The Splatterhouse Saga
Article by Bindi Lavelle

Long before the survival horror of Resident Evil and the creepy creatures of Silent Hill, there was Splatterhouse. A pioneer of the horror gamming style we have come to love.

Released in 1988 by Namco, for both the arcade and the PC, the game and its sequels had all the makings of a hack and slash film franchise. And although it was a basic side scrolling game, it contained a plot and game features ahead of its time:

The first game sees Rick Taylor and his Jenifer hide from a storm in the infamous West Mansion; the door slams, Jenifer screams and Rick is possess by the Terror Mask. The Terror Mask gives Rick the ability to fight all manner of beasts, ranging from zombies to possessed rooms to an upside down cross, aptly named Evil Cross.

Evil Cross, of course lead to concerns from family groups about the game’s ‘satanic themes’ but I guess that can be expected when the main character is battling monsters while possessed himself.

In addition to the powers provided by the Terror Mask, Rick is also able to use: rocks, a 2 x 4, shot guns, wrenches, axes, harpoons and a cleaver. The ability to make ordinary objects into anti-zombie weapons is still a favorite feature of the current generation horror games however in the late 80s, this ability also lead to some controversy.

When the sequel was released on the Sega Genesis in ‘92, it had a vague warning on the cover, as the fledgling games censor had yet instill the classification system we have today. The sequel followed much the same plot, only this time Jenifer got herself lost in the land of the dead, but thankfully the Terror Mask has not only increased in power, but it is also able to communicate with Rick enabling him to save her, again.

The game was quickly followed up by splatterhouse 3 the following year, also on Genesis. Again the power of the Terror Mask is taken further, Rick could now completely transform into a massive monster built for destruction. Plus, the game was also littered with movie references. This game completes the series as Rick must destroy the mask to be able to defeat the final boss.

This does not spell the end for Splatterhouse, not only has it maintained its fan base through emulation and the wii virtual console but a remake will be released next year for the xbox 360. Though its true legacy is in its influence on the survival horror genre.