Namco‘s classic arcade game Splatterhouse is getting an unofficial port to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, thanks to the efforts of Monster Bath Games. This fan-made project aims to bring the original 1988 arcade experience to a console that never officially received a port of the game. The development is being carried out using the Scorpion Engine, a tool known for facilitating retro game development.
So for the past 2 weeks I took a break from working everyday to... work. Decided to try out Scorpion Engine to make a Sega MegaDrive/Genesis game.
— Monster Bath Games 🇨🇦 (@realMonsterBath) September 28, 2024
How's it looking so far? 😉
Scorpion Engine by @earok
Music by the extremely talented CYBERDEOUS @laurent_crouzet
And a big… pic.twitter.com/TRk6TObmcw
Key Details of the Unofficial Port
- Development Team: Monster Bath Games, known for titles like Deathwish Enforcers and Guardgrave, is leading the project. The team took a two-week break from their usual projects to experiment with creating this port.
- Game Overview: Splatterhouse is a side-scrolling beat ’em up with platform elements. Players control Rick, a college student who dons the Terror Mask to battle through West Mansion and save his girlfriend, Jennifer, from monstrous creatures.
- Current Progress: A three-minute video has been released showing the opening basement level and the first boss fight. The visuals and gameplay appear promising, capturing the essence of the original arcade version.
- Music and Technical Support: The port features music by YM2612 chiptune artist Laurent Crouzet. Technical advice and support have been provided by Gabriel Pyron and Masterlinkueibr, contributing to the project’s development.
- Development Plan: Monster Bath Games plans to develop one section per week until completion. They intend to release playable builds once level two is completed.
- Platform Focus: While there was speculation about potential ports to other systems like Amiga or NeoGeo, the current focus remains on completing the Mega Drive/Genesis version. An Amiga port would require significant additional work due to differences in color palettes and hardware testing capabilities.