The lowdown on the classics

[DSSeraph]

Just unlocked the original Splatterhouse, and i had to jump right in to try it, so i figured I'd answer what any of you may be wondering about the classics.

The classic games do indeed play in 4:3, they aren't stretched, and no, there is no border, it's only blank screen on either side of a widescreen display. the first is unlocked after chapter 2, the second chapter 4, the third chapter 8.

Splatterhouse is indeed the original arcade version, with everything intact. It even has high scores! although i sincerely doubt they're anything but just local, before you wonder if they're like leaderboards. the one problem i found was that the music feels a little... overpowering. It kinda drowns out the sound effects.

you can move with the d-pad or analog stick, and every button but A(X for you ps3 owners) is attack, with the aforementioned button being jump.

[Dire 51]

Besides what DSSeraph mentioned, there are a few emulation issues with all three, plus some other stuff that's surprising. I haven't played all the way through any of them yet, but here are the big ones I noticed so far:

- In Splatterhouse the graphics on the upper and lower HUD displays flicker during the Poltergeist fight.
- Splatterhouse 2 and Splatterhouse 3 have issues common to many attempts at emulating Genesis games on other hardware: sound. It's not totally fubared, but some of the voice effects in both games are either sped up or garbled in some parts. The music is slightly slowed down as well, but if you're not used to the originals you probably won't notice.
- Some of the cutscenes in Splatterhouse 3, namely the ones involving Jennifer and David, have been replaced by artwork that resembles the original digitized pics. Most likely this is because they no longer had the rights to use the image of the actors that played Jennifer and David. I've only seen one ending so far and a handful of the cutscenes from stages 1, 2 and 3, but I'm sure most of the others were altered as well.

None of this affects how the games play, which is damn near 100% accurate to the originals.

[DestronPrime]

Does this mean the borders hamper the game on a standard definition screen?

[Dire 51]

Not really. They just don't take up the whole screen like they used to.

[DSSeraph]

i wouldn't think so, being they play in standard def 4:3. but i don't have an SD TV to test that on.

[DestronPrime]

Alright, thanks Dire!: D

[biggyman]

I checked out the intro yesterday and started playing SH3 after I saw the intro with Jennifer's eyes and the part at the end of the intro. Only the cut scenes with Jennifer and David have new graphics including the endings. rick's graphic never Changed. If you have the original SH3 or not download an emulator and you'll see the difference.

[biggyman]

Has anyone else noticed these imperfects in the games?


Splatter house arcade version missing the sounds in the poltergeist room level 2 boss The sfx of the knives are missing and the last part of the song where the painting flies at you is also absent.

Splatter House 2 the pitch of the music is wrong and when you first start the game the intro is pitched up so high Jennifer sounded like a little girl screaming.

Splatter House 3 The music pitch is too low and if you punch in the last stage password (SPOILER ALERT) PHENIX the mask will laugh like a munchkin Other than that the improved cut scenes of Jennifer and David were Great, it's a shame they couldn't improve the cut scenes of Rick.

[B-MovieKing]

Yep, Dire pointed 'em out in his review. Sound problems are pretty common when it comes to emulating Genesis games. It could just be nostalgia but I actually prefer the old cutscenes in three, but the new aren't bad. :hat

[biggyman]

It was pretty funny hearing the Mask laugh like a Munchkin!
Here's the track that is missing from The Poltergeist room on the Rom I found with the MAME Music player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EawxGhAdAUw

If anyone want's the mp3 let me know OK.

[Dire 51]

Merged both new topics on the classics into the pre-existing thread.

[biggyman]

Here's the link to the mp3
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TT0DAR9K

[Brick McBurly]

In the arcade port on the disc, the 'swooshing' sounds made by the flying bats are gone as well (at least in Level One).

[JustLikeJenny]

I may be in the minority but I didn't like the new "artwork" cut scenes in SH3. It seemed cheap and cheesy to me. And the "She is changed forever" scene on level 2 didn't scare me half as bad as the original live actor picture did/does (it still freaks me out to this day). That disappointed me a little but still loved re-playing the actual game itself on a console instead of having to use my keyboard. The Evil One made me his bitch... :(

[Brick McBurly]

Just played through the first 'on disc' game. Aside from the stuff already noted, the biggest disappointment is that virtually all of the cool sound that occurs when you defeat Hell Chaos is gone. Now it's just the moan and none of the 'escaping spirits' sounds. Fire sounds throughout the level are sporadic and poorly done too. As I think Dire already noted, the final level is made a bit tougher by the fact that you restart the level when defeated by Hell Chaos...not just directly fighting him again if you have lives left.

Bat sound in the 'floor knives' level is missing too, just like level one.

Gameplay is off just a bit. In the original arcade, you 'bounced' a little when hit, but not here. You also proceed automatically to the end after defeating all enemies in some levels whereas you didn't in the arcade (like the end of the first part of level 2, where you could formerly jump over the hole to the small ledge on the right).

And of course, you can't load up with credits here like in the arcade or change the number of hearts.

It's strange since both the FM Towns version and the Japanese PC versions are perfect ports-one would have thought it shouldn't have been hard to do one for the PS3/XBOX.

[Brick McBurly]

Just finished up 2. Most of the 'voice' sound FX are garbled, with the most noticeable being Jennifer's scream in the opening crawl, and the 'Gateway' level. Rick's incantation is little more than static/electronic noise now, along with the groans emitted by the Servant of the Loathsome Gods as it escapes the pit at the end. Otherwise, seems pretty good.