"House of the Dead: Touched"

I never really had a chance to get into the House of the Dead arcade games from Sega (where you used a light gun to blast away at zombies), due largely to the fact that the arcades were dying off left and right. The fact that most of the home conversions appeared on the PS2 (and I think Xbox) did not help at all, as I owned neither of those at the time of their respective releases.

But having sampled the games at odd times, I have to admit, there was an appeal to them that even the Resident Evil games, for all their blood and zombie-gore, couldn't deliver. Maybe it was the lack of having to do puzzles, or maybe it was due to the fact that you were more worried about quickly taking down not just a few zombies, but a whole horde.

So when Touch the Dead (aka Dead 'n Furious during development and in Europe) was announed, I was curious. At first I thought it was a First Person Shooter game akin to Metroid Prime Hunters or Bionicle Heroes (both on DS), and I said "meh." With FPS titles becoming slightly more popular and available on the DS, the increase in worthless FPS DS games began to mount. So what was a zombie shooter?

For whatever reason, the fact that the developers took direct inspiration from House of the Dead sold the game to be before I even saw the full trailer prior to release.

So what IS Dead 'n Furious (though the title in the US is Touch the Dead, even the title screen has a voice clip saying the old title)? Much like House of the Dead, Touch the Dead is a rail shooter where you use the touch screen to blast zombies. By rail shooter, I am referring to the fact that you do not control your movements (though you can change your path by shooting select signs). You CAN, however, use the touch screen to blast any and all zombies in your path, much as a light gun would be used on a TV.

Touch the Dead is by no means going to win awards for its plot, in which you are some bum that gets arrested, thrown in jail for something you did not do, then gets out when secruity is dropped and an unexplained zombie outbreak claims the prison. Four chapters tell the plot (each one broken into three sub-sections), and is not the most epic of tales. However, despite what many critics think, in this case the story is sufficient. Really, do we need a reason to blast zombie-flesh to bits?

If you think four Chapters with three levels each is pitiful, keep in mind that this is NOT, I repeat, NOT AN EASY GAME. Expect to die quite often just in the first chapter alone. This is an arcade game, pure and true, and it shows. Instead of coid dropping, though, you get a health bar of sorts. Default starting gives you four bars (three are in reserve like Metroid's E-tanks) with five hearts (literally) each. Take a hit, and one vanishes. Do note that when you take a hit, the game seems to give you a moment of invincibility to react, as can be seen in area 1-3, where you are running down a corridor of undead who are swiping at you constantly.

Shooting, as noted, is acomplished by tapping the touch screen. Head shots are your best bet, as your default weapon (a pistol with infinite ammo) takes two shots to a zombified head. Other weapons can be found (should you take the right paths), including a shotgun (of course) and a crowbar (not a knife?). Weapon management is handled via the D-pad, which allows you to swap weapons when needed. Reloading is handled by dragging ammo clips to your weapon (which does take an additional second to reload, so give it time...).

So I keep talking about how the game is a great replication of a classic arcade game, so what about how it looks? Quite primitive, in a PSX kind of way. The frame rate is suprisingly smooth and silky, and the zombies do have nice, if repetative, details. Blood (yes, this IS M-Rated) flies in globs, and limbs sever nicely. But while the game looks very nice (if dated), don't expect a PSP/Game Cube-like presentation. However, while the game certainly doesn't have the "eww" factor of the bigger console games, it does have moments where it will spook you (like when you start emptying a clip at a horde of zombies, and when you stop to reload, two pop up at point blank range).

So is this worthwhile? If you love House of the Dead (or oldschool light gun shooters in general), this is one to pick-up. There are a few extras (namely an art gallery and the cut scenes), and the challenge ensures that most will not beat this overnight. Worth it if you have fond memories of Hosue of the Dead, not so much if you want Resident Evil-style puzzle zombie fests.

Score: 7 of 10


+ Best Features: Atmosphere, frame rate, solid controls, arcade-replication

- Worst Features: Zombie heads hard to hit from a distance due to head size, story on par with an NES game for depth, sound track is unremarkable, Title screen plays old "Dead 'n Furious" project title

* If You Liked: Resident Evil DS, House of the Dead, Duck Hunt

* Guilty Pleasure: The nostalgia of playing a House of the Dead clone on the DS.

+ (Great) Reality: Hopefully trends of copying old arcade games in new clothing is a current one with the DS, as Touch the Dead and the movie tie-in Monster House (a Smash TV clone) are welcome distractions...

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/07, Updated 11/20/07

Game Release: Touch the Dead (US, 05/16/07)