I was extremely
happy to see Daytona USA
back in the arcades last year, and it’s awesome to see the return of another
classic Sega franchise. Arriving twelve
years after last installment, The House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn was location
tested last month in Japan
and the game was showcased at the Japan Amusement Expo 2018.
These promotional
masks were given out to JAEPO 2018 attendees.
I was fortunate to win one from the Throwback Tokyo – Gaming in Japan
Facebook group.
It’s testament to
the quality and popularity of the series that machines can still be found in many
arcades around the UK . The games play well and are still loads of
fun today.
This awesome The
House of the Dead trio is currently on location at the Grande Pier, Weston-super-Mare , UK .
Here is a look
back at the series, with pictures of machines I have played over the years.
The House of the Dead
Year of release: 1996
Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment
Hardware: Sega Model 2C CRX
Cabinet: 29” Upright, 29” Standard ‘Midi ’
Cabinet & 50” projection screen Deluxe
The plot revolves
around Dr. Roy Curien, a renowned biochemist and geneticist, reportedly
obsessed with discovering the nature of life and death. Yes, that old chestnut! Agents Thomas Rogan and “G” are tasked with
investigating Dr. Curien’s Mansion. His
experiments have driven him insane, resulting in him releasing the subjects
into the world. Well you knew it wasn’t
going to end well!
Combining the first-person
rail shooter game play of Virtua Cop with a horror zombie-survival / B movie
theme, the game was an instant hit. With
its gruesome visuals and cheesy voice acting, the game was a complete departure
from anything Sega had released before.
It’s hard to believe the game was released 22 years ago!
The House of the
Dead Standard ‘Midi’ cab at Hemsby ,
UK .
This machine at Hayling Island , UK appears to be a Virtua Cop
conversion.
The House of the Dead 2
Year of release: 1998
Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment
Hardware: Sega Naomi
Cabinet: 29” Upright, 50” projection screen Deluxe & 50” projection screen Super
Deluxe Theatre Cabinet
Set fourteen
months after the 1998 Curien Mansion incident in The House of the Dead, the game
takes place in 2000 on the streets of Venice
following a zombie outbreak. Goldman,
the man who funded Dr. Curien, is responsible.
Agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart are sent to stop him.
The House of the
Dead 2 Super Deluxe cab on Great Yarmouth seafront.
I picked up the
awesome THOTD2 Gun Set for the Japanese Dreamcast upon release. If I remember rightly it was from ACE, a
video game import shop down one of the small side streets off Carnaby Street , London . I was blown away by the conversion and I
still have the game today. This game has
also proved very popular with my little girl.
The House of the
Dead 2 Upright at Hermanus Leisure, Winterton-on-Sea.
Gunning down
zombies on a night out in Peckham at The Four Quarters.
The House of the Dead III
Year of release: 2002
Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment
Hardware: Sega Chihiro
Cabinet: 29” Upright, 29” Naomi Upright & 50” projection screen Deluxe
The third entry in
the series is set in the post-apocalyptic year of 2019. Players take control of Lisa Rogan and Agent “G”
as they search for Lisa’s father, Thomas Rogan after he goes missing when
embarking on a mission into a mysterious facility.
This time players
are armed with a shotgun to take out the hordes of crazed zombies. The game features time-sensitive game play
and a wide variety of branching paths.
The first and third
installments at Weymouth , UK .
This arcade at
Hemsby had The House of the Dead Naomi Upright, but sadly it’s no longer on
site.
The House of the Dead 4
Year of release: 2005
Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment
Hardware: Sega Lindbergh
Cabinet: 29” Standard ‘Midi ’ Cabinet, 52” HD Deluxe
& 62” HD Super Deluxe
This is set in the
year 2003, between the events of the second and third installments. Agent James Taylor and newcomer Kate Green
are investigating the Goldman Incident of 2000 and gathering intelligence at
the AMS European headquarters. There is
a sudden earthquake which leaves them trapped, and they are shocked to discover
that the undead from three years prior have returned. Talk about having a bad day!
The Uzi submachine
gun is the weapon of choice, and players also have grenades at their disposal. The action is unrelenting and at times there
are dozens of enemies simultaneously on-screen.
The game also features branching paths and has a critical shots counter,
encouraging the player to go for headshots.
The House of the
Dead 4 Super Deluxe cab at Sega Joypolis in Odaiba , Japan .
I love the
gruesome cabinet details. Truly
horrifying, in a good way! It’s also
notable for being the first arcade light gun game to feature a high definition
widescreen display.
Here is the Deluxe
version on Great Yarmouth seafront and some pics of the internals.
Lindbergh power!
The House of the Dead 4 Special
Year of release: 2006
Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment
Hardware: Sega Lindbergh
Cabinet: 360° Motion Theatre
Ride featuring two 100” screens & five-speaker sound system
The game takes
place shortly after THOTD4, with Kate Green teaming up with Agent “G” to
destroy the zombie infestation at its source, leading them to confront the
Magician, a boss character who returns after having been destroyed in the first
two installments.
I absolutely loved
playing this at Sega Joypolis in Odaiba.
Before the game commences, players sit down inside the theater unit,
buckle up and are given a short safety brief.
This reminded me of those pre-flight safety briefings, except all in
Japanese. Two 100-inch screens are
utilised, one in front of the players and another behind, and the seat
automatically rotates to face the players towards whichever screen the zombies
are attacking from. The seat shakes
during attacks, and players are blasted with air when damage is sustained. The game features a life bar and there are no
continues. In a two-player game, players
are judged on how compatible they are.
The game is fantastic fun and unintentionally hilarious!
My wife posing
with the instruction card at Joypolis back in 2008.
There has been a
couple of The House of the Dead arcade spin-offs: The Typing of the Dead (1999),
Zombie Revenge (1999) and The House of the Dead EX (2009).
The only one I’ve
played is Zombie Revenge, a cool beat ‘em up which was sited in a local bowling
alley back in the day. Interestingly the
game is a collaboration between Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment and Data East,
although the exact involvement of the latter isn’t clear.
The plot involves
AMS agents being sent to Woodside
City to eliminate the
undead and track down the leader behind the attack, the mysterious ZED. There are various references to the original
game. These include the Curien Mansion
appearing as its own stage, and the final boss is Black Magician Type 01,
clearly based on the Magician. The game
runs on Naomi hardware.
I would really
love to play The House of the Dead EX.
From what I’ve read
the game has a more light-hearted, comical vibe. The protagonists are Zobio and Zobika, a pair
of young zombies in love, who seek to escape from captivity. The levels are made up of a series of
minigames, similar to Namco’s Point Blank, and the game also uses a foot pedal. It runs on Lindbergh hardware and was only
released in Japan .
The first
installment and The House of the Dead Special made the biggest impact on me,
and I consider them my personal favourites of the series. I can’t wait to see how Sega will continue
the series with The House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to
find out!