Permit a brief, non-metal, but important aside to instruct all of you to go see Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. One of the best movies of the year. Brilliant without measure. Only time I have never wanted to shoot Michael Cera for being the key part of a movie (Superbad doesn’t count, he’s just a straight-man spring-board for the funnier people). The video game references are out of this world, and having to match up the noise in the background with the correct game, sitcom, or Zelda Dungeon is mind-boggling. Every game geek in the sound of my voice needs to run to a theater and see this movie right now. Trust me, seeing a stage boss explode into a pile of coins in live action is one of the greatest things you’ll see this year, and if you don’t start thinking of Castle Crashers, dude, honestly!
The title says it all… The title implies it all. Video Games in the current console generation (and some of the previous) have tried more and more to resemble the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. You know what games I appreciate more though? The ones that try to look like the covers of my favorite Rock and METAL albums. Anyone still with me for the past year will no doubt remember my amorous relationship with Brutal Legend. With more and more big name titles getting pushed back for 2011 releases, thank god Namco stood up this Fall season to declare that Video Games are METAL for a second year in a row with the upcoming release of Splatterhouse (2010).
So far, 2010 is shaping up to be the year the games industry dusted off games we haven’t played in 10 years. Case in point: Marvel Vs Capcom, Goldeneye, Donkey Kong Country, X-Com, etc. Amongst these, probably the most appropriate title to get a next-gen revival is Splatterhouse. Splatterhouse was a side-scrolling arcade gem back in the 80’s, most notably for being extremely violent. When the original was ported over to the TurboGrafx 16 it became one of the first games to come with an advisory label printed on the box. The game coming out this October will be a reworking of the original story… except, this time, actually weaves the story into the actual game. You still play as Rick, a scrawny college student who goes to the mansion of his teacher, Dr West, with his girlfriend Jeniffer. Not long after arriving at the mansion, West is shown to be an insane psychopath who creates monsters, tries to kill Rick and kidnaps Jen to the depths of his mansion. In a last ditch effort to stay alive, Rick gets a hold of an ancient, mystical mask, that transforms him into the Hulking Behemoth you see on the picture of this article.
Ok, this being a preview, let’s talk why you should care about the Splatterhouse remake. First off, BLOOD! This game is probably the goriest title to be released this year, and keep in mind this is running with solid competition from Mortal Kombat 9. Blood drenches every level, squished brains are smeared into the walls, and entrails hang from the ceiling. However, not only for it’s own gratuity, blood actually keeps your character strong, healthy, and give him access to the better moves. Don’t just chop off an enemy’s head and throw it away, that blood can be used for experience points. You soak in a lot of blood and you can call on long blades out of your arms to slice-n-dice the nightmarish creatures. Also, that blood can be used to regenerate a limb that a mad-butcher just lobbed off. No, actually a clip Namco has shown has revealed that Rick can lose an arm, regenerate a new one soon, and beat monsters to death with the old one. Br00tal!!
Second reason you should care, all 3 original side-scrollers are going to be on the disc. Calling all Retro-Gamers, this game is a love-letter just for you. Not only reliving a couple classics, but the new game is also a throw-back in many senses. A classic beat-em-up style gameplay, with a couple side-scrolling levels added in just for good measure. Finally, here’s the litmus test that put this game in the absolute MUST category for me, IT IS FUCKING METAL!!! Looking on the game’s website, http://us.splatterhousegame.com/, the game is packed to the brim with tracks from today’s biggest names in METAL. Bands like Lamb Of God, Mastodon, High On Fire, The Haunted, Five Finger Death Punch, Cavelera Conspiracy, and Municipal Waste are listed on the game’s soundtrack. Adding into the fray, Veteran Game Composer Howard Drossin is displaying 4 samples on the game’s site. The tracks sound completely legit, and need I remind you he composed the music for Comix Zone back on the Genisis, one of the earliest METAL games ever!
What is it about METAL and Video Games that mixes so well? Why is there nothing quite like a headshot while listening to Metallica’s For Whom The Bell Tolls? Do these two mediums have an esoteric connection that’s magnetic to the most misfit-ish of us? Point is, the more insane the landscape or the more epic the fight, METAL seems to be that key ingredient that makes an excellent game an insane game. The all-too-satisfying kill-streak is as METAL as the most elaborate guitar solo. Perhaps it’s just too coincidental a pairing to pass off when you rip off someone’s head while you’re screaming Cannibal Corpse lyrics.
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