DF Retro: The Splatterhouse Saga - Horror Brawling Revisited On Arcades & Consoles

[@deepblue8143]

Lol at the moment Richard makes a cameo!! That was classic, I love DF!

[@mariuszj3826]

"real life murderers.." hahaha, bam richard confused

[@RafaCoprimo]

10:31

[@robmann5367]

Really enjoyed seeing Derek from Stop Skeletons from Fighting! Love his retro stuff too, I'd enjoy seeing more teamups!

[@SergeJeanArminass]

it's Uncle Derek btw

[@JKSmith-qs2ii]

The happy video game nerd you mean?

[@theninjamaster67]

@@JKSmith-qs2ii Nah Derek from the music group Starship Amazing!

[@Rountree1985]

Yeah Derek is awesome. Even his old HVGN videos still hold up, even if the production value is not great. I kinda like the amateur-ish style of those old videos, it’s kinda nostalgic, like the older AVGN videos.

[@gregoryberrycone]

Seeing Derek from stop skeletons was such a cool surprise. I really love their channel. We need an episode on classic PC RPGs, Ultima and wizardry specifically and the way their visuals evolved

[@richardwilliams877]

HEY IT ME DEREK IT ME DEREK :d:D:D:D

[@Fuuntag]

First thing I thought when seeing this video in my subscriptions," If Derek isn't in this...".

[@That_Lady_Charlie]

I appreciate how he spoke about the game's feel, which adds a really nice personal touch to a technical video!

[@85wastedyears]

He's a patreon beggar....

[@richardwilliams877]

@@85wastedyearsand your point is?

[@dire51]

Rob from West Mansion: The Splatterhouse Homepage here. Nice work! It was a pretty thorough look at the entire series, which I can certainly appreciate. I thought your assessment of Splatterhouse 2010 was fair, and well thought out - and on the technical side of things, I did learn something I didn't know, regarding the original arcade board. I'll be linking to this video on the site soon.

[@papelli91]

thanks for all you've done & continue to do, rob. cheers

[@Psyrgery]

Hey Rob, you are awesome. Made buy Splatterhouse 2010 and you know what? I LOVED IT. Your website also made me love the series even more, that's what your passion and dedication made. Great to see you here!

[@dire51]

@@papelli91 no problem! And thank you.

[@dire51]

@@Psyrgery thank you! Hope you've been enjoying the site revival!

[@casedistorted]

I learned about the original arcade board and game too, I had no idea about it at all despite renting Splatterhouse 2 and 3 all the time as a kid.

[@aL3891_]

So great to see uncle Derek in this one as well, was thinking back to his retrospective when I saw the topic :)

[@Sedifet]

How is your comment 1 month old? Or is it just showing that to me? But yeah, was great to see Derek in this! Love his videos. His thoughts on Wildguns made me an old school Natsume fan many years ago

[@BooBanana]

@@Sedifet i was thinking the same thing!

[@BooBanana]

@@Sedifet Also god bless you!

[@aL3891_]

@@Sedifet Patreon :)

[@85wastedyears]

He's a patreon beggar....

[@livingcorpse5664]

I love that they show Rich instead of real life murderers when mentioning one of the inspirations for Splatterhouse was real life killers, not only a great gag but also a way to stick it to serial killers who want fame and attention, a great way to avoid sensationalizing them like the news does.

[@TheBean87]

Well said.

[@AthosJosue]

Yeah... "instead" 😬

[@glinteastwood]

@@AthosJosue Oh daaamn! Haha. Going for the jugular. Well, if I had to get murdered by someone, I’d hope that they were as civilized and intelligent as R.L.

[@KenHeslip]

Oh...so they weren't implying that Rich was a murderer then. 😆

[@otaking3582]

Since when has that ever been the reason why serial killers do their killing?

[@BuzzaB77]

I absolutely love how the mega drive's Yamaha chip was utilised for the music in splat 2

[@Doc_Valparaiso]

Yeah. It was really good. Like, Castlevania good (imo ofc). I'm not a dev so it's a little harder to articulate. But, I'll say that some of the sounds that were typical for Genesis/MD's Yamaha chip were used in such a fashion that the soundtrack itself sounds better than you'd expect it to on the hardware. The composer(s) really mastered that Yamaha!

[@daveruda]

Agreed! I wish they put the same effort into the sound effects as the music. It would elevate it to the arcade level.

[@That_Lady_Charlie]

Hey, it's Derek! I appreciate hearing him speak about the game's feel, because it adds a really nice personal touch to a technical channel!

[@prowokator]

I still remember playing the arcade version of the game back in late 80s early 90s. Man those arcades were so cool, dark, full of loud sounds and bright Neon lights, scary older kids, mind blowing graphics and games.

[@aceofhearts573]

I grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s so I saw the eventual end of the arcades at least in America. I remember going to the mall every day after school and getting a dollar or two to play arcade games before I went back to the food court to eat. One day I went to the mall and the arcade was closed. Tragic end but I am glad I got to play the final arcade games like CarnEvil, Capcom vs SNK, Crisis Zone, House of the Dead 2, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Silent Scope, San Francisco Rush... RIP arcades

[@prowokator]

@@aceofhearts573 Amen! Good thing that there are still collectors who run "private" arcades for the niche market. I doubt they really make any money but hey, it's not a real hobby if it doesn't cost all your money.

[@LobsterJim]

Incredible production and fantastic story… thanks so much DF team!!

[@jdocgaming474]

John, thank you so much for what you do with DF Retro and even more specifically, for Splatterhouse here! You are awesome and I cant get enough of these! I would lose my shit if they re-imagined the Spatterhouse franchise in Unreal Engine 5 with all the insane tech we have now. I not only still own these masterpices, but have played and completed all the Splatterhouse games (TG16, Genesis and 360) and I love and enjoyed all of them though the first was really impactful to me. That said, I have to mention I actually kinda liked the direction of Splatterhouse on the 360 and and would love to see another one on PC/PS5/Series X only (so as to NOT shackle them to older hardware). Good lord, could you imagine what they could get away with gore-wise these days (no micro transactions/NFTs/Games as a service bullshit plz)? Might be insane awesome! Or they could simply revisit the first two, but do a remaster of them while keeping everything that made those games what they were and still are today. Kinda like what they SHOULD have done with the GTA "Definitive" trilogy thing Rockstar messed up so royally.

[@snicksandstones]

The splatterhouse 2 mansion is actually a different one located nearby the original, the dialogue suggests Rick hasn't seen it before and that he doesn't know what to expect inside.

[@casedistorted]

i loved the 2nd game as a kid but I never understood the story at all

[@lordpicklenips3407]

Yeah, the JP version clearly states that it’s a different mansion.

[@GAMEPRODELTA]

​@@lordpicklenips3407and that Jennifer is trapped in the land of the dead.

[@evlofenn]

Me and my mates played this in the arcade way back when- we absolutely lost our shit when we first saw that Jennifer transformation, it was horrific and left us all a bit stunned. Seems silly now but we grew up in the arcades playing stuff like Terra Cresta, Moon Patrol and Mr Do, Splatterhouse was shocking back then. Happy memories- Cheers DF!

[@aceofhearts573]

Did your friends still like games or they moved on

[@evlofenn]

@@aceofhearts573 Most still game where they have time, it's a kinda lifelong obsession!

[@transtechgirl8786]

Oh yeah that time again, been really looking forward to this. Thanks John and Audi.

[@ChileanLeftist]

seeing uncle derek on a digital foungry video was a delightful surprise

[@duncanself5111]

10:33 😄 Excellent video 👍

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

Omg it’s Derek, it’s him Derek! I can’t watch his whole segment as I don’t want the spoiler, but he was a great choice for a special guest.

[@MattMcMuscles]

Yeeeah Uncle Derek! The best skeleton!

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

And who bought me that shirt as a gift??? Who else but my Skela-bro Matt!

[@CannonKnight]

I always liked he was wearing something like hospital scrubs in the first games. Dressing him like WWE John Cena in the last game and it not being an homage to horror/grindhouse movies shows they didn't really grasp the spirit of what those games were.

[@slopesgameroom]

Love me some splatterhouse

[@FunkyPertwee]

House by the Cemetery and The Beyond were the first DVDs that I purchased myself. I definitely recommend watching them with subtitles and the Italian soundtrack.

[@giftofthepadgii]

These retro deep dives by DF are so good! Congrats to John and the rest of the contributors on such an awesome series!

[@JeffSoulliere]

One of my favorite Retros yet. Great, and what a delight to see Derek too.

[@arioca]

You forgot to cover the emulated arcade Splatterhouse included on Namco Museum Arcade Pac for the Switch.

[@fensoxx]

Any good?

[@arioca]

@@fensoxx The emulation is pretty solid, it's better than the one found on PS3 and X360 because it doesn't have bilinear filtering and the audio isn't missing the flying bats sound effect. If there's one negative about the Switch version is that there isn't an option to make the background black.

[@Nolasco.]

Great episode homies. Thank you for your hard work, already looking forward to your the next project 💕💕💕

[@mickael486]

This episode was uploaded an HOUR ago. This liked comment was made a MONTH ago. umm..... ??

[@TheBean87]

@@mickael486 patrons get videos sooner.

[@daveruda]

I was one of those lucky to stumble upon this gem in an arcade when I was around 7-8 years old. I was instantly hooked by the looks and sounds of this game. It had a nightmarish quality that burned into my mind. The crt footage of the game looks absolutely spectacular. Thats how its supposed to be played. I really wish I could play all retro games like that.

[@Bt3615]

Excellent episode as usual. Also go for some more team ups with cool retro youtubers!

[@ZinhoMegaman]

John, you forgot the main thing on your Splatterhouse 3 covering: "Jennifer has become a mindless beast." Now everyone can thank me for the lost hours of sleep.😁

[@Resuarus]

It always blows my mind how in-depth these videos are. Everything from cultural inspiration to tech covered for an entire franchise in just an hour.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

Wow, Splatterhouse 3 had a really good idea with that map and open-ended design, more brawlers should be like that!

[@casedistorted]

I remember seeing it as a kid after being a fan of the 2nd game and not liking the idea. Can't remember if I even ever tried renting it because of that, doh.

[@gaylordfocker7990]

The time limit ruined it. Just like in Alien 3. Developers are pretty stupid to put time limits on games that require exploration.

[@plagiarize]

I love that decapitation sounds from the arcade version. It doesn't make any sense, but its so satisfying.

[@menydenisse]

Excellent, EXCELLENT video!!!! Thank you guys. Much appreciated.

[@TurboXray]

Just some peripheral info: The PC-Engine difference in missing detail, color, and frames isn't because the game is hitting PCE hardware limitations, but rather it's the limitations of the rom. Not saying the PCE doesn't have hardware limitations compare to the arcade graphics chip, but that this game doesn't hit the limitations on the PC-Engine hardware. Other than specifically reducing frames or tiles for backgrounds to get game contents to fit in a rom, PC-Engine games of that era typically keep the tiles/cells stored in 3bit color instead of 4bit color to save space as well, so this reduces color fidelity per area (tile or sprite) - keeping the game from being more colorful and more shades than it could have been. It's pretty amazing they were able to pack the arcade game into the PCE's game rom size of 4 megabits.

[@bb010g]

4 Mib or 4 MiB?

[@AceTrainerX3]

@@bb010g About half of 1MB

[@TurboXray]

@@bb010g 4 Megabit. (512 kilobytes)

[@JohnC19902]

Nice seeing SSFF Derek. Great inclusion.

[@damienthirteen1845]

This series really needs a comeback and/or re-release on modern platforms 🤔😏

[@SK91NO]

The first one is on a namco museum for Switch

[@tchitchouan]

it did in 2010 and failed spectacularly, so no.

[@RootVegetabIe]

@@tchitchouan That was eleven years ago and had a very troubled development. I don't care if it comes back, but you're just being snarky for the sake of it.

[@AceTrainerX3]

@@SK91NO And that rerelease (of the completely uncensored arcade version, mind you) got the collection a T for Teen rating. Meanwhile, the TG-16 Mini got an M for Mature rating when it included the port of Splatterhouse.

[@EBCHILL2]

10:33, scariest moment of the video

[@SirCalalot]

C'est magnifique.

[@d1jal]

I legit burst out laughing

[@Diablokiller999]

Loved the Grindcore soundtrack of the 2010 Reboot, on the gameplay side it was decent enough and you somehow totally forgot to mention the extreme gory kills. Given the rough development, it's a totally fine game. I enjoyed it a lot as a fan of the franchise.

[@TheLandofObscusion]

I understand John's complaints about the 2010 reboot, though he is seriously the first person I saw who actually didn't like the overall aesthetic (pretty much everyone loved Jim Cummings' take on the Terror Mask), but I still absolutely loved it. I played it after seeing Derek's old Happy Video Game Nerd episode about it, and while I fully admit that it is very flawed due to its troubled development history (seriously, John didn't even scratch the surface of the troubles brought up in that Polygon article!), I had a blast playing it. As for the future, Splatterhouse was one of the series that had an "Encore" trademark applied by Bandai Namco, same as Katamari Damacy & Mr. Driller had in the past. With all signs indicating that Klonoa will be the next one to have its "Encore" trademark result in an actual product, I am really hoping that "Splatterhouse Encore" winds up being a remaster of the 2010 reboot that fixes most of the technical problems (namely the framerate, insane amounts of loading, & the old games' technical issues). I'd buy that Day 1, without a doubt.

[@SuperFirstSecond]

I also rather enjoyed the edgy/chaotic tone of the 2010 game, gave it a real 2000 AD comics feel. Jim Cummings is an absolute highlight. I remember picking up the game at random in a Buy 2 Get 1 sale (I think Singularity and The Sabotuer were the other two, which I didn't care for) with no expectations and had a fantastic time. I was also super excited for the Encore leak, but recent trademark stuff seems to imply they let that one lapse, and whatever plans might have been scrapped. The fact that we've been waiting so long for just Klonoa is also a bit worrying.

[@jordanboyd5587]

I'm surprised he never touched on the story. I felt like the 2010 reboots story was really well told. It's essentially the same "Rick saves Jenny" story we've had, but with a more Lovecraftian twist to it.

[@matiastau8495]

I only played Splatterhouse 3 on the mega drive when I was a kid, and I loved it. It used to scare the sh*t out of me hahaha!!!

[@bio_cat]

I loooooved Splatterhouse on the TG16. Can't wait to watch this.

[@feverkane]

Walked into a dingy cafe in blackpool one night when I was a kid, and there, in the corner was a 'Splatterhouse' arcade machine. £4 later, I was hooked.

[@Hugovika]

Blackpool is legit! definitely goes with the grimy Splatterhouse vibe

[@SpacedAug]

It's always a good Sunday when DF Retro hits the notifications

[@cedarvalleygaming]

John and Audi, you guys are just killing it with these DF Retro videos.

[@PatrickF31]

An incredible video, thank you so much for the time and effort that was put into this.

[@itsd0nk]

Great video! That’s so bizarre how the 2010 vs OG music comparisons show they aren’t even in the proper key in the 2010 rerelease.

[@adamk.583]

This was an awesome episode, thank you!

[@Nachoonix]

I used to really love this game when i was a kid, and i still do! Really unexpected video, but awesome as always.

[@TheBandoBandito]

I'm always looking forward to the next DF Retro video. Good stuff as always.

[@StillTheVoid]

What a horrifying game series. I was expecting the controversies that arose when Splatterhouse came to west for its graphic violence and gore. One of arcades' first violent and gory video games. In all, Thank you so much for this beloved video; the editing and timing it took for completion was well worth it.

[@hugo-garcia]

Splatterhouse (2010) needs a PC PORT !!!

[@ARIXANDRE]

I remember playing the first game on my Turbo Grafx 16 and getting my mind blown with the gore and animations.

[@thebizzle413]

Splatterhouse has always been one of my favorite arcade games and this video explains why. I love this video.

[@badbaddison]

Great video. I have a fond memory of watching in wonder as someone beat the Jennifer level of Splatterhouse in Golden Penny arcade in St Austell Cornwall. Excellent game and excellent arcade.

[@Mercuriusfm]

Great video. Very enjoyable and informative. However, you missed it's inclusion in the 2017 Namco Museum for Nintendo Switch.

[@vectoralphaSec]

RIP to that lost PS3. You will be missed.

[@TimmyTurner421]

Really appreciate the DF Retro Episodes I hope they continue forever

[@Puppet_masterUK]

Fantastic video guys. Absolutely loved it. We had a cabinet in a cafe next near where we used to catch the bus to school, circa 1989. They had Wonderboy and Final Round (boxing game) too from memory. We'd rock up to the cafe an hour or so before we needed to catch the bus. We'd buy a slice of buttered toast and spend what we had left of our pocket money from the previous weekend, trying to get as far as we could before we either ran out of money or we had to run for the bus so we weren't late for school. Great mention for both the FM Towns and PC Engine which were legendary consoles back then... that nobody had ever seen or played on. One of our friends at school was Japanese and he used to eulogise about them as being "arcade perfect" platforms but also about how expensive they were compared to the NES.

[@alanlindsay8310]

The original arcade is still my preference. It had the best art direction, level design and creature design out of any of the following sequels.

[@Nocturn3]

Fantastic treat of a video. It's been about 8 years since I've seen Derek and its nice to see he hasn't changed much.

[@Drinkabeerandplayagameofficial]

The handheld version of Splatterhouse is one of my favorite little trinkets in my collection. It blows standard Tiger type handhelds out of the water. This whole series is so good, I’d love to see a new entry one day

[@capsel22]

Man the amount of research you guys put into those videos is insane. Well bloody done.

[@volkte37]

Enjoyable episode. I was lucky enough to play the arcade original around the turn of the 90s and it brought back memories!

[@Bushidounohana]

As a child of the 80s, I was torn over whether I would end up enjoying this video or not. The length of the video was almost prohibitive, but then I went ahead and pushed play for the grins and giggles. I came to the Splatterhouse series well after release, and never really appreciated it for what it was. I was almost immediately captivated by the typical gusto and attention to detail, thank you this amazing exploration of a series I had so wrongly overlooked in my youth.

[@anthonycitizencain]

Superb work everyone, absolutely loved this, thank you 😍

[@daserfomalhaut9809]

Dude the editing in these videos just bodies what most other video game retrospectives offer.

[@krushingbro6620]

i indeed had the pleasure of playing the rare arcade version of Splatterhouse here in the UK back in 1990 i was 9 years old and it was in a quiet seaside cafe and it had just one machine and it was Splatterhouse it always intrigued me and i felt it was a unique and uncommon game i always went there when i was at the coast for my holidays and played it untill a couple of years later it was magically gone and i never played it again untill emulation opened up due to mame. It stuck with me due to its atmosphere and style there really was nothin like it and it felt familiar in is gameplay due to it being like an horror/action/adventure version of Kung Fu master, one of the most important videogames ever.

[@aceofhearts573]

Something like that happened to me but it was Metal Slug from the Red Neo Geo arcade

[@Nihat86]

Welcome back. Love the video

[@adriensebbane]

It is an entertaining, well documented and well presented retrospective. I have never played the game but definitely want to ! The participation of Derek is also welcome here. Amazing job !

[@RoccocoVs]

Hey its Derek it's him Derek

[@pferreira1983]

Great retrospective, very comprehensive. It's a good series that deserves a return. A real shame Splatterhouse 3 wasn't given a PAL release. 😢

[@xcidgafhamas]

DF Retro together with DF Direct Weekly are my favorite segments!!!! Here's some algorithm!!!!!

[@wingn3849]

Excellent as always. Cheers mates.

[@alexmercer4860]

I love Splatterhouse 2010, too bad we didn't get a sequel

[@DuckAlertBeats]

Semi ironically or..?

[@alexmercer4860]

Not ironically. I really liked the game

[@Psyrgery]

@@alexmercer4860 you know, I always wished they wouldve brought the game to the Xbox Bc program and given it a res bump and fps boost. It would have made the game MUCH more better, and I love it even in it unpolished state. I love it unironically!

[@alexmercer4860]

@@Psyrgery Yesss!! it would be epic, but namco doesn't seem to care

[@annadeweese8573]

Namco cares, but because of the critics bashed it hard before the final product and bottle rocket, didn't listen to what Namco wanted the game to look like and feel, they were making a completely different game. Or well the head game designer. Which is why there will not be another splatterhouse. That and that is why bottle rocket doesn't make games they went out of business.

[@ThaMobstarr]

Man I love listening to John Linneman talking about anything. I sometimes just leave the video playing in the background. He could probably explain to me how toilet paper or rubber ducks are produced and I would listen to it.

[@TC-hf2lh]

I've been playing this for the last few hours. Very addictive!

[@Starless85]

Really love this mini documentary style. Fantastic, keep it up.

[@WMARUoriginal]

This video is such a masterpiece. I lost it at the Richard cameo though. Chefs kiss!

[@HELLBOUND364]

Uncle Derek sent me! Also just love splatter house never got a chance to play them myself but I really enjoy the game design from what I've seen in play throughs and such

[@burningtoys5519]

Great episode, guys! I loved it.

[@senseihEnRY16]

I never play any Splatterhouse game but i would watch John's amazing documentary of it any time of the day

[@lilwyvern4]

Every time I hear about Splatterhouse, I start daydreaming about how I would love to remake the original trilogy into a single continuous game. If only there were some way to magically turn one's imagination into something real.

[@GeneFJacket]

Count me as one of the few who love the 2010 version, despite its technical issues. Still have my original copy AND the Terror Mask pre-order bonus statue. I'd give my big toe for someone to take another crack at the series today, and am genuinely surprised Namco never used Rick in anything else. He'd be a fun addition to Tekken or SoulCalibur or, if I had my druthers, as a guest character in Mortal Kombat where he would perfectly fit in.

[@aceofhearts573]

So sad there was no PC port of that game

[@GeneFJacket]

@@aceofhearts573 Even worse, it's one of the few games that still doesn't work via emulation through RCPS3 or Xenia.

[@BooBanana]

So awesome to see this series getting some love from you guys! Wish the ps3/360 reboot sold better so this series could keep going. Such an underrated game.

[@dradis1]

Oh man, so many memories from this game. My babysitters husband had a Turbo Grafx 16 with Splatterhouse and Bonk. I spent many hours on the couch playing these games (poorly). Good times!

[@madmartigan9931]

I always liked the fact that Jim Cummings (voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tiger) did the voice of the mask in the 2010 game.

[@AnthonyRiddle]

I've never played any of the SplatterHouse games. I've always known about them but have overlooked them all these years. Not anymore. I didn't realize how much of a masterpiece they are claimed to be. That changes today. As soon as I'm finished watching this video I'm diving head first into them. Thank you for opening my eyes to a game I never considered before.

[@fensoxx]

It’s been like over thirty years for me but I do remember it being super hard. Maybe that was just my young self sucking at gaming at the time. Good luck!

[@Eternalduoae]

I can't believe the quality of this documentary... :) and i can't believe that we lost a PS3 during the production. :( Great work! *Pours one out*

[@iconofsin4578]

Woah that dereks shirt is amazing!

[@knobbylaad]

i remember completing arcade version of this back in day ! classic !

[@HellionArisen]

I know this video came out over two years ago now, but where has it been all this time? This video is the perfect Halloween video for Splatterhouse fans!

[@marcgilray]

One of my favourite videos. Hummer and quality crossover.

[@Notsram77]

Having grown up in San Diego, it's odd hearing Carlsbad mentioned in a Digital Foundry video XD

[@stephaneponcet5293]

What about the Switch arcade port? It's emulation but it's very good and comes with an online leaderboard, it's worth mentioning.

[@thetechn1que518]

0:30:09 You say Jason’s hockey mask was made famous in 1980’s Friday the 13th, but I know you know that’s wrong. Jason only appears for a few seconds in that movie, unmasked, as a child. There’s no hockey mask in 1981’s Part 2, either - Jason wears a bag over his head, surely the inspiration for Splatterhouse’s chainsaw boss. Jason didn’t don his iconic mask until the 3rd movie in 1982.

[@HuffyBear]

Ive only played the 360 version. I didn't read reviews back then and just thought it looked cool. I had a lot of fun with it, and found out it was considered bad years after the fact. I should revisit the game in light of this video.

[@SuperKris20]

Oh man, hadn't thought about Splatterhouse in forever lol. Nice!

[@_Gabba_Gandalf]

Great video, thanks all of You 💪

[@edulinares7152]

Splatterhouse 3 gave me nightmares for weeks. Good stuff.

[@GothGfGG]

Splatter house 2010 will always hold a special place in my heart, hope Microsoft shows it some love with some backwards compatibility. Definitely an underrated classic

[@veryunusual126]

guys BRAVO👏👏👏👏👏 seriously, how detailed and thoroughly you make those videos is incredible!😀😀😀