House of the Dead: Remake Finally Gets a Release Date
Developer MegaPixel Studio and publisher Forever Entertainment has finally shared a due date for The House of the Dead: Remake; the title hits Nintendo Switch this coming April. The developer and publisher first announced The House of the Dead: Remake in April 2020 for the Switch, with a gameplay trailer showcasing HD graphics, enhanced character models, and much-improved levels. Details such as the launch date weren't unveiled at the time, allowing the title to go dark for nearly a year.
Sega published the original House of the Dead in 1996 for a release in arcades. The light gun shooter wore its horror-themed elements on its sleeves and, in many respects, sat alongside Resident Evil in popularizing gaming's use of zombies. House of the Dead's immense popularity ensured it received several sequels, including a 2018 arcade experience bearing the subtitle of Scarlet Dawn. Multiple spinoffs have launched over the years as well, some of them even proving rather inventive. Zombie Revenge hit the Dreamcast just before the turn of the century, for example, and dropped players into a zombie-infested beat 'em up à la Streets of Rage. Recently, Sega decided it was high time the light gun shooter series returned to its roots.
Today, March 4, MegaPixel Studio and Forever Entertainment (via IGN) unveiled launch details for The House of the Dead: Remake. The classic light gun shooter will come to Nintendo Switch early next month on Thursday, April 7, with pre-orders scheduled to go live on Thursday, March 31. As is often the case with this kind of announcement, a brand-new gameplay trailer accompanied the news. Check it out in the video linked below, courtesy of Forever Entertainment:
From the looks of it, the spirit of the classic rail-shooter is very much present in this MegaPixel-led remake project. In addition to visual and gameplay enhancements, players can also expect The House of the Dead: Remake to feature local two-player multiplayer, photo mode, unlockable weapons, gallery, and multiple endings.
House of the Dead: Remake's Nintendo Switch exclusivity was recently called into question following the discovery of an ESRB rating that hinted at a potential Google Stadia release. At the time of writing, however, Sega and Forever Entertainment have yet to announce plans to port the title elsewhere. It wouldn't constitute the first Sega remake to make such a leap, though. After a period of timed exclusivity on Switch, Panzer Dragoon: Remake migrated to Google Stadia, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. House of the Dead could very well receive similar treatment in the months ahead.
The House of the Dead: Remake hits Nintendo Switch on April 7.
Source: IGN, Forever Entertainment/YouTube