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October 2005 Issue 5 From The Desk Of CONTENTS: Mister Raroo From The Desk Of Welcome to our special Halloween issue! Mister Raroo . 1 Halloween is especially meaningful to Missus Raroo and me because it is our Enter The wedding anniversary. Obviously, then, we Splatterhouse . 2 couldn’t let the October issue roll by without talking about games that are perfect plays Assassinating for a spooky Halloween night. Gaming Standbys: Since there are so many games suitable for Halloween, it was tough to narrow it Killer7 . 9 down to just a handful for this issue. We decided just to trust our instincts and select Art Time With to write about the games that had some Shawnimal . 16 special meaning to us. Luigi’s Mansion , for example, will always remind me of the good Just My Type times I had playing it with our nephew Mario Of Game . 18 while playing Splatterhouse helps me to fondly recall my teenage years. To us, the The Suckiest most special games are the ones that hold Game Ever: Luigi’s some type of sentimental value. Mansion . 24 Thanks to Shawnimal for providing appropriately spooky artwork. And, as usual, Missus Raroo really worked her little Game booty off on formatting, editing, and Reviews: In One basically making sure what you hold in your Sentence . 28 hands is high quality. Thanks for reading! Drop us a line and give us your thoughts: [email protected] back that a Dreamcast update to the series was in development, but obviously nothing came to fruition. There was also loose talk of Splatterhouse finding its way onto the Playstation 2, but again nothing surfaced. Perhaps someday Rick will again have to enter a haunted mansion in search of his girlfriend, but until then, may I present a look at the four Splatterhouse games. Enter The Splatterhouse Splatterhouse (Arcade, 1988; Turbografx-16/PC-Engine, 1990; FM Towns Marty, 1992) When Splatterhouse was brought to the Turbografx-16, the graphics GROWING UP , I HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR and especially the gore weren’t quite up to the arcade’s benchmark, THE MACABRE . I had an affinity for but it was no slouch in its own right. The Japanese release actually cheesy slasher flicks, loved death retains a bit more of the arcade’s gruesome scenes, but the United metal, and always made sure to visit States version is still quite satisfying as well. In fact, at the time it the Haunted Mansion with every debuted, Splatterhouse was probably one of the more gruesome Disneyland trip. I didn’t discriminate games I’d ever played, despite being censored for US audiences. and enjoyed all kinds of gory fun, Zombies are smashed into piles of sludge, lamprey-like worms but I did have a special taste for the pounce at you, and a chainsaw-wielding madman tries to carve you more comical, goofy forms of horror to bits. It’s great stuff! entertainment. It’s no wonder, then, Despite my massive admiration of Splatterhouse, I do have to that Splatterhouse was one of the admit that it isn’t anything first games I purchased once I was groundbreaking. Controlling Rick a proud Turbografx-16 owner. is rudimentary: one button Debuting as an arcade game in makes him jump and the 1988, Namco’s Splatterhouse is other makes him attack. noteworthy for pushing the gore Throughout the levels, envelope into an over-the-top and Rick can find weapons almost-hilarious level. The game like a two-by-four and follows the cliché “rescue your a shotgun which help girlfriend” storyline that’s been used add a little variety countless times before, although as and make things the series progressed the plot easier, but they became a little more involved. don’t change the Basically, your character Rick (who looks like Jason from the Friday basic gameplay. the 13 th movies ) needs to enter a spooky, haunted mansion and Nevertheless, the brawl his way through ghoul after ghoul so that he can rescue his game’s straightforward girlfriend Jennifer. It’s pretty basic, but what makes Splatterhouse design doesn’t hinder its so special is that the content really caters to fans of the ghastly and fun,t and sometimes it’s almost appalling, which means it was perfect for me! a relief to put on a game like To date, the Splatterhouse series consists of four games and has Splatterhouse to sort of “cleanse the found its way onto a variety of consoles. Rumors persisted years GAME TIME WITH MISTER RAROO • OCTOBER 2005 GAME TIME WITH MISTER RAROO • OCTOBER 2005 gaming palate” after playing the more complicated and tiring games system is able to churn out some high-quality tunes. All of the that are so common today. background music is fittingly atmospheric and very well composed. One of my favorite memories of the game is that my dad actually Be sure to plug in your headphones for the full stereo sound and gave it a compliment. It might sound like no big deal, but for my dad lose yourself in the game! to even acknowledge a game’s existence, let alone give it some Ultimately, though, Splatterhouse 2 is a lot like the first game. praise, is quite an occasion indeed. The incident happened one cool The fundamental gameplay is almost identical, with only improved winter evening as we sat in the same room. My dad was busy graphics and a substantially increased difficulty being the only “new” preparing for a course he was teaching while I was occupied trying factors brought to the table. The rarity and relatively high price of to guide Rick through a creepy chapel. Suddenly I heard a voice secondhand copies may not be worth the time and trouble needed to proclaim, “These are good graphics!” If only the Turbografx track one down since the game doesn’t really provide anything that advertising gurus would’ve known what high praise this was, they gamers didn’t already experience in the first game. That said, I could’ve used it to market the game. I can imagine a sticker on the really enjoy Splatterhouse 2 for what it is and think it’s certainly game box enticing customers: “Mister Raroo’s dad says this game worth playing. has good graphics. Buy it!” Collectors of the rare and unusual should take special note that Splatterhouse 3 (Sega Genesis/Megadrive, 1993) an arcade-perfect version of Splatterhouse was released for the FM The final game in the series takes a significantly different approach Towns Marty, a PC-like console from Japan. Whether or not to the formula. Even though Splatterhouse 2 was a solid game, seeking out and purchasing a FM Towns Marty and a copy of Namco finally tried something new by doing away with the standard Splatterhouse is a good decision I’ll leave up to you. sidescrolling mechanics and instead incorporating movement akin to games like Final Hmm… I wonder if this is Fight, Streets of some kind of advance Rage, and Double Dragon. In other warning that the Mister is words, Rick not only going to be hunting down a moves left and right, FM Towns Marty next? but he has 3D movement in eight directions. Rick also Splatterhouse 2 (Sega Genesis/Megadrive, 1992) has a slightly deeper I didn’t find the first Splatterhouse to be particularly challenging, but repertoire of moves this sequel is really tough for me. Perhaps Namco heard complaints at his disposal, about the original being too easy and decided to ramp up the making the beat-em- difficulty in this follow-up. Whatever the case, I think this may be the up gameplay more toughest of the four Splatterhouse games. engaging. Since the game was designed from the ground up for the Sega In addition, the Genesis, it takes full advantage of the system’s strengths. The role of Rick’s mask multi-plane backgrounds look superb and the hoards of gruesome takes on more of an enemies are full of impressive detail. Namco didn’t hold back when integral component it came to the gross stuff, either, so fans of grisly horror will be in of the plot and gore heaven. Many people have criticized the Sega Genesis’ sound gameplay, giving capabilities, but I think Splatterhouse 2 ’s music proves that the players the ability to GAME TIME WITH MISTER RAROO • OCTOBER 2005 GAME TIME WITH MISTER RAROO • OCTOBER 2005 turn Rick into a super-powered zombie- I’ve already mentioned this particular Splatterhouse game in two smashing machine. Powering up Rick’s other issues of Game Time , so needless to say I really think it’s a mask is accomplished through collecting wonderful entry into the series. The game doesn’t fit into the trilogy, orbs throughout the rooms and once but instead is a “gaiden” installment more than anything else. While enough orbs have been captured, you there is still plenty of gore, Wanpaku Graffiti has a very distinct can let all Hell break loose. It’s best to atmosphere that separates it from its brethren. The game takes a save Rick’s special power for tough much more comical route than the other Splatterhouse games and spots and boss battles, but powering him its lighthearted nature makes it stand out as the best of the four. up again is quick and easy enough. The same gameplay set-up as the original Splatterhouse applies Progression isn’t nearly as linear as in Wanpaku Graffiti , but the big exception is that instead of using his the previous games.

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