The House of the Dead 4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The House of the Dead 4 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Release date(s) | December 21, 2005 (Japan, Arcade) 2006 (US, EU, Arcade) |
| Genre(s) | Rail shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Input | Light gun (trigger, 1 button (hand grenade) |
| Arcade cabinet | 29" Upright, 52" (4:3 Screen) Deluxe, 62" (16:9 Screen) Widescreen Deluxe |
| Arcade system(s) | Sega Lindbergh |
| Arcade display | Raster, XGA |
The House of the Dead 4 is a light gun arcade game with a horror theme and the fourth installment of the House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Sega.
The House of the Dead 4 continues the story of the first two games and fills in the gap in the storyline between The House of the Dead 2 and The House of the Dead III, whilst introducing several new gameplay concepts. Players can play as either James Taylor, from The House of the Dead 2, or Kate Green, a new character to the series.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
The arcade cabinet for The House of the Dead 4 is available as a 29" upright, 52" 4:3 ratio deluxe cabinet, or 62" 16:9 widescreen deluxe cabinet. It is also the first light gun game to be available in a 16:9 screen format.
In The House of the Dead 4, players utilize a new submachine gun (based on a cross between a Mac-10 and an Uzi). Previous installments had used handguns and a shotgun. The submachine gun allows for continuous fire. The gun also has a motion sensor that can detect when the player shakes the gun. The player can reload the gun by shaking it. The game also features grenades (three received at the start of each stage) that the player can throw to destroy large numbers of enemies. Additional grenades can be earned by completing certain tasks or by shooting crates.
In some points in the game, players are required to shake the gun vigorously in order to escape certain situations. For instance, early in the game, players will face a closed sewer gate. If they shake the gun fast enough, the gate will open and lead to an easier path. If they fail, the game takes a much harder route.
The stages themselves features some changes. This game features a wide variety of branching paths. Most of the paths lead to the same point in the game's story. As with The House of the Dead III, there is an end-of-stage bonus where players can receive lives (one for A/B rank, two for S rank) depending on critical shots (continuous weak-point shots), accuracy, and score.
The most common enemies have three attacks. A "normal attack", a "grab," and a "push". The foremost inflicts one point of damage, while the second forces a shaking sequence that, if successful, pushes back attackers for easier disposal. Multiple zombies may also pile on top of both players in an attempt to stomp on them.
[edit] Story
In the year 2003, three years after the events of The House of the Dead 2, AMS agents James Taylor and newcomer Kate Green are gathering intelligence at the fifth basement floor of the AMS European branch office. The former of the two still has the events of the 2000 Goldman case on his mind, and believes that the ordeal had not yet ended. A sudden earthquake rocks the room while they talk, collapsing the basement walls and leaving the agents trapped.
Several days later, James and Kate await a rescue team. James' PDA goes off, and a group of undead are seen on the security cameras. Realizing that they are in danger, James has Kate gather all the weaponry they can find in preparation for the arrival of their foes. Soon after, the two travel through the sewers to an information room where they uncover a plot to fire nuclear missles worldwide within twenty-four hours time, facing the four-armed Justice (Type 0053) and a pair of mutant spiders known as The Lovers (Type 6805) along the way. Taking the subway into zombie-infested streets from an underground shopping district, the agents narrowly avoid attacks by The Empress (Type 1210), a double-ended chainsaw-wielding assassin, and the nearly impervious Temperance (Type 0483).
James and Kate then learn that the one-time president of the now-defunct DBR Corporation, Goldman (who committed suicide in 2000), is responsible for the resurgence of undead and missile launch, and set out for his abandoned building. A levitating humanoid, The Star (Type 0001), prevents their advance in the foyer, but the agents arrive in time to halt Goldman's plans, though it is revealed that his true intention is to revert humankind to its original state to prevent them from harming the planet any further. As such his final legacy, The World (Type β), is released in the opening of "Pandora's Box" to fulfill its role as the successor to his original Emperor project in 2000, having developed underground since his death. As the AMS agents deal away with it, the World continuously alters its form to meet their threats, each time growing larger and more powerful. Following its second defeat, James sets his PDA to self-destruct, enabling him to sacrifice himself to destroy it. James' heroic act bestows hope upon humanity, giving Kate the resolve to move on.
In one of the game's endings, a businessman limps on his right leg and sits at a desk in the corner of an office. He claims that Goldman was "soft" and that "wretched humans have no need of hope," stating that "the true end will soon begin" and that "there is more than one Pandora's Box".
[edit] The House of the Dead 4 Special
The House of the Dead 4 Special is a two-player attraction based off The House of the Dead 4. Players enter an enclosed room, sit down, and buckle up. The game makes use of two 100-inch screens, one in front of players and another behind, as well as a five-speaker sound system, giving the impression that enemies are attacking from all directions. The seat shakes when zombies attack, and players are blasted with air for every bullet that penetrates their defenses. The submachine guns are now fully automatic and include a hand grenade button.
This game features a side story in The House of the Dead plotline, taking place shortly after The House of the Dead 4, with Kate Green teaming up with "G" (another AMS agent who appears in The House of the Dead and The House of the Dead III) to destroy the zombie infestation at its source.
In a two-player game, players are judged on how compatible they are based on performance alone.[1]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
|
House of the Dead • 2 • III • 4 |
