The House of the Dead (series)
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- This article concerns the game series as a whole. For the first game, see The House of the Dead (arcade game).
The House of the Dead (abbreviated as HotD) is a video game franchise, produced by Sega.
As of 2005, there are four House of the Dead games originating in First-person Shooter video arcade format available. The main series all have common elements of a pair of agents teaming up to take on hoards of biologically engineered undead. The games are divided into chapters, each of which culminates in a boss battle against usually massive, terrifying creatures, named after the Major Arcana of the tarot. The games are all controlled with a light gun in the arcades, but can be played with controllers or a mouse on consoles or the computer.
Gameplay elements differ among the different games in the series, with each having different characters, firearms, and types of enemies. In many of the games, there are branching paths (determined by one's actions) and unlockable bonuses, along with different endings based on one's performance.
Several spin-offs to the mainstream storyline have also been produced (including a virtual pinball game, an english tutorial and a typing tutorial), as well as two films. In addition, select enemy characters appearing in the first two games were adapted into fully-articulated action figures by Palisade Toys, which cancelled the second toy line before street release due to limited returns from the first series.
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[edit] Main series
[edit] The House of the Dead (1996)
On December 18, 1998, the insane and disillusioned Dr. Curien plans to mobilize his armies of undead unto the unsuspecting populace. AMS agents Thomas Rogan and "G" are dispatched to his mansion to put a stop to the madman and rescue Sophie Richards, Rogan's fiancée.
[edit] The House of the Dead 2 (1998)
On February 26, 2000, Goldman, the man behind the Curien Mansion case, claims responsibility. Fueled by his detest of humankind's complete lack of responsibility toward its assigned task, Goldman initiates an attack on Venice while his Emperor project develops. Two new agents named James Taylor and Gary Stewart are sent in to tackle this case.
[edit] The House of the Dead III (2002)
In the post-apocalyptic world of 2019, Thomas Rogan and his team of commandos infiltrate the EFI Research Facility in hopes of finding the source of the planet's collapse. Losing contact with him, daughter Lisa Rogan and former partner "G" set out on a search and recover mission, unaware that what awaits them has ties to the distant past and the very genesis of the undead horde.
[edit] The House of the Dead 4 (2005)
This game is set in the year 2003 and fills the gap between the second and third games. It features veteran AMS agent James Taylor (who was one of the protagonists in The House of the Dead 2) and newcomer Kate Green, who are investigating the Goldman Incident of 2000. Following a sudden earthquake, they are shocked to discover that the undead from three years prior have returned, seemingly unharmed, and locked in a lab, but they soon break out and wreak havoc once again. Intent on preventing a nuclear disaster, they must once again cross paths with the seemingly deceased Goldman.
[edit] Spin-off titles
- The Typing of the Dead
- The Typing of the Dead: Zombie Panic
- The Pinball of the Dead
- Zombie Revenge
- Sega SuperStars' The House of the Dead EyeToy minigame
[edit] The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (2008)
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return Is a re-release of The House of the Dead 2 and III for the Nintendo Wii. It is largely the same as the originals, except for some minor changes. A new melee attack can be used to defend oneself and the game is Wii Zapper compatible.
[edit] Film adaptations
In 2003, the first film, directed by Uwe Boll and produced by Brightlight Pictures, was released. Given limited theatrical release with the intent of becoming a cult film, it served as a loose prequel to the game, but received poor reviews and little box office return.
In 2004, a sequel to the first film was greenlit. The previous director was unable to direct the sequel due to commitments to his other films, and Michael Hurst was chosen to take his place. This movie is the closest to its source, featuring AMS agents going to a school to stop a zombie outbreak from spreading.
Another sequel was announced. Mindfire Entertainment co-founder Mark Altman has stated in discussions that "It's a completely different approach to the material than the first two films and I doubt it will even be called House of the Dead 3."[1].
[edit] Key terms
- AMS - A government organization dealing with paranormal activities. Their ranks form the protagonists of the series, but by 2019, the program has been disbanded.
- DBR Corporation - A business conglomerate headed by Goldman, which funds Dr. Curien's inhumane experiments.
- Pandora's Box - Taking its name from the relic of Greek mythology, this pyramidal structure is a major plot device in the fourth. No specific details have been given, apart from a special ending in HotD 4, where an unnamed character notes how multiple similar boxes exist. Nevertheless, it seems to be some sort of underground vault connected to the secret DBR Laboratory, where viral samples and advances specimen are kept prior to being released.
- Genome Theory - A supposed theorem to approach immortality by cheating death. Both Curien and Goldman have proposed this theory and Harry mentions it in The House of the Dead 2.
[edit] Gameplay elements
The main gameplay mechanic is the gun. The type of gun varies with the game. The first two installments featured pistols, the third featured a shotgun, and the fourth featured a submachine gun. The player must clear each area of zombies. The instructions on the cabinets note that a head shot is the most effective way to kill zombies.
Successful clearing will result in boss battles. Before most battles, the game will show what the bosses' weak point is. In some cases there is no identifiable weak point. If the boss is shot enough times, he or she will recoil; otherwise, he or she will take one of the player's lives. All of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named after Major Arcana tarot cards. They are also classified by 'types', which are shown as either a number or Greek letter.
The first two The House of the Dead games featured civilians. If the player successfully rescued civilians from the zombies, the civilian would sometimes reward the player with an extra life. The last two games did not feature civilians. In the third game, occasionally the player's partner would get in trouble and the player would be rewarded if he or she saved the partner's life. Players can also obtain extra lives by shooting boxes, crates, vases and destructible scenery.
Each game has multiple endings, depending on how well the player did in terms of civilians rescued, shooting percentage, score, and lives left. Every game has one "zombie" ending where one of the characters turns into a zombie. There is also a different ending if two players are playing opposed to one.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Sega's official Japanese The House of the Dead III page
- Sega's official Japanese The House of the Dead 4 page
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