Splatterhouse

Manufacturer: Namco
Year: 1988
Class: Wide Release
Genre: Scrolling Fighter
Type: Videogame

Monitor:

Orientation: Horizontal
Type: Raster: Standard Resolution
CRT: Color

Conversion Class: Namco System 1 - JAMMA
Number of Simultaneous Players: 1
Maximum number of Players: 2
Gameplay: Alternating
Control Panel Layout: Single Player Ambidextrous
Controls:

Joystick: 8-way
Buttons: 2 [Attack|Jump]

Sound: Amplified Stereo (two channel)

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Splatterhouse Instruction Card ImageSplatterhouse PCB Image

Splatterhouse Description

The player controls Rick, a parapsychology student who was murdered by undead monsters on a visit to the West Mansion (Splatterhouse). Resurrected by the "Terror Mask," Rick must kill his way through an army of ghouls and demons in order to rescue his girlfriend.

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Cabinet Information

The side art shows Rick chopping a monster.

Cheats, Tricks and Bugs

There is a secret move called the "slide kick," but it is hard to pull off. Jump forward into the air, then press diagonally Down+Jump+Kick. Rick will slide forward for a short time, killing anything in his path. Also, if you see another weapon that you want to carry, pick it up. You will drop your current weapon, but a "foot" or so in front of you. Repeat this process to move both weapons forward along with you. This is helpful with the two shotguns in the "chainsaw man" level.

Game Introduction

The place was called the West Mansion. But, to all who knew its legend, it was known as "Splatterhouse." It was once the home of the famed parapsychologist, Dr. West. There was a research lab in the house where Dr. West conducted some of his most gruesome experiments. It was even said that it was in this house that he created the most hideous creatures that ever walked the face of the Earth. But no one knew for sure. Dr. West had not been seen or heard from in years, and no one who has ever gone into the mansion has lived to tell the tale. Rick and his girlfriend, Jennifer, were parapsychology majors at the local university. They were both very interested in the works of Dr. West as he was the most famed parapsychologist in the world. One day, they decided to visit the abandoned West Mansion as part of a project they were working on in school. As they walked towards the house, it started to rain. They entered. All went dark. Lightning cracked through the sky. There was a frantic scuffle. Then, a scream. And suddenly Jennifer was gone. Rick's unconscious body was covered with blood. Hours later, Rick awoke to a fantastic horror-He was alone and drenched with blood. But, the most terrifying thing of all was that a hideous mask covered his face. He had read tales of this "Terror Mask" in Dr. West's writings-it was said to have ancient spiritual powers. As his only hope, Rick must depend on this mask to give him the strength and courage to find Jennifer.

VAPS Arcade Census

GAMES OWNED, WANTED, or FOR SALE BY MEMBERS OF THE VIDEO ARCADE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

Common - There are 24 known instances of Splatterhouse owned by one of our 900 members. Of these, 3 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet, and 21 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

Of the 57,098 video games (3,420 unique) tracked by the Video Game Preservation Society, this game ranks a 10 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on ownership records.

Wanted - There are 3 VAPS members currently looking for Splatterhouse. There is one VAPS member looking for a Splatterhouse circuit board set.

For Sale - There are 0 VAPS members with extra Splatterhouse circuit boards for sale. VAPS members are totally independent of VAPS and the International Arcade Museum, and we are unable to recommend, endorce, or guarantee any person or company selling games or game parts.

Rarity is NOT necessarily an indication of value. Some common games show up as very rare here because collectors don't want them (they are common because arcade operators might be sitting on tons of them in warehouses), while some fairly scarce games are grabbed by collectors every time they show up. Additionally, some games made in the last 5 years are still making money for operators and are thus not yet affordable to the typical collector. For a clue to value, compare how many people have this game vs. how many people want this game and then click on the eBay links to help determine an accurate price range.

Trivia

The character in the game may look like Jason Voorhees from the Friday The 13th movies, but he is just a college student who is fighting for his life. The "Hell Mask", despite looking like a hockey mask, is intended to be an Aztec sacrificial mask, like the one in the anime/manga "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure." Also, supposedly this is the mansion of Dr. Herbert West, H.P. Lovecraft's "Reanimator."

This game was ported to a few consoles including the NEC PC-Engine, Turbo-Grafix 16 and, later, Fujitsu's Marty. The sequels, "Splatterhouse II" and "Splatterhouse III", were released only on the Megadrive. Namco also released a SD (Super Deformed) version for the Famicom.

eBay Listings

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Manuals

Manual 3 Pages, 12 KB File.

Splatterhouse - Title screen image

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Splatterhouse - Image
Photo contributed by: Thomas Welch

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