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Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Release Date: 8/3/1992 (U.S.)/8/4/1992 (Japan)
System: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis (Japan, Europe, U.S.)
Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/Nintendo Virtual Console/My Arcade Namco Museum mini arcade
Evercade/Sega Genesis Mini 2/Sega Mega Drive Mini II
Alternate title: Splatterhouse Part 2 (Japan)
THE STORY *
PROLOGUE
Excerpted from The Journal Of
Paranormal Phenomena, August 1989
"In the thick Jungles of Cancun I discovered the site
of an ancient Mayan temple. Most unusual was the discovery of a mask quite
unlike anything that has been found before.
Carved from a bone like material it seems to be a representation
of a deity. This mask was attached to the wearers head with interesting
straps that were fashioned to look like skeletal hands. Ruins found in
the area refer to this relic as the 'terror head' or perhaps a better
translation would be the terror mask. This is a breakthrough discovery."
Excerpted from a letter of Dr.
Mueller to a friend
Dear Klaus,
"This mask is incredible. You
mentioned reading my piece in JOPP. However, I couldn't
mention in the article the aura of power surrounding this
thing. You pick it up and shiver. A primal wave rushes up
your spine. When you visit, we'll have to go over it. The
lake is lovely this fall and the fish are biting. See you."
INTRODUCTION
You've come to dread the night. In the
clutches of sleep the nightmares begin. Always the same,
Jennifer screaming in the dark until suddenly she stops.
Silence, then the infernal whisperings of the mask begin
again.
"Rick, we can save her...
"You know we can...
"Remember the power...
"Remember how much you liked it?
"The house, Rick...
"Jennifer's waiting...
"And I'm waiting for you."
Awake in a sweat with your heart racing
you can almost remember the last time. Locked in the
mask, body surging with feral rage and an insatiable
hunger. The cold steel pipe in your hands slick with gore.
Under the mask you were smiling. You know you have to go,
to save Jennifer... or so you say.
THE GAME
When I read in Gamepro magazine
that Namco was making Splatterhouse 2 for the Genesis, I
was thrilled. This is something I'd wanted ever since I
played the Turbo game: a version of Splatterhouse on the Genesis. Since
I didn't have a Turbo at the time, this was definitely
the next best thing.
This also shows how long ago this was, as I
haven't touched an issue of Gamepro in years.
When I finally got my hands on a copy of
Splatterhouse 2, the first thing I noticed was the cover
artwork, which didn't grab me at all. I thought it
looked extremely cheesy. Still do, actually. Upon playing
the game, I realized that the cover artwork was not indicative of the game itself. This was
classic Splatterhouse action.
Splatterhouse 2 begins three months after Splatterhouse ends. Rick
is told by the Mask that Jennifer is still alive, after
her mysterious disappearance in the first game, and that
he can help him get her back. Rick ends up going to the
charred remains of West Mansion (which had burned to the
ground at the end of Splatterhouse) and somehow ends up
unconscious. He wakes up with the Mask on
his face again and the carnage starts anew.
Over time, though, a few things began to
bother me about Splatterhouse 2. It seemed to lack some
of the atmosphere that the first game had, which kind of
lessened the experience for me. The Mask itself was
changed, and now looks like a human skull. Personally, I
prefer the look that it had in the Mega Drive version.
The music didn't quite seem to have the same flair as the
original either, and the graphics were somewhat darker
and muddier in spots (although still a hell of a lot
better than a lot of Genesis games).
Don't get me wrong, these are just minor
gripes. Gameplay-wise, Splatterhouse 2 favorably stacks
up to both the arcade and Turbografx games. Rick controls
exactly the way he did in both of the other games, and
responds perfectly to your commands. On top of that, the
new password feature comes in quite handy. Some of the
creature deaths are quite well done: the stomach of the first boss, Deadman Fat,
explodes upon defeating up and the contents spill out all over the
ground. The eyeballs of the second boss, Demon Face, explode. My favorite
boss death would have to be the third boss, Evil Head. When you kill it, it
explodes and splatters of blood cover your screen. Then
the whole screen is coated in blood, which runs down from
the top.
Splatterhouse 2, despite my minor gripes, is a definitely
a great game. Any Splatterhouse fan should have this in their library.
Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to Rick during those three months that transpired between Splatterhouse 1 and 2, there is no official story from Namco that explains what happened. However, to make up for that, I have written my own story about the events that transpired, entitled Splatterhouse: Patient #6504. You can read it in the Fan Fiction section.
Read the Lost in Translation article to find out more about the original Japanese storyline.
Splatterhouse 2: the arcade game?
Rumors have been floating around for years that Splatterhouse 2 exists in arcade form. To date, no one has stepped forward to provide any concrete proof of this. Below are the entries I had on the former SH2 arcade section of the site:
7/28/01 - The Splatterhouse 2 arcade game does not exist.
According to the Official Namco History, which can be found on all of
the volumes of the Namco Museum for the PlayStation and lists every
arcade game that Namco has released since 1978, there is no such game.
It lists the original Splatterhouse game, but that's it. It's
too bad - I would have loved to see one.
9/3/02 - KLOV has removed their listing for Splatterhouse
2 completely. Still, I know there are several people who claimed
to have seen a Splatterhouse 2 arcade game. As there is still
no proof of an official Namco-created Splatterhouse 2 arcade
game (their official arcade history still only lists the original),
this may be one of two things: a pirate version of the original that
was somehow altered, or a MegaTech system running the Mega Drive version
of Splatterhouse 2. If you can provide me with concrete proof
of any Splatterhouse 2 arcade game (pics would be nice), then
I'll be glad to put it up.
Evidence of a debug mode in Splatterhouse 2
From Jonny of Streets
of Rage Online
fame: Info on the Debug mode
Differences between the Japanese version and the Stateside release.
from Patrick Haber:
Okay, the first thing I should start with is the difficulty level, it
is set COMPLETELY different...
In the Japanese version you can chose between the difficulty levels:
- Normal, to start with the amount of 5 hearts, instead of the 4 in the
US release.
- Difficult, is exactly the same as in the US release: You start with
the amount of 3 hearts
- Very Difficult (instead of Game Master), to start with the RIDICULOUSLY
amount of 1 (!) heart instead of the 2 in the US release.
And after you've finished a stage, you get two hearts added back to your
life bar (just like in part 1), instead of the full energy as in the Western
versions.
...But the most "terrible" (I'd like to call it that, anyway)
differences of the difficulty set are as follows:
The Japanese version has NO PASSWORD FEATURE !!! (Unfortunately, I'm
not kidding).
And you ONLY have 5 credits / continues !!! (I kid you not, just once
again).
Although the difficulty set of the American / UK versions look rather
mild in comparison, the final boss' second form is almost impossible to
beat in the Western versions (due to the fact that the highest amount
of hits Rick can take are 4 per life), might I add.
Okay, another difference is the 3rd boss' second form:
In the Japanese manual, it also looks entirely different (in-game-look,
no artwork). This look is difficult to explain... It looks human-heart-like,
and believe me, A HELL OF A LOT more threateningly... But in the game
it looks absolutely the same as in the US / UK releases. (What sure does
suck!)
Yet another difference between the US / Jap releases is as follows: The
in-game textes are also in English with Japanese "subtitles"
which do appear (upside down) on the right top of the screen.
The story is also in English as previously stated,...BUT...
It tells you something entirely different.
For example:
In the US / UK versions, the first dialogue of the intro tells:
"It's Been Three Months Since Your Escape..."
In the Japanese version of the game, it tells you:
"It's Been Three Months Since The Tragedy..."
And anyone who'd played the first part, would agree that it was a "Tragedy",
not only an "Escape".
There are some MINOR graphically differences, too:
At the title screen of the Japanese version there is spelled "Splatterhouse
Part 2" like on the cover (as you know), instead of the dull Western
versions title screen where simply is spelled "Splatterhouse 2".
And about the mask Rick wears, it is NOT exactly the same as he wears
in the US-Turbografx-game of part 1. It is NOT only a white version of
this mask, it differs slightly graphically.
In the Japanese version you start with 2 lives per continue, instead
of starting with 3, as in the Western versions.
So that's it.
But there's something I should mention, the Japanese manual is (as usual)
in full colour and shows artwork never seen in the Western versions.
Differences between the European version and the Stateside release.
from Brick McBurly:
It's identical to the US version (except for the second screen after start up-EU version only has 'Sega Enterprises', US version has 'Namco Under License From Sega Enterprises' or something like that. Also, the EU game works in the US Genesis unit (unlike the JP Mega Drive game that you'd need an adaptor or surgery on a Genesis in order to fit into the game slot).
* indicates material taken directly from the U.S.
instruction manual
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