The House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return
With so many retro releases on the Wii it’s understandable if fans start to get slightly tired of playing the same old games, but then the Wii console is the perfect home all these classics. Its underpowered graphics are more than capable of handling games from the 80s and 90s, and the motion sensitive controls are particularly well suited to games like House of the Dead.
In case you’re not familiar with HOTD, it’s a light gun game. Viewed from the first person, you walk along blasting away at enemies, though you only have control over the aiming, you can’t change the direction of your character aside from a few specific moments when it’s possible to select a new route.
House of the Dead, as suggested by the name, is a horror themed game filled with zombies, and in the arcade it featured replica guns that were pointed at the screen. The Wii controller does the same job here, and does it very well. The controls are responsive, and tearing into the monsters with a torrent of gunfire is incredibly satisfying.
This collection includes House of the Dead 2 and 3. Both are a few years old now, but HOTD 2 has aged gracefully. Its stylised visuals and over-the-top voice acting have a retro charm, and the gameplay is as solid as ever. It’s tough as old boots, though, and casual players will likely find the game hard going at first. HOTD 3 isn’t quite as impressive. It actually looks uglier, and the game is a lot easier, shorter and offers less choice and replay value.
HOTD 2 remains a classic, and HOTD 3 is quite entertaining despite its flaws, but as with all retro collections we’re left wondering if it’s really possible to justify £30 for a re-release of decades old titles. It’s also disappointing that Sega has not included any kind of online functions, and that it doesn’t include House of the Dead 1 & 4, both of which are superior to number 3.
Verdict:
HOTD 2 is still excellent even if number 3 hasn’t stood the test of time, but it’s quite an expensive game for what you’re getting.
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