The House of the Dead (video game)
A 1997 light gun shooter that revived zombie culture.
The House of the Dead, a light gun shooter from 1997, was created by Sega AM1 and released by Sega for arcades. Players control agents Thomas Rogan and "G" against an army of undead experiments made by the mad scientist Dr. Curien. Alongside Resident Evil, this game is recognized for boosting the popularity of zombie video games and reviving interest in zombies within mainstream culture starting in the late 1990s.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Sega AM1
- Publisher
- Sega
- Director
- Takashi Oda
- Producer
- Rikiya Nakagawa
- Composer
- Tetsuya Kawauchi
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Sega Saturn
- Windows
- mobile phone
- Genre
- Light gun shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The House of the Dead is a rail shooter in which players use a light gun (or mouse in the PC version) to aim and shoot at approaching enemies. The characters' pistols hold six rounds; players reload by shooting away from the screen. Taking damage or shooting a civilian removes one health point. When all health is lost, the continue screen appears; running out of continues ends the game. First-aid packs restore one health point and can be obtained from rescued hostages or hidden inside breakable objects. Special items in breakables grant bonuses. Additional health is earned at the end of each level based on hostages rescued. Players face situations where action or inaction affects the direction of gameplay; for example, saving a hostage in the opening stage leads through the front door, while failure redirects to an underground sewer route. Extra points are awarded for headshots, rescuing hostages, and finding hidden items.
Plot
In Europe, biochemist and geneticist Dr. Curien becomes obsessed with discovering the nature of life and death. Supported by the DBR Corporation, his behavior grows erratic and his experiments become inhumane, leading to an outbreak of genetically engineered creatures at his mansion. On December 18, 1998, AMS Agent Thomas Rogan receives a distress call from his fiancée, Sophie Richards, at the Curien Mansion. Rogan and his partner "G" travel to the estate and find it overrun with creatures. A mortally wounded scientist gives them a journal with information about Curien's creations and their weaknesses. Rogan and G reach Sophie, but she is carried away by a flying bat-like monster called Hangedman. They later find her just before she is attacked by Chariot, a hulking armored creature. After killing it, Sophie warns them to stop Curien before collapsing from her wounds. The agents push deeper, encountering Hangedman on the rooftops and shooting it down. They find Curien protected by a massive arachnoid creature called Hermit. After killing it, they chase Curien through laboratories in a mountain cave system. Curien unleashes his masterpiece, the Magician, a humanoid with pyrokinetic abilities. The Magician kills Curien and fights Rogan and G; upon defeat it explodes, warning them, "You haven't seen anything yet!" The agents leave the mansion.
Development and release
Development began in December 1995 and took one year and three months. None of the team spoke English; they chose the name The House of the Dead by picking horror-themed Japanese phrases and selecting the one whose English translation looked "cool," without concern for connotations. The target audience was people in their 20s and 30s, and the team hoped the game would primarily be played by two players. The game was built on the Virtua Cop engine and used the same Virtua Guns. The developers wanted more complex path branches affecting the story but realized these ideas were too ambitious for the allotted time. Enemy designs were drafted quickly without rough sketches. An option allowed operators to change blood color to green, purple, or blue for foreign markets, particularly Germany. A female zombie was cut because she resembled an elderly woman, which could provoke controversy. Chariot was animated using motion capture with an actor wielding a broom; other enemies were animated manually using motion capture for reference. Sega AM4 designed the cabinet using screenshots and illustrations from AM1. The game came in two upright cabinet formats: one with a 50-inch monitor and one with a 29-inch monitor. A Saturn port was handled by Tantalus Interactive and released in 1998, with a Windows port arriving the same year. Both ports added selectable characters with different weapons and a boss rush mode. The Saturn port supports the console's light gun peripherals.
Reception and legacy
In Japan, Game Machine listed The House of the Dead as the second most successful dedicated arcade game of April 1997. It became the country's highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1998. By 1998, it had sold 8,600 arcade cabinets worldwide: 1,600 in Japan and 7,000 overseas. The arcade version received positive reviews. Computer and Video Games called it "the best shooting game ever!" Next Generation rated it four stars out of five, calling it "a sheer bloody scream" and praising the branching levels, story, creature design, graphics, and destructible environments. AllGame awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the story, graphics, destructible environments, and intelligent challenge, calling it "one of the best shooting games to hit arcades in the late 1990s." The Saturn version garnered generally favorable reviews, with a 71% rating on GameRankings based on five reviews. The Nintendo Switch remake received mixed reviews. Starburst praised the new soundtrack, added game modes, and atmosphere, calling it "a fantastic revival." Gaming Bible liked the graphical upgrades and extras. Nook Gaming praised "clever camera angles and situations." Reviewers criticized gyro and thumbstick controls. Nintendo Life felt the Switch lacks a sensor bar, causing gyro controls to twitch when firing, and concluded that those not fans of the original might lack patience. In Black Gate, Sue Granquist noted the updated gun options but expressed reluctance to give up original light guns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed The House of the Dead (video game)?
The House of the Dead was directed by Takashi Oda.
Who composed the music for The House of the Dead (video game)?
The music for The House of the Dead was composed by Tetsuya Kawauchi.
More in Sega Saturn Game Library
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced