Splatterhouse is a
horror-themed beat 'em up hack and slash video game developed by
Namco Bandai Games and
Namco Networks America and published by Namco Bandai Games under the Namco label (it was originally going to be released under the new Surge brand), released in 2010 for
PlayStation 3 and
Xbox 360. It is a
reimagining and a
reboot of the original
Splatterhouse which was released in 1988. Splatterhouse received mixed reviews. While its graphics, soundtrack and voice acting were praised, it was criticised for its controls, difficulty, glitches and repetitive gameplay.
According to Makoto Iwai, a then-senior vice president of Namco Bandai's American branch, he was tasked with finding a game to release that would be popular with American audiences. Realizing that a sequel to
Splatterhouse might appeal to older audiences interested in games like
Grand Theft Auto, and seeing
Capcom's success with
Resident Evil, Namco Bandai approved the concept.
In early 2009, BottleRocket revealed that
Namco Bandai Games had made the decision to cut the developer from the project, and had already taken back their console development kits. With no other projects or funding on their plate, BottleRocket was effectively shuttered as a result. Namco Bandai Games explained that the move was due to a "performance issue". The project was handed over to the internal development team at Namco Bandai Games who had recently completed
Afro Samurai. Weeks later, it became known that Namco Bandai Games hired members of the original development staff from BottleRocket to help finish the game.
The game's story and dialogue was penned by comic book writer
Gordon Rennie.
Howard Drossin composed original scores and the protagonist Rick Taylor (in his non-possessed look) was modelled after him.
Splatterhouse was originally announced by Namco Bandai on May 29, 2008, with an expected release for the
Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3 in 2009. In June 2009, Namco Bandai said that the game would be delayed to the following year, which they later narrowed down to a Q3 2010 release date.
Splatterhouse was finally released on November 23, 2010.
As part of promotions leading up to the game's release,
Splatterhouse was featured on the cover of
Fangoria issue #295 in June 2010. This was the first video game ever featured as a central cover on the horror magazine. The cover featured custom artwork by Dave Wilkins (the game's art director), and the article featured an interview with the design team by
Fangoria's lead video game coverage writer Doug Norris. In addition, Namco Bandai announced a partnership with
Globe International to create a
special edition shoe based on the game, and
Playboy featured character Jennifer Willis as a
centerfold in its December 2010 issue.
| Build Name | Build Date | Build Version |
|---|
| | |
| Splatterhouse | June 28, 2010 | |
| Splatterhouse | Sep 30, 2010 | |
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