2008. After another stellar holiday season and the strongest first-party releases to date now in the marketplace, no one can deny the status of the Wii as the current contender for worldwide "winner" of this generation's console war. Despite this, most third-party publishers are content with porting massive amounts of trashy PS2 games and tacking on waggle controls. They often tell gaming news sources that this strategy is due to the fact "people only buy Nintendo games on Nintendo consoles."
One third party that isn't afraid to push new content onto the console is Sega. With new games in the Sonic and NiGHTS franchises, along with ports(both good and bad), Sega sees potential in the 'cheap PS2 dressed up like a Mac'. Fortunately for light-gun afficionados everywhere, HotD2&3:R is a GOOD port, and a perfect fit for the Wii's control scheme (cheap Zapper excluded).
That being said, you basically get what you're expecting. Arcade-perfect versions of House of the Dead 2 and 3, along with a few extra modes tacked on for good measure. And when I say arcade-perfect, I mean it. There's no Wii-specific watering down here, which is a welcome change from something like Ghost Squad. Sadly, I was actually surprised by the crispness of the graphics, despite their simplicity when compared against today's standards.There are a few unexpected framerate issues with HotD3, but nothing nearly as painful as playing the Xbox version on the 360. No noticeable issues are present in HotD2.
The games control very well with the Wii remote, although surprisingly there appears to be a bit of lag between pointing at the screen and having the cursor go where it needs to. Both HotD2 and 3 are MUCH harder than I remember in the arcades, and reloading quickly is actually somewhat of a chore, despite the accuracy of the controls. This is a small disappointment, though a noticeable one.
The cheesy voice acting synonymous with the series remains intact here, and fans of the HotD games wouldn't have it any other way. Interestingly, without the loud beeps, bleeps, and blaring music of the arcade, the voices are actually MUCH, MUCH cheesier than I was expecting. Music is mostly forgettable and 100% arcade authentic.
The extra modes present in the game pretty much match point-for-point with the DC version for HotD2. HotD3 contains an extra mode containing an option for a melee attack along with a time attack mode. In my opinion, more work could have been done to add additional modes to HotD3, because it seems pretty barren in comparison to HotD2.
Overall, for a ported compilation on the Wii, this game is surprisingly solid and well worth the $30 price tag. For those who are fans of the arcade versions, picking this one up is a no-brainer, as the control on the Wii goes hand-in-hand with rail shooters, and the port quality on both games is good. Additional options and modes would be greatly appreciated, but given its budget price, it's really difficult to complain too much. Thanks, Sega.
Rating System: Who needs stars and numbers? I'm all about the otaku emoticons!
*-* = Amazing
^-^ = Good
-_- = Fair
T_T = Poor
Graphics: -_-
HotD2 is a perfect arcade/Dreamcast port. HotD3 is nearly perfect but suffers from scattered framerate issues that weren't present in the arcade version (however, not nearly as problematic as the Xbox version of HotD3 when played in a 360). That said, the lack of widescreen and 480p support is a glaring flaw. All Wii games should be required to support these options. Also, these games are a few years old, and are beginning to show their age. Red blood wasn't taken out (a relief - considering the preview videos showed the green blood) and can be turned on in the options menu.
Sound: ^-^
Cheesy voice acting is here in full-force, along with all the sounds you'd expect from the arcade versions. Music is arcade-perfect as well. Not particularly memorable, but recognizable nonetheless.
Additional credits and difficulty settings open up if you perform well or poorly. Completing both HotD2 and HotD3 opens up an additional mode for HotD3. Extra modes (including Time Attack, Boss Attack, and Original) are plentiful in HotD2 but are seriously lacking in HotD3. Both games can be beaten in under an hour if you have enough credits, but that won't be the case at first.
Downloadable Content: N/A
Wii game. No DLC planned.
Fun Factor: -_-
These are arcade ports, and therefore are more fun to blast through with a friend. The additional modes (especially Original mode on HotD2) add a lot to the game as well. My only complaint is the length of each game (especially when compared with RE:UC), but given these are ports rather than a new original game, it can't be helped.
Overall: ^-^
Not bad, Sega. Not bad at all.
