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Wii

Sega Announces The House of the Dead: Overkill for Wii

by Nick DiMola - August 19, 2008, 6:32 am EDT
Total comments: 37 Source: Press Release

The classic light gun shooter is being reinvented for Wii by Headstrong Games, who are giving the game a gritty classic horror film look.

Sega has announced today that in a joint effort with developer Headstrong Games (formerly known as Kuju London), The House of the Dead: Overkill is being brought to Wii. The game will take players back to the very beginning of the series when Special Agent G graduates from the academy. Along with the hard-boiled Detective Washington, they investigate the unusual circumstances of a small Louisiana town.

The game is set to overhaul the House of the Dead series giving it a grittier, classic horror type feel that pays "homage to the pulp horror comics and films that inspired generations of gore fans." The classic light gun style gameplay will return but now players will be able to pistol-whip the jaws of zombies too close for comfort or smash their skull in with their shotgun butt.

The House of the Dead: Overkill will be terrifying Wiis early 2009.

Make sure to check out the official teaser trailer below.





THEY'VE COME FOR BRAINS, YOU'LL GIVE THEM BULLETS

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL Brings Pulp Horror Action to Wii

LEIPZIG (August 19th, 2008) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced The House of the Dead: OVERKILL, an all-new pulp-horror reinvention of the classic SEGA light-gun shooter franchise. Created by London-based studio Headstrong Games, The House of the Dead: OVERKILL will take you right back to the beginning of this classic horror series. Available exclusively on the Nintendo Wii early in 2009 and announced to coincide with Games Convention at Leipzig, The House of the Dead: OVERKILL will be presented live by developer Headstrong Games for specially invited members of the press in SEGA's business centre suite.

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL uncovers the ugly, terrifying, red hot secrets behind the House of the Dead; the daddy of all over-the-top shooters. While staying true to the classic gameplay this hugely successful SEGA series is getting a new retro look, with distinctive graphics, sound and attitude that will add to its horror cool status. Plus, thanks to the Wii Remote™, players will fight off zombies when they get too close; pistol-whipping jaws off and smashing in skulls with their shotgun butt.

"We wanted to do something really different with The House of the Dead: OVERKILL," commented Bradley Crooks, Studio Head at Headstrong Games. "With SEGA we've been able to create a fresh look for the franchise. I think you'll agree it's like nothing you've seen before on Wii."

"Paying homage to the pulp horror comics and films that inspired generations of gore fans, The House of the Dead: OVERKILL will expose gamers to a brand-new fleshy rollercoaster ride of revolting dismemberment," commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director at SEGA Europe. "This is the hardcore Wii title you've been waiting for."

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL takes you back to when Special Agent G was fresh out of the academy. Teamed up with hard-boiled bad-ass Detective Washington, they are sent to investigate stories of mysterious disappearances in small-town Louisiana. Little do they know what blood-soaked mutant depravity awaits them in the streets and swamps of Bayou City...

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL will be released in early 2009, exclusively for Nintendo Wii. For more information about the game, please visit www.houseofthedeadoverkill.com.

Talkback

AVAugust 19, 2008

thats a really creative and fun trailer.
Wow that stripper girl is nice :o :o :o
The game looks like a blast. I'm hoping for a decent price point and good replay value, longevity but it looks like a winner.

D_AverageAugust 19, 2008

I wonder if Chobot's getting any royalties for that Wiimote lick....

CalibanAugust 19, 2008

The trailer seems like it had some inspiration taken from a grindhouse trailer.

Ahahaha, did Robert Rodriguez direct that?  Best game trailer EVER.

PopeRealAugust 19, 2008

The part where the stripper licked the Wiimote is a bit much, but I guess that was the idea.

MarioAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: D_Average

I wonder if Chobot's getting any royalties for that Wiimote lick....

Plenty of girls have licked wiimotes before

ShyGuyAugust 19, 2008

Now if it keeps the Grindhouse theme throughout the game, then that will be awesome sauce.

D_AverageAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: Mario

Quote from: D_Average

I wonder if Chobot's getting any royalties for that Wiimote lick....

Plenty of girls have licked wiimotes before

But Chobot started it all in March of 05' with the launch of the PSP.  Sheesh, why do I even know this?

CalibanAugust 19, 2008

Chobot is the personification of overstatement. Ignorance is your best weapon.

SchadenfreudeAugust 19, 2008

As long as it's better then Umbrella Chronicles, I'm all in. I've been waiting for a good light gun shooter for the Wii.

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 19, 2008

It'd better have gun calibration.

CalibanAugust 19, 2008

"IGN: Shooters on Wii have proven slightly flawed in the past because the Wii remote doesn't work like a light-gun. Are you calibrating the remote prior to gameplay? How so? (Only House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return has done it well so far.)

Neil: There will be calibration. We're looking at what other titles have done to see what has worked well and where we can improve it. Accuracy is critical when you're making a game based on high-scores and split-second shooting so it's getting a lot of attention."

Source

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 19, 2008

YES

WE CAN SAVE THE INTERNETS

DAaaMan64August 19, 2008

LOL I thought the shooting was fine in all the games ;)

Awww, I was hoping for HotD4. This looks good though. I'm excited!

ArbokAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: DAaaMan64

LOL I thought the shooting was fine in all the games ;)

Seriously... what was wrong with Umbrella Chronicles?

KDR_11kAugust 19, 2008

So they're asking how they'll do calibration while remarking the previous game in the same franchise did it perfectly?

MorariAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: PopeReal

The part where the stripper licked the Wiimote is a bit much, but I guess that was the idea.

She can lick my Wii...

Really though, those looks great already. The b-movie trailer is definitely amusing, if nothing else. I'd still really like to see a port of the original HotD, maybe as an unlockable. It should have been included with "2 & 3 Return". And where is House of the Dead 4? Weren't we supposed to get that? Certainly porting that over would have been easier than creating an entirely new game.

Regardless, I eagerly await this.

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusAugust 19, 2008

It would be nice to see a HotD 1 & 4 package as well, get the whole damn series on the Wii.

Ian SaneAugust 19, 2008

Hey, that's cool!  Sega created some cash-in comp of House of the Dead games for the Wii and then actually REWARDS us with a new House of the Dead.  What a concept!

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: Arbok

Quote from: DAaaMan64

LOL I thought the shooting was fine in all the games ;)

Seriously... what was wrong with Umbrella Chronicles?

The aim was curiously not as smooth as RE4Wii, the recticle was huge and obstructive, and it doesn't provide that "arcade authencity" you get from looking down a gun peripheral's sights.  The reticule could not be disabled, and it offered no calibration.  It's a light-gun setting retooled for couch gaming, cutting out the classic light-gun experience.  Still a good game.

DAaaMan64August 19, 2008

Quote from: NinGurl69

Quote from: Arbok

Quote from: DAaaMan64

LOL I thought the shooting was fine in all the games ;)

Seriously... what was wrong with Umbrella Chronicles?

The aim was curiously not as smooth as RE4Wii, the recticle was huge and obstructive, and it doesn't provide that "arcade authencity" you get from looking down a gun peripheral's sights.  The reticule could not be disabled, and it offered no calibration.  It's a light-gun setting retooled for couch gaming, cutting out the classic light-gun experience.  Still a good game.

I can agree with this, but what am I missing? What change could they do with calibration that would make it feel arcade-ish? If you turn off the pointer, can you actually play it well?

Oh god I love this trailer. Oh god.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: NinGurl69

Quote from: Arbok

Quote from: DAaaMan64

LOL I thought the shooting was fine in all the games ;)

Seriously... what was wrong with Umbrella Chronicles?

The aim was curiously not as smooth as RE4Wii, the recticle was huge and obstructive, and it doesn't provide that "arcade authencity" you get from looking down a gun peripheral's sights.  The reticule could not be disabled, and it offered no calibration.  It's a light-gun setting retooled for couch gaming, cutting out the classic light-gun experience.  Still a good game.

It also wasn't Resident Evil 5... ;)

GoldenPhoenixAugust 19, 2008

I was actually shocked to see the sales of House of the Dead compilation, it has sold around 1/2 million.

vuduAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

I was actually shocked to see the sales of House of the Dead compilation, it has sold around 1/2 million.

Really?  Consider me shocked, too.  Source?

MorariAugust 19, 2008

I can't tell what the level of gore in these is. It looks to be better than HotD3, where everything just kind of melted away after being shot. That said, I can't pick out any scenes where eye balls fall out and such, like in the first and second game... I miss that.

DAaaMan64August 19, 2008

I honestly preferred the game play in HoTD2 over 3. :p

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 19, 2008

Complete bullshit.

The press trailer from Sega of America doesn't have the licking footage.  Sega treats amerika like children again.

CalibanAugust 19, 2008

I too noticed such censorship. Grow up Sega of America.

MorariAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: DAaaMan64 

I honestly preferred the game play in HoTD2 over 3. :p

Everyone did. HotD 3 kind of sucked. The branching pathways were lamely dumbeddown as well.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterAugust 19, 2008

Quote from: NinGurl69

Complete bull****.

The press trailer from Sega of America doesn't have the licking footage.  Sega treats amerika like children again.

Ironic, considering Americans started the "girls looking hot while playing or holding a videogame"  trend. Just ask the Wii Fit girl!

AVAugust 20, 2008

Quote from: Caliban

Chobot is the personification of overstatement. Ignorance is your best weapon.

What the hell does she even do at IGN ? Or the better question WHOM.

She is not an editor, she used to do video mailbags, she used to do some podcasts but I hated her when she did that.

Anyway why do people hate Resident evil: umbrella chronicles I think its great and i'm a fan of Resident Evil series, I would of liked them to have better voice overs if not the voices from the actual games but I thought it was a very nice package and well worth the money.

MorariAugust 20, 2008

The aim in Umbrella Chronicles is slightly off, thus making it impossible to play without a reticle for that true arcade experience. Personally, I find the game to be pretty darn entertaining myself, even if the textures were awfully blurry.

SchadenfreudeAugust 20, 2008

The aiming being off was what turned me off from the game. It's a shame too since Capcom packed quite a bit of stuff to do. I just wasn't having much fun trying to get headshots that wouldn't register.

ShyGuyAugust 20, 2008

I found the secret to headshots in Umbrella Chronicles is a big tv. My 26" TV made it really hard, but playing on my cousin's 60" it was as easy as pie.

I hope they keep the Grindhouse theme, that'd be awesome.

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