Splatterhouse Message Board

On Saturday, September 19 at the Galloping Ghost Arcade in Chicago, Illinois, 30-year-old Caitlin Oliver set the new world record for the arcade version of Namco's classic beat-em up, Splatterhouse. According to video game historian Patrick Scott Patterson, the last time a woman set an arcade game world record, Caitlin was around one-year-old. Read more...

#explainer Names such as Mortal Kombat and Grand Theft Auto are longtime punching bags in an often-clueless discussion of violent video games in the mainstream. So it was no surprise to hear Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, invoke them in a rambling attempt to deflect blame for last week's mass killing of 20 six- and seven-year-old children from the assault weapons that gunned them down to a culture he alleges inspired such acts. More »

#sandyhookshooting Reports suggested that the National Rifle Association, backed into a corner since a gun massacre last week killed 20 six- and seven-year-olds, would come out swinging at video games and other violent entertainment in a news conference today, and boy, they did not disappoint. More »

For those looking to save a few bucks but want some new mobile games to play while waiting in check-out lines on Black Friday, Namco Bandai has you covered. The publisher recently put 20 of its apps on sale on the App Store, giving iPhone and iPad users through Monday, November 19 to cash in on games such as Pac-Man Championship Edition and SoulCalibur.

A full list of the games included in the sale can be found after the break.

Get more splatter on your thumb sticks.

If you thought Amazon would stop holding ridiculous sales because the holiday season is winding down, you are a fool. A hypothetical fool. Amazon's year-end sale (which technically started on Dec. 24) is as good as any offer the retailer had for Black Friday or the pre-Christmas shopping season!

The PS3 version of Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is over half off at $25.99, as is the PS3 limited edition of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow at $39.99. Enslaved is just $19.99 on either system, and Atlus hits Demon's Souls and 3D Dot Game Heroes can be picked up for just $16.99 and $14.99 respectively. FlingSmash on Wii is $39.99, which at that price is essentially a free game with a regular-price Wii Remote Plus.

Amazon is also offering a 75% discount on a large selection of downloadable PC games, and an even larger selection of casual PC games for $2 each.

Hey there, Clyde. Yes, you, the biggest Splatterhouse fan that reads Joystiq. When we previewed the game, you were thrilled to see your favorite old title reborn. When we made fun of that screenshot, you chuckled along with us, but secretly thought it was awesome. And you, Clyde, didn't even bother to read our review -- you were already at home playing your pre-order.

So it's for you -- and no one else -- that we report that the "Lost Islands" DLC for Splatterhouse is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace for 160 MS Points, or on PSN for $1.99. The pack includes a survival arena to fight through wave after wave of abominations that most of us think are disgusting and crass, but which you think are freaky great. Don't say we never did anything for you, Clyde. Now go ... go and download that DLC and love this game made just for you, because that's what gaming is really all about.

To celebrate the holidays, we're having twelve straight days of giveaways up through Christmas day. And while we say it's to celebrate, really ... we're simply getting rid of some of the larger packages around the ol' office.

Look, we're going to be honest with you ... it's day nine and we've got some less awesome stuff for you today. Want a copy of the not-so-great Splatterhouse on Xbox 360? Really? Well, how about a copy of Splatterhouse along with a cat-sized Terror Mask statue and a strange set of collapsible speakers? Well, if you insist - you can enter our giveaway by leaving a comment. Find the full rules after the break.

Ready for an all-out bloodbath? Find out whether this gore-fest is a justified resurrection or a senseless waste of time!

#roundup Everyone in awhile it's nice to do a Frankenreview featuring a game that isn't considered to be a major blockbuster release. Hello, Splatterhouse. More »

Demonstrating that not even a Terror Mask can go home again.

If there's one thing Splatterhouse isn't, it's precise. It seems to take pride in being sloppy as it revels in letting you lop off limbs, crush skulls, and tear ribcages from spines. Unfortunately, thanks to that same sloppy attitude, you might find yourself wishing the game could do the same to you, if only to end the suffering.

Launches simultaneously across multiple platforms to broaden franchise's audience base.

#playboy If Splatterhouse hero Rick's blood runs cold, it's probably because his memory has just been sold. His angel Jennifer is the video game centerfold in the December issue of Playboy. More »

#mobilephones Splatterhouse is getting a bloody, modern remake later this month, but that's a gamble. The classic 1988 arcade Splatterhouse? We all know that's a fantastic game, and now you can play it on your phone. More »

Namco Bandai may have suffered less terrible losses in the first half of its fiscal year compared to last, but several of the publisher's major titles aren't expected to hit sales goals. Andriasang has a list of comparing the company's hopes for its software to the harsh reality, with Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Cosmic Destruction and Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja: Storm 2 being the overachievers. Ben 10 is expected to have 800K sales -- 100K over forecast -- and Naruto may move a million copies, 300K more than planned.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is expected to sell about 800K units, which is still good, but the publisher expected it to sell a million. Other titles expected to underperform, according to the company, will be the as-yet unreleased Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom with 300K units (-700K below) and Splatterhouse at 350K (-650K below).

Enslaved deserves better so, with some luck, hopefully Monkey and crew will have a longer tail than Namco expects.

#screens Had your fill of becoming the controller? It could be worse. You could be Rick Taylor, transformed into a rampaging juggernaut by a mystical mask and forced to fight in vicious survival arenas, as seen in these new Splatterhouse screens. More »

Gorepocalypse 2010.

#namcobandai Splatterhouse protagonist Rick doesn't spend all his time tearing terrible monstrosities limb-from-limb, bathing in their blood as horrific gaping wounds appear on his body. Just most of the time. More »

Don't read that the wrong way. These Splatterhouse screens are filthy, bloody and disgusting. That said, compared to the last batch of screens we got, these are worthy of a tasteful Martha Stewart picture frame. If only she knew a festive seasonal cocktail potent enough to make us forget ...

#namcobandai If bands like 5 Finger Death Punch, WolfShirt, and Goatwhore get your motor running, then you'll love the soundtrack to Splatterhouse. If not, just look at the new screens and be quiet. More »

A whole lot of metal coming your way.

#preview Before the upcoming game Splatterhouse let players choose a "coward" difficulty setting, the game's developers were going to call their easy mode "pussy." This is no gentleman's game. More »

It's time for some straight talk. When we saw the above image - part of Namco's Splatterhouse Gamescom press blast today - we were simultaneously both grossed out and in stitches. We had a lot of gags (both because of and featuring) Rick and his monster pal but we couldn't settle on just one. So we're using this post to bring them all to you. Bon appétit!

The strangest concept for us about this fall's Splatterhouse re-imagining is the departure it takes from the series' 16-bit origins. Oddly, the latest trailer features a mashup of the original game with the new one, spliced with music from the original. We'll be honest -- it's pretty confusing.

That, however, is significantly less of an issue than one of the screenshots Namco sent along with the new trailer. It's ... well, let's just say it's probably not the safest image for your boss to see. Or anyone, really. Actually, you know what? Maybe just stick with the trailer for now. Besides, you probably don't have enough Tide in your house to get out the stains left by this screen. We sure didn't.

Controversy is not new to games, but few tend to attract it as eagerly as the upcoming Splatterhouse remake. Following our E3 preview of the game, we were unsure if Namco Bandai's effort would be little more than fodder for your local news looking to stir up viewers. I chatted with producer Dan Tovar at Comic-Con last week to find out if there's more to Splatterhouse than blood, guts and a sensational headline.

"I was a huge fan of Splatterhouse since as far back as I could remember," Tovar told me. "Played the crap out of all three of the original games back in the '80s and '90s, and so when I came to Namco years ago, they were looking for concepts to get going in the next couple of years. I asked them, 'Are we going to be able to do old properties?' and they said yes. Splatterhouse was on the top of my list, so we just went to work trying to get a concept together, and it just snowballed from there."

Most of the games games shown at E3 are not final retail versions; they're preview builds specifically developed to show at the industry's largest expo. Since this is the case, many developers will remind those playing its game or watching demos that what they're seeing is subject to change. "We still have to polish this," or "the animation over here isn't finished" are a few of the things you'll hear. It's expected.

However, sometimes demos are nothing but a string of apologies and promises. Splatterhouse was one of those titles. During my demo, the game's executive producer assured me that the game was still in production at every pass and that nearly everything I saw and played would be "fixed," "changed" or "polished." You can't blame Namco Bandai for being hesitant to show the game, considering the development hell it has been through -- but it was a little extreme, especially when considering that I thought the game looked good (even great in some spots!) apart from the expected poor framerate for an early build.

No, looks weren't an issue, but I did have a few others with the game during my short demo.

#e3 I didn't play the original 1990s arcade game Splatterhouse. I told Crecente last week that the new one I played at E3 felt like a more violent God of War. Be careful, he warned me. More »

If Jim Carrey's The Mask took a more macabre turn, we think it would look a little something like this. Namco Bandai's reimagined Splatterhouse tells the tale of the generically-named Rick Taylor that dons a haunted mask in an attempt to save his girlfriend's life. Proving R.L. Stine right, Taylor gets a lot more than he bargained for when he listens to the advice of a mystical, talking, obviously-evil mask.

We take Rick through a bunch of enemies. Like, we literally tear through them.