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SPLATTERHOUSE WANPAKU GRAFFITI
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スプラッターハウス わんぱくグラフィティ
©T1989 Namco Ltd.
Release: 1989-07-31 (¥4900)
Cartdridge (n/a)
Platform/Action game
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Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti is a cute side scrolling action-platformer by
Namco and based on the arcade game Spatterhouse originally released in 1988.
During a stormy night, in a town cemetery, the blond Jennifer kneels over her
boyfriend's grave, shedding tears for Rick, her beloved companion. Suddenly,
lightning strikes and revives him, but their happiness was not destined to last long and
another bolt of lightning strikes and revives the evil Pumpkin King! The demonic
monster kidnaps Jennifer and Rick must now go and save the poor damsel.
Rick comes equipped with the Splatterhouse traditional terror mask and is
armed with a meat cleaver (although a particularly powerful shotgun is also
available later in the game). Interestingly, Rick doesn't really pick up power
ups (except for a few health items) and levels up by gaining experience points from
killing enemies while making his way through the game. A number at the top of the screen
indicates how many enemies need to be killed before the next level, and bosses reward a
lot more experience points than the average foes. Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti
is packed with references to countless horror movies or shows from the 80s, such as a
Vampire who goes on a Michael Jackson's Thriller dance routine
with his troupe of zombie dancers, and the list goes on, from Alien,
Friday the 13th to The Fly or the Exoscist.
Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti consists of seven levels and a short four digits
password is given to the player at the end of each stage (however, Rick will
lose all of his meticulously gained life when a password is used).
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Like many other games released by Namco for the Famicom System,
Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti comes in a hard and more durable plastic case (picture on the right).
However, the game doesn't seem to have any serial number...
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An English patch was released for the game by Spinner 8 and friends in 2000.
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Game Staff (Copied from the end credits) :
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STAFF
Planner
Maguma Taiji
Programmer
Silky Deguchi
Myt Juso
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Character
Oni Taiji
Juncha
Baguchan
Hidebou
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Music
Anna Puruna
Special thanks
Nobotan
Yappy
Princess Ki
Kazuu
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Producer
JJ Page
Namcot
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Click on picture to enlarge |
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Passwords:
Level 2 - 1055
Level 3 - 3739
Level 4 - 8245
Level 5 - 4722
Level 6 - 7397
Level 7 - 8671
Restore life:
Pause the game at anytime during the play, and press A and B on
the second player's controller (they have to be pressed at exactly the same time).
This trick can only be used a handful of times each play, so make sure you plan wisely.
Secret levels and game's complete ending:
Two Crystal Balls are hidden within two secret levels,
and can be uncovered to gain access to the game's true and complete ending.
The first secret level is located at the end of the third stage,
right after the giant fly in the transporter room (reference to the movie
'The Fly'). After defeating the fly, enter the pod on the left to
gain access to the first secret level (Feudal japan). Interestingly,
Rick eventually bumps into a hime dancer at the end of the stage who
performs a short dance before rewarding him with the first crystal. During
the performance, the player can make Rick fart by repetitively smashing
the two action buttons. If done enough time, she will let him know after the performance how
rude he was (but still award him the crystal).
The second secret level is a bit harder to find. In level 7, a hooded
penitent catches you and throws you inside a large demon head. However, if you don't
attack him, you'll be able to enter the door to the second secret level
(The Egyptian pyramid).
Interestingly, it is possible to save the game in progress without losing the
Crystal Balls, and a new set of passwords allow the player to continue
his adventure:
Level 4 - 0705
Level 5 - 2509
Level 6 - 4090
Level 7 - 1099
Princess Ki:
It may be a complete coincidence, but the girl Rick saves in the third level
does look like Ki, the princess Gilgamesh rescues in the arcade game
Tower of Druaga, another game developed by Namco. The resemblance is
especially obvious if you consider Quest of Ki released for the Famicom in 1988,
where the princess wears her unmistakable tiara also clearly visible in Wanpaku.
Test Mode screen:
At the title screen, hold Down, A and B on the second player
controller and reset the game. The Test Mode screen will appear - there you
can view all the enemies from the game (as well as their animation frames), and listen
to all the musics and sound effects. And if you think Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti
is out of secrets, then think again. If you select the hime dancer (character number 25) and
press the action button to view her animation frames, then two new (naughty) secret frames
will be displayed after pressing the button thirty two times!
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
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V
s
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Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti is pure fun. This super-deformed/chibi/parody
of the excellent (and gory) Splatterhouse is magnificent and slashing up
zombies has never been so fun. Although the game definitively looks cute and adorable,
the enemies and events therein are no less horrific and twisted in bizarre (yet awesome)
ways. For instance you get to bump into a girl whose chest cracks open and releases
countless jumping spiders at you (definitively a reference to the Facehuggers
from the movie Alien). However, once the fight is over, she wakes up and yawn,
before walking out the room. This constant comic relief galore definitively contributes
to Wanpaku's distinctive charm and character, as well as the plethora of
B-Movie and pop culture references the game is littered with. But content only
doesn't make for a great game, and Wanpaku also shines in the gameplay
department. The controls are instantaneously responsive and about as close to perfect
as you can get, and the game never gets repetitive or boring, and always has something
new to drop you into. I feel that levels get shorter as the game progresses though,
but it's far from a deal-breaker and the ending (which I won't spoil here) is awesome!
All in all Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti can be quite hard to find nowadays,
but it's totally worth hunting down!
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