Splatterhouse
Splatterhouse is a sidescrolling beat 'em up video game in which the player controls Rick, a parapsychology student trapped in the West Mansion. After his resurrection through the terror mask, Rick makes his way through the mansion and fights hordes of creatures to save his girlfriend Jennifer from a cruel fate. Players of this game will also recognize a number of influences from Western horror movies such as Friday the 13th and Evil Dead 2. Similar to many sidescrolling beat 'em up games, Rick can only move around in a two-dimensional environment. The playing field does not have a three-dimensional area, a feature that was added later in the series with Splatterhouse 3. He has the ability to jump and can punch and kick. Rick also has a special attack where he does a drop kick that makes him skid across the floor and damages all the enemies he hits. Rick can also perform a low kick, a low punch and jump attacks, and pick up and use various weapons in the levels. All levels consist of moving from left to right, with occasional auto-scrolling sections. However, there are also alternative paths through parts of the house, by falling through holes or jumping on ladders. Branching gameplay is possible in this way, though only in the middle levels. The levels culminate in boss fights that are fought in a single room. Unlike traditional side-scrolling fighters, the boss fights have different objectives and styles. Unlike most arcade games of the genre, Splatterhouse sends players back to checkpoints when they have lost lives or the game is over, which prevents "eating credits" as a method to complete the different challenges.
Story
Two college students, Rick Taylor and Jennifer Willis, seek refuge from a storm at the West Mansion, a local landmark known as the "Splatterhouse" because of rumors of heinous experiments conducted there by Dr. West, a well-known parapsychologist who disappeared. As they enter the mansion and the door closes behind them, Jennifer screams. Rick awakens in the mansion's dungeon to find that he is still alive thanks to the "terror mask," or in some versions, the "hell mask," a Mayan sacrificial artifact from West's house that is capable of sensing thoughts. The mask attaches itself to Rick, fusing with his body and transforming him into a monster with superhuman powers. With the mask's support, Rick moves through the dungeon and castle grounds, killing hordes of monsters. In the mansion, Rick finds Jennifer lying on a couch surrounded by a gaggle of creatures who retreat when he arrives. After they leave, Jennifer transforms into a giant fanged monster that tries to kill Rick while begging him for help. Rick is forced to kill Jennifer, who turns back into a normal being and thanks him before she dies. Enraged, Rick pursues the remaining monsters to a huge, bloody hole in the floor of the mansion. When he enters it, he finds that the mansion itself is alive. He follows a bloody corridor to the mansion's "womb," which gives birth to fetus-like monsters that attack him. Rick destroys the womb, whereupon the house bursts into flames as it "dies." While escaping from the burning house, Rick comes across a grave marker. The terror mask releases energy into the grave and brings to life a giant monster called "Hell Chaos" that claws its way out of the ground and tries to kill Rick. Rick destroys the creature, which then releases a tormented spirit that dissolves into a series of bright lights. As the lights disappear, the mask shatters and Rick returns to normal and flees as the house burns down and the credits roll. After he leaves the house and the credits end, the terror mask reassembles, laughs evilly and stays put for 45 seconds while the word "END" appears in the lower right corner of the screen.