If you’ve read my review of the original Splatterhouse for the Turbografx-16 or the Famicom exclusive Wanpaku Graffiti then you know I’m a huge fan of this franchise. These games manage to tickle both my beat ‘em up and horror itches at the same time. The original in particular was one of the most memorable titles I’ve played in my adult life. I’m still surprised that, with all of the gruesome violence, that these games flew under the radar whereas Mortal Kombat and Night Trap (for some inexplicably bizarre reason) were used to make a national case against video game blood and gore. The first release was popular, and so it’s no surprise that Namco developed a sequel. Interestingly enough they released this as a Genesis/Mega Drive exclusive instead of focusing on the arcade scene. This is why I missed out on it in my youth, but I’ve since rectified this problem by obtaining an original cartridge of it. It’s not quite as good as the original and is a little overly familiar, but Namco did right by their fans with this release in my humble opinion. Here’s Splatterhouse 2!
Right off the bat we’re off to a good start with a great opening sequence. It seems that Rick is grief stricken after the loss of Jennifer at the hands of the demons in the first game. The mask returns and tells him that she’s not beyond saving but he must return to where it all started. With this Rick once again dons the demented face accessory and sets out to rescue her. It’s a bit of a re-tread that’s for sure, but it’s more than forgivable considering the genre. Splatterhouse 2 is played much like the original. This is a side scrolling beat ‘em up but your mobility is limited to only walking left/right and jumping. Rick’s health is measured in hearts, but instead of the Valentine’s Day variety these are the actual organ. While standing your only basic attack is a punch, but while ducking or jumping this is instead a kick. To make things more interesting Rick can pick up and use a variety of very colorful weapons like in the original. The roster has been expanded a bit for this sequel. Lead pipes expand his reach and splatter enemies against the wall, the chainsaws and hedge clippers cut right through pesky demons, femurs crush foes to a mere puddle, and there’s more. Most of these are new spins on the old arsenal, but why go and ruin a good thing?
Despite the limited mobility the developers were able to craft some very interesting stages. Enemies vary wildly and include your common run of the mill type that simply walk into you, but there’s also those that clamp on to Rick’s legs, and others that shoot projectiles. The environmental hazards are once again a high point. Spikes raise out of the ground, and there are puddles (often that hide nasty creatures in their depths) that slow down your movement. The platforming elements have been subdued a bit in this sequel, but this is not a terrible thing. Normally I don’t like areas with forced scrolling, but Splatterhouse 2 uses this in some pretty memorable ways. Near the beginning you’re escaping an enemy kraken, and this returns later on for one of the best boss encounters across the entire franchise. Aside from what I’ve already mentioned several mainstays of the original game return here. There are no instant death pits, and should you happen to fall in a hole you must progress through a more difficult lower level. I always found that to be a fun aspect of the original game and I’m happy to see it return. Unfortunately some elements are a little too recycled. In one area you’re walking past pods that contain enemies within them, and this was more than a little reminiscent of the mirrors of the original. Tt seems like they used all their best ideas in the first title.
The most major complaint I have is this game’s length. On my first time through I was able to complete the story on normal in around thirty minutes. I can’t say for certain, but the original felt longer to me. Each stage was over when I thought they were just getting started, and I was left wanting more because everything is enjoyable. One of the weakest areas of this game takes place on an elevator which I thought was a little weak, and another has Rick falling into the abyss while battling monsters. These particular areas are totally forgettable and they feel a little lazy to be honest. Furthermore the boss encounters (for the most part) aren’t nearly as iconic or memorable here. For the most part they’re stop gaps between areas and several are largely forgettable. On the plus side the battle against the kraken aboard the speed boat is incredible. It’s one of the high points of the game, and the method by which to defeat it is pretty darn creative.
Splatterhouse 2 looks even better than the arcade version of the original. The first thing you’ll notice is just how colorful it is, and because of the fantastical setting this is a major benefit. In addition the animations are much more detailed. Rick moves fluidly, and while the basic demons and even most of the bosses move a little stiffly it’s all an upgrade. The backgrounds particularly look nice. There’s zero pixelation, and each place is very distinct form one another. There’s very little recycling as far as the backgrounds are concerned. The most impressive effect is the parallax scrolling. Normally this doesn’t impress me much, but it was put to brilliant use here and in some areas (the library) it actually has an effect on gameplay because you can’t see some of the ground based monsters. On the other hand the soundtrack doesn’t benefit as much from the enhanced hardware. The Turbografx’s limited sound chip really hit home the B-movie feel, and while the Genesis does an admirable job it’s not quite as memorable in my opinion. Each track is brand new however, and the compositions are very competent. There are even a few instances of voice acting from Jennifer, and they sound much more clear than they did in the Turbografx port of the original.
Splatterhouse 2 has a few issues that prevent it from matching the original, but I really enjoyed it. I would go so far as to say that this is one of my favorite beat ‘em ups on the Genesis. It’s obvious right from the opening sequence that this was no mere cash-in. Namco developed a competent sequel with this release. Maybe I’m holding it to too high of a standard. On its own rights this is an amazing game, and even though the allure of gore and violence has long passed in the face of the modern generation it still does an amazing job of hitting home the B-movie feel. If you own a Genesis and are even remotely interested in the genre then you should pick this one up immediately because it’s not particularly expensive. It’s also available on the Virtual Console for those who aren’t cartridge purists and just want to play the game.
