Splatterhouse 2 - Bash and Smash the Cool Way!

 

Next up in the Halloween Virtua Neptune SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKIES we have an old green blood gushing beat'em up! Splatterhouse has been an old gaming favorite for a very long time and when you play it for yourself, you can actually see why. Splatterhouse and all of its sequels have a theme and they have their mechanics and Splatterhouse 2 uses both very well. The scenery is disgusting, horrific and you're not really much better. In fact, you look like that one Freddy Michael Kruger Vorheese guy. You're going into a haunted toxic house and go through the worst of the worst toxic monsters with your fists! 

That's right, you're just punching your way through monsters. At first, they're just one hit wonders as you punch them in half. Then, they begin to become more and more grotesque and it takes more punches and some improvised weapons to kill them and splatter them across walls. The horrific creatures are just as macabre as you could want and punching them apart is very satisfying. 

Now, the levels can get very challenging, but your punch is very powerful. It not only does damage, but it pushes the monsters back. It's really all about timing. Either having to jump or punch at the right time, you can prevent damage from happening. This is very helpful when the creatures LUNGE at you at a moment's notice. It's all about reading their cues and just making them burst with monster juice. 

When you get the weapons, things get even more interesting, as it makes damage multiplied and often kills the smaller monsters in one shot. The bloody gory manner with which it happens is hilarious. Still, even with the weapons, you need to be on your guard and time your attacks. That is a constant throughout levels and you need to know which color monsters punch first or jump first or what happens. Then you need to avoid spikes on the ground, both stationary and perpetually contracting and retracting into the ground in a pattern that you either jump to, or down you go.

Bosses are no different, other than the fact that you just need to learn a different pattern of attack and when you can do damage. The monsters you face are really cool looking, though they can also be a major pain in the ass. Sometimes, you just make tiny mistakes and they end up costing you an entire heart. Thankfully, it doesn't start you at the very beginning if you die, but it will set you back. The game isn't too unforgiving, but some runs will always be better than others and you just need to give it that old gamer elbow grease. 

Splatterhouse earns its place in gaming legend as an old horror favorite beat'em up. If they are your jam, this one doesn't waste your time and it makes you want to play it. It is one of those fun, addictive games that can possibly take up your quarters if you caught it at an arcade back in the 90's. It's a simple story with a simple set of mechanics that lavish in that arena of easy to learn and hard to master. Give any of the Splatterhouse games a try and make it gush with Virtua Spinal Fluid!!!