Dead and Unburied

Publisher Microids has announced that it will be releasing a physical edition of MegaPixel Studios' The House of the Dead: Remake �the "Limi?dead Edition" will launch on PS4?? and Xbox One later in 2022.

The Limidead Edition includes a boxed, disc edition of The House of the Dead: Remake on PS4 or Xbox One, complete with an exclusive lenticular sleeve, a sticker sheet, and card mini-standees of two of the game's iconic zombies. This edition was previously made available for Nintendo Switch back in May. It's hardly a super-duper special edition, but will serve its purpose for those who still like to see their video game library sitting snugly on a bookshe??lf.

The House of the Dead: Remake is a ground-up rebuild of the classic 1997 Sega rail shooter, and sees AMS agents Rogan and G battle their way through the terrifying mansion of quite-mad scientist Dr. Curien �facing down all manner of undead corpses, unholy test subjects, winged monstrosities, and the awesome and extremely dangerous "Magician." The remake adds features such as new weaponry and an all-new ??"Horde" mode. A Photo Mode allows monster hunters to capture all of th??e gory glory.

The House of the Dead: Remake is available? ?now on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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Remake rising on Sony platforms?

Eagle-eyed Reddit users are reporting that Forever Entertainment's upcoming remake of Sega arcade classic The House of the Dead has been spotted lurking about the PlayStation PS4 database. The rail shooter??'s resurrection is (currently) only scheduled for release on Nintendo Switch tomorrow, April 7.

As posted by Redditor "the_andshrew", the splash art for The House of the Dead: Remake can be found tucked away on the PlayStation Network backend, identified by its official Title ID: CUSA29479_00. This is the first major hint that the gooey lightgun blaster will come stumbling from its grave and onto platforms other?? than Switch. As of this writing, neither PlayStation nor Forever Entertainment have offered comment on the supposed leak.

The House of the Dead: Remake is a ground-up rebuild of Sega's 1998 arcade smash hit, which sees two special agents, Rogan and G, infiltrate the mansion of the maniacal Dr. Curien, determined to put an end to the terrifying and apocalyptic bio-experiments performed within its walls. The remake will feature a faithful recreation of the original game in all of its gory glory, boosted with the addition of new weaponry, unlockable galleries, a new "Horde" mode?, and Photo Mode capabilities.

The House of the Dead: Remake launches on Nintendo Switch April 7.

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Forever Entertainment is also planning a HOTD 2 remake

It's been long enough since Forever Entertainment announced it was remaking The House of the Dead 1 and 2 that I was caught totally off-guard when I saw the fi??rst remake pop up in a montage during this morning's Nintendo Indie World Showcase. Now that the dust has settled, here's the full-length trailer.

I'm glad The House of the Dead: Remake exists, and I'd be happy to see more rail shooter revivals whenever and wherever that makes sense. That said, I'm trying to reserve judgment on this one until there are concrete details — bullet points like "modern graphics and controls," "true to the original gameplay," and "multiple endings" can't do all of the heavy lifting. There are screenshots, at least.

On Twitter, the HOTDRemake account has been dodging questions about other platforms and whether or not there will be motion controls; the go-to response is "more info coming soon." MegaPixel did confirm a red/green blood toggle, and reiterated that The House of the Dead 2: Remake is happening.

I'm firmly in wait-and-see mode, especially until we know the price. Panzer Dragoon: Remake was $25.

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Five years away from retirement

I remember the console wars of the early '90s quite well. Those commercials and the ads in magazines, all trying to convince the youths of the world that either Sega or Nintendo was better than its competitor. We were a Nintendo household right up until the release of the PlayStation. None of my friends owned a Sega Genesis. In fact, for many years, my only interaction with the brand was through Madden Tournaments at the local Boys & Girls Club and a friend of mine who had the old Sega Master System. We played a lot of Thunder Blade on that thing.

For me, the distant relationship I had with Sega? ended when I got a Dreamcast and fell head over heels for it. It was a short-lived romance but it did convince me to go back and see all the Sega games I'd missed over the years. And wouldn't you know, Sega seemed happy to fulfill that desire by releasing compilations of its Genesis titles on every console released after the Dreamcast died.

Looking back at the history of Sega games is appropriate today as June 3 is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the company. Its first successful game was the arcade hit Periscope. Its first console was the SG-1000, a name you could only get away with in the '80s. Today, it reigns as one of the most popular gam??e developers out of Japan, and with its acquisition of Atlus in 2013, it owns one of the biggest JRPG franchises in the world.

I love the year or so I spent with my Dreamcast, but honestly, my favorite games Sega put out came long after that conso??le was put out to pasture. So to mark this 60th anniversary for one of gaming's most prolific publishers, I asked Destructoid contributors to share their favorite Sega games.

CJ Andriessen - The House of the Dead: Overkill

Two-thousand and nine was a great year to be a Wii owner. This is particularly true if you were into Rated-M-for-Mature video games. It was the year that brought us Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, Dead Space Extraction, MadWorld (another Sega-published title), and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. All are wonderful titles, but the one I'll remember long after those others fade from ??my?? dwindling memory is the one with a whole bunch of "fucks" in its script.

The House of the Dead: Overkill was the first HotD game I ever played. I wasn't much of a shooter fan at arcades, but once I saw that trailer above, I knew I had to have it. So I bought a couple gun controller accessories, and when it launched in February of that year, I became addicted. Easily the most over-the-top game I'd played to that point in my life, Overkill es??tablished my deep appreciation for on-rails shooters by combining the genre with my then-still-new passion for grindhouse films. It was kismet, this game, and it became the title of choice whenever I had a group of friends over.

It's a raunchy, incredibly inappropriate game, with one of the most spectacularly sickening final boss battles I've ever seen. Honestly, owning the game felt like having a dirty little secret, and there is no other game that's made me feel that way. And that means something coming from me because I've reviewed Gun Gal, Senran Kagura, and Omega Labyrinth.

Jonathan Holmes - Panzer Dragoon Saga

Speaking of secrets, I've spent most of my adult life feeling relatively alone with the knowledge that Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the greatest games of all time, and I'm relieved to have an opportunity to release some of that tension here in this post. One of the last domestic retail releases for the Sega Saturn, this third entry in the Panzer Dragoon series is a landmark achievement in fusing the 3D shmup action with traditional turn-based RPG mechanics. I've got a list of Sega games with cult-followings that I love to tears (Rez, Jet Set Radio, Rub Rabbits, Burning Rangers, MadWorld, Shenmue, and Billy Hatcher to name a few) and out of them all, Saga is the only one that's still ??poised to find mainstream success.

The only real ding against it is its length -- about 20 hours for completionists -- which is on the low-side for the genre. Other than that, everything about the game is ready to please the crowds. It's classy in that Studio Ghibli/Team Ico sort of way, packed with smart, strategic battles to keep you engaged as passively gawk at the enigmatic wonders all around you. I'm absolutely certain that the game would make ten times what it did originally if it were re-released today, with or without a visual touch up. The only reason it hasn't yet is that porting Saturn games to modern hardware is notoriously difficult. Though, with the runaway success of the Panzer Dragoon Remake, more gam??es built in that engine are all but inevitable. Digging into Sega's best saga may be something we can all do again soon enough. 

Adzuken - Out Run

In all my years of visiting arcades, I have never once encountered an Out Run cabinet. My first introduction to the game was through collecting. I’d picked up a Sega Master System, and while its version of Out Run is inferior to many of the other ports, it was enough to whet my appetite for more. I’m grateful then that it’s now widely available in various formats, from a mini-game in Yakuza 0 to enhanced releases in the Sega Ages collectio?n.

Out Run is unique for its time in that it’s a game about driving. Not necessarily racing, though you’re constantly under pressure from a strict time limit, but rather just the thrill of being behind the wheel of a Ferrari Testarossa Spider and cruising through the European countryside. Its branching courses ensure that each replay is unique and worth seeing. Its soundtrack was a fantastic mix of different styles, and let you pick which of its tunes you wanted to drive to. To this day, Splash Wave has a habit of sneaking?? back into my ears without warning.

My favorite game that I’m bad at, I’ve only ever seen the ending when the difficulty is tweaked down. Yet, I still play it frequently because, even though it has seen sequels and been imitated ma??ny times, it has never been outdone. Hopefully one day I’ll have a ?chance to sit behind the wheel of an actual cabinet.

Anthony Marzano - Crazy Taxi

Hey hey hey, it’s time to have some cRAYzy nostalgia? Are you ready? Well h??ere...we...gooooooooooooooooooo.

Picture this: it’s a warm summer day in the early ‘00s at the Jersey Shore. To escape the dread of swimming in the same water where sharks live, a young Marzano wanders into an arcade and sees a Crazy Taxi cabinet, the sounds of skate punk permeating through my young wannabe punk?? ears. I drop the quarters in and strap in for the ride...unlike a single one of my fares.

Of course, because it was an arcade game, I was destined to lose and then spend all of the money? I had saved up from working trying to be?at my previous best score. I dropped a good 30 bucks into the machine over the course of the next two days, all the while slowly getting better at it. Despite being just a tad too young for the arcade explosion, I still managed to eke out one happy memory of spending more money than I should have on an arcade game.

It’s an oddly simple taxi game, but similar to how Hotline Miami is such a basic concept but executed with flawless style, the overall package was superb. I really couldn’t explain it even back then, but I was enthralled. I still can’t explain my love of it. It just clicked in my brain and I loved it. Maybe it’s because when you grow up in a sheltered home as I?? did, you ?need to find small, acceptable ways to rebel. I would never be allowed to listen to Bad Religion openly, but since it was in a video game soundtrack it was acceptable.

Years later I am still trying to chase that dragon of my original arcade experience. My GTA V custom soundtrack is filled with almost all of the songs from the original arcade release. The Offspring’s Ixnay on the Hombre remains one of my all-time favorite albums. Hell, I even got The Simpsons rip-off (which apparently got sued for similarities), but nothing has ever come close to scratching the itch that I’ve had ever since my s?ummer vacation.

_{[Image credit: Boss Fight Database]}

Jordan Devore - Yakuza 0

For years, anything and everything to do with the Yakuza series went in one ear and out the other. I couldn't get a good read on it – what these games were really like to play from top to bottom, why fans raved, and how to break in as a newcomer – so I ended up staying out. You know those games/movies/shows you just haven't got to yet (and never will)? At a certain point, you shut your brain off. You gloss over them anytime they're brought up. It's easier. Simpler! Besides, you have other? stuff to check out.

That pattern went on for way too long, but things changed with Yakuza 0.

Fans said the prequel was an easy in, and they were right. Everything clicked for me. I've never ignored a game series for so long only to ?become utterly entranced when I finally took a chance on i??t.

The dangerous but cozy streets of Kamurocho. The "just one more chapter"-inducing twists. The balance between over-the-top video game cheese and somber, emotionally resonant moments. The wild mini-games, activities, and side stories. The surprising payoffs. The arcade brawler spirit. The larger-than-life personalities. The passion. Majima's unforgettable intro. There's so much to latch onto.

I adore Yakuza 0 and the decade-long journey it'll take me to finish the entire current series. Sega has no shortage of all-time greats to pluck from and praise, and Yakuza is up there with the best of 'em.

Josh Tolentino - Sakura Wars

Growing up in the SNES era, I was the resident "Nintendo Kid," and it wouldn't be until long past the Saturn and even the Dreamcast that I latched onto Sega as a maker of "things I like." That said, I probably wouldn't be the same person I am today without Sakura Wars. The desire to play Sega's 1995 hybrid of anime-girl adventure and steampunk tu?rn-based tactical play inspired me to take up learning Japanese as a ho??bby, a skill that continues to help me today both in and out of gaming.

That's why it's gratifying to see it return in good form as, uh...Sakura Wars, though in an era long past the time when Sega w?as known for hardware.

Patrick Hancock - Jet Set Radio

Not many people know this, but before I wrote for Destructoid proper, I wrote a community blog about why Jet Grind (Set) Radio was the best game of all time. It's still here, but it looks like it got chopped in half by time because I definitely wrote more than that and made more custom Destructoid sprays. Anyway, I? love this game.

The thing I love most about the rollerblading, spray painting, anti-establishment Dreamcast title is its attitude. It's as if someone combined the two beloved N.W.A. songs, Express Yourself and F*ck Tha Police into one video game. And I'll be honest -- it hasn't aged super well. Playing it now, even the remake, is an exercise in frustration as the controls seem to fight you at every turn. But damn, no other game makes me feel so cool. 

The music is what really sends everything home. Just boot up the official soundtrack one day and feel the attitude pumping through your speakers. Hideki Naganuma, who is a delight to follow on Twitter by the way, absolutely crushed it. The combination of hip hop and funk is pure delight. No game has ever come close to mimicking what Jet Set Radio and its sequel have obtained, though many have tried. I urge everyone to give it a go someday if you haven't because it's t??ruly a unique expe?rience.

Chris Moyse - Virtua Fighter

Sega are an embedded part of my childhood, responsible for hours upon hours of entertainment both in the arcades and on home consoles. As such, it's difficult to pick a single title or franchise from its enormous catalogue of classics. But when push comes to shove - or perhaps Giant Swing - I gotta go with the awesome Virtua Fighter.

Over the course of two decades and five mainline releases, Sega AM2 constructed a masterful, pure hand-to-hand experience with Virtua Fighter. While not quite as lore-filled, stylish, or even as flashy as its closest rival, Tekken, Virtua Fighter delivers tough, hard-hitting, and supremely satisfying fighting action, while truly embracing its mixed-martial-arts ethos of "What discipline do you bring to the ring?"

With simple stages and just three buttons, Virtua Fighter delivers a complex and deep but extremely accessible combat experience, easy to learn, hard to master. Each sequel sees the franchise fine-tune its sublime gameplay while filling out the roster with vibrant personalities and bone-busting techniques. This culminated with the 2006 release of Virtua Fighter 5, one of the best pure fighting games ever made.

Today, the fanbase constantly clamour for a new Virtua Fighter sequel, meeting each and every Sega announcement with bated breath. As the years roll by and the developer continues with its tired "We haven't forgotten about VF" shtick, you can't help but lose hope. But you have to keep those fires burning. It's simply too good a franchise t?o stay down for the count.

*****

Those are our favorites. Now it's you?r turn. Let us know your top Sega titles?? in the comments below.

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Another finger curls

E3 is less than a month away and we're starting to get news of some big titles that may be getting announced at the expo. While it's been quite some time since new Virtua Fighter and House of the Dead games have come out, I don't think fans ??are going to be jumping with joy over this latest announcement. Sega has unveiled that brand new pachislot machines based on the two franchises will be heading to Japanese parlors soon. The world keeps turning, I ??suppose.

Virtua Fighter Battle Genesis and House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn Battle Genesis were revealed in a Twitter post from the company's Japanese Twitter account. The slot machines are present on the show floor of G2E Asia 2019,?? an expo held in Las Vegas that deals with the Asian entertainment industry. Not much is known about the machines, but if you happen to be in attendance for this year's show, you can? play them.

Both slot machines will be made available in Japan sometime this ?summer.

SEGA_OFFICIAL [Twitter]

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Wow, I'm sure glad we found these mini-guns lying around.

In 2009, Sega released one of the best third-party games on the Nintendo Wii when House of the Dead: Overkill made its way to stores that February. It was one of two zombie killing games to hit the console that day, and while I do enjoy myself a Onechanbara slash-and-dash fest, Overkill was just too good to not dominate my Wii over the next two weeks. Hell, I? went out and bought a gun-shaped accessory just for that ga??????????????????????????me.

In 2011, Overkill was ported to the PS3 and that was it for the mainline games in the se?ries. Sure, there were?? typing spin-offs and a darts game apparently, but nothing new on the continuing adventures of whoever the hell is still alive. I think Kate Green and Agent G are still breathing. Anyway, all that changes in just a few days.

House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn will make its arcade debut on January 19 at the Sega Akihabara Building 3. According to Famitsu, Scarlet Dawn was developed using the Unreal 4 engine, so its porting possibilities seem really good if Sega should want to go down that route in the future. The two-player arcade cabinet will feature a few gimmick??s including an air cannon and vibrating seat.

There is an arcade here in town I found over the holidays that has a bunch of awesome and hard-to-find cabinets, so I??'m keeping my hopes high this finds its way to our shores in the comin?g months. It's been too damn long since I've emptied a roll of quarters into something other than a washing machine.

House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn [Sega]

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'I love the smell of napalm in the morning'

Typing of the Dead: Overkill has been getting some support since launch, and the newest D??LC to be added to the game is the "Movie Quotes" pack. It's priced at $2.99, which gets you a remixed set of phrases to type from various Hollywood films.

A variety of movies are represented it seems, from Apacolypse Now, to Die Hard, to Wes Anderson.

Typing of the Dead Overkill - Silver Screen DLC [Steam]

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When passion and a bizarre zombie game collide

To pretty much everyone's surprise, Sega released The Typing of the Dead: Overkill just in time for Halloween. In this sequel of sorts to the infamous Typing of the Dead for the Sega Dreamcast and Arcade, pla?yers must put their reflexes and typing skills to test as they fight off zombies with keystrokes. While fans of the series were delighted to have this game happen at all, this particular title almost never saw the light of day.

In an article from Gamasutra, Ollie Clarke, the founder of Modern Dream, opened up about the trials and tribulations they faced as developers when their studio faced closure. The closure meant the end of the titl??e, but in a last-minute deal with Sega, they just jumped on the chance to finish work on the game in just under six weeks while cramped in Clarke's apartment. "It's a credit to the original and how much of a following it still has, that in this day and age when a game can fall from view so quickly, this is exploding," say??s Ollie Clarke. "And no one who has been buying this game knows just how hard it was to get it released."

It's a very heartfelt and inspiring story, and well worth the read. In just a short amount of time, they managed to reconfigure the original game into what it is now, and ported the PS3 release of The House of the Dead: Overkill as an extra. Incredible! You often hear about the struggles that developers face when making games, but this particular situation is most unusual and shows that passion and dedication to the craft can ?pay off. 

The Typing of the Dead: Overkill is out now on Steam, and in case anyone who indulged in the Halloween discount feels guilty, you can always buy it again ?and gift the ga??me to a friend.

How Typing of the Dead: Overkill survived its studio's apocalypse [Gamasutra]

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Today's installment of 'Holy hell, that's a terrific idea!'

The Typing of the Dead has been neglected for long enough. Out of seemingly nowhere, it's back and available on Steam with a new installment, The Typing of the Dead: Overkill. Normally priced at $19.99,?? if you buy the title before November 1, it's only $9.99.

This appears to be exactly what the name suggests: a mash-up of Overkill with Typing of the Dead. Having never played that ridiculous game in any of its incarnations, that's promising. I'd love to go in fresh with these new keyboard controls.? (There's also a port of the game included as well!) It's not in there yet, but two-player co-op is supposed to be added in a free update.

Better work on that WPM.

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The Lost Reels on Android and iOS

Adapting light-gun series for use on a touch screen doesn't sound immediately appealing, but I'll try most things once. After all, The House of the Dead: Overkill was enjoyable for what it was back in 2009 on the Wii. Following a more recent "Extended Cut" release for PlayStation 3, Sega has now turned to the mobile market with The Lost Reels.

This iOS and Android title has of course incorporated in-game currency alongside real-world money. The $4.99 download includes two "movies," both of which consist of four levels and a boss encounter; a third movie ca??n be bought for an additional $1.99. Can't say I'm expecting too much out of this adaptation, but tapping to kill zombies could conceivably be stupid fun.

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Upon first seeing The House of the Dead 4 playing on loop in a hotel nearby GDC 2012 proper, I pondered whether or not I had played the game before. Seeing as how I haven't made any trips to Japan, ever, it qui??ckly became clear that no, I hadn't previously encountered the game. Rad. I've always liked the series.

Sega is bringing the game to PlayStation Network later this year with a fresh coat of paint and PlayStation Move support. For a title originally released in 2005, House of the Dead 4 holds up well, visually. It's got a faster pace and more zombies (enough to use grenades and not feel like a dick), but there's still campy dialog, those annoying jumping enemies, and giant bosses. It's decidedly House of the Dead.

We showed up uncharacteristically early to Sega's session, so the game was only playable using a standard gamepad at the time. Though far from the ideal scenario, it got the job done. Precise shooting wasn't particular?ly easy to achieve, but I liked using a quic?k up-and-down motion to shake off zombies.

I'm glad more gamers will have the opportunity to play ?this. It should be good, li??ghthearted fun and make for a solid PlayStation Network release.

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If you're anything like me you don't have any plans for Valentine's Day this year and you also like killing waves of zombies. Those two things aren't normally related whatsoever, but this year Sega is changing that. On Valentine's Day next week, the on-rails classic House of the Dead III will be exclusively coming to PSN with PlayStation ?Move support, multiplayer, trophies and an unlockable PlayStation Home item.

Are you a PlayStation Plus member? Well, you have two things to be excited about. One of them being the demo for House of the Dead III, which is only available to PS Plus members through February 21st. Next, when House of the Dead III releases in a week,? it'll be available to you for an additional 30% of its original $6.99 price tag. A free PSN avatar is additionally available to anyone who purchases the game.

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SEGA's first-person arcade horror shooter series, House of the Dead, is getting more of the HD treatment as the publisher has announced today that the third and fourth installments in the series will be coming to PlayStation Network. House of the Dead 3 will hit first, arriving on February 7th, with House of the Dead 4 due to arrive this Spring.

Both games are going to be all polished and shiny with updated HD graphics and will, naturally, support the PlayStation Move. This will mark the first time House of the Dead 4 has ever even appeared on a hom?e console, which is good because by the time it release??d in 2005 there were hardly any arcades left to find one in here in the States.

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The House of the Dead: Overkill is one of my favorite Wii games. Not because it's of the quality of its gameplay or its narrative depth, but because it's one of the most gloriously stupid productions ever committed to disc. From its record-breaking profanity to increasingly ridiculous bosses, Overkill is shameless on a beautiful level. 

Sadly, the game never sold too hotly, what with it being a vulgar and violent experience on the family-friendly Wii. With The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut, SEGA has a chance t?o bring its zombie-blasting, mother f*cking shoote??r to a more receptive audience. 

However, one h?as to ask if this 3D-enabled HD upgrade is worth dusting off for a second crack of the whip. 

The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut (PlayStation 3)
Developer: Headstrong Games
Publisher: SEGA
Released: October 25, 2011
MSRP: $39.99

For those who did not play the Wii original, The House of the Dead: Overkill takes the arcade on-rails shooting of the House of the Dead series and transplants it into an over-the-top grindhouse?? setting, as Agent G and Isaac Washington team up to chase down the nefarious Papa Caesar. Along the way, they'll meet audacious sex object Varla Guns and shoot their way through an army of violent unde??ad mutants and utterly horrific bosses. 

Much of the game is unchanged from the 2009 version. You'll defend yourself from incoming mutants using either the PlayStation Move or SIXAXIS controller while the camera does all the movement for you?. Bonuses such as concept art, 3D models or music can be unlocked by shooting special items in the environment whi??le health packs, bullet-time power-ups and grenades can also be fired at and collected throughout every stage. 

New to Extended Cut are two levels focuse?d around Varla Guns and stripper friend Candy -- Naked Terror and Creeping Flesh. Set in a strip club and slaughterhouse respectively, these stages feature fresh banter between the two extra characters, a selection of new mutants and a pair of previously unseen bosses. These new levels are decent and the bosses are some of the most disgusting ever seen in the series, although they're not quite as challenging as what the established stages offer. Also, the new cutscenes between Varla and Candy are rather offensive with the "dumb bimbo stripper" stereotype portraying Candy as borderline autistic. Her child-like personality is juxtaposed with so many upskirt camera angles that the? whole thing comes across as disturbing -- and not in a fun way. 

Extended Cut supports 3D (both stereoscopic and anaglyphic) and the game has even retooled itself a little to justify the experience. Stages and boss fights feature new elements that throw the combat right into the player's face, but while these moments might be cool for those wearing 3D glasses, they waste the time of anybody else. They're rather forced and come ac??ross as little better than when a 3D movie constantly tosses garbage at the camera in slow motion. It's tacky and excluding, not to mention rather annoying with excessive repetition to the point where even those wearing 3D glasses might get tired of it.

Naturally, the game's visuals have been up?graded in the transition from Wii to PS3 so that everything gets an HD lick of paint. That said, it's definitely still a very basic looking game, with awkward animations and simple textures remaining in place. While the HD boost is very welcome, the visual changes aren't amazing to the point of revelation and do??n't quite do enough to justify a purchase from those who have experienced it on the Wii. 

Even with the two new scenarios, Overkill is still a rather short game, able to be beaten in a handful of hours. There's a "Director's Cut" version that unlocks upon completion, extra guns to purchase with in-game cash and several bonus levels to keep things spicy but this is a game designed around replay and will only truly reward those who intend to keep beating the same stages in a bid to top their high scores. That poses a large issue, however -- while Overkill is a lot of fun, Extended Cut has taught me that it's not a game worth playing more tha??n once. 

Playing The House of the Dead: Overkill a second time round, I found it significantly less entertaining than it was on the Wii. Much of this is due to the shock value fading away as the endless stream of swearing and sex jokes fails to maintain the element of surprise. Initially hilarious, the vulgarity comes across as rather desperate on a second playthrough. The relative ease and simplicity of the game compared to others in the House of the Dead series if far more evident, too.

That does not mean the game will fail to amuse new players. What it does mean, however, is this isn't a game I feel fans of the original need to play. The visual boost is nice but not overly significant, the extra levels are nothing to write home about and the new 3D elements are annoying more than complimentary. Those who played Overkill ??in 2009 won't miss anything of great value by skipping over this new iteration. 

However, those who are yet to experience a game so foul it broke a world record for most F-bombs in a game will likely carve out a portion of entertainment from the experience. At the very least, it gives PlayStation Move owners a damn solid game to enjoy and one might imagine that Move owners are desperate for anything at this point. That said, the fact t?hat even SIXAXIS controllers are supported means that any PS3 owner can enjoy it. 

For those fresh to Overkill's saucy blend of violence and crude humor, The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut is a fun little game that will soak up a few hours and provide some laughs along the way. Those who have been to the rodeo before, however, don't need to get on the horse again. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the Wii version is better for not shoving the 3D gimmickry down anybody's throat and providing a more streamlined experie?nce without the addition of that infuriating Candy character. Whatever version you play, you only need one, because this is a game that just isn't as much fun the second time around.

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Halloween is less than two weeks away and that can only mean one thing: it's time to kick some zombie ass. Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is already upon us, but there's also another zombie slaughter-fest vying for your attention. It's an ultra-violent on rails shooter known as House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut ??and it's making its HD debut on the PlayStation 3 next Tuesday?.

If you didn't play House of the Dead: Overkill on the Wii in 2009, you should definitely check out the PS3 port just to experience the extremely over-the-top presentation and truly memorable characters. Also, Detective Isaac Washington's insistence on dropping an f-bomb every possible chance he gets is pretty awesome. As always there's a trailer to get you excited for the game. It's got a carnival. A zombie carnival.

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Yes. A crossbow emporium. A store -- presumably a large one -- which caters sol??ely to the crossbow enthusiast who has a lot of zombies to kill. What a wonderful world that must be.

God, how I love the marketing for House of the Dead: Overkill. In fact, I would go so far as to say I might be willing to purchase a DVD that contained nothing but the ads, trailers and other promotional material made for this game. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll all be included on the disc when Overkill releases.

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The nostalgia-fest that is The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut for PS3 continues with Sega's announcement that the game will support not only Sterescopic 3D on your fancy new display, but also t?he anaglyphic 3D of which we all have such fond memories.&n??bsp;

Indeed, those were the days: Braving headaches and nausea for the thrill of the third-dimension. Was it worth it? In retrospect, no. The House of the Dead is hoping to recapture the magic of that experience and, really, it's just fitting. If any game should have anaglyphic 3D supported, it's The House of the Dead. That's it though, no more.

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The new version of SEGA's lightgun zombie shooter House Of The Dead: Overkill has been refused classification in Australia, effectively banning it from sale.

"A game banned in Australia? Is it lunch time already?" is probably what you're thinking. But the banning of the upcoming Extended Cut highlights a few confusing aspects of the Classification Board decision. The game would have presumably fallen under the new R18+ rating, which is set to be applied later this year. The original Wii version of the game was released unedited in Australia in 2009 but this new version h??as been banned today due to "high impact violence." 

As the board report states:

The game contains very frequent, unrelenting and detailed violence accompanied by copious blood and gore detail inflicted on zombies and mutant beings. The player can use a variety of weapons including a crossbow that causes the zombies/mutants to explode on impact as well as handguns, hand cannons, machine guns, mini guns and assault rifles that may caus??e decapitations, dismemberment and blood spray. The "Hardcore" game mode allows the player to play in a manner that exceeds strong in impact engaging a headshot-only mode which results in frequent, detailed blood and gore as the zombies and mutants heads explode into bloody pieces that spread around the environment and onto the screen. The game also contains an "Extra mutants mode" which increases the amount of mutants the player must kill to proceed, resulting in an increased intensity and frequency of violence. In addition the game contains a baby mutant that jumps onto the screen and explodes into bloody chunks when killed.

Considering the reasons for the banning, it's strange that Deep Silver's upcoming Dead Island (zombie violence) and EA's Dead Space 2 (necromorph babies) were both classified at an MA15+ rating with no edits. Similar levels of violence are apparent in House Of The Dead, and yet it was banned.

SEGA has already stated it will appea?l the ruling and hope to have the game released unedited. It wa??s originally set for release in October.

House Of The Dea??d: Overkill Extended Cut ban??ned down under [Gamespot Australia]

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The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut will be presenting two all-new levels when it arrives exclusively on PS3. The first of those levels, Naked Terror, has been revealed today for your viewing pleasure. 

This level takes place across a strip club, city streets, and finally a bar. New zombies include mutant strippers and bikers, and you will actually step into the shoes of two fresh playable characters -- former NPC Varla? and her strippin' friend Candy. 

The two new levels will cover a side-story that runs parallel to the main Overkill plot. As if I needed any further encouragement to pick? this up, I'm definitely there now.

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I love House of the Dead: Overkill. One has to respect a really shameless bit of entertainment that doesn't care how trashy it is so long as people are having a laugh. Looks like that shamelessness is perfectly preserved in its HD re-release, Extended Cut. 

Here's a trailer showing off ?the game in all its gory, sweary glory. Have fun!

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Long game names lead to boring headlines, due to me not having enough words to fit in all the information! There's quite a bit of information to get through, too, since the PlayStation Blog updated with a bunch of new assets and details for The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut. 

SEGA is proclaiming this to be more than a mere HD lick of paint, promising a "fully remastered" version of the original Wii title. As well as glossy graphics and surround sound, Extended Cut will also feature new weapons, leve?ls, z??ombies, and modes, with loads more besides. 

Check below for the full list of new additions. There's quite a bit. Game'??s out Oc?tober 25.

• PlayStation Move and Sharp Shooter compatible
• OVERKILL fully remastered – available in high definition, with stereoscopic 3D for the first time ever
• Extended with 2 additional levels not featured in the original game
• Exclusive crossbow weapon
• New baby mutant type
• New Hardcore Mode – mutants can only be killed with headshots
• New Classic Mode – play through the entire game using only the AMS Magnum
• Exclusive Missing Reel – an extended boss fight with “Mother” in “OVERKILL”, the game’s final level
• Online leaderboards to track high scores and player statistics
• Collectibles to grab throughout all levels to unlock bonus materials; comic pages, music tracks, 3D models and 2D artwork
• New PlayStation Trophies to unlock
• Improved boss fights in all levels
• New and improved cutscenes using motion capture
• And more still to come!

The post House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut pics, details! appeared first on Destructoid.

The previous E3 trailer for SEGA's Rise of Nightmares ??wasn't very good to say the least, but now there's finally a trailer that shows the actual game. What a world of technological marvels we live ??in.

The trailer shows you that the game is basically House of the Dead for Kinect, providing a huge Overkill vibe -- without the 70s grindhouse theme, but with the 70s film effect. And just like that, Rise of Nightmares became my most-anticipated Kinect game that isn't Dance Central.

Color me surprised! But if someone at SEGA doesn't include a scene where you have to reach out your hand and open a door yourself, fully aware that something scary will be lurking behind that door in the dark like in every single American B-horror out there, I'll be very disappointed. Don't let m?e down, SEGA.

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Tara Long and I checked out the upcoming House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut, coming soon to PlayStation 3. Sporting a lovely visual upgrade with rather impressive use of 3D and the excellent accuracy of the PlayStation Move controller, it's taken a game that I already liked an?d turned into one I'm excited to play again.

Check out the video for more of our impressions and stay tuned for more E3 coverage f?rom Tara and I as the night progresses.

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House of the Dead: Overkill is heading to the PlayStation 3 with full Move, 3D support and Sharp Shooter rifle shell support. The once Wii exclusive is getting majorly overhauled and will feature about 60 perc?ent more content. There will be new enemies, new levels, new weapons, more unlockables, more audio tracks and more more more! There's even a mini-game during cutscenes where you can shoot at censored words so the censor bar gets knocked off.

The difficulty level has been increased for all you masochists, especially with the boss battles. Sega has also updated the?? zombie bodies and it's all now based on motion captured movements and uses realistic ragdoll physics. 

I played the updated House of the Dead: Overkill and it still feels like the same light gun-style game you would expect. Plenty of things to shoot at with plenty of gore to spare. You can expect Overkill to be released on October ?25 i?n America and October 28 in Europe.

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Well what do you know? The PlayStation Move was good for something after all! SEGA has announced The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut, an enhanced version of the hilarious Wii shooter, exclusively for PS3. 

As well as the original seven stages, Extended Cut features two brand new levels. There will also be fresh game modes and the obligatory Trophy support. It's scheduled to launch October 25, just in tim?e for Frightening Halloween Day. 

I ??loved the original. I'll be getting this wit?hout a doubt. Motherf*cker!

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