house of the dead 4 PSN(and a little relevant ps move discussion)

[complexz]

before talking about how great it is to play a new house of the dead game I'm going to give a few details of the move catered towards arcade nerdy people like me who are more interested in how the setup works for light gun ports than FPS games and dancing shit.

a friend brought his move over to my house to play some house of the dead overkill and I found the move with pistol accessories quite accurate and they had a good feel to them, but the triggers are analog so they have a long throw and more resistance than I would like. so with a game like house of the dead 2 or time crisis where your fire rate is basically only limited by the speed of your finger they kinda suffer due to the resistance and throw of the trigger.

This is where the sharpshooter really fixes everything, the sharpshooter has a nice short throw non analog trigger with that lovely arcadey microswitch click to it it's really a lot more than just a plastic shell for a move controller.

I only mention all of this because I could really find no good info on the sharpshooter relevant to lightgun arcade game ports. FPS games are definitely not high on my priority list with the thing.

HOTD4 plays beautifully with the sharpshooter and is as far as I can remember pretty much arcade perfect, shaking to reload works properly (as does pumping like a shotgun...i imagine that will be awesome in HOTD3)and it's completely accurate.

I have yet to try a pistol based game like time crisis 4 with the thing, but it seems light enough to actually hold like a pistol if one wanted to, so I think it would work well for more traditional lightgun games too. I hope we get more of them ported!

Now for the game itself! wow I've missed this feeling! this is that real house of the dead fun I haven't felt at home since my dreamcast! I kind of feared having a UZI instead of the pistol would make the game more shallow but honestly it's as difficult as ever and accuracy still plays a huge roll, any extra bullets and fire rate you have is easily counterbalanced by a much higher enemy count.

I don't know if I would have paid over 100 bucks to play this if I didn't get all the move stuff super cheap.... but if you have most of the move accessories already and you like house of the dead at all... don't hesitate! I haven't been this hyped for a game in ages that amazing feeling of actually being able to play house of the dead 2 at home is back!

The arcade version is quite a few years old now but the graphics hold up great, it's not uncharted but it is a game from this hardware generation and it holds up quite well.

content wise the game includes both the original HOTD4 and the expansion stuff from the newer arcade version that I think only made it to japan.

10 bucks well spent and I can't wait to get HOTD3 and time crisis raizing storm next!

forgive me for the long, disorganized and rambly post... I just miss this kinda gaming

 

[max 330 mega]

had no idea this was coming out. gonna have to go over my dad's house and borrow his PS Move shit this weekend and DL this and play it with the girlfriend. should make a killer saturday night with beer and zombies!

 

[Hot Chocolate]

Been playing the hell out of HOTD 3 & 4 for a good couple of weeks now, add in Overkill and the fun never ends

 

[Ancient Flounder]

I love HotD4. I had only played it once before in arcades, so playing it on my PS3 was the first time I really could give it a shot. It's definitely the best one since HotD2 (I love all the callbacks to 2 that 4 has). I'm hoping that Sega might put out HotD1 and 2 at some point as a single package. Hell, maybe even the Rambo arcade game could get a port.

This is where the sharpshooter really fixes everything, the sharpshooter has a nice short throw non analog trigger with that lovely arcadey microswitch click to it it's really a lot more than just a plastic shell for a move controller.

I only mention all of this because I could really find no good info on the sharpshooter relevant to lightgun arcade game ports. FPS games are definitely not high on my priority list with the thing.

HOTD4 plays beautifully with the sharpshooter and is as far as I can remember pretty much arcade perfect, shaking to reload works properly (as does pumping like a shotgun...i imagine that will be awesome in HOTD3)and it's completely accurate.

That's good to hear. HotD3 is a bit of a pain to play with the Move controller; I tend to play it with the DS3 pad, since the R1 button is a much better way to rapidly fire. Looks like I won't have to do that anymore when I can get a Sharpshooter.

 

[complexz]

yeah the arcade version was always like a dollar a play, which was several games of third strike! so while I have tried the game a few times in the past, this port is really my first chance to play this game enough to enjoy the finer points. I played so hard last night my arm still hurts today

I really really hope sega not only brings hotd1 and 2 over, but I would LOVE virtua cop 3. I had the pleasure of trying it in the arcade but I only played it once and it was so many years ago that I barely remember it at all. If any game needed a port more than HOTD4 it's virtua cop 3!

Sega sure has been delivering lately!

 

[Moon Jump]

I got flamed on YouTube because my friend and I did a video saying why we didn't like HOTD4. We tried to lay everything out and explain why we didn't like it. The new guns feel like peashooters, you can't target body parts anymore and the bosses are really cheap. Could they make the hit points for them any smaller? I don't think I've ever stopped the first boss from drop kicking me once. I still have no idea why Virtua Cop 3 never came out on home consoles. It can't be just because of the EX peddle. I'm glad the one Dave and Busters near me still has the game. Every time my friend and I get the lunch and game card special we always clear the game.

 

[complexz]

hey to each their own, I go for head shots as I like points so maybe I just didn't notice a lack of effects for body or limb shots... but there are certainly no shortage of elements for targeting specific parts of enemies, the game still has the guys who hold axes in front of their faces and you have to shoot them elsewhere to get them to drop the axes down and there are the doods with the propane tanks you can target and such.

as for cheap bosses I see how you could think that, and you still could be right, to beat the first boss without getting hit at all I still have to use a few grenades at a few parts, but I have stopped him from drop kicking and I have been doing progressively better with each game so I have no reason to think I don't still have plenty of room for improvement. but really even if there are a few points in boss battles where getting hit is unavoidable without using a grenade, there are still plenty enough grenades supplied to avoid the choke points if you find them(at least in the first and second stage).

but anyway if you played the game and didn't have fun, that I can't argue with, just saying I do think the game is legit balance and mechanics wise.

 

[Moon Jump]

Didn't know you got more points for headshots. I just noticed they kept coming and burst into flames anyway no matter where you shot them. I didn't bother checking to see the score because I just try to stay alive. For me 4 has to be my least favorite in the series. I've played through all of them and I just miss blowing zombie limbs off. If I had to rank them I'd go, 2,1,3 and 4. I still need to pick up Overkill on the Wii. I played the demo at NYCC years ago and thought it was pretty funny but since I don't feel like spending extra money on a Move, I'll just get the grainy version on the Wii.

 

[Ninjatemper]

If you have move and like the House of the Dead 3 and 4, definitely pick up Time Crisis: Raizing Storm. You get Raizing Storm, the arcade version of Time Crisis 4, and Deadstorm Pirates all on the disc. All 3 games are fun and Deadstorm Pirates is a really cool change of pace and scenery from the usual light gun style game. The move works very well for these style of games (especially with the Sony Sharpshooter with the digital trigger). I hope they release a lot more of the rail gun games for the move.

 

[Ninjatemper]

Also, I started watching some of those Arcade Hunters videos on youtube. Very cool stuff Moon Jump. Kudos! Tokyo Game Action was a badass venue. Wish I could've gone just once.

 

[complexz]

If you have move and like the House of the Dead 3 and 4, definitely pick up Time Crisis: Raizing Storm. You get Raizing Storm, the arcade version of Time Crisis 4, and Deadstorm Pirates all on the disc. All 3 games are fun and Deadstorm Pirates is a really cool change of pace and scenery from the usual light gun style game. The move works very well for these style of games (especially with the Sony Sharpshooter with the digital trigger). I hope they release a lot more of the rail gun games for the move.

definitely going to get time crisis raizing storm. i do think I still want the guncon 3 setup for timecrisis 4. Sharpshooter would make it totally playable... but I still really want a pistol with a nice trigger

 

[Moon Jump]

Also, I started watching some of those Arcade Hunters videos on youtube. Very cool stuff Moon Jump. Kudos! Tokyo Game Action was a badass venue. Wish I could've gone just once.

Andy was amazing. One of the best operators I ever met. He really went the extra mile to make everybody happy. It's a real shame it didn't work out for him and that they had two floods. He's still fighting with the auction company to get the money from the closing of the arcade. So if you ever see something being run by Super Auctions, stay away. They've done nothing but rip him off throughout everything the guy's been through.

 

[Hot Chocolate]

Didn't know you got more points for headshots. I just noticed they kept coming and burst into flames anyway no matter where you shot them. I didn't bother checking to see the score because I just try to stay alive. For me 4 has to be my least favorite in the series. I've played through all of them and I just miss blowing zombie limbs off. If I had to rank them I'd go, 2,1,3 and 4. I still need to pick up Overkill on the Wii. I played the demo at NYCC years ago and thought it was pretty funny but since I don't feel like spending extra money on a Move, I'll just get the grainy version on the Wii.

Don't have the move either and been playing all three games a ok

 

[Ninjatemper]

Andy was amazing. One of the best operators I ever met. He really went the extra mile to make everybody happy. It's a real shame it didn't work out for him and that they had two floods. He's still fighting with the auction company to get the money from the closing of the arcade. So if you ever see something being run by Super Auctions, stay away. They've done nothing but rip him off throughout everything the guy's been through.

Talking about adding insult to injury. What a shame. Nice guys finish last I guess.

 

[Lastblade]

definitely going to get time crisis raizing storm. i do think I still want the guncon 3 setup for timecrisis 4. Sharpshooter would make it totally playable... but I still really want a pistol with a nice trigger

If you want Guncon 3, I can sell you mine. I got 2 GC3 so you can even play two player.

 

[complexz]

If you want Guncon 3, I can sell you mine. I got 2 GC3 so you can even play two player.

hey man I appreciate the offer but there are quite a few quite cheap on craigslist locally so it probably wouldn't even be worth our time shipping, besides you should keep em, lightgun games are like classic shmups, you can get burned out on them and take a break, but they are fun forever if you have room to improve on that score

on the subject of cheap bosses in HOTD4, now that I am a little more skilled and can take out a few of em withought taking any damage, I can now say with certainty that the bosses are balanced (quite hard though) for some of them using grenades are the best way to avoid losing health, but even this still takes knowledge and strategy. Grenades are not used in the way a bomb is used in a shmup for example, it's not a get out of jail free card, they are actually quite plentiful and used for things like bouncing around a corner to access a hidden item. If you don't use a grenade on the first level and you know where they are hidden, you will have 5 or 6 stocked up for the boss fight and you can easily kill the boss with 2 to 3 depending on how lucky you are with his pattern.

The foolproof way of avoiding the first bosses drop kick is to shoot between his hands and hit his tongue once, when he drops his hands throw a grenade and it will land right in the suckas mouth, depleating his entire cancel bar instantly. Just throwing a grenade when you fear damage won't stop him at all, you need to get it right in his mouth. Then in the next turn you can tell if he will drop kick or not if he starts to block his face with his hands... if he doesn't block his face he will just grab you on the end of his run if you are not fast enough, so you can easily shake out and finish him off and take no damage doing so. After the first rush covering his face, every following rush save for the last one will be random, so with a little luck you will only need 2 grenades to take him out with absolutely no risk to taking even one hit of damage.

The second boss is even easier as he only has 2 attacks that can't easily be handled withought use of a grenade.

so yeah point is, it's not entirely obvious playing in the arcade as it's alot of knowledge to figure out in a short ammount of time, but like most good arcade games, it does take skill and strategy.

 

[LoneSage]

I keep forgetting how old HOTD4 is...a little over six and a half years.
I loved light gun shooters on the PS2. I was really into them. Such a shame you can't play anything from the PS2 gen and before on HDTVs.