The House of the Dead: Go Big or Go Home
By Daniel Sumpton | Misfit Media Columnist
Do you remember the glory days of playing The House of the Dead behind a curtain in your local arcade and killing zombies with a light gun instead of a remote control? I don’t. The House of the Dead was released two years before I was born, and by the time I was heavily invested in gaming it was very hard to get your hands on the original title unless you were willing to hop on the pirate ship. I would have loved to grow a nostalgia factor for the classic game like I had Resident Evil, but the franchise did not adapt in the same way.
I did not believe that I would ever get to play the cult classic until a remake was announced a couple days ago for the Nintendo Switch. Yes, that’s right, later this year us youngsters will have more than just an Uwe Boll film as a point of reference to The House of the Dead experience. The official trailer of the game is entertaining and shows that a lot of love and effort has been put into the new remake. Although I don’t recognise the teams attached to the developmental process, it is clearly amongst the most important titles for the video game industry in 2021.
My issue is not in regard to anything about the product itself, but the marketing. As reported on earlier today, the game was announced in a highlights reel at the end of a monthly Indie World Showcase by Nintendo, and besides getting a trailer released on multiple YouTube channels, the product is at risk of flying under the radar within the next couple weeks. The classic series The House of the Dead is making its grand return and it got the least amount of time in a showcase where it was the largest title announced.
So I ask, where is The House of the Dead TV series? Who has the move rights and why aren’t they announcing large plans? Where is the merchandise, the game collections, and the VR title? I know this all sounds like a bit much for a simple Nintendo Switch remake, but it shouldn’t be. The House of the Dead is a classic title and deserves the Resident Evil treatment. Classic franchises need to return the right way, or why bother returning?