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The often-used phrase "Virtua Cop meets Resident Evil" doesn't quite do Sega's zombie-blasting arcade gun-game series justice, but it's certainly close enough to give you the general idea of what the House of the Dead series is all about. In it, you're part of a government agency in charge of stopping the machinations of the nefarious and incredibly monotone Goldman, a suit-wearing evil mastermind intent on wiping out the human race with his monster hordes for reasons that never really quite make sense - or have to, for that matter. If that sounds like the plot for the first House of the Dead game that's because, well, the evil is back!
While the graphics in the home version of the original House Of The Dead 2 fell far short of its coin-op cousin, the Dream cast port of the second game is virtually identical to the arcade sequel and looks phenomenal. The monsters and their environments are incredibly well modeled and textured, and your gunshots blast gory green holes through the zombies (which look fantastic when they get up close enough to take a bite out of you) and the other assorted nasties.
The home version of House Of The Dead 2 also stacks up very well in terms of added value, with four different modes in all: arcade, original, boss, and training. The arcade mode is the heart of the game, wherein you shoot zombie after zombie and confront boss after boss. Original is essentially the same, but in it you can set your bullets for extra damage or expand your clip, but you're locked into the basic options. (In arcade, you can increase the number of your continues and lives.) Meanwhile, boss mode lets you practice taking on the game's boss monsters, and training mode sets you up in a number of point-blank-style puzzle/shooting levels, where you'll shoot a dozen creatures with only a limited number of bullets, save humans from zombie attacks, knock zombies off moving cars, and blast barrels within a time limit. This mode is great fun and carries the potential to be almost as strong and entertaining as the main game itself, save for a few drawbacks.Story
The game follows the fictional events of February 26, 2000 fourteen months after the Curien Mansion incident in The House of the Dead. Two years after the incident, the secret international agency, AMS, launched an investigation on the Curien case, in order to prevent a similar outbreak. Strange occurrences, however, are reported to be taking place in the city of Venice, Italy, the last known location of AMS agent G, who has gone missing. Agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart are dispatched along with Amy Crystal and Harry Harris to investigate and evacuate the populace. Upon finding G alive but wounded, James and Gary converse with him and G gives them a field journal showing the bosses and weak points. The pair are then met with an undead horde developed by Caleb Goldman, the president of the eminent DBR Corporation and an expert on the genome theory who funded the experiments of the late Dr. Curien.
While converging on Goldman's headquarters, James and Gary face many formidable foes, including Judgment consisting of an imp-like monster Zeal and his giant, headless, axe-wielding puppet Kuarl; The Hierophant, an aquatic beast which heads an assault on Venice's waterways and Central Plaza; segmented serpent-like beasts known as The Tower; and Strength, a giant, chainsaw-wielding zombie which wounds Harry and chases James and Gary throughout the Roman Colosseum. Curien's masterpiece, The Magician, is resurrected by Goldman to oversee the birth of The Emperor, a horned, transparent being designed to rule over nature and "destroy and hate mankind". In its prototype stage,
The Emperor is not as strong as Goldman had hoped, and falls to the AMS agents. In order to evade being arrested, Goldman commits suicide by throwing himself off the roof of his building.
In the first HOUSE OF THE DEAD, you and your partner were sent to the Curian Mansion to investigate Dr. Curian, a mad scientist who was experimenting with the dead. Once you had cleaned out the house and eliminated the doctor, you figured the world was once again safe. Unfortunately, a man named Goldman decided to continue the doctor's research, only this time the zombies are overrunning an entire town. Once again, it's up to you and your partner to clean out the zombies and restore peace. Quick decisions are a must, but be careful that you don't tag an innocent citizen--keep your eyes open for special power-ups and upgrades. You'll have a variety of modes to choose from, including Arcade, Original, Training, Boss, and Ranking. Play this first-person on-rails shooter with the standard Dreamcast controller, or give yourself the authentic arcade feel and hook up your light gun.
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