Splatterhouse
TurboGrafx-16
Before playing:
I've always wanted to get into the Splatterhouse series. As a kid, I remember seeing it featured in various video game magazines. I thought it looked so cool. A bloody and gory beat 'em up where you control a character that looks like Jason Voorhees... what's not to love? Unfortunately, the original game was only available in two places: in the arcades (where I never encountered it in the wild) and on the TurboGrafx-16 (which I didn't have). So I was never able to play it.
I could have checked out the sequels, which were available on Sega Genesis, but I am not someone who jumps into a video game series without playing the original title in the series. No way was I playing Splatterhouse 2 or 3 with no knowledge of the original game. So I simply ignored the series and moved on with my life.
Now, at the ripe old age of 42, it is finally time to rectify this massive gaming oversight. Splatterhouse: a game that came out 36 years ago. I'm finally checking it out for the first time. I can't wait.
Story:
Not a single thing is explained in-game. The opening sequence shows an ominous house illuminated by flashes of lightning. Then the game starts. Controlling the main character (I'm just going to call him Jason), you immediately begin hacking your way through seven stages. Little is given in the way of storyline. There's no cinematics or text sequences. In one of the stages, you encounter a sexy woman who turns into a beast. I guess you're trying to save her? But after you defeat the beast, the game continues. Jason descends into Hell, where he battles a big grotesque face that pops up out of the ground, where there had been a gravestone. A glowing orb rises into the air and zooms all around the screen when the boss is defeated. Then the credits start playing.
Okay.
I'm just going to assume that you need the instruction manual to get full enjoyment of the game's storyline. But does it matter? No, not really.
Gameplay:
This game isn't quite what I expected. I thought it would be more of a beat 'em up, similar to Final Fight. But it is not. If I had to compare it to anything else, it would be more like Kung-Fu for the NES.
You walk forward, almost always going from left to right. Enemies come at you from in front of you and behind you. You dispatch them with punches that are as quick as lightning strikes. This game offers a plethora of weapons for you to use. Examples include a large piece of wood, a metal pipe, and a shotgun. At the end of the stage, you fight a boss character. These bosses are probably the game's biggest challenge. You have to memorize their patterns and avoid their attacks. It is going to take a lot of dying and a lot of trial and error. I would say that yes, this is a pretty challenging game. But with enough practice, anyone should be able to simply memorize their way through this. You get plenty of chances, as you are allotted three lives, with 5 continues in stock. You can earn extra lives as you gain more points.
There are some platforming elements included in the game. You want to jump over any holes in the ground you see. If you fall in, you can drop down to lower, more difficult areas. Other times you will find yourself jumping over puddles that will damage your character. Whenever you find yourself in an area where you are wading through water, you'll have to precisely jump over any obstacles floating your way. The last stage throws a ton of things at you that you have to dodge, like bouncing enemies and flaming logs that are rolling right at you.
I had a pretty good time with this game. I don't know if I'd say it is as good as I expected it to be. It's different from what I expected, that's for sure.
Graphics:
The graphics looks alright. The look of the game reminds me of an early Sega Genesis title (not that this is a bad thing). But I can't say the colors and animation pop out like I thought they would. While the graphics only look okay, it is the design that makes the game unique. The backgrounds and environments are nightmarish. It slowly gets scarier and scarier as the game goes on, evolving from a haunted house to a dungeon to the depths of Hell. The enemies are grotesque and fun to look at. The aesthetic of the game is top notch.
Sound:
The music and sound effects are just like the graphics: they're okay. Not great, but not terrible either. This game would have been so much better with a creepy Castlevania-inspired musical score. Instead, we get a generic and forgettable score. I played through this game twice for this review, and I couldn't pick more than one or two songs from this game out of a lineup if my life depended on it.
Overall:
While I wasn't necessarily blown away by Splatterhouse, I can confidently say that I'm glad I played this game. It's a relatively short and easy game. Seven chapters. Each one takes ten minutes, max. And that's if you are struggling. Most of them are much quicker. The real challenge comes from playing through the game and learning through trial and error. Remembering when you will be attacked, how to defeat certain enemies, and recognizing patterns in boss battles. Playing defense was always my number one priority. Health and extra lives are the most valuable asset you have in this game.
I think this could have been a really great game is they'd focused more on the presentation. Picture this with fully animated, cartoon-like graphics. Imagine this game with a fully realized, memorable musical score. The gameplay is enough to make this a good game. But it is the little things that prevented it from breaking out into a great game. Maybe I'll get what I want if and when I play the arcade games and the sequels. I'll get around to it someday.
This is a weird one to review. I feel it is too good to be in the C range, but not good enough to be in the B range. I've never felt this way when reviewing a game before. Hmm. I guess I'll err on the side of caution and give it a B- over a C+. This is right on the edge of "should you play it?" territory for me.
If you don't own a TurboGrafx-16, this game is definitely not worth buying an entire console for. Like I said, this is a good but not great game. If you have other means to play it, like through a Retropie, I would definitely recommend giving it a spin.
THE GRADE:
B-
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