With the success of the original Splatterhouse, the game would then go on to spawn several sequels, such as Splatterhouse 2, 3, and a reboot later down the road. At least, that’s what most people would think this franchise only has to offer. Little do they know though is that, in between Splatterhouse 1 and 2, there was a little treat for the Famicom, exclusively to Japan until the year 2020. It wouldn’t be talked about as much as the other games, which is a shame, because, at least when compared to the first game, I would consider it superior in practically every way, even if it is just a side game. The game in question would be known as Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, and no, the game does not involve any kind of graffiti whatsoever. At least, from what I am aware of.

In a similar fashion to Kid Dracula, this game was a parody of the original Splatterhouse, giving everything a much more cutesy art style, while also referencing a lot of classic horror and pop culture along the way. And just like with Kid Dracula, it is criminally overlooked, and I love it dearly. Granted, it isn’t the best of platformers that I have played on the system, and it is a little janky, but it is still a pretty nice package at the end of the day.

The story is literally the exact same as Ghosts ‘n Goblins, but I can forgive it this one time because of the goofy nature of the game, the graphics and art style are very charming and appealing, the music is pretty good, but not something I would go out of my way to listen to, the control is very simple and effective, even if jumping feels a little strange, and the gameplay may be dumbed down in comparison to the original Splatterhouse, but I honestly prefer this overall.

Instead of being a side-scrolling beat-’em-up, the game is a 2D action platformer, where you move from left to right in many stages, defeat enemies either with your regular axe weapon or a shotgun, get health items along the way, and fight bosses based on classic movie monsters and tropes. It is all your pretty standard stuff, but like with the original Splatterhouse, what makes it unique from other titles is the presentation. Once again, the characters are all cutesy in comparison to what they would actually look like, and if you caught a glimpse of my PFP, you would know that I am a fan of this kind of style, and with this new style comes a new amount of fun.

There are numerous times in the game where boss fights will become full on events, making them much more memorable. Such examples include the first boss, where he performs a Thriller-esque dance sequence before sending his minions to kill you, and a boss in Stage 3 that has a girl reminiscent of Ellen Ripley lying on a table, and having a fuck ton of chest bursters come out of her to attack you. Yes, it is incredibly stupid and goofy, and I love them for that. It gives the game so much more personality then others like it, and it actually does a decent job at parodying the source material to where nothing feels too out of place.

Aside from all that, the gameplay does have some standout features that make it somewhat different then others. At the start of the game, you have a pretty small health bar, but when you defeat a certain number of enemies, your health bar goes up by the bit, and by the time you kill enough enemies, your health bar is basically the size of a Mega Man health bar. Not only does this provide a feeling of growth for your character, but it also encourages you to take out anything in your way so you can become durable enough to take on the threats, which is always welcomed.

Aside from that though, the game does also feature some replay value, where you can find two secret levels which give you crystal balls upon completing them, and if you beat the game with the crystal balls, you unlock the “True Ending”, where (spoiler for a 34 year old game, but whatever) the game could turn out to be a dream that Rick has before the beginning of the original Splatterhouse. It’s a nice way of connecting things back together with the original game, but I will admit, I do find the normal ending much funnier and better, but that’s just me.

I don’t really have too many complaints about my time with Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti. I had a pretty good time with it overall, but I would say that it isn’t anything too substantial compared to other titles. Despite the unique presentation and the innovative way of gaining health throughout, it is your basic run-of-the-mill 2D platformer that most may not get as much enjoyment out of as me, which is completely understandable. Not to mention, sometimes the hit detection on some of the surfaces in the game can be pretty wonky, but I only had issues with this in one or two sections. Not too much of a concern.

Overall, while not offering too much behind the style and flair of the presentation, it is still a pretty fun game that I would definitely recommend if you have an hour to kill, and I would easily say it is my preferred game out of the two in the Splatterhouse series so far. Let’s just hope that the official sequels bring their A-game, as I don’t want to end up thinking that the parody game is the best of the franchise when this is all over.

Game #181

Reviewed on May 20, 2023


1 Comment


10 months ago

idk about you but i dont like splatterhouse 2 and 3 whatsoever i wouldnt be surprised if i played this and it was the best one