55| Splatterhouse
Released: 1989 (Exact date unknown)
Definitive Version: Arcade; Also on: PC Engine, Wii Virtual Console, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360
Friday the 13th was released in 1980 and was wildly successful.Filmed on a budget of around half a million dollars the film went on to make sixty million in the box office alone. This led to a slew of sequels as the humble indie film quickly turned into a yearly franchise. Campy violent horror films were all the rage in the 1980s. They were particularly popular with male teenagers and young adults who just love blood and gore. Despite violence in video games being heavily scrutinized as gaming was still seen as a "kids" hobby, that couldn't stop the industry from staying away from the lucrative hunger male teenage and young adult market, a market that will come to define gaming in later eras. Namco decided to make a game solely targeted toward this market, in which stared a Jason Voorhees knockoff as he fights off an onslaught of monsters. The game was appropriately titled Splatterhouse.
The actual game of Splatterhouse couldn't be more simple. It is a beat-em-up that involves the player walking toward the right side of the screen as they punch, kick, and decapitate enemies. The player uses two buttons. One button controls leg attacks, while the other controls the character's arms. Enemies in the game tend to be really dumb. They simply just walk up to you and try to hit you. The challenge is when a group of them all come at you at once. On top of that the stages are filled with various traps that will throw the player off and cause harm to the character. This is where most people complain about the game. They claim that the game is far too simple and is only remembered due to its violence. I disagree. While I agree that the game is very simplistic, that is the beauty of it. Just bashing enemies to bits feels fun compared to many other beat-em-ups. And to me that is the most important aspect in a game like this, how it feels playing. The damage collision is very satisfying.
Admittedly, the violence certainly adds to the satisfaction. Yes it feels good bashing your enemy to bits, it's even better when you see those bits deteriorate as a geyser of blood spews through the enemy. Make no mistake, Splatterhouse is a very violent game, especially for its time. In addition to the enemies being decapitated and exploding with blood spewing out of them, the levels are decorated with decaying bodies, blood and guts in the ground, and just unsettling images. Enemies are designed very grotesque as many have rotting and damaged body parts. It was certainly a very ballsy title of its era.
As said before, the game was carbon copy of campy horror films from the 1980s. It managed to come out at the absolute twilight of the phenomenon as it came to Western shores the year that would mark the end of the annual Friday the 13th releases. The story is about a couple that are running through the woods. The game doesn't explain why, but later playing the outdoor stages with the undead walking about, I assume they got spooked by the monsters. They go inside this mansion and see and the boyfriend meets an ill fate. While laying their dying he becomes possessed by a mask and transforms into a super strong Jason Voorhees knockoff. The rest of the game involves the player saving his girlfriend. I have to say that it is kind of a weird twist seeing the monster being the "good guy" for a change...well sorta.
As expected the game did cause a bit of an uproar during its initial release. Especially since the console version on the PC Engine (Turbografx 16 to Westerners) wasn't really toned down much for gore. That said, the game didn't cause as much controversy as expected due to the fact that the arcade release wasn't too wide and that it was only ported to an ill fated console. By the time the sequels arrived it was around the time that Mortal Kombat released, so its clear that it stole its controversial thunder.For better or worse, Splatterhouse is remembered as a game that was all style and no substance. Something that I don't completely agree with, but alas opinions are opinions.