The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return

The Video Game Critic (A)

House of the Dead 2 has aged like wine, and this Wii edition is dead-on. You can turn the crosshair on or off, and either option works well. House of the Dead 3 is also a fine game, although it can't quite match its predecessor. Its industrial locations are ho-hum, and the visuals look somewhat cartoonish. There are no weapon upgrades like a machine gun, but the default shotgun is pretty awesome. I like how you only have to aim offscreen to reload - not shoot. If only the original House of the Dead had been included with this package, it might have been an A+.

GameDaily (8 out of 10)

There's no sugarcoating the fact that Sega ported the games to the Wii with little regard for bonus content, other than House of the Dead 3's average Extreme Mode. So if you've tired of The House of the Dead series, 2 & 3 Return won't wow you. However, if you've never experienced these games or feel nostalgic, we highly recommend you cough up the $30. Besides, killing zombies is a great way to relieve stress.

NintendoWorldReport (8 out of 10)

While it’s disappointing that Sega didn’t include House of the Dead 4 in this package, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a great value for the money. It’s a fantastic multiplayer game, and even if you’re just duel-wielding by your lonesome, blowing zombies apart is incredibly fun. If you liked Umbrella Chronicles (honestly, who didn’t?) or just like killing the undead in general, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a must-buy. And if the storyline is that important to you, there’s always Wikipedia.

Nintendo Life ( )

SEGA has found a new home for its light gun games, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a must have title for fans of the series or genre, two classic games fused together perfectly. Although House of the Dead 2 now feels alittle dated its younger zombie-brother House of the Dead III remains excellent. This title should bring you hours upon hours of zombie blasting arcade action, a fine example of the gore-fest genre. Depth and longevity seekers need not apply and should be redirected to a close cousin, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Please SEGA bring on House of the Dead 4.

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (7.9 out of 10)

A classic slice of arcade action. While it's a crying shame the first and fourth games are absent, Return is still a brilliant Zapper title with plenty to offer.

Retro Gamer (78 out of 100)

Yes, we were expecting more, but both games remain thoroughly entertaining shooters. If you're a fan of Ghost Squad then this should definitely be your next purchase.

Console Monster (76 out of 100)

If pointing at the screen and shooting is missing in your life and you are craving a killing Zombie romp, these classics now available on the Nintendo Wii seem the perfect choice to fill this void. It is rated 15 so not a game for little Timmy, however for us older folk, detachable limbs dropping to the floor and gaping holes in zombie’s chests will excite your more adult zombie massacre requirements until we get a brand spanking new variation on the theme especially for the system (if ever we do!).

Game Informer Magazine (7.5 out of 10)

Shooter fans who've already had their fill of Umbrella Chronicles and Ghost Squad might find this worth checking out.

Gamezoom (73 out of 100)

Der Klassiker unter den Shootern hat bis heute überlebt. Doch was ist an dem blutigen Game so interessant, dass man es immer wieder für neue Konsolen aufwärmt. Das freie Handling mit einer Waffenattrappe und das Spielen zu zweit. In diesem Fall war es wohl ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit, an der Wii-Konsole vorbeizukommen, welche durch ihre einzigartigen Kontroller geradezu prädestiniert für dieses Game ist. Wer eine Wii Gun von Bigben sein Eigen nennen kann, der sollte sich den Kauf wirklich überlegen, denn dem Spielhallenflair stünde so nichts mehr im Wege. Optisch schwer angestaubt zeigt sich Teil 2 der Trilogie, der sich seit damals überhaupt nicht verändert hat. Teil3 hingegen zeigt schon etwas mehr Tiefe in Sachen Grafik und Sound. Auch bei der Modi-Auswahl hat man einiges hinzugepackt.

RetroGame Man (7 out of 10)

In summary, this is a compilation of two classic GunCon games re-released for the Wii. While the graphics and music are nothing special, the gameplay is fun and the branching pathways increase replayability. The game can also be played in multiplayer which increases the fun factor. Overall, I think these games a worth a try if you like horror and GunCon games!

Jolt (UK) (7 out of 10)

Playing a light gun game has never been so convenient, and while Sega could have included the original game or perhaps added a bit of extra bonus content, we can’t really fault House of the Dead 2&3 Return. It’s an absolute must for any fan of the genre, and whether you think it is value for money or not is purely down to how much you enjoy shooting zombies in the face, again. It brings nothing new to the table, and at £20 it might not be considered a bargain, but it does make playing a couple of our favourite light gun games of all time in our living room extremely straight forward.

Kombo.com (7 out of 10)

Speaking of games from an earlier time, while this set certainly looks good and plays well, it does come off as a quickie port of existing assets to popular console for some easy revenue. Both of the included games have been around for years, yet there's nothing really new here for rabid fans of the series to explore. Sure, there's variable levels of difficulty, a time attack option, and a few other modes that tweak the basic gameplay concept, but those without the patience to repeat the same levels over and over will quickly become frustrated. Newcomers who have never explored a House of the Dead title will get much more out of this disc than seasoned zombie slayers, but, again, only patient gamers need apply.

Cubed3 (7 out of 10)

All this time on, and the House of the Dead games are still more than worth a play. However, if you have previous versions of them already, you may be best steering clear as this compilation offers practically the same experience only with a couple of extra modes. SEGA, it’d be lovely if you could make us a version of House of the Dead 4...

N-Europe (7 out of 10)

A decent low budget ported package and another enjoyable light gun game for the Wii; which hopefully paves the way for the series to make another return sometime in the future.

Power Unlimited (70 out of 100)

Deze twee remakes op een disk voor 40 euro is de ideale gelegenheid om oude tijden te doen herleven. Of wacht nóg effe en vis ‘m later een keer uit de budgetbak.

PlayDevil ( )

Overall, the package of "House of the dead 2 & 3 Return" does represent good value for money in that you get two classic shooters for the price of one game. The game provides an excellent nostalgia trip for players who remembered the first release of these games and other similar light gun games and will also be enjoyed by players who are new to this particular genre. Although the games are far from perfect it has to be said Sega have done well with the package and the potential for further light gun games has been increased with this release which is one of the better shooting games to be released on any platform.

Games TM (7 out of 10)

Ultimately though, without any truly essential extras, the only important question is whether you want to play these two classic shooters on your Wii? If so, then The House Of The Dead 2 & 3 Return is everything you'd expect - and little more. Dead good, but no Ghost Squad.

Nintendo Power (7 out of 10)

The House of the Dead 2, though especially primitive from a visual standpoint, remains an all-time genre classic. The gunplay feels nice and meaty, the branching level designs offer plenty of replay value, and the voice acting is so very, very bad it's awesome. The Wii version offers both an Arcade mode and the Original mode found in the Dreamcast port, which allows players to equip items that increase the size of their life bar, boost their firepower, etc. The House of the Dead 3 upgrades players to shotguns, and while it doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, it’s still a heck of a lot of fun. In addition to Arcade mode, the Wii version includes an all-new unlockable Extreme mode that hikes up the difficulty, but also allows for melee attacks via a simple flick of the Wii remote. Other than that, there's not much new to this compilation, which is admittedly a bit disappointing. But if you enjoy a good light-gun game like I do, this is one house call that's hard to pass up.

GBase - The Gamer's Base (7 out of 10)

Klasse wäre natürlich gewesen, wenn SEGA auch gleich den ersten Teil mit auf den Silberling gebrannt hätte. Bekanntlich kann man ja aber nicht alles haben und so begnügt man sich mit zwei Teilen jener Arcade-Shooter-Serie, die ruhig als Klassiker bezeichnet werden darf. Die Zombie-Jagd macht nämlich wieder genauso viel Spass wie damals auf der Dreamcast, auf der Xbox und von mir aus auch in der Spielhalle. Der Schwierigkeitsgrad ist dementsprechend noch immer hoch einzustufen, wobei die Wiimote in Verbindung mit dem Zapper und dem Fadenkreuz eine bessere Zielgenauigkeit ermöglicht. Geübte Spieler werden beide Teile daher je unter einer Stunde durchgespielt haben. Dank der verästelten Story und der Möglichkeit, zu zweit ins Rennen zu gehen, wird der Shooter aber noch lange nicht im Regal verstauben. Die zusätzlichen Spielmodi sind allerdings nicht gerade zahlreich und wenig berauschend, so dass der Umfang schlussendlich nicht sehr gross ausfällt.

4Players.de (70 out of 100)

Grafisch merkt man der Kompilation allerdings deutlich an, dass sie nicht mehr die jüngste ist. Gerade HotD 2 wirkt selbst für Wii-Verhältnisse reichlich antiquiert. Auch spielerisch hat die Konkurrenz mit zusätzlichen Aktionsmöglichkeiten und interaktiveren Spielumgebungen in punkto Abwechslung inzwischen klar die Nase vorn. Der Umfang ist genrebedingt eher mickrig - in gut einer Stunde hat man beide Arcade-Auftritte das erste Mal durch. Freispielbare Extras und Zusatzmodi sorgen dennoch eine Weile für motivierende Schusswechsel, wobei Wii-Schützen sogar einen neuen Spielmodus sowie zusätzliche Kurzeinsätze erwarten. Volljährige und grafisch nicht allzu anspruchsvolle Genrefans werden ordentlich bedient. Wer das Original bereits zu Hause im Schrank stehen hat, kann sich die Neuauflage jedoch sparen, da die wenigen exklusiven Extras zwar nett, aber nicht gravierend sind.

GamersNET (6.8 out of 10)

House of the Dead 2 (Dreamcast) en House of the Dead 3 (Xbox), gebundeld in één game, dat moet toch wel een mooie aanbieding zijn? Helaas betaal je een flinke prijs voor het pakketje, maar als rechtgeaard zombieknaller voel je je waarschijnlijk niet bekocht. Hoewel het allemaal behoorlijk achterhaald is, blijft de gameplay fier overeind staan en heeft het genre nog niets van haar verslavende werking verloren. Hou je dus van railshooters, zombies en bloed, dan is het eindcijfer 'jouw' eindcijfer. Haal je op voorhand voor deze ingredienten je neus al op, dan kun je zomaar twee volle punten van de score aftrekken en tot de conclusie komen dat je je euro's beter in je zak kunt houden...

Fragland.net (65 out of 100)

Did The House of the Dead 2 & 3 survive the time, that's the question everyone has on his mind. If we look at the graphics and hear the terrible voice acting, we tend to say no. Still, the game has a certain charm. On top of the list with required character traits is patience. You will have to do your very best over and over to finish this game. Whether this combination of two older games is worth the money, depends on how much you love the genre or if you're a fan of the series.

Purojuegos (6.5 out of 10)

Para finalizar, The House Of The Dead 2 & 3 Returns vale la pena solo si te gusta el genero y quieres continuar con la “Onda Zapper” de la Wii, sobre todo si no lo jugasta en otras platarformas, caso contrario esperaria a la salida de un juego nuevo de este genero.

PAL Gaming Network (PALGN) (6.5 out of 10)

The House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return is a decent compilation, but we would have liked to have seen more included on the disk to keep players coming back.

The Review Busters (6.25 out of 10)

For only $30 this sounds like a steal. I would rather play the original games to tell the truth, but that isn’t possible any more since I no longer have House of the Dead 3. If you own the Wii gun like me then picking this up might not be such a bad idea. However if you were expecting a lot of new content here you will be disappointed. Nice try Sega, next time add in a little more and we’ll call for that first date.

GameSpot (6 out of 10)

More than a decade later, House of the Dead 2 and 3 continue to be fun and entertaining games, especially when played with a friend. However, their brevity (a skilled player can easily beat either game in significantly less than an hour), a lack of compelling additional content, and the strange frame-rate issues make House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return a difficult purchase to justify, even at its $30 asking price.

GameZone (6 out of 10)

Those parents who bought the Wii for there kids may get a kick out of it, and it is only $29.99, but it is old and dated and we deserve something much newer.

Digital Spy ( )

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.

IGN (6 out of 10)

Not only is Return a port of two games nearly a decade old each, but a technically and visually superior version of this package already existed six years ago. SEGA has nailed IR control though, so the door is wide open for a stellar, Wii-exclusive original light gun game at this point. C’mon guys, let’s see it.

Jeuxvideo.com (12 out of 20)

Malgré les ravages du temps, ces deux épisodes de The House Of The Dead valent encore leur pesant de cacahuètes, notamment en raison de la précision de la Wiimote mise au service d'un gameplay indémodable. Ceci dit, on réfléchira à deux fois avant de dépenser 40 euros pour des oldies que l'on trouve à 4 euros en occasion sur d'autres supports.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (6 out of 10)

To return to the original point, how much you want this package rests firmly on how much you want to play old light-gun games on the Wii. There's no doubting that this is the very best way to play either game outside of an arcade - mainly by virtue of the fantastic controls, and that you don't have to fork out for expensive extra hardware to play them. Out of the two, House of the Dead 2 is by far the best, but also technically impoverished by today's standards, although the inclusion of 3 will be of interest to the many who missed out last time. If the price doesn't bother you, then go ahead, but a weekend rental would be a far better way of getting that zombie blasting nostalgia fix.

Game Tap (6 out of 10)

In the end, Return is a faithful port of two solid arcade shooters. Next to current light-gun games on the market, Return is nothing to write home about, unless you’re complaining about the difficulty settings. Fans of the originals or die-hard light-gun aficionados will enjoy the trip down memory lane, while the rest of us are better off with The Umbrella Chronicles or heading to the local arcade for some Lethal Enforcers II.

Nintendo Spin (6 out of 10)

I had high hopes for House of the Dead 2 & 3, but the compilation ends up being a huge disappointment. Sure, shooting zombies in a fast-paced arcade mode is fun in its sick, perverse ways. However, the boss battles are a drag, the game feels a bit glitchy, and the lack of infinite continues ruins any casual fun you might have had. If you want a good zombie shooter for Wii, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is longer and more atmospheric. But if you don't care what it is you shoot, Ghost Squad is a far better light gun experience overall.

videogamer.com (6 out of 10)

It's a shame that this package doesn't include the first game, which would have effectively made this a collection of all the games possible on the Wii. It might look a little dated, but it would have made sense. Without any of the really cool extra stuff that we saw in Ghost Squad for the Wii, such as the leaderboards that encourage extended play, this collection feels a little lazy.

G4 TV: X-Play ( )

Nostalgia is pretty much required for full enjoyment here, but the bargain price makes this a worthy purchase for anyone who enjoyed the original arcade games. While both games show their age and are over very quickly, shooting gallery games are somewhat timeless in their simplicity. They're solid examples of the genre, and shooting zombies in the head is really its own reward.

1UP (C+)

As mentioned earlier, The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return really could've used a good pack-in pistol peripheral and infinite continues. I still had a good time gunning down hordes of undead, but I can't emphasize enough how disappointing it is to get really close to the end of the game, only to be sent back to the beginning because you've run out of your allotted amount of continues. Seriously, if I could, I would've dropped a quarter into my Wii to keep going. Surely there are less frustrating ways to combat evil.

GameTrailers (5.4 out of 10)

For better or worse, The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a faithful representation of the arcade classics, and players interested in reliving these titles again and again can grab a copy at a $30 price point. One can hope that with this and Ghost Squad already under its belt, Sega will stop digging up graves for the Wii.

Cheat Code Central (2.6 out of 5)

With its fairly cheap price tag (only $30) and arcade perfect ports of these titles, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return would seem to be a no-brainer (pun intended) purchase for fans of light gun shooters. Unfortunately, with the not-so-accurate Wii-mote aiming and lack of any real reason to play this game for more than five hours, the $30 price tag starts to look a little steep. If you have a Wii and are starving for some zombie shooting action, pick up Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. If you've already played through that one, maybe this game could be worth your money. Just keep in mind that it is fairly short and more than a little painful on the eyes at times.

Gaming Target (5 out of 10)

Both games retain their entertainment value thanks to the excellent implementation of the Wii’s control scheme. However their arcade origins are readily apparent and the resulting linear game play means the fun factor diminishes as players become better at gunning down the undead. Extra features would have solved this somewhat but then again there is only so much one can do with games like these. It seems the only reason Sega released this compilation was to experiment with the Wii remote. With any luck Sega will implement this feature into something more substantive in the future. Until then, those looking to invest their hard-earned dollars into zombie blasting action would be better served picking up a copy of Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition.

Gamereactor (Sweden) (5 out of 10)

Problemet är väl att genren aldrig varit särskilt prisvärd. Visserligen bjuder båda spelen på olika vägar att utforska men i praktiken gör man samma sak om och om igen i någon futtig timme tills det är slut, och spelet har inte ens Time Crisis taktiska duckande för att bryta upp mönstret. Man bara följer en svävande kamera och skjuter, skjuter, skjuter. Själva spelidén är förstås kul, även om genren lite förlorade sin lyster med förstapersonsskjutarnas framfart. Det blir ju faktiskt en helt annan sak att stå med en pistol i händerna och skjuta på TV:n, än att se en pistol på TV:n skjuta. Men som ett typiskt arkadspel är det egentligen bara underhållande i fem minuter för fem kronor, och 600 kronor för två urgamla pistolspel är rena rånet.

UOL Jogos ( )

"House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return" é uma compilação rápida e rasteira de dois grandes clássicos de tiro, gênero que ganhou sobrevida com os controles do Wii. Apesar de sofrerem com o peso da idade e da falta de capricho da Sega, que não fez questão de retocar nada ou de criar extras, ainda mantêm seu charme original e irão agradar em cheio aos fãs do gênero. Mas parecerão simples e antiquados demais para um público casual ou pouco familiarizado com o estilo típico dos fliperamas.

Totally Gaming Network ( )

House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is the second of two conversions of 10 year old SEGA arcade games that we

Avid Gamer (5 out of 10)

The argument comes down to one main point.Too many developers are sticking an old game on a disc with a new control method (not the case with this one) and selling it at a discount price. With a couple of improvements, like better graphics, more levels, better guns, anything like that and this could have been a great revisit to an arcade classic. Unless you see yourself running down to your local arcade to play this most days then there isn’t much point in buying this, but as it stands, for a discount price it isn’t that bad of a deal.

Gameswelt (43 out of 100)

Im Prinzip bietet ’The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return’ mit seinem schnörkellosen Lightgun-Gameplay ein tolles Konzept, das dank der intuitiven Steuerung auch ideal zur Wii passt. Sowohl optisch als auch vom Klang her sind die beiden Titel allerdings leider arg angestaubt und das amüsante Gameplay kann nur kurz über den miserablen Spielumfang hinwegtäuschen. Nur was für beinharte Fans von ähnlichen Titeln wie ’Virtua Cop’ oder ’Die Hard Trilogy’ – alle anderen: Finger weg!

AceGamez (4 out of 10)

I just can't recommend House of the Dead 2&3 Return. Maybe if you love on-rails shooters - and I mean really love them - or you have very fond memories of these games in the arcade then it might be worth taking a look, but if your interest is more casual then I suggest you give it a miss. House of the Dead 2 is a frustrating game that's best forgotten and whilst House of the Dead 3 is definitely an improvement, it's still nowhere near as good as The Umbrella Chronicles. If SEGA had thrown in House of the Dead 4 as well and reduced the price then this collection might have been more worthwhile, but as it stands you're better off steering clear, unless you are intent on revisiting the light-gun arcade days of yesteryear.