Also Available On: N/A
Publisher: Sega
Age Rating: 15+

If you tire of reading game manuals and spending days learning how to play that shiny new Wii title you’ve just bought, then this release may be just what you’re looking for.

The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a Wii exclusive that has the words ‘pick-up-and-play’ written all over it.

The basic gameplay couldn’t be simpler: shoot hordes of oncoming zombies while you’re moved through each level on rails. The more you shoot, the further you’ll get and the more points you’ll score.

The two editions of The House of the Dead included in this package are direct ports from older machines and therefore, visually, it can’t help but look a little dated. The House of the Dead 2 comes from the long defunct Sega Dreamcast console, while the third version of the series is a port from the Xbox.

Graphical slowdown can occasionally be an issue in The House of the Dead 3, while the animation and design in both remains fairly unrefined compared to modern titles. Having said that, however, both work remarkably well, especially when used with the Wii Remote or, better still, the optional Wii Zapper light-gun.

What will impress Wii users is that the game includes Wii Remote calibration, allowing players to set-up the game so it responds accurately during battle. A simple shot at the corner of the screen means both game and Wii Remote are in perfect sync, which is something a lot of developers, unfortunately, tend to leave out.

Out of the two titles here, The House of the Dead 2 is the better, offering stronger visuals, more imaginative levels and a framerate that holds up during onscreen mayhem. It also includes both the Arcade and Original modes of play, while The House of the Dead 3 has Arcade and Extreme, the latter offering tougher enemies.

Retro gamers and those looking for a simple, no-brainer game to let off the stresses of the day will find this package ideal. A lack of depth, small technical issues and the fact that these games are nearly a decade old each will deter some. Sega’s Ghost Squad on Wii is technically better in the genre, but for a sheer rollercoaster blast, Wii fans wanting a light-gun experience will find this at least worthy of a rent.