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|publisher(s) = [[Sega]]
 
|publisher(s) = [[Sega]]
 
|release_date = November 1998 (Arcade)
 
|release_date = November 1998 (Arcade)
|platform(s) = Arcade, SEGA Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
+
|platform(s) = *Arcade
  +
*SEGA Dreamcast
  +
*Microsoft Windows
 
*Nintendo Wii (''[[The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return|2 & 3 Return]]'')
 
|arcade_cabinet = SEGA NAOMI}}
 
|arcade_cabinet = SEGA NAOMI}}
   
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Set almost two years after the 1998 [[Curien Mansion]] incident, the game follows [[AMS]] agents [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] as they investigate an unnamed, Venetian-inspired [[city]] overrun with biologically-engineered [[creatures]].
 
Set almost two years after the 1998 [[Curien Mansion]] incident, the game follows [[AMS]] agents [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] as they investigate an unnamed, Venetian-inspired [[city]] overrun with biologically-engineered [[creatures]].
   
Upon release, ''The House of the Dead 2 ''was praised for various improvements over its predecessor, but has often been derided for its voice acting. The game received several console ports and spin-off games.
+
Upon release, ''The House of the Dead 2 ''was praised for various improvements over its predecessor, but has often been derided for its voice acting. The game received several console ports and spin-off games. A sequel, ''[[The House of the Dead III]]'', was released in 2002.
   
  +
A remake of the game, along with ''The House of the Dead'', was confirmed by Polish-based video game distributor [[Forever Entertainment]] in 2019, with [[MegaPixel Studio]] involved as the developers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = https://twitter.com/ForeverEntert/status/1179705137616556038|title = Forever Entertainment on Twitter: "Hi Guys! We confirm the signing of the agreement regarding remakes of the games "The House of the Dead" and "The House of the Dead 2". No platforms or release dates have been confirmed, and unfortunately we can’t say anything more for now. Please keep fingers crossed for us and.." / Twitter|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200210221020/https:/twitter.com/ForeverEntert/status/1179705137616556038|archivedate = February 10, 2020|author = Forever Entertainment [@ForeverEntert]|date = October 3, 2020|publisher = ''[[wikipedia:Twitter|Twitter]]''}}</ref>
A sequel, ''[[The House of the Dead III]]'', was released in 2002.
 
 
A remake of the game, along with ''The House of the Dead'', was confirmed by Polish-based video game distributor [[Forever Entertainment]] in 2019, with [[MegaPixel Studio]] involved as the developers.<ref name=":0">https://twitter.com/ForeverEntert/status/1179705137616556038</ref>
 
   
 
== Plot ==
 
== Plot ==
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=== Synopsis ===
 
=== Synopsis ===
On February 26th, 2000, [[AMS]] agents [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] investigate an outbreak of vicious [[Enemies#Creatures|creatures]] in [[City|an unnamed city]]. James and Gary meet their injured partner [[G]], who provides them his field journal of creature [[Boss weaknesses|weak points]].
+
On February 26th, 2000, [[AMS]] agents [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] investigate an outbreak of vicious [[Enemies#Creatures|creatures]] in [[City|an unnamed city]]. James and Gary meet their injured partner [[G]], who provides them [[G's file|his field journal]] of creature [[Boss weaknesses|weak points]].
   
James and Gary rescue [[civilians]] and defeat [[Judgment]], consisting of the armored giant Kuarl and the imp-like Zeal, and the aquatic [[Hierophant]]. During a rendezvous with partners [[Amy Crystal]] and [[Harry Harris]], the latter reveals that [[Caleb Goldman]], the mastermind of the [[The House of the Dead|1998 Curien Mansion incident]]; funded the late [[Dr. Curien]]'s research, which he then used to engineer the citywide outbreak.
+
James and Gary rescue [[civilians]] and defeat [[Judgment]], consisting of the armored giant Kuarl and the imp-like Zeal, and the aquatic [[Hierophant]]. During a rendezvous with partners [[Amy Crystal]] and [[Harry Harris]], the latter reveals that [[Caleb Goldman]], the head of a financial group, masterminded the [[The House of the Dead|1998 Curien Mansion incident]]; he funded the late [[Dr. Curien]]'s research, which he then used to engineer the citywide outbreak.
   
 
In a phone message, Goldman invites the agents to meet him at the Roman Colosseum; they hesitantly accept and split up. James and Gary enter through the sewers, battling the Hydra-like [[Tower]], while Amy and Harry directly enter the Colosseum. After losing contact with them, James and Gary fight into the Colosseum to rescue Amy and an injured Harry from the chainsaw-wielding [[Strength]].
 
In a phone message, Goldman invites the agents to meet him at the Roman Colosseum; they hesitantly accept and split up. James and Gary enter through the sewers, battling the Hydra-like [[Tower]], while Amy and Harry directly enter the Colosseum. After losing contact with them, James and Gary fight into the Colosseum to rescue Amy and an injured Harry from the chainsaw-wielding [[Strength]].
  +
  +
[[File:JamesGaryConfrontGoldman.png|thumb|249x249px|[[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] confronting [[Caleb Goldman]].]]
   
 
James and Gary drive Harry's car to [[Goldman Building|Goldman's headquarters]], in the process fighting a revived Judgement, Hierophant, [[Magician]], and Tower. The agents confront Goldman, who claims that he wants to protect the life cycle from mankind. He awakens [[Emperor]], a creature intended to be humanity's ruler. After the Emperor's defeat, Goldman warns that "[[The World|a successor]] will come". He then commits suicide by throwing himself off the roof of his building.
 
James and Gary drive Harry's car to [[Goldman Building|Goldman's headquarters]], in the process fighting a revived Judgement, Hierophant, [[Magician]], and Tower. The agents confront Goldman, who claims that he wants to protect the life cycle from mankind. He awakens [[Emperor]], a creature intended to be humanity's ruler. After the Emperor's defeat, Goldman warns that "[[The World|a successor]] will come". He then commits suicide by throwing himself off the roof of his building.
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*Number of continues
 
*Number of continues
 
*Points earned
 
*Points earned
'''Normal ending:''' Amy, Harry, G, and a group of civilians appear outside of Goldman's headquarters. thanking the player(s).
 
   
  +
{| class="article-table"
'''Bad ending:''' An undead Goldman appears outside; James and Gary exclaim his name. The screen fades to white as a gunshot is heard.
 
  +
!Type
  +
!Image
  +
!Description
  +
|-
  +
|Normal
  +
|[[File:HOD2NormalEnding.png|thumb|175x175px]]
 
|Amy, Harry, G, and a group of civilians appear outside of Goldman's headquarters, thanking the player(s).
  +
|-
  +
|Bad
  +
|[[File:Goldman_zombie.jpg|thumb|175x175px]]
 
|Goldman appears outside as a creature; James and Gary exclaim his name. The screen fades to white as a gunshot is heard.
  +
|-
  +
|Good
  +
|[[File:Gfs 19889 2 40 mid.jpg|thumb|175x175px]]
 
|AMS agent [[Thomas Rogan]] appears at the entrance to Goldman's headquarters. He reveals that G and Harry are alright, and says "''On we go, to our next battle''". This prompts replies from either James ("''As long as we have the will to live''") or Gary ("''As long as there is an answer''").
  +
|}
   
 
== Gameplay ==
'''Good ending:''' AMS agent [[Thomas Rogan]] appears at the entrance to Goldman's headquarters. He reveals that G and Harry are alright, and says "''On we go, to our next battle''". This prompts replies from either James ("''As long as we have the will to live''") or Gary ("''As long as there is an answer''").
 
  +
''The House of the Dead 2 ''plays similarly to its predecessor, tasking players to kill attacking creatures with pistols. Because the arcade version uses sensors around the monitor to gauge where the guns are aimed, one must simply aim the gun off-screen to reload. The player's accuracy is now calculated at the end of each stage, being displayed as a percent, though this has no major impact on gameplay.
   
  +
The game has a larger and more complex variety of [[branching paths]] than the original ''House of the Dead''. Depending on the routes taken, the bosses of the second and third levels are fought in one of two different areas, often with some variations in attack patterns and difficulty. In addition, the third and fourth levels have two possible starting points based on the routes taken in the chapter before each one.
== Modes ==
 
  +
  +
=== Game modes ===
 
Depending on the version of the game (Arcade, Xbox, PC, Dreamcast, or Wii), there are a variety of gameplay modes available.
 
Depending on the version of the game (Arcade, Xbox, PC, Dreamcast, or Wii), there are a variety of gameplay modes available.
 
* Arcade Mode: The standard mode of play. It features one or two players playing through the game normally without any bonuses. Each player's gun holds only 6 bullets per round. However, unlike the arcade game, the player is able to set the number of lives and continues on the options screen. This varies from the arcade, where each player's life value depends on what the operator set it to.
 
* Arcade Mode: The standard mode of play. It features one or two players playing through the game normally without any bonuses. Each player's gun holds only 6 bullets per round. However, unlike the arcade game, the player is able to set the number of lives and continues on the options screen. This varies from the arcade, where each player's life value depends on what the operator set it to.
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* Options: The options screen gives the player various controls over game settings such as lives, continues, blood color, volume control, etc.
 
* Options: The options screen gives the player various controls over game settings such as lives, continues, blood color, volume control, etc.
  +
  +
== Development ==
  +
{{See also|The House of the Dead 2: Original Sin (prototype)}}
  +
In a 1997 interview with ''Sega Saturn Magazine'', ''[[The House of the Dead (1996 video game)|The House of the Dead]] ''director [[Takashi Oda]] and programmer Koji Ooto stated that a sequel would depend on the response to the first game. Oda expressed interest only if his team was given "at least 6 months or a year" to work on it. Ooto said that with newer and more powerful hardware, "[they] could do something truly disgusting", but was unsure if the public could handle it.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://shmuplations.com/houseofthedead/|title = "The House of the Dead – 1997 Developer Interview"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160122101158/http://shmuplations.com/houseofthedead/|archivedate = January 22, 2016|publisher = ''Shmuplations''|accessdate = May 28, 2020|language = English}}</ref>
  +
  +
Early in ''The House of the Dead 2''<nowiki/>'s planning phase, there was a scrapped idea to make Thomas Rogan's fiancé, [[Sophie Richards]], a boss.<ref name=":1" /> According to [[The House of the Dead 2: Original Sin (prototype)|an unfinished prototype]], the title originally had the subtitle ''Original Sin'', which was later made the final chapter's name instead. Screenshots in a 1999 issue of ''Dreamcast Magazine ''also reveal that Tower was originally named and Ophiuchus, while Kuarl and Zeal were explicitly named instead of being collectively referred to as Judgment. Kuarl's name is still referenced in the final game's dialogue, but Zeal's name only appears in Japanese guidebooks.
  +
  +
In retrospect, Oda was pleased with his team's ability to "express the fear of being chased and facing unpredictable attacks" with the boss [[Strength]], who is his favorite boss in the series.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url = http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=1622|title = "Website of the Dead’s Exclusive Interview with Takashi Oda"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20190805132746/http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=1622|archivedate = April 19, 2020|author = Kori|date = September 7, 2012|quote = |publisher = ''The Website of the Dead''|language = English}}</ref>
   
 
== Release ==
 
== Release ==
[[File:27880058 167646924024736 5160379046952960000 n.jpg|thumb|220x220px|A deluxe ''House of the Dead 2 ''arcade cabinet.]]
+
[[File:27880058 167646924024736 5160379046952960000 n.jpg|thumb|176x176px|A deluxe ''House of the Dead 2 ''arcade cabinet.]]
   
 
=== Home ports ===
 
=== Home ports ===
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=== Remake ===
 
=== Remake ===
On September 29th, 2019, Polish website Grampospolita.pl reported that Forever Entertainment, the developer responsible for remaking the first two games in Sega's ''Panzer Dragoon ''series, will remake the original ''The House of the Dead 2'', as well as the original ''House of the Dead''.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://graczpospolita.pl/polacy-stworza-remake-dwoch-czesci-the-house-of-the-dead/|title = "Polacy stworzą remake dwóch części The House of the Dead"|author = Michał Król|date = September 25th, 2019|quote = The House of the Dead: Remake i The House of the Dead 2: Remake będą mieć nową, dostosowaną do współczesnych standardów grafikę oraz lekko zmodyfikowaną rozgrywkę, ale w pełni zachowają oryginalny scenariusz. Spółka zapowiedziała, że materiały z pierwszej z gier zostaną zaprezentowane w najbliższych miesiącach.|publisher = ''Gramposolita.pl''}}</ref> Forever Entertainment confirmed via Twitter on October 3, 2019 that they had signed an agreement to produce said remakes. No further details were provided.<ref name=":0" />
+
On September 29th, 2019, Polish website ''Grampospolita'' reported that Forever Entertainment, the developer responsible for remaking the first two games in Sega's ''Panzer Dragoon ''series, signed contracts to remake ''The House of the Dead 2 ''in addition to the original ''House of the Dead''. The remakes will reportedly feature "new graphics adapted to modern standards and slightly modified gameplay".<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://graczpospolita.pl/polacy-stworza-remake-dwoch-czesci-the-house-of-the-dead/|title = "Polacy stworzą remake dwóch części The House of the Dead"|author = Michał Król|date = September 25th, 2019|quote = The House of the Dead: Remake i The House of the Dead 2: Remake będą mieć nową, dostosowaną do współczesnych standardów grafikę oraz lekko zmodyfikowaną rozgrywkę, ale w pełni zachowają oryginalny scenariusz. Spółka zapowiedziała, że materiały z pierwszej z gier zostaną zaprezentowane w najbliższych miesiącach.|publisher = ''Gramposolita.pl''|language = Polish}}</ref> On October 3, 2019, Forever Entertainment confirmed the news but could not provide further details.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-10-03-rumoured-house-of-the-dead-1-and-2-remakes-officially-confirmed|title = "Rumoured House of the Dead 1 & 2 remakes officially confirmed"|last = Wales|first = Matt|date = October 3, 2019|publisher = ''Eurogamer.net''|accessdate = July 21, 2020}}</ref>
  +
  +
On a March 2020 podcast, ''Panzer Dragoon: Remake'' producer [[Benjamin Anseaume]] stated that the ''House of the Dead'' remake news were leaked; in the future, Forever Entertainment "wants to announce [them] in the proper way" with trailers and other materials.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.thesegalounge.com/106-benjaminanseaume/|title = "106 - Benjamin Anseaume from Forever Entertainment"|date = March 19, 2020|language = English|publisher = ''The SEGA Lounge''|accessdate = July 21, 2020}}</ref> Anseaume's Twitter and LinkedIn accounts indicate that he will produce the remakes.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://twitter.com/anseaume|title = "Benjamin Anseaume's Twitter page"|language = English|accessdate = July 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://fr.linkedin.com/in/benjaminanseaume|title = "Benjamin Anseaume's LinkedIn profile"|language = English|accessdate = July 21, 2020}}</ref>
   
 
== Chapters ==
 
== Chapters ==
  +
<gallery position="center" columns="3" captionalign="center" navigation="true" hideaddbutton="true">
 
*''Chapter 1: '''[[A Prelude]]''' ''
+
THoTD2_Chp1.jpg| 1. '''[[A Prelude]]''' |link=A Prelude
  +
THoTD2_Chp2.jpg| 2. '''[[Muddy]]''' |link=Muddy
 
*''Chapter 2: '''[[Muddy]]''' ''
+
THoTD2_Chp3.jpg| 3. '''[[Darkness]]''' |link=Darkness
  +
THoTD2_Chp4.jpg| 4. '''[[Despair (The House of the Dead 2)|Despair]]''' |link=Despair (The House of the Dead 2)
 
*''Chapter 3: '''[[Darkness]]''' ''
+
THoTD2_Chp5.jpg| 5. '''[[Dawn]]''' |link=Dawn
 
THoTD2_Chp6.jpg| 6. '''[[Original Sin]]''' |link=Original Sin
 
  +
</gallery>
*''Chapter 4: '''[[Despair (The House of the Dead 2)|Despair]]''' ''
 
 
*''Chapter 5: '''[[Dawn]]''' ''
 
 
*''Chapter 6: '''[[Original Sin]]''' ''
 
   
 
== Bosses ==
 
== Bosses ==
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==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
  +
*Magician is the only boss to return from the first game.
*''The House of the Dead 2'' was the first game to use SEGA's NAOMI board arcade system. The board was able to host up to 3,000,000 polygons per second (in comparison, the PlayStation could host only 650,000 polygons per second), making it one of the most realistic looking games of its time,<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/wii/944030-the-house-of-the-dead-2-and-3-return/faqs/422|title = FAQ by Guy Type R"|date = April 6th, 2000 |quote = HOTD2 is the first ARCADE game that uses the SEGA's NAOMI (Nay-o-mi) board (Same board as the Dreamcast's). This board can soup up to 3,000,000 polygons per second (Playstation only has a maximum of 650,000). So the graphics can be "skin-like", meaning that everything looks real (Just look at the new Magician Type 0!).|publisher = ''Game FAQs''}}</ref>, as well as one of the first games ever made that could host over a million polygons per second.
 
  +
*In its prototype, the game'' ''was originally titled [[The House of the Dead 2: Original Sin (prototype)|''The House of the Dead 2: Original Sin.'']] The prototype consists of the first four levels, along with music and graphics that are either removed or improved in the final product.
 
*''The House of the Dead 2'' was the first game to use SEGA's NAOMI board arcade system. The board was able to host up to 3,000,000 polygons per second (in comparison, the PlayStation could host only 650,000 polygons per second), making it one of the most realistic looking games of its time,<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/wii/944030-the-house-of-the-dead-2-and-3-return/faqs/422|title = FAQ by Guy Type R"|date = April 6th, 2000 |quote = HOTD2 is the first ARCADE game that uses the SEGA's NAOMI (Nay-o-mi) board (Same board as the Dreamcast's). This board can soup up to 3,000,000 polygons per second (Playstation only has a maximum of 650,000). So the graphics can be "skin-like", meaning that everything looks real (Just look at the new Magician Type 0!).|publisher = ''Game FAQs''|language = English}}</ref> as well as one of the first games ever made that could host over a million polygons per second.
  +
*The challenge of ''2''<nowiki/>'s boss fights inspired Yoshinori Tomoyasu, the director of the 2000 ''House of the Dead''-like rail shooter ''[[Vampire Night]]'', to design an "attack gauge" gameplay mechanic. This involves a meter which must be emptied within a limited time by repeated shots to boss weak points; success stops attack phases, while failure often results in damage.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20011228/vpk.htm|title = "特別インタビュー"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200422200300/https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20011228/vpk.htm|archivedate = April 22, 2020|last = Kawamoto|first = Masumi|date = December 28, 2001|publisher = ''GAME Watch''|accessdate = May 21, 2020|language = Japanese|quote = 今は普通のザコ敵も撃てば体力メーターが出ますが、最初は出なかったんです。ボスの攻撃ゲージも出すことは考えていませんでした。見えるようにした理由として、「HOD2」のボスがかなり難度が高かったので、それよりも少し間口を広げたかった。あまりガンシューティングを遊んだことのない人のことも考慮して、なるべくわかりやすいように、というのを意識した結果、何発撃ち込んだからキャンセルできたということが見てわかるように攻撃ゲージを表示させました。「あーっ、あと1発当てればキャンセルできてたのになー」という感じで目安になればと。
  +
 あと、遠方にいる小さいボスを狙う場合も多いので、当たったかどうかを視覚的にもわかりやすくしたかったというのもあります。}}</ref> The mechanic has since been used in the ''House of the Dead ''series, beginning with ''The House of the Dead III'', which Tomoyasu was also involved with.
   
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
GameoverMap HotD2.png|Texture for the route map shown upon game over.
 
GameoverMap HotD2.png|Texture for the route map shown upon game over.
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
=== Videos ===
  +
<gallery>
  +
The_House_of_the_Dead_2_Japanese_Dreamcast_Commercial|''The House of the Dead 2'' Japanese Sega Dreamcast commercial.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
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<references />{{Wikipedia|House of the Dead 2}}
 
<references />{{Wikipedia|House of the Dead 2}}
 
{{HotD2}}
 
{{HotD2}}
  +
{{Games}}
 
[[Category:Games]]
 
[[Category:Games]]
 
[[Category:Main series]]
 
[[Category:Main series]]

Revision as of 05:49, 16 September 2020


HotD4 Goldman
"Must we simply sit and wait for it all to end?"
This article covers upcoming House of the Dead-related media. It will be updated as more information is obtained.




For the 2005 film adaptation by Michael Hurst, see House of the Dead 2 (film).

The portal to carnage is about to open again...

Tagline

The House of the Dead 2 (ザ・ハウス・オブ・ザ・デッド 2, Za Hausu obu za Deddo 2?) is a horror-themed rail shooting game developed by SEGA AM1 (now WOW Entertainment) and released by Sega to arcades in 1998. It is the sequel to The House of the Dead, and the second game overall in the House of the Dead series.

Set almost two years after the 1998 Curien Mansion incident, the game follows AMS agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart as they investigate an unnamed, Venetian-inspired city overrun with biologically-engineered creatures.

Upon release, The House of the Dead 2 was praised for various improvements over its predecessor, but has often been derided for its voice acting. The game received several console ports and spin-off games. A sequel, The House of the Dead III, was released in 2002.

A remake of the game, along with The House of the Dead, was confirmed by Polish-based video game distributor Forever Entertainment in 2019, with MegaPixel Studio involved as the developers.[1]

Plot

Characters

Synopsis

On February 26th, 2000, AMS agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart investigate an outbreak of vicious creatures in an unnamed city. James and Gary meet their injured partner G, who provides them his field journal of creature weak points.

James and Gary rescue civilians and defeat Judgment, consisting of the armored giant Kuarl and the imp-like Zeal, and the aquatic Hierophant. During a rendezvous with partners Amy Crystal and Harry Harris, the latter reveals that Caleb Goldman, the head of a financial group, masterminded the 1998 Curien Mansion incident; he funded the late Dr. Curien's research, which he then used to engineer the citywide outbreak.

In a phone message, Goldman invites the agents to meet him at the Roman Colosseum; they hesitantly accept and split up. James and Gary enter through the sewers, battling the Hydra-like Tower, while Amy and Harry directly enter the Colosseum. After losing contact with them, James and Gary fight into the Colosseum to rescue Amy and an injured Harry from the chainsaw-wielding Strength.

JamesGaryConfrontGoldman

James Taylor and Gary Stewart confronting Caleb Goldman.

James and Gary drive Harry's car to Goldman's headquarters, in the process fighting a revived Judgement, Hierophant, Magician, and Tower. The agents confront Goldman, who claims that he wants to protect the life cycle from mankind. He awakens Emperor, a creature intended to be humanity's ruler. After the Emperor's defeat, Goldman warns that "a successor will come". He then commits suicide by throwing himself off the roof of his building.

While unsure if their actions were correct, James and Gary vow to keep fighting.

Endings

One of three endings plays at the end of the credits. This is determined by the following:

  • If a solo game was finished as either player 1 or 2
  • If both players defeated the last boss
  • Number of continues
  • Points earned
Type Image Description
Normal
HOD2NormalEnding
Amy, Harry, G, and a group of civilians appear outside of Goldman's headquarters, thanking the player(s).
Bad
Goldman zombie
Goldman appears outside as a creature; James and Gary exclaim his name. The screen fades to white as a gunshot is heard.
Good
Gfs 19889 2 40 mid
AMS agent Thomas Rogan appears at the entrance to Goldman's headquarters. He reveals that G and Harry are alright, and says "On we go, to our next battle". This prompts replies from either James ("As long as we have the will to live") or Gary ("As long as there is an answer").

Gameplay

The House of the Dead 2 plays similarly to its predecessor, tasking players to kill attacking creatures with pistols. Because the arcade version uses sensors around the monitor to gauge where the guns are aimed, one must simply aim the gun off-screen to reload. The player's accuracy is now calculated at the end of each stage, being displayed as a percent, though this has no major impact on gameplay.

The game has a larger and more complex variety of branching paths than the original House of the Dead. Depending on the routes taken, the bosses of the second and third levels are fought in one of two different areas, often with some variations in attack patterns and difficulty. In addition, the third and fourth levels have two possible starting points based on the routes taken in the chapter before each one.

Game modes

Depending on the version of the game (Arcade, Xbox, PC, Dreamcast, or Wii), there are a variety of gameplay modes available.

  • Arcade Mode: The standard mode of play. It features one or two players playing through the game normally without any bonuses. Each player's gun holds only 6 bullets per round. However, unlike the arcade game, the player is able to set the number of lives and continues on the options screen. This varies from the arcade, where each player's life value depends on what the operator set it to.
  • Original Mode: This is similar to Arcade Mode, except that it allows a player to use 2 bonus items prior to starting the game. These items can be collected have a wide variety of uses, ranging from increasing life and credit score to selecting costumes.
  • Training Mode: This mode consists of 10 training stages which feature various situations that must be cleared in order to pass. Each training stage has different levels of difficulty.
  • Boss Mode: This mode allows the player to play a time attack on the game's various boss fights. Each boss must have appeared during normal gameplay (either Arcade or Original mode) before it appears in this mode.
  • Options: The options screen gives the player various controls over game settings such as lives, continues, blood color, volume control, etc.

Development

See also: The House of the Dead 2: Original Sin (prototype)

In a 1997 interview with Sega Saturn Magazine, The House of the Dead director Takashi Oda and programmer Koji Ooto stated that a sequel would depend on the response to the first game. Oda expressed interest only if his team was given "at least 6 months or a year" to work on it. Ooto said that with newer and more powerful hardware, "[they] could do something truly disgusting", but was unsure if the public could handle it.[2]

Early in The House of the Dead 2's planning phase, there was a scrapped idea to make Thomas Rogan's fiancé, Sophie Richards, a boss.[3] According to an unfinished prototype, the title originally had the subtitle Original Sin, which was later made the final chapter's name instead. Screenshots in a 1999 issue of Dreamcast Magazine also reveal that Tower was originally named and Ophiuchus, while Kuarl and Zeal were explicitly named instead of being collectively referred to as Judgment. Kuarl's name is still referenced in the final game's dialogue, but Zeal's name only appears in Japanese guidebooks.

In retrospect, Oda was pleased with his team's ability to "express the fear of being chased and facing unpredictable attacks" with the boss Strength, who is his favorite boss in the series.[3]

Release

File:27880058 167646924024736 5160379046952960000 n.jpg

A deluxe House of the Dead 2 arcade cabinet.

Home ports

The House of the Dead 2 was ported to the Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, the Microsoft Xbox (as an unlockable in the port of The House of the Dead III), and the Nintendo Wii (in the compilation release The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return).

Remake

On September 29th, 2019, Polish website Grampospolita reported that Forever Entertainment, the developer responsible for remaking the first two games in Sega's Panzer Dragoon series, signed contracts to remake The House of the Dead 2 in addition to the original House of the Dead. The remakes will reportedly feature "new graphics adapted to modern standards and slightly modified gameplay".[4] On October 3, 2019, Forever Entertainment confirmed the news but could not provide further details.[1][5]

On a March 2020 podcast, Panzer Dragoon: Remake producer Benjamin Anseaume stated that the House of the Dead remake news were leaked; in the future, Forever Entertainment "wants to announce [them] in the proper way" with trailers and other materials.[6] Anseaume's Twitter and LinkedIn accounts indicate that he will produce the remakes.[7][8]

Chapters

Bosses

Trivia

  • Magician is the only boss to return from the first game.
  • In its prototype, the game was originally titled The House of the Dead 2: Original Sin. The prototype consists of the first four levels, along with music and graphics that are either removed or improved in the final product.
  • The House of the Dead 2 was the first game to use SEGA's NAOMI board arcade system. The board was able to host up to 3,000,000 polygons per second (in comparison, the PlayStation could host only 650,000 polygons per second), making it one of the most realistic looking games of its time,[9] as well as one of the first games ever made that could host over a million polygons per second.
  • The challenge of 2's boss fights inspired Yoshinori Tomoyasu, the director of the 2000 House of the Dead-like rail shooter Vampire Night, to design an "attack gauge" gameplay mechanic. This involves a meter which must be emptied within a limited time by repeated shots to boss weak points; success stops attack phases, while failure often results in damage.[10] The mechanic has since been used in the House of the Dead series, beginning with The House of the Dead III, which Tomoyasu was also involved with.

Gallery

Data

Videos

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Forever Entertainment [@ForeverEntert] (October 3, 2020). Forever Entertainment on Twitter: "Hi Guys! We confirm the signing of the agreement regarding remakes of the games "The House of the Dead" and "The House of the Dead 2". No platforms or release dates have been confirmed, and unfortunately we can’t say anything more for now. Please keep fingers crossed for us and.." / Twitter. Twitter. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020.
  2. "The House of the Dead – 1997 Developer Interview" (English). Shmuplations. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved on May 28, 2020.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Kori (September 7, 2012). "Website of the Dead’s Exclusive Interview with Takashi Oda" (English). The Website of the Dead. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020.
  4. Michał Król (September 25th, 2019). "Polacy stworzą remake dwóch części The House of the Dead" (Polish). Gramposolita.pl. “The House of the Dead: Remake i The House of the Dead 2: Remake będą mieć nową, dostosowaną do współczesnych standardów grafikę oraz lekko zmodyfikowaną rozgrywkę, ale w pełni zachowają oryginalny scenariusz. Spółka zapowiedziała, że materiały z pierwszej z gier zostaną zaprezentowane w najbliższych miesiącach.”
  5. Wales, Matt (October 3, 2019). "Rumoured House of the Dead 1 & 2 remakes officially confirmed". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved on July 21, 2020.
  6. "106 - Benjamin Anseaume from Forever Entertainment" (English). The SEGA Lounge (March 19, 2020). Retrieved on July 21, 2020.
  7. "Benjamin Anseaume's Twitter page" (English). Retrieved on July 21, 2020.
  8. "Benjamin Anseaume's LinkedIn profile" (English). Retrieved on July 21, 2020.
  9. FAQ by Guy Type R" (English). Game FAQs (April 6th, 2000). “HOTD2 is the first ARCADE game that uses the SEGA's NAOMI (Nay-o-mi) board (Same board as the Dreamcast's). This board can soup up to 3,000,000 polygons per second (Playstation only has a maximum of 650,000). So the graphics can be "skin-like", meaning that everything looks real (Just look at the new Magician Type 0!).”
  10. Kawamoto, Masumi (December 28, 2001). "特別インタビュー" (Japanese). GAME Watch. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved on May 21, 2020. “今は普通のザコ敵も撃てば体力メーターが出ますが、最初は出なかったんです。ボスの攻撃ゲージも出すことは考えていませんでした。見えるようにした理由として、「HOD2」のボスがかなり難度が高かったので、それよりも少し間口を広げたかった。あまりガンシューティングを遊んだことのない人のことも考慮して、なるべくわかりやすいように、というのを意識した結果、何発撃ち込んだからキャンセルできたということが見てわかるように攻撃ゲージを表示させました。「あーっ、あと1発当てればキャンセルできてたのになー」という感じで目安になればと。  あと、遠方にいる小さいボスを狙う場合も多いので、当たったかどうかを視覚的にもわかりやすくしたかったというのもあります。”

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veHotd2logocontent
Characters
James TaylorGary StewartAmy CrystalHarry HarrisCaleb GoldmanGThomas RoganCivilians
Creatures
DavidSteveJohnnyKageoRandyEbitanBobMaxMickeyRyanKeithGregoryKenRickyPatrickPeterLanceFranklinEricMoowlDevilonBouereMurrerBuyoMofish
Bosses
JudgmentHierophantTowerStrengthMagicianEmperor
Chapters
A PreludeMuddyDarknessDespairDawnOriginal Sin
Spin-offs
English of the DeadThe Pinball of the DeadThe Typing of the Dead (Featuring Rakuten Minna no Shushoku Katsudou Nikki) • Zombie Da: Flick of the Dead
Other pages
Lore (AMSCityCaleb Goldman's headquarters)
Game modes (Boss ModeOriginal ModeTraining Mode)
Guidebooks (The House of the Dead 2 G's FileThe House of the Dead 2 Perfect Guide)
2 & 3 ReturnAction figuresOriginal SoundtrackThe House of the Dead 1 & 2 Music CollectionOriginal Sin prototypeUnused content
veThe House of the Dead games
Main series The House of the Dead (Remake)2 (Remake)III4 (Special)Scarlet Dawn
Spin-offs Zombie RevengeThe Typing of the Dead (2Overkill)The Pinball of the DeadEnglish of the DeadEX slot machineThe House of the Dead: Overkill (Extended Cut)Loving DeadsDarts of the DeadScarlet Dawn (Battle GenesisOn ReelsTHE ATTRACTION)Reels
Prototypes The House of the Dead (arcade prototypeSega Saturn prototype)2 (Original Sin prototype)Scarlet Dawn (prototypes)
Compilations 2 & 3 Return
Mobile games MobileNightmareZombie Da: Flick of the DeadOverkill: The Lost Reels
Non-HOD games Vampire NightSega Golden GunSonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Gameplay mechanics Bonus itemsBranching pathsCiviliansHealthWeak points
Developers SegaSega AM1NamcoForever EntertainmentMegaPixel StudioTA Publishing
Staff Takashi OdaRikiya Nakagawa
Other content Hiiro SumomoReferences in popular cultureUnused content