Best House Of The Dead Games, Ranked

by

Summary

  • The House of the Dead 2 remake in 2025 maintains the franchise’s nostalgia with zombie-slaying action.
  • The Pinball of the Dead provides a different gaming experience with tables based on the series.
  • The Typing of the Dead adaptation offers a unique combat system with satisfying haptic feedback.

In contemporary gaming, on-rails shooter games are quite rare, with only a handful of niche indie titles and spiritual successors remaining. The progression of technology has largely influenced this trend, as it offers a faster pace and more flexible gameplay style that first-person shooter (FPS) enthusiasts have grown to appreciate. However, for those who remember the excitement of feeding coins into the arcade machines for games like “The House of the Dead” or “Time Crisis,” nostalgia continues to linger.

Thus, it’s expected that “The House of the Dead 2” remake will be launched in 2025. Over the years, porting and remastering have kept the “House of the Dead” franchise vibrant for nearly three decades, leading to numerous sequels, spin-offs, and even an unsuccessful film adaptation by Uwe Boll. Just like our younger selves, the series has had its fair share of misses as well as hits throughout this period. However, for those who love zombie-slaying, these are the top “House of the Dead” games, ranked.

7. The House Of The Dead 3

Calling Shotgun

  • Platforms: Arcade, Wii, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3
  • Released: 2002
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Developers: Sega AM1

To start with, it’s important to note that, given the games have been converted numerous times, the reviews have varied somewhat among different versions. Generally speaking, they fell short of matching their original arcade design. Among them, The House of the Dead 3 stands out as the one that garnered particularly negative responses.

In this game, shotguns are prominently featured, delivering a rewarding recoil and causing significant damage. However, they have limited ammunition and require lengthy reloads. This adds an intriguing strategic depth to the rail shooter genre, as deciding when to reload can frequently determine whether you succeed or fail.

6. The Pinball Of The Dead

Action-Infused Pinball Tables

  • Platforms: GameBoy Advance
  • Released: 2002
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Developers: WOW Entertainment

The GameBoy Advance Exclusive “Pinball of the Dead”, although critically acclaimed within the series, fails to live up to expectations in terms of delivering a satisfying bullet-heavy, B-movie zombie experience.

As a gamer, I’m diving into a thrilling pinball adventure set in the world of The House of the Dead series! Back then, this game was applauded for its stunning graphics and an authentic handheld pinball feel. It’s perfect for passing time, but let me tell you, it’s not so great if you’re trying to annihilate the undead!

5. The House Of The Dead 4

High Octane, Low Scope

  • Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation 3
  • Released: 2005
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Developers: WOW Entertainment

Title The House of the Dead 4: While showing minor enhancements over its immediate predecessor, it encounters many of the same problems, resulting in a fairly straightforward and functional shooter that misses the charm of the initial installments. The environment appears to have been muted in pursuit of realism, enhancing character designs but falling short of the series’ usual intensity and exaggerated violence.

This time, players carry rapid-fire weapons called submachine guns, intensifying the action with an abundance of bullets on screen. Additionally, they are provided with a limited number of grenades for dealing with massive groups when overrun. This adds an interesting risk-reward aspect to the combat dynamics.

4. The House Of The Dead 2

Unrealized Potential

MegaPixel Studio’s remake of “The House of the Dead” on Nintendo Switch was generally disappointing due to its awkward control system that didn’t effectively utilize the console’s motion controls. With some additional refinement, the upcoming sequel has the potential to significantly improve the standing of “The House of the Dead 2” within the series.

The game is packed with great possibilities, offering B-movie style action at its finest, accentuated by cheesy dialogue delivery that only enhances the campy charm of the franchise. Notably, The House of the Dead 2 boasts what could be the best level layouts in the series, with multiple paths to explore, making each playthrough unique depending on the decisions made during a single game session.

3. The House Of The Dead

Iconic Original

As a devoted enthusiast, I find it challenging to pinpoint the exact ranking for the game “The House of the Dead” since the critical feedback spans a wide spectrum. However, if I were to average out the opinions, it would fall within this range. Over time, this classic has unfortunately not aged as gracefully as some other games from the era.

To further clarify, this game is the most frequently adapted title in the series when considering all remakes. Some of these adaptations, including the one mentioned, have struggled to update the gameplay for a contemporary audience. The game’s loop, despite being time-consuming, remains as engaging as it has always been. However, it’s somewhat inconsistent and short, providing minimal additional value beyond competing for high scores.

2. The House Of The Dead: Overkill

Modern Grindhouse Action

The House of the Dead: Overkill stands out as the installment that fully embraces modernization within the series, which works to its benefit, despite leaning towards an overly mature tone that somewhat overshadows the original series’ essence.

However, the latest addition boasts new camera controls, weapon options, and mini-campaigns inspired by grindhouse horror films, making it the most entertaining installment of the series so far. Regrettably, a direct sequel has yet to be produced, but a nod goes out to “House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn“, the arcade successor that was slightly too obscure for inclusion in this list.

1. The Typing Of The Dead

Unconventional Masterpiece

  • Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
  • Released: 1999
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Developers: WOW Entertainment, Smilebit

Undeniably, there’s strong evidence that The House of the Dead 2 stands as the cream of the crop in the series due to its exceptional reception among critics. For those yet to be initiated, The Typing of the Dead is an innovative adaptation of House of the Dead 2 where the conventional light gun is swapped for a keyboard. Instead of aiming and firing, players must swiftly type out words or sequences that appear on the screen to inflict damage.

This innovative approach to combat provides a highly gratifying response and is noticeably more nerve-wracking than its conventional counterpart. As the challenge escalates, players race against time to type complete sentences as swiftly as possible without making errors while an adversary approaches. The Typing of the Dead maintains the campy charm of the franchise by swapping weapon models for a keyboard/backpack combination, yet preserves the storyline intact.

Read More

2025-01-14 19:44