You've undoubtedly played both Splatterhouse 2 and Splatterhouse 3, so you're already familiar with the works of Masami Shimotsuma. However, you may or may not be familiar with some of his other games, such as Chew-Man-Fu, Dragon Valor or Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament, for example. Having worked in the game industry for over thirty years, most of which were spent with Now Production, Mr. Shimotsuma has been involved in the making of over sixty games, mostly in a directing, planning or producing position. He's been quite open to discussing the stories behind the development of both Splatterhouse 2 and Splatterhouse 3, so you're going to find out a lot that you didn't know in the following interview.
This interview was taken from an exchange of messages between November and December, 2024.
This is the complete interview. Editing was for grammatical purposes only. Special thanks to Rodrigo Shin for the research on Splatterhouse Part 3's Japanese reception and the 1988-89 serial killings.
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Rob: How did you get involved in the game industry?
Mr. Shimotsuma: It’s not a particularly exciting answer, but I got into game development simply because I joined a game development company. As a teenager, I was more of a casual gamer, playing a few arcade games from companies like Namco and Atari. (That’s still true today—my wife and daughters are the real gamers in the family!) My favorite was Atari’s Star Wars arcade game.
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Star Wars (Atari, 1983)
Rob: I'm right with you there, I'm a huge fan of Atari's Star Wars.
Mr. Shimotsuma: During university, I was more interested in filmmaking. I joined a film club, worked part-time at a video rental store (watching tons of 80s horror movies for free!), and made simple video projects and music using a video camera and an MSX (a low-cost computer). However, I had almost no knowledge of computers and couldn’t program at all. As graduation approached, I happened to buy a used Famicom from a friend and played Hokkaido Serial Murders: Disappearance in Okhotsk and Dragon Quest. That was when I realized the potential of games as a form of entertainment media and decided to pursue a career in the industry.
L to R: Hokkaido Serial Murders: Disappearance in Okhotsk and Dragon Quest
I first applied to Namco but didn’t get in. My next application was to Now Production, and that’s where I was hired and started making games.
Rob: Interestingly, we seem to have similar backgrounds. You mentioned having used an MSX and a video camera to make projects. I did the same, only with a video camera and a Super Famicom/Super NES with Mario Paint. My career path took a different turn, though, as I lived in the wrong area of the country to get into game development. I remained a hobbyist, although I did serve as a consultant on Namco's 2010 Splatterhouse.
Mr. Shimotsuma: Really? That’s amazing! You served as a consultant on Splatterhouse (2010)? I remember being excited to hear about the remake project at the time. I’m very interested in it, but unfortunately, since it was only released in North America, I haven’t had the chance to play it.
Rob: Splatterhouse (2010) was a very interesting game. There were a lot of nods to the original trilogy, but it definitely had a more American flavor this time around (understandably, as it was developed by an American team). There were a lot of problems during development, though, and it almost wasn't released at all. How Namco treated it when it was finally done was very disappointing, including not releasing it in Japan. The producer, Dan Tovar, did talk the higher-ups into including the original trilogy as free unlockables instead of paid DLC, as they wanted to do originally. I did have a bit of a hand in that, I admit. It's very expensive in the second-hand market these days. A lot of people have come to appreciate it over the years.
Mr. Shimotsuma: Oh, so you had a hand in including the original trilogy? That’s incredible!
Rob: I basically begged them to include the original trilogy as a gift to the fans that had waited so long for a new Splatterhouse game, and Dan listened to me.
Mr. Shimotsuma: Without your involvement, Splatterhouse Part 2 might not have been included on the Mega Drive Mini 2.
Rob: Now that's interesting. I never was contacted by Namco or Sega about the Mega Drive Mini 2, but if they remembered me, I'll take it. I just wish they'd included Splatterhouse Part 3 too.
Mr. Shimotsuma: True, it would’ve been even better if Splatterhouse Part 3 had been included too! That’s true not just for games but for most creations in this world—most are quickly forgotten, as if they never existed in the first place. The same goes for the 60 games I’ve worked on—most have faded away. But as long as there are people who continue to enjoy them, they survive, and sometimes even get a new life breathed into them.
Rob: What were some of the other games you've worked on?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I worked at Now Production from 1988 to 2018, spending about 30 years as a director and producer on various games. Including smaller projects, I’ve worked on over 60 titles. Some of the games I’ve worked on are listed here, though it’s only a partial list.
Here are some other games that were released in English-speaking regions:
Bakugan Battle Brawlers (DS), Unsolved Crimes (DS), and Deadman's Cross (iOS/Android/Vita). Deadman’s Cross was my first horror game since the Splatterhouse series.
L to R: Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Deadman's Cross and Unsolved Crimes
Rob: What was the extent of your involvement with the Splatterhouse series?
Mr. Shimotsuma: My creator names at the time were 100TARO and Sammy Shimotsuma. I am credited as the Director for Splatterhouse Part 2 and as the Game Designer and Producer for Splatterhouse Part 3. Both Splatterhouse Part 2 and Splatterhouse Part 3 were projects produced by Namco and developed by Now Production. I was part of the Now Production team, where I served as the project lead on our end for both titles. Namco also had a producer involved—Mr. Hayakawa, who was part of the original Splatterhouse team.
Rob: So you had to come up with the story for Splatterhouse Part 2? Was this a challenge, considering how the original game ended?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I believe Mr. Hayakawa had already developed the plot for Part 2 when we began. The original Splatterhouse had a great, well-rounded ending, so continuing the story required a bold approach. My challenge became about capturing the essence of a 'B-movie horror sequel'—embracing that forced continuation in a way that brought a unique flavor to the game.
Rob: Did you see some of the changes that were made to Splatterhouse Part 2 overseas?
Mr. Shimotsuma: You mean like the redesign of the Hell Mask? Were there other changes as well?
Rob: There were a few other changes, yes, although the redesign of the Hell Mask was the biggest one. The cutscenes were almost completely rewritten, omitting any mention of the Hidden House. This caused some massive confusion among the fanbase for years, as everyone seemed to think that the Hidden House was just West Mansion all over again. The ending was changed too, as the warning that Rick removed the Forbidden Seal was changed to omit all mention of it.
Mr. Shimotsuma: I had no idea that the English subtitles caused such confusion in the story. The localization work was handled by the same team that worked on development, so I do remember swapping out the mask design and subtitles.
Rob: Interesting! That I didn't know. I always thought that Namco USA had their own separate team to handle localizations.
Mr. Shimotsuma: At the time, my English wasn’t very strong, and we didn’t have tools like automatic translation or AI to help, so it’s not something I could have caught back then.
Rob: It's very understandable that at the time, your English wasn't very strong. I started collecting Japanese games in 1994, and to this day, my Japanese is still very weak, although I've picked up a bit over the years.
Mr. Shimotsuma: I might have caused some misunderstanding earlier. While our team handled the implementation, the design of the skull mask and the English text came from Namco USA. Back in those days, hardware limitations like memory constraints made it difficult for a separate team to handle just the localization work. As a result, localization and design changes often had to be managed by the same development team.
Rob: That does make a lot of sense. So Namco USA just sent you the changes they wanted to make for the overseas market, and your team implemented them. That does confirm that the skull Mask design was Namco USA's idea. It's a design I've personally never cared for. I much prefer the Hell Mask design from Splatterhouse Part 2.
Mr. Shimotsuma: I wasn’t part of Namco’s internal team, so this is just speculation, but I imagine the change to a skull mask was likely due to concerns over legal risks in North America. While there have been rare cases, like Nintendo winning the King Kong lawsuit, in most situations, Japanese companies face significant challenges and burdens when dealing with litigation in the U.S.
Rob: That does make sense. After all, in the original arcade game, the Hell Mask looks a lot like Jason Voorhees' mask from the Friday the 13th films, and NEC changed the design to a red and black mask when they localized the PC Engine version for America. It would also explain why the look of the Hell Mask continued to evolve through Splatterhouse Part 3.
As the director of Splatterhouse Part 2, what exactly did you oversee? Were there any concepts for the game that you had to reject?
Mr. Shimotsuma: Aside from the basic setting of the game world, which continued from the previous title, I was responsible for directing almost all aspects of the development process. It's hard to recall the ideas that were rejected. However, one that I do remember is related to the concept for the first stage. Originally, if Rick fell into a pit, he would simply die. But due to a mistake in my direction, the programming for 'falling into a pit and dying' wasn’t implemented by the time the basic system was completed. We didn’t have the time to adjust the program, so we reused the collision detection system for enemies, which led to the Body Eaters swarming Rick like piranhas when he falls into the pit. I actually quite like how it turned out—it was a happy accident that added more character to the game!
Rob: That's fantastic to hear how you were able to take the simple death Rick had and turn it into one of most unexpected moments of the game. Did anything similar happen during the development of Splatterhouse Part 3?
Mr. Shimotsuma: The move where Rick holds an enemy, jumps, and slams them into the ground wasn’t part of the original plan. It was added during development after test play revealed the need for more moves. However, we didn’t have the time to create new character animation patterns, so the move was mostly made using patterns from other techniques. Interestingly, this move is known in Japan as a technique used by ninjas.
Another idea we had was to take advantage of the Mega Drive's 8-bit PCM sound capabilities to sample a chorus and create a BGM track inspired by Jerry Goldsmith’s Ave Satani from the movie The Omen. Unfortunately, hardware limitations made it impossible to realize. I really love that piece, and I still listen to it sometimes on my commute. Hearing it makes the ordinary feel extraordinary, and I find it incredibly enjoyable.
Rob: One year passed between the release of Splatterhouse Part 2 and Splatterhouse Part 3. Were the two games being developed at the same time?
Mr. Shimotsuma: Splatterhouse Part 2 and Splatterhouse Part 3 were developed consecutively, but initially, only the development of Part 2 was confirmed. Part 3 became a project later on.
Rob: Do you recall what prompted the change from the "classic" gameplay style of Splatterhouse Part 2 to the beat-em-up gameplay style of Splatterhouse Part 3?
Mr. Shimotsuma: Splatterhouse Part 3 was primarily developed with the North American market in mind. At the time, the Genesis was performing very well in North America, and Sega held an advantage over Nintendo. Additionally, the late 1980s to early 1990s saw a decline in horror content, particularly splatter and slasher genres, due to self-censorship following notorious crimes like the 1988-89 serial killings. (This is just my speculation, as I wasn’t part of Namco’s internal team.)
As a result, I needed to design a concept that catered more to the North American audience. Another factor was the growing maturity of the gaming industry, which made it increasingly difficult to overtly reference or parody horror movies as we had done in the earlier titles. Using the same approach for a third installment wasn’t feasible under those circumstances.
Rob: You certainly came up with a very interesting change in gameplay styles. When I bought my copy, I was expecting more of the same, but I was completely surprised by the new direction. I really enjoyed how much freedom you had in the game, despite still being on a fairly linear path.
On a side note, it's very interesting that Splatterhouse Part 3 was developed with the North American market in mind. The same thing happened with Rolling Thunder 3, as I recall, but that one never got a Japanese release. As Rolling Thunder 3 was also developed by Now Productions, did you have any input into it, or was that being made by a different team?
Mr. Shimotsuma: Rolling Thunder 3 was developed by a different team.
On a personal level, I also wanted to try something new with Part 3. Now Production was skilled in action and sports games, but I had a growing fascination with adventure and simulation games like SimCity and Populous. At the time, I was inspired by creators like Will Wright and Peter Molyneux, playing their games on the AMIGA available at the studio. As a young creator in my 20s, I was filled with ambition and a (perhaps overconfident) eagerness to take on new challenges.
Rob: Do you know why the switch from the PC Engine to the Mega Drive was made?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I'm not an insider at Namco, so this is just my speculation, but Splatterhouse was quite popular in North America. I believe this is why it was released on the Genesis/Mega Drive, which was selling well in the North American market at the time.
Rob: Who were the people photographed for Splatterhouse Part 3's cut scenes? Hired actors, Namco employees, or other people entirely?
Mr. Shimotsuma: The cast consisted of people connected to Now Production, and the photos were taken in a meeting room at Now Production.
Psychic (Rick the Monster): A game designer from Now Production
Pascal (Jennifer): An English teacher, a friend of someone on our office staff, originally from Scandinavia
Mikurin (David): The child of a Now Production programmer
Oja (Rick the Human): An artist (graphic designer) from Now Production
The mask used for the shoot was also crafted by one of our game designers, who has a hobby in model-making.
Rob: Would you know what happened to the Mask that was made for the game?
Magazine ad for Splatterhouse Part 3, prominently featuring the Hell Mask
Mr. Shimotsuma: I’m not sure what happened to it. The photoshoot only lasted one day, so the mask was made with a cardboard frame and paper clay. It likely didn’t last very long. Unlike the Hell Mask in the game, it was quite delicate and fragile.
Rob: That's a shame. It would be quite the collectible piece now.
The Union Bikers are credited in Splatterhouse Part 3. I've always wondered, just who are they?
Mr. Shimotsuma: Union Bikers isn’t a group of bikers but rather the creator name of one of our staff members at Now Production. He was quite large for a Japanese person, had a passion for motorcycles, and dressed in biker fashion. Originally, he was supposed to play the role of Rick the Monster. However, he was too big for the costume, so 'Psychic,' a game designer who was smaller but practiced martial arts and was physically fit, took over the role.
Rob: About the plot of Splatterhouse Part 3: what was Rick's story? In the manual for the Genesis game, it said he became a commodities trader on Wall Street, and became so successful that he bought the mansion the game takes place in. Was this the same story for the Mega Drive version?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I'm surprised to hear that Rick became a Wall Street success story! (laughs) In the Japanese version’s manual, there’s no mention of Rick’s background. It’s possible that this storyline was something developed by Namco’s U.S. branch.
Rob: I've thought the same thing. If I were Rick, I'd want to stay away from mansions for the rest of my life after Splatterhouse Part 2.
Certain features in Splatterhouse Part 3 set it apart from your standard beat-em-up of the time: the timer and the maze-like structure of the mansion, to name a few. Can you give us any insight as to what the inspiration behind those ideas were?
Mr. Shimotsuma: There wasn’t a specific game that directly inspired those features. It’s hard to trace my thought process from over 30 years ago, but looking back, I think I wanted to create something similar to what we now call 'roguelike action.' My aim was likely to design an action game that could be replayed, not just mastered through pattern memorization.
Splatterhouse Part 3 was the result of trying to achieve that vision within the limits of my knowledge, skills, and the development resources we had at the time. It might reflect both the strengths and weaknesses of my younger self.
Rob: Also, several classic paintings by the 19th century artist Francisco Goya were used as wall art in the mansion, some of them interactive. Was someone on staff, perhaps even you yourself, a Goya fan, or was his artwork included for a different reason?
Mr. Shimotsuma: As for the paintings, I don’t recall specifying them myself, and unfortunately, I can’t remember whose idea it was. Sorry about that!
Rob: That's okay, I know I'm asking about some very obscure things here.
The Dark Stone was a new plot device introduced in Splatterhouse Part 3. Who came up with the idea for that? Do you recall whose idea it was to introduce the Dark Stone to the story?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I don’t remember clearly, but I think it was probably Mr. Hayakawa’s idea.
Rob: Was the plan from the beginning to have Rick fight the Hell Mask as the final boss, or was this an idea that arose during the development of the game?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I believe this was also Mr. Hayakawa’s idea—probably. The main plot was largely created by Mr. Hayakawa, I believe. Of course, the team had various discussions and added details to the original concept as development progressed.
Rob: Was it always the plan to have the Hell Mask reveal its true objective at the end?
Mr. Shimotsuma: The Splatterhouse series has always had underlying influences from the Cthulhu Mythos, even from the first game—elements like dark gods, resurrection, and rituals. It’s possible that Mr. Hayakawa had the Hell Mask’s objective in mind from the beginning.
Rob: I've seen both a lot of lot of positive and negative things about all of the games in the series over the years. Some of them were because of things that Namco USA did (changing the Mask to a skull in Splatterhouse 2, for example), but other things that were done during development.
For example, do you know whose idea it was to have that extended bit of animation in Splatterhouse Part 3 where Rick gets up after being knocked down? It takes so much time, which you don't have a lot of in that game.
Mr. Shimotsuma: I believe the long animation you’re referring to is the one where Rick shakes his head before standing up. If so, I take responsibility for that as the game designer. I don’t remember the exact decision-making process, but I think it was intended to give the game time to reposition enemies so that Rick wouldn’t get hit immediately upon getting back into the fight.
Looking back now, I can think of several better ways to address that issue, but at the time, this was probably the solution we came up with. So, I’ll own up to it—it’s my responsibility.
Rob: Yes, that's the one. I can see the logic in that decision, for the time. Better to have the enemies move around instead of knocking Rick back down again immediately (a problem with so many other beat-em-ups that I've played).
Also, on another side note, if what I've read is correct, Now Productions also created Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti for the Famicom, for Namco. Would you happen to know anything about the cancelled RPG follow-up that was also being created for the Famicom, Splatter World?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I wasn’t involved in the development of Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, so unfortunately, I know very little about it. The same goes for Splatter World.
Rob: Did anything scary happen during development of either Splatterhouse game?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I thought about making up a scary story to make things more interesting (laughs), but honestly, nothing particularly frightening happened.
However, there is something that might interest you if you’re not familiar with Japanese culture. In Japan, it’s common to visit a shrine for a purification ritual when creating something related to horror, such as a movie or stage production involving ghosts. This tradition is rooted in Japan’s beliefs in ancestor worship and fear of vengeful spirits. The ritual is performed to avoid spiritual interference and to pray for the safety of everyone involved in the project.
When we started development on Splatterhouse Part 2, I remember the entire team going to a shrine for this purpose. I think it was Namba Yasaka Shrine in Osaka. It’s a unique place with a building shaped like the face of a lion-like mythical creature. Interestingly, it’s become a popular tourist spot for visitors from abroad in recent years.
The Namba Yasaka Shrine in Osaka
Rob: I admit to being familiar with the broader aspects of Japanese culture, as well as some of the legends about the yokai, but I had never heard about this purification ritual before. Given what you've said, that makes sense that your team would have gone to the shrine for that ritual. If I ever make it to Japan, I must visit that shrine.
Mr. Shimotsuma: It’s a fascinating building, so definitely check it out if you get the chance!
Rob: I will, if I'm able!
What was the best thing that happened during development?
Mr. Shimotsuma: The best thing that happened was getting the chance to develop a game for the Mega Drive. At Now Production, Splatterhouse Part 2 was our first Mega Drive project, so it was an exciting challenge. We’d already developed for systems like the Famicom, PC Engine, and Game Boy, but working on Sega’s hardware for the first time was thrilling. Of course, it also meant a lot of research and experimentation on our end, which made things both fun and challenging.
Rob: Splatterhouse Part 2 was Now Production's first Mega Drive game? That's something I didn't know. It makes me wonder who developed Namco's earlier Mega Drive games, but I'm sure I can look that up.
What was the funniest thing that happened during development?
Mr. Shimotsuma: One of the funniest and most memorable parts of the process was dealing with the Mega Drive’s high-resolution mode. If you’re familiar with it, you might know that in this mode, each pixel isn’t a perfect square—it’s a vertically stretched rectangle. This meant that if you drew a normal circle on the tool, it would appear as a vertically elongated oval on the screen. To deal with this, we had to adjust the settings on the CRT monitors we used—manipulating the analog scanlines—so that the pixels appeared as rectangles even in the tool. It was a bit of a hack, but it worked! Looking back, all that trial and error is a fond memory now.
Rob: I didn't know that about the Mega Drive's high resolution mode either. It's amazing how you were able to find a workaround.
Mr. Shimotsuma: Another memorable aspect was that the team working on the Splatterhouse series was originally formed from the group that developed Mickey's Dangerous Chase for the Game Boy. The team was full of young members, and that made it a lot of fun. I was 26 at the time, so still young myself, but all the team members were even younger. We worked together in a lively, collaborative atmosphere.
Mickey's Dangerous Chase (GameBoy)
Rob: You guys went from Mickey Mouse to Splatterhouse. That had to have been quite a turn! Did that present any unforeseen challenges?
Mr. Shimotsuma: Of course, being a team of young developers also meant we lacked social and professional experience, which led to some challenges. For instance, I had to give daily morning calls to one team member who had a habit of oversleeping!
From the magical kingdom to a nightmare mansion—that’s quite the gap! (laughs)
That said, both projects had a key similarity: working with established characters to create a new game. The process of researching the characters and their worlds, understanding them, and then designing the game around them was something we could carry over from Mickey's Dangerous Chase to Splatterhouse. So in that sense, the experience was definitely useful.
As a side note, I remember the Disney character manual being ridiculously thick—just for Mickey Mouse alone, there were several binders! It was a fascinating experience from the perspective of understanding how a company manages its characters as intellectual properties.
Rob: I can certainly see you getting that much material on the Disney characters, they have so much history to them. I'm glad the experience you had with Mickey's Dangerous Chase was helpful when you created Splatterhouse Part 2.
Mr. Shimotsuma: Looking back, Splatterhouse was probably a major turning point in my career. It opened the door to about 10 years of developing various titles for Namco, including PlayStation projects like the Namco Museum series, Dragon Valor, and sports games like baseball and tennis. It really paved the way for the next chapter of my career.
Dragon Valor (PlayStation)
Rob: I absolutely love the Namco Museum series. For the first time, I was actually playing arcade games at home! Even though Splatterhouse isn't part of it, the series did introduce me to games like Gaplus, The Tower of Druaga, Genpei Toumaden and Valkyrie no Densetsu. Plus the interactive museum setting was amazing. It's a shame that nothing has ever come close to it since.
Mr. Shimotsuma: I'm thrilled to hear that you’ve played the Namco Museum series! It’s a project I was fortunate enough to be involved with from its early development stages, so it holds a lot of meaning for me. Thank you—it makes me very happy to know you enjoyed it!
Rob: The Namco Museum series was such a treat! The first five volumes were released here, which I owned, but we never got Namco Museum Encore, so I had to import it. It was worth every penny just to have Rolling Thunder and Dragon Saber to play, and I was able to discover even more games I'd never heard of because of it, like Rompers.
Mr. Shimotsuma: You even went so far as to import it—thank you so much!
Rob: You're very welcome! Once I found out about Encore, I had to get a copy. Thanks to it, I also discovered Wonder Momo, King & Balloon, and Motos. I'm not 100% sure, but I don't believe any of those were released in the USA originally, when they were released in arcades (I don't think Rompers was either).
Mr. Shimotsuma: Hearing how much you enjoyed discovering games like Rolling Thunder, Dragon Saber, and Rompers means a lot to me.
Rob: Thank you for making sure they were included! Were you directly involved with all six Namco Museum titles?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I was directly involved in the development of Vol. 1, 3, 4, and Encore!
Rob: Very nice! Volume 4 in particular is an underrated gem of a compilation. Volumes 1, 3 and 4 also introduced me to games that have become favorites of mine: Bosconian, Phozon, Genpei Toumaden, and Assault. My only wish is that some of the later Namco arcade games had also been included, especially Phelios, Burning Force, and of course, Splatterhouse.
All six volumes of Namco Museum (PlayStation)
Rob: How does it feel, knowing that you helped create these games that people are still enjoying, talking about and playing, after thirty years?
Mr. Shimotsuma: I feel incredibly happy. It makes me want to say thank you to everyone who enjoyed the games back then and to those who still enjoy them now. It’s like receiving an unexpected bonus after so many years.
To be honest, when Part 2 and Part 3 were released in Japan, they didn’t receive much praise. Part 3 especially wasn’t well-received because the cutscenes didn’t even have Japanese text, which didn’t sit well with Japanese fans.
A Japanese player's negative reaction to the cutscenes being in English, along with the translation.
The reaction was similar to what happens with some movie sequels—they didn’t quite live up to expectations. (I’ll admit, there were parts where that was true.) That’s why I think it’s amazing that, even in the 2020s, there’s still a way for people to play these games and share their impressions. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, it’s always great to hear. And I believe Splatterhouse (2010) had a positive impact as well. It definitely played a role in keeping the series alive and introducing it to a new generation of players.
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Many thanks to Mr. Shimotsuma for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions. I wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors.
Masami Shimotsuma's Twitter
This exclusive interview is copyright 2024 SCAR Productions.
