Sleeper of the Week: Splatterhouse 3 (Genesis)

[maxlords]

Sleeper of the Week: Splatterhouse 3

Here we are again with yet another little-known Namco classic! Splatterhouse 3 kind of snuck it’s way out during the later years of the Genesis in the early 90s. Splatterhouse has always been a game where you attack anything that moves and a few things that don’t. It was never really a deep game in any way, or at least, never until Splatterhouse 3. The thing about Splatterhouse 3 is that the designers actually took their time with it. It isn’t entirely mindless, nor does it completely lack a plot. On top of that, Splatterhouse 3 still wields the same gratuitous violence and graphic gore we’ve all come to know and love.

Splatterhouse 3 begins with our old friend Rick and his cursed mask. Rick’s wife Jennifer has been taken *gasp* by the Dark One. Inconveniently, he’s also taken Rick’s son David, so there’s no one left to do the yard work or clean the bathroom. As Rick you have to don your cursed mask once more and stop the evil in the most brutal way possible. Unfortunately, evil is smarter this time around. If you don’t make it to Jennifer and David in time, the bad guys slaughter them both, leaving you a grieving husk of your former self. This must be avoided at all costs as it’s incredibly pathetic. Your only lead takes you into a haunted mansion that you must fight your way through, so oil up your fists (unless they already are) and head on in!

The interesting thing about Splatterhouse 3 is that you’re not just whomping your way through levels anymore. There are multiple paths you can choose to take and doing so either helps you reach your wife and son in time or leaves you floundering against overwhelming odds while those you love suffer and die. The sense of pressure created by the timed fights and challenging pathfinding is almost palpable. Racing through the levels at high speed really makes the game interesting as well, as you’re never quite sure if you’re doing the right thing. Battles become extremely tense, especially with bosses as your time steadily peters out. On top of that, the Dark One tends to enjoy taunting you with amusing cinemas of your loved ones being tortured. What a cruel bastard. So when you’re getting beat to hell, you’ve got the image of your wife and son being eaten by bugs or sliced to ribbons to keep you going. Charming, isn’t it? Good thing this game is rated MA-13 for mature audiences 13 and older!

Enough about the story though. There’s also some great gameplay in Splatterhouse 3. The controls are fairly loose, as are the hit boxes of the enemies, but the game flows well. In addition to your fists and a bat, in this installment of Splatterhouse, you also get knives, cinder blocks, axes and cleavers! On top of that, instead of side scrolling, you can now walk around the screen in isometric perspective, much like D&D: Tower of Doom or Punisher. As an added carnage bonus, Rick also now has the ability to morph into a monstrous version of himself that can do more damage and all sorts of nifty special attacks. The downside however is that he moves like he’s half-frozen when he’s in monster form. Still, it adds yet another layer to the excellent gameplay of Splatterhouse 3. Playability is everything in this one folks!

Musically, Splatterhouse 3 is acceptably creepy for a late-gen 16 bit title. The music isn’t amazing, but it’s not mind-numbingly tortuous either. Occasionally it’s a bit repetitive, but honestly, you’ll have so much fun pounding enemies into a sticky paste that you’ll barely even notice. Heck, the graphics are one of the best things about Splatterhouse, and the care that was taken with the over-the-top gore in Splatterhouse 3 will make you forget entirely about the mediocre music. Enemies are suitably disgusting and tend to be very messy to kill. You can bat heads and limbs off of some enemies or splatter them all over the walls with a bloody thwack, it’s all up to you. Ultimately the graphics make Splatterhouse 3 what it is just as much as the gameplay, as they work in tandem to make Splatterhouse 3 a superior gaming experience.

Ultimately, you get to slaughter tons of enemies, endure the torture of loved ones, and go a different way each time you play. On top of all that there are multiple endings and even a hidden level in Splatterhouse 3, giving hourse of gameplay. This is a beat-em-up you can’t go wrong with. The hit areas maybe need adjusted and the game is showing it’s age, especially in the minimally animated cust-scenes, but Splatterhouse 3 is a winner through and through. Unfortunately, it’s also rather hard to come by. The game isn’t incredibly rare, but it’s not a title you stumble over every day either. Demand seems to fluctuate for it and complete copies have sold for as high as $40-50 in the past, but it currently fetches between $10 and $25 on eBay depending on the seller, condition and completeness. If you get a chance, snag a copy and have a bloodbath of your own! You won’t regret it! By the way, the images below were pretty much all taken from DP’s own Dire51, at his Splatterhouse website, The West Mansion. Don’t forget to check it out!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/f7cbe23c.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/bfbeb7bd.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/ef3b06e0.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/20dde16a.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/32af426e.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/5acbba9a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/maxlords/aa0f49c7.jpg

[maxlords]

BTW, just in case anyone was actually wondering, I AM going to be continuing to write the Sleepers on a mostly weekly basis, but probably on weekends more instead of Thursdays from now on due to free time constraints from my job! I hope you all continue to enjoy em! I'll try to keep making them worth reading!

[evildead2099]

Could the Splatterhouse series ever be considered a "sleeper" series, though? I always felt that the series stood apart from the rest of the crowd, especially considering how over the top its early installments were in the days when censorship-happy Nintendo was about the only game in town for North American console fans.

Splatterhouse 2 made the cover of Gamepro magazine, so I don't think the series was all that neglected. Sadly, Namco does not seem genuinely committed to reviving the series, nor does it seem to want to issue a SH compilation.

By the way, is it just me, or is it not weird that Mortal Kombat got a MA-17 rating while Splatterhouse 3 only got a MA-13 rating? MK was a controversial title because it was possible to perform grusome fatalities at the END of your matches; Splatterhouse 3, on the other hand, featured armies of monsters which would commonly decome deformed and dismembered as you battled them.

... Plus, let's not forget the fact that the Genny port of MK1 was censored by default (hence, you needed to input the 'blood' code). Nevertheless, MK earned more mature a rating than SH3.

Ratings are still fucked up, though: Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball got a Mature rating! :roll:

[Ed Oscuro]

SH3 definitely can confuse fans of the series...folks waiting for a twich game of reflexes might be disappointed at what seems like an average beat-em-up with gory graphics. I've yet to decide, myself...there's too much repetition of rooms at times for my liking, but it's still a great game. Give me FC Splatterhouse any day over this, though... LOL

[mario]

I LOVE SPLATTER HOUSE 1 2 3 they are good here checkout the site there is one more i like wampome graffti it is good

http://www.classicgaming.com/splatterhouse/

my fav splatter house site

[Dire 51]

*applause*

Glad to see SH3 is getting the attention it deserves. Good call max (and thanks for the plug there too)!

mario, glad you like the site. That reminds me, we're working on our next update. Should be a good one.

Oh yeah, about the game. I love SH3. That said, I'll also admit that it's my least favorite SH game - I do like 1, 2 and WG more - but it's still a fantastic game. Let me quote some of what I wrote about it on WM here:

"When I had first heard about Splatterhouse 3, I was ecstatic. Here was yet another sequel to one of my favorite games - just one year after the release of part 2! In fact (and some may see this as stupid on my part), I traded in my Game Gear and the few GG games that I had just to get the cash to get it. Yes, I traded away an entire game system for this game. It worked out better for me, I think - I never played the GG anyway, and this I play often."

Admittedly, I was a little put off by the gameplay changes initially, but after spending some time with it, I found it to be quite fun and a nice change of pace from 1 and 2. I should go fire it up again sometime soon... haven't played through it in a while.

[Gamereviewgod]

I've always felt this was the best of the series. It used to be far too limiting before the beat-em-up aspects were introduced.

What I HATE is the maze style gameplay. That's just not fun. It never is and never will be. However, bashing the face in of some gruesome critter is enough to carry the game.

[maxlords]

Heh, I thought the maze was one of the more interesting aspects myself. But mostly cause it adds to length artificially....forcing you to re-experiment with each level. Downside is that it's an artificial extension, so I can see why you'd dislike that...

[Gamereviewgod]

Heh, I thought the maze was one of the more interesting aspects myself. But mostly cause it adds to length artificially....forcing you to re-experiment with each level. Downside is that it's an artificial extension, so I can see why you'd dislike that...

Well, it's a beat-em-up. You have a genre that breeds itself on repetitve gameplay, and that's fine. Extending them though, including bogus rooms and dead ends, and then dying because of them, isn't fun. You never want to constantly replay something that's already this repetitve by nature. As such, this is only game in the series I never beat. I'm too lazy to look for a FAQ. ;)

[evildead2099]

You have a genre that breeds itself on repetitve gameplay, and that's fine. Extending them though, including bogus rooms and dead ends, and then dying because of them, isn't fun.

SH3 didn't feature 'death trap' bogus rooms and dead ends: more often than not, straying from the most linear paths leads you to coveted weapons, extra lives, and potential to access bonus stages. Those rooms only need to impact your game if you allow them to; save for the second last stage, the stage paths to bosses are rather linear and intuitively mapped out. Its' not as though the game forces you to wander into a bunch of death trap / dead-end rooms as part of a guessing game as to which way you ought to be heading.

[Ed Oscuro]

Why doesn't Rick know the layout of his own house, anyway? Or is this one of those "The Devil/demon realm possession/The Mask did it!" explanations?

[johno590]

I always thought this game was really cool looking, but never have gotten a copy for myself.

Hopefully I can try it out one day.

[Dire 51]

None of you ever checked out the map? You DO know that there is a map you can access in each level if you hit pause. You can only access it when all the monsters in the room are dead, but that's really the only time you need it. It's easy to follow, and the color codes on the doors lead you away from any potential undesired side trips.

[-hellvin-]

One of my favorite genesis games, lots of damn fun. Nothing relieves tension better than slashing a little laughing worm with a meat cleaver. I have the game practically memorized for the quickest paths up until level 5 I think? You have to fight the "evil one" or whoever. The enemies and that freaking boss on that level just kick my ass. I've never really put in the effort to try to overcome that level...

[Gemini-Phoenix]

This game always confused me. It wasn't as linear as SH2. I always felt like I was getting lost in the mansion, often feeling like I was running around in circles. I should've drawn a map of each screen really so not to get lost...

[Dire 51]

This game always confused me. It wasn't as linear as SH2. I always felt like I was getting lost in the mansion, often feeling like I was running around in circles. I should've drawn a map of each screen really so not to get lost...

Or you could always pause the game to check the map, like I mentioned above.

[Ed Oscuro]

You DO know that there is a map you can access in each level if you hit pause.
I did! Even so, I would look at that map and see how far I had to go...then cringe a bit.

[Dire 51]

You DO know that there is a map you can access in each level if you hit pause.
I did! Even so, I would look at that map and see how far I had to go...then cringe a bit.

Come on, it's not THAT bad...

[Doonzmore]

That cutscene of Rick’s wife's face during the 2nd level is disturbing, the one where her eyes look rolled up. The music only makes it feel more eerie.

[Ackman]

This game always confused me. It wasn't as linear as SH2. I always felt like I was getting lost in the mansion, often feeling like I was running around in circles. I should've drawn a map of each screen really so not to get lost...

Yar I feel the same :roll: It just brought the game down a notch I wish it were more straight foward.... like a normal beat em up

It had allot of potential but meh still an alright game I guess

[Xexyz]

This game never really appealed to me. it's the only Splatterhouse game I've owned and played, but it doesn't leave me with a good view towards the series. The adventure aspect to a beat em up, not cool for me. I know about the map, but I'd still make wrong turns and panic about running out of time. And the biggest aspect to a beat em up, the gameplay, is my biggest complaint. The whole combat system was boring and repeditive. yes, beat em ups are repeditive, but I never got board of playing the Streets of Rage trilogy, Final Fight, the Double Dragons, etc. This game just isn't for me.

[Neil Koch]

That cutscene of Rick’s wife's face during the 2nd level is disturbing, the one where her eyes look rolled up. The music only makes it feel more eerie.

The cutscenes are done quite well for a game from this era -- the digitized graphics worked.


By the way, is it just me, or is it not weird that Mortal Kombat got a MA-17 rating while Splatterhouse 3 only got a MA-13 rating? MK was a controversial title because it was possible to perform grusome fatalities at the END of your matches; Splatterhouse 3, on the other hand, featured armies of monsters which would commonly decome deformed and dismembered as you battled them.


I think it's because MK features more "realistic" graphics and you're beating up/killing "real" people vs beating up demons.

The Genesis version of Lethal Enforcers was rated MA-17 and that game's relatively tame violence-wise, but since it has the digitized graphics and you can "accidentally" kill civilians, it got the higher rating.

[evildead2099]

The biggest aspect to a beat em up, the gameplay, is my biggest complaint. The whole combat system was boring and repeditive. yes, beat em ups are repeditive, but I never got board of playing the Streets of Rage trilogy, Final Fight, the Double Dragons, etc. This game just isn't for me.

Personally, I don't feel that Final Fight has aged well at all. I get very bored with Final Fight, very quickly. My opinon concerning Splatterhouse is totally contrary.

Even if I couldn't admit to liking SH3's beat-em up action, I'd still have to give the game its due acclaim for its scary music, repulsive monsters, tense cutscenes, and grusome atmosphere. Few games have been able to rival it with respect to those qualities. SH3 is scarrier than most survival horror games that I've played.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Namco....why did you abandoned such a great series? They could have given Silent Hill and Resident Evil a run for their money if it went 3D!


Yet, the third and final chapter of Rick's journey....I liked the gameplay and yes I agree the maze like rooms were confusing as hell, yet had some of the most disturbing bosses in a game to date..

[evildead2099]

Namco....why did you abandoned such a great series? They could have given Silent Hill and Resident Evil a run for their money if it went 3D!

I don't feel that the leap from 2D to 3D is ncessary for Splatterhouse to compete with Silent Hill & Resident Evil in terms of thrills, chills, and scares. SH3's music and backgrounds from the first 3 stages alone scare me more than everything that was crammed into the 1st Resident Evil.


Yet, the third and final chapter of Rick's journey.... I agree the maze like rooms were confusing as hell..

I'm sorry if this sounds condescending, but I'm alarmed by the number of people who've voiced complaints about navigating through SH3, despite the the game's inclusion of a clearly defined map that is accessable whenever you pause the game (unless there are still monsters in the room).

... If you found SH3's map concept frustrating, I can't imagine you having too much fun with Zelda I or III.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Namco....why did you abandoned such a great series? They could have given Silent Hill and Resident Evil a run for their money if it went 3D!

I don't feel that the leap from 2D to 3D is ncessary for Splatterhouse to compete with Silent Hill & Resident Evil in terms of thrills, chills, and scares. SH3's music and backgrounds from the first 3 stages alone scare me more than everything that was crammed into the 1st Resident Evil.


Yet, the third and final chapter of Rick's journey.... I agree the maze like rooms were confusing as hell..

I'm sorry if this sounds condescending, but I'm alarmed by the number of people who've voiced complaints about navigating through SH3, despite the the game's inclusion of a clearly defined map that is accessable whenever you pause the game (unless there are still monsters in the room).

... If you found SH3's map concept frustrating, I can't imagine you having too much fun with Zelda I or III.

Actually it doesn't need to compete with the likes of RE and SH...I simply said it would give it a run for it's money if brought into today's modern gaming

SH3 didnt really have a map scheme...more of a "take it by ear" from the simple screams of the person you're trying to save.

Yes it was confusing at times since the rooms tended to look alike from time to time,

and how can you compare this to Zelda 1 or 3? That just came out of the left field.....unless you consider SH to be "The Lost Woods" which I can see it from that point of view, yet this is Splatter House 3...where sometimes a door can warp you back to an earlier place you've been before or hidden room...

If that's the case, then I guess you could compare it to Zelda....

Wait, why the fuck am I talking about Zelda Vs. SH? screw this derail shit....

Splatterhouse 3 is the highlight of the series and it was a damn shame it ended that way, still a treasure among any Genny owner...

[evildead2099]

Namco....why did you abandoned such a great series? They could have given Silent Hill and Resident Evil a run for their money if it went 3D!

I don't feel that the leap from 2D to 3D is ncessary for Splatterhouse to compete with Silent Hill & Resident Evil in terms of thrills, chills, and scares. SH3's music and backgrounds from the first 3 stages alone scare me more than everything that was crammed into the 1st Resident Evil.


Yet, the third and final chapter of Rick's journey.... I agree the maze like rooms were confusing as hell..

I'm sorry if this sounds condescending, but I'm alarmed by the number of people who've voiced complaints about navigating through SH3, despite the the game's inclusion of a clearly defined map that is accessable whenever you pause the game (unless there are still monsters in the room).

... If you found SH3's map concept frustrating, I can't imagine you having too much fun with Zelda I or III.

Actually it doesn't need to compete with the likes of RE and SH...I simply said it would give it a run for it's money if brought into today's modern gaming

By "compete," I was implying the same thing you were when you said "run for it's money." So we agree that SH and RE/Silent Hill are comparable as far as scariness is concerned (or so I take it).


how can you compare this to Zelda 1 or 3? That just came out of the left field.

I mentioned Zelda 1 because a lot of people (yourself included) complained that SH3 was confusing because it wasn't as linear as the previous titles; if you didn't follow the map, you'd wander into so-called "dead end" rooms. If you couldn't use a map to work your way through Splatterhouse 3, I don't know how you could've possibly enjoyed Zelda 1, seeing as how that game is heavily non-linear (moreso than SH3) and practically obligates you to navigate about its dungeon rooms by using maps.

I for one appreciate the fact that SH3 is less linear than SH1, 2, and WG. The fact that you are allowed to forge so many different paths each time you play increases the game's replay value exponentially (nevermind the fact that you can strive to access coveted weapons and bonus stages in the process).

[MegaDrive20XX]

Ah okay, that makes perfect sense now, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. :)

Yes with you that SH3 broke out of the traditional pattern to give you more freedom.

[Ackman]

I'm sorry if this sounds condescending, but I'm alarmed by the number of people who've voiced complaints about navigating through SH3, despite the the game's inclusion of a clearly defined map that is accessable whenever you pause the game (unless there are still monsters in the room).

... If you found SH3's map concept frustrating, I can't imagine you having too much fun with Zelda I or III.

Gah imho maps in SH games were awful.... have you seen the map system for Resident Evil 2? Now that's a map system so much better, love you Capcom.

[evildead2099]

I'm sorry if this sounds condescending, but I'm alarmed by the number of people who've voiced complaints about navigating through SH3, despite the the game's inclusion of a clearly defined map that is accessable whenever you pause the game (unless there are still monsters in the room).

... If you found SH3's map concept frustrating, I can't imagine you having too much fun with Zelda I or III.

Gah imho maps in SH games were awful.... have you seen the map system for Resident Evil 2? Now that's a map system so much better, love you Capcom.

I own a copy of Resident Evil 2, and I don't feel that one game's map system is particularly better than the other one.

... Actually, RE2's map system ought to cause MORE confusion among gamers than SH3's map system, seeing as how SH3 assigns one new map per level, whereas RE2 features one general map which requires you to navigate per level (You could be standing on the second floor of an apartment building, but could in fact be viewing the floorplan of the building's first floor on your map!).

[Ackman]

... Actually, RE2's map system ought to cause MORE confusion among gamers than SH3's map system, seeing as how SH3 assigns one new map per level, whereas RE2 features one general map which requires you to navigate per level (You could be standing on the second floor of an apartment building, but could in fact be viewing the floorplan of the building's first floor on your map!).

Are you sure O_O ? I never ever had difficulty with any of RE2s maps IIRC mostly everthing enviromental is different and has a unqiue feature... and every place you've been before is highlighted so you know exactly where you haven't been before so no needless backtracking.

Whereas imo in SH allot of places look almost exactly the same and a necessary item will be in some really fudged up location.... and the damn train part.... :bad-words: zomg I can't stand SH maps.