House Of The Dead (Photo Courtesy Of MegaPixel Studio)
When I was young enough to still think computers were magic, I was deathly scared of the House of the Dead arcade machine at my local movie theater. I saw it’s marque, adorned with a grey undead face and the red titular type and my dreams were haunted with ventures into the dead halls. I was spooked by just the mention of the game for years. When I eventually bucked up and played the game, I fell in love with the winding mansion and still remember it as one of the Sega classic kings. House of the Dead 2 is still one of my favorite light gun games ever. During the Nintendo Indie Showcase Wednesday, a House of the Dead remake from MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment caught my eye. The scant video of the new game looks promising, but I’m sad to see the classic late 90’s, early 2000’s Sega art style retired.
The short clips of the upcoming game show a re-imagining of the mansion’s lawn inter-cut with fast-paced action reminiscent of 2013’s Typing of the Dead Overkill than the 1996 original. The word “DAMAGE” shows up in big white font several times during the combat sections. A green house and lab also make short appearances.
I have a fuzzy and unfocused love for Dreamcast and Saturn-era Sega art. Games like Sonic Adventure , Shenmue (one of the finest video games ever crafted), and Nights Into Dreams give me a warmth unlike anything else, so I am a bit sad to see the new House of the Dead won’t be making homage to the classic style. It is yet to be seen, however, if the game will include visual options more reminiscent of 1996’s House of the Dead.
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