The lack of missing gore started since hotd 4 indeed and I suspect the answer to why that happened is in something you said. HOTD 4 20 characters on screen and 5 is even more. Making 3d gibs and dismemberment is actually making the 3d zombie with internal polygon parts . That also makes the zombie more complex when rigging and time consuming as since a zombie in hotd 3 has like 4-5 or more hitpoints?, that is additional detail that has to show on screen as dismemberment + the animation for that hitpoint . Todays animation on modern house of the dead I suspect is based on blending physics which is almost automatically and when you shoot a hitpoint, the zombie just blends a small animation while still running towards you. My best guess is that the more sophisticated these games become and with more characters on screen, it might be really time consuming to create actual gibs and dismemberment . On the other hand, that depends on the size of the team as if im not mistaking, HOTD games tend to be made by small internal teams . Big budget games can afford such things . Or it could be a design choice by it self . Now, step in to the dark corners and do a review on the 2 hotd movies XD . I actually liked the second one 😅
The cabinet for this game is awesome, it has two giant force-feedback guns, it shoots air at your and when it gets intense a bright red light flashes in the booth. They have it at a Dave and Buster's in Buffalo and I had a ball playing through it when I was in town. It's a shame about the lack of violence though, it'd make it almost perfect imo.
It still looks great despite the lack of gore. I dare say that one day somebody will mod it to add the guts and blood. I could play this kind of thing all day long.
The upgrade/progression system isn’t in arcade cabinets outside of Japan. It uses from what I could find, Aimee cards to save progress, which is almost exclusively in Japan only. So if you were to play at an arcade outside of Japan like round 1, it would be like how you played it with no progression system.
I think it’s dependent on how it’s setup. I played it with my nephew in Maine and there was a progression system available. But that was a Japanese cab. So you CAN find progression in the US. Just as a Japanese version
Ha ha, I just played this at D&B! They did a surprisingly good job, insofar as it's basically a Disney World ride posing as a HotD game. Jets of air and seat rumbles, it's really novel.
This is only one HotD I didn’t play. Hopefully one day it will by available for consoles 👌 THX for Yours awesome retrospective of this series 👍 🧟🧟♀️🧟♂️
Fun game, it lacks polish in weird areas like missing English subtitles and the story could've been better, but overall it's probably my favorite "modern" light gun game. As for the lack of gore--it was indeed censorship, according to an interview on CGWORLD. There are gore effects in the files that weren't used. Would be neat if someone figured out how to mod them back in.
This is sadly the only game in the series that I've never played due to it never having a home port and there no longer being any arcades in my city. I'll have to drive up to that new arcade in south Milwaukee one of these days and see if maybe they have a Scarlet Dawn machine! I assume Overkill is next in this retrospective, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on that one, as it is definitely a vibe!
As for my favorite and least favorite? My personal favorite is definitely HotD2. I just love that game so much. I remember the first time I saw it in an arcade back in the day, I was blown away by its visuals, and the Dreamcast version was such an amazing home port. My least favorite would be Overkill. I still enjoy its over the top story and...ahem...language. But mechanically, it's pretty rough.
I actually really enjoyed this a lot, for a long time every time i visited my friends in MI i always made sure to stop in Dave and Busters and play it, even though I have it downloadable on my pc, i still prefer to play it in an actual arcade machine.
@@VideoGameEsoterica Absolutely. I want to own it physically so bad. I'm sure they will at some point? I just hope they don't make it some kinda VR exclusive crap.
For me it's difficult to choose which has the better story. The House of the Dead or the Sharknado franchise? I do love the gameplay of all the House of the Dead games but story... You made me chuckle in these videos talking about the story.
Great video. Obviously the story is important to you... but you skipped the gunplay, hidden items, the scoring and general feel of the game. All those thing are more important in a lightgun game and they are all 10/10. Also, the voice acting has always been laughably bad in all the HOTD games and this carries on that great tradition. Golden Guns goes one better! Regarding length, I think this is the longest one, you mentioned it being one of the shortest, I don't understand that. Lastly (!) playing it on PC there is a great cheat that allows you to have infinite ammo on any of the bonus weapons. So pick a magnum and it will play a bit more line the first game, pick a shot gun and it plays more like 3. You have to play with artificial restrictions, but it's a different way to play. 100% accuracy with the magnum is a good challenge.
A bowling alley arcade near me that never gets any good new games actually got this one last year. I typically prefer a regular light gun game as opposed to an automatic gun game but this is so good I'll make an exception. Is it perfect? Maybe not but I'll take an arcade game developed by a Japanese studio over all these crappy outsourced chinese or western arcade games any day.
Here is my House of the Dead voice acting rankings from all 5 HOTD arcade games from worst to great. HOTD2 voice acting was hilariously the worst acting I have ever heard and seen, HOTD Scarlet Dawn was bad but not worst as 2, HOTD1 voice acting was cheesy but not great so it's in the middle, HOTD3 voice acting was shockingly good and last but not least HOTD4 voice acting was great so HOTD4 takes the number 1 spot for voice acting.
@@VideoGameEsoterica The reason why I picked 2 was because they were using an old crappy translator that translates Japanese language into English and it’s like they weren’t even trying and the most hilarious line in 2 was when Caleb Goldman says to protect the lifecycle. He sounded like Kermit the frog when he said lifecycle. Last but not least the female civilian when she shouts out Don’t come! Don’t come! Lol! It sounds like she’s sex talking. Lol!
I think the VA intended. House of the Dead is famous for the cheese voice acting.
I think so too and wow did they go hard with the cheese here
The lack of missing gore started since hotd 4 indeed and I suspect the answer to why that happened is in something you said. HOTD 4 20 characters on screen and 5 is even more. Making 3d gibs and dismemberment is actually making the 3d zombie with internal polygon parts . That also makes the zombie more complex when rigging and time consuming as since a zombie in hotd 3 has like 4-5 or more hitpoints?, that is additional detail that has to show on screen as dismemberment + the animation for that hitpoint . Todays animation on modern house of the dead I suspect is based on blending physics which is almost automatically and when you shoot a hitpoint, the zombie just blends a small animation while still running towards you.
My best guess is that the more sophisticated these games become and with more characters on screen, it might be really time consuming to create actual gibs and dismemberment . On the other hand, that depends on the size of the team as if im not mistaking, HOTD games tend to be made by small internal teams . Big budget games can afford such things .
Or it could be a design choice by it self .
Now, step in to the dark corners and do a review on the 2 hotd movies XD . I actually liked the second one 😅
Yes you trade the horde for the gore and it does work. I love running through 40 zombies at a time. It’s a fun vibe
I didn't even notice the lack of gore until you pointed it out, the burning effect looks great
Gotta have that zombie gore
The cabinet for this game is awesome, it has two giant force-feedback guns, it shoots air at your and when it gets intense a bright red light flashes in the booth. They have it at a Dave and Buster's in Buffalo and I had a ball playing through it when I was in town. It's a shame about the lack of violence though, it'd make it almost perfect imo.
I played it with my nephew at a Round 1 and he loved it. Then I sent him the “PC version” lol. He was stoked
It still looks great despite the lack of gore. I dare say that one day somebody will mod it to add the guts and blood. I could play this kind of thing all day long.
You never know. Fans mod everything
Man the SEGA ALLS system is pretty impressive considering everything. just wish theres an easier way to crack it.
Yeah it’s some decently powerful hardware but it’s still odd to think my studio pc is more powerful than any arcade hardware on floors today
The upgrade/progression system isn’t in arcade cabinets outside of Japan. It uses from what I could find, Aimee cards to save progress, which is almost exclusively in Japan only. So if you were to play at an arcade outside of Japan like round 1, it would be like how you played it with no progression system.
I think it’s dependent on how it’s setup. I played it with my nephew in Maine and there was a progression system available. But that was a Japanese cab. So you CAN find progression in the US. Just as a Japanese version
how do you play it? With a sinden gun?
Ha ha, I just played this at D&B! They did a surprisingly good job, insofar as it's basically a Disney World ride posing as a HotD game. Jets of air and seat rumbles, it's really novel.
Yes that’s the one thing you don’t get “at home”…the massive rumble and the air effects. Well I do then the bass WAY up when I play.
This is only one HotD I didn’t play. Hopefully one day it will by available for consoles 👌 THX for Yours awesome retrospective of this series 👍
🧟🧟♀️🧟♂️
Glad to do it and yes I do hope it gets a home port
@@VideoGameEsoterica 🤞
5:41 it has the vibe of Resident Evil 1 remake
It does have some RE mansion vibes for sure
What video card are you using with the standalone to play this?
3080Ti
Fun game, it lacks polish in weird areas like missing English subtitles and the story could've been better, but overall it's probably my favorite "modern" light gun game.
As for the lack of gore--it was indeed censorship, according to an interview on CGWORLD. There are gore effects in the files that weren't used. Would be neat if someone figured out how to mod them back in.
It’s def the best modern light gun game around but it also feels a bit unfinished in spots for sure
Are you play this on Tecknopparort emulator or standard alone ?
Stand-alone
This is sadly the only game in the series that I've never played due to it never having a home port and there no longer being any arcades in my city. I'll have to drive up to that new arcade in south Milwaukee one of these days and see if maybe they have a Scarlet Dawn machine! I assume Overkill is next in this retrospective, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on that one, as it is definitely a vibe!
DM me. Really not hard to play on PC these days…
What emulator?
This is standalone so no emulation really
@@8bitDNAthere is a standalone version and it's also on TeknoParrot. My son and I played it recently with a pair of Sinden PC guns, had loads of fun!
Main character looks like Tony Montana
I think he looks a bit more like Noel Gallagher
Haha now that you mention it
Noel Montana
I never saw this game in my country. I only ever saw it when I went to Japan back in 2019
Where you located?
@@VideoGameEsoterica Rather not say specifically but somewhere in southeast asia.
That’s fair :)
What about the remake and Wii game?
Coming :) series isn’t over yet
As for my favorite and least favorite? My personal favorite is definitely HotD2. I just love that game so much. I remember the first time I saw it in an arcade back in the day, I was blown away by its visuals, and the Dreamcast version was such an amazing home port.
My least favorite would be Overkill. I still enjoy its over the top story and...ahem...language. But mechanically, it's pretty rough.
Overkill is awesome but it’s not mainline and you can tell. Fav is OG. Least fav is HotD 3 for me
I actually really enjoyed this a lot, for a long time every time i visited my friends in MI i always made sure to stop in Dave and Busters and play it, even though I have it downloadable on my pc, i still prefer to play it in an actual arcade machine.
It’s a modern classic. Now they’ve just gotta port it home
@@VideoGameEsoterica Absolutely. I want to own it physically so bad. I'm sure they will at some point? I just hope they don't make it some kinda VR exclusive crap.
I dunno. HotD 4 is still digital only sadly
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeahhhhhh I actually just forgot about that. :/ idk then
Maybe one day. I want all the HotD games on the shelf
For me it's difficult to choose which has the better story. The House of the Dead or the Sharknado franchise?
I do love the gameplay of all the House of the Dead games but story... You made me chuckle in these videos talking about the story.
Haha there’s a lot of story and lore. Not saying it’s academy award levels of writing but it’s there and it is deep
I'll give this game a 8/10.
I’m right there with you
Great video. Obviously the story is important to you... but you skipped the gunplay, hidden items, the scoring and general feel of the game. All those thing are more important in a lightgun game and they are all 10/10. Also, the voice acting has always been laughably bad in all the HOTD games and this carries on that great tradition. Golden Guns goes one better! Regarding length, I think this is the longest one, you mentioned it being one of the shortest, I don't understand that. Lastly (!) playing it on PC there is a great cheat that allows you to have infinite ammo on any of the bonus weapons. So pick a magnum and it will play a bit more line the first game, pick a shot gun and it plays more like 3. You have to play with artificial restrictions, but it's a different way to play. 100% accuracy with the magnum is a good challenge.
This is def more of a lore and history series vs a raw gameplay look as honestly that as a retrospective would be V repetitive gameplay wise :)
Sega should reissue the arcade hotd 4 hotd4 special combined and call it ultimate hotd 4
I’d buy that twice
As vapid as this game is, i gotta admit it's absolutely gorgeous
They are all vapid and simple. But that’s where the fun is!
@@VideoGameEsoterica is the font the same as the current Resident Evil font? Perhaps Zombie Killer MT?
Ooh good question. Totally no clue though
Needs a console port… And a new HOTD game that takes place after 3 so we can finally settle the score with Thornheart.
Yes the next release should address what happens after 3 since Thornheart is such a big part of the story now
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yes.
I am hoping a VR version personally
@@VideoGameEsoterica Maybe.
We shall see
Fantastic game
It’s a classic for sure. A modern classic
Did you talk about Overkill yet? It's the best one of all time.
Not yet. I think it’s next week or the week after
A bowling alley arcade near me that never gets any good new games actually got this one last year. I typically prefer a regular light gun game as opposed to an automatic gun game but this is so good I'll make an exception. Is it perfect? Maybe not but I'll take an arcade game developed by a Japanese studio over all these crappy outsourced chinese or western arcade games any day.
Hey if they were gonna get one game this is a good one to get!
I love love love this game and your criticisms trigger me sir
Lol consider yourself triggered then. Kidding…I think they are fair criticisms. But I do still love the game
Yeah I don’t dig the taming down the violence in the later games. It’s kind of like what’s the point it’s supposed to be gory and scary
It’s a different feel but we get a LOT more zombies on screen so it’s a decent trade
Was Kate’s father a meat burglar??
Haha what?
Here is my House of the Dead voice acting rankings from all 5 HOTD arcade games from worst to great. HOTD2 voice acting was hilariously the worst acting I have ever heard and seen, HOTD Scarlet Dawn was bad but not worst as 2, HOTD1 voice acting was cheesy but not great so it's in the middle, HOTD3 voice acting was shockingly good and last but not least HOTD4 voice acting was great so HOTD4 takes the number 1 spot for voice acting.
I’d say SD is the worst on my list
@@VideoGameEsoterica The reason why I picked 2 was because they were using an old crappy translator that translates Japanese language into English and it’s like they weren’t even trying and the most hilarious line in 2 was when Caleb Goldman says to protect the lifecycle. He sounded like Kermit the frog when he said lifecycle. Last but not least the female civilian when she shouts out Don’t come! Don’t come! Lol! It sounds like she’s sex talking. Lol!
That’s fair. Sega was never good at voice overs
House of Dead been died . This game sucks
Def can’t agree with that