(besides arcade conversion)?!"
I don't know but the gameplay is nothing like any beat em ups it's like comparing adventures of lolo and tetris I guess...
33. Clayfrd
03 Dec 2007, 04:40 GMT
Ugh. A disaster if you ask me. Nothing about this game could keep me playing more than 10 minutes at a time. I just really don't care for it. The graphics are fine, the music is nice, and the AI suffices, but it lacks the most important part, GAMEPLAY! I found it very uninvolving and shallow. Do yourself a favor, and if you want a good beat 'em up, get... any game but this! I admit I have not tried Streets of Rage, but this game has almost made me lose faith in the entire genre! Steer clear of this!
34. Roo
04 Jan 2008, 15:42 GMT
Meh. It's glitchy, sluggish, tedious to play, therefore not worth the cost.
35. T. Wii
31 Jan 2008, 09:53 GMT
Incredibly sucks. I agree with Roo - save your money for a better title..
36. Manicfatty
15 Feb 2008, 21:26 GMT
I really wanted to like this all over again. It was fun for about 15 min. Sad. Maybe the sequels will do it for me.
37. Brandex
26 Mar 2008, 19:10 GMT
This game was the reason I asked for a Turbografx for xmas. I downloaded this again for the VC and beat it within twenty minutes, so I guess the thrill is gone. I'm a fan of these games, as you can see, but I'd really like to play a modern remake of them as the sidescrolling action/ beat 'em up genre doesn't age all that well. Still, this game was pretty freaky for its time.
38. Smileoscar
28 Apr 2008, 19:54 GMT
Namco is going to make a new splatterhouse.
I hope that game will be as good as the other splatterhouses
39. slangman
30 Apr 2008, 15:59 GMT
Saw a video of this on youtube and it looks and sounds awesome. One question though.
Was the PC-Engine version cut down like the Turbographx version?
40. Drake
16 May 2008, 12:43 GMT
The PC Engine version IS the Turbografx version. Only difference is that the mask (For some reason) is still white in the PCE version.
41. TRON
28 May 2008, 04:12 GMT
I love this game, but that's 90 percent nostalgia. It's technically proficient, but it is kinda clunky at the same time. It is fun though, and some of the bosses are pretty creative. I mean, how many game do you fight a room full of possessed items. I would only recommend this if you have fond memories of it, otherwise, there are better games really to spend your points on.
42. slangman
10 Jun 2008, 13:52 GMT
Ah ok cheers i thought the gore in the PC:E and TG-16 versions had cut down in gore.
43. David77
24 Jul 2008, 02:10 GMT
The game have a very short lifetime. The levels are very shorts and there no reason to go back after you finish it. Forget the gore, it's mean nothing today.
44. kevenz
24 Jul 2008, 04:02 GMT
The Arcade version is much better, I wish the VC would include Arcade roms in the future.
The atmosphere is amazing for a 80s game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9wx6K12lq0
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