House of the Dead 4 Special reaches arcades

  • By Walt Wyman, GameSpot
  • Posted Jul 7, 2006 5:09 pm PT

Latest installment in Sega's zombie shooter series gets an upgrade in Japan with an enclosed playing area, new features.

Like so many shambling undead, units of the House of the Dead 4 Special arcade game have started making their way into select arcades and amusement centers throughout Japan.

An expanded version of House of the Dead 4, the two-player game sports many features geared toward increasing the players' sense of immersion. For example, it is fully enclosed and features a pair of 100-inch screens positioned in front of and behind the players. A five-speaker sound system provides the audio. Players sit on seats that automatically swivel throughout the game. The seats are force-feedback-enabled to provide jolts at appropriate moments, and blasts of air will tell players when they've been hit.

The gun controller--which is shaped like a submachine gun--will also use force feedback and can be set to full auto for mowing down multiple zombies. Lastly, when played in two-player mode, the game provides a compatibility rating for the players based on how well they played together.

100 Comments

  • vershiris

    Posted Jul 7, 2008 5:36 am PT

    please sega MAKE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 4 ON THE XBOX 360, EVERYBODY WILL LOVE IT AND EVEN MORE PEOPLE WILL BUY IT IF YOU MAKE THE GUN FOR IT ASWELL, PLEEEEAAASSSEEE!!!!!

  • GarfieldX

    Posted Dec 24, 2007 1:54 am PT

    For those that are looking for this in the west coast, the Gameworks in Las Vegas just received the unit. Unfortunately, when I was there on Saturday the unit is not ready yet.

  • grothita

    Posted Aug 5, 2007 12:12 am PT

    gamespot are so gonna be blow away with house of the Dead 4 on Xbox 360.

    That's if they don't take anything away while porting it to the console which they usually do In Console/PC ports from the arcade.

    But I think this time The xbox 360 will be able to handle House of The Dead 4's Features and graphical tec.

    Anyways Microsoft bought the rights to the series since the 3rd one so it's definately coming out for the 360. we just don't know when.

    It's strange enough though how gamespot still don't even have a gamesite for it yet

    There's Proof http://games.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1266/The-House-of-the-Dead-4/ http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/objects/749/749075.html
    And even a part on wikipedia on the info box for it.

    So Hold tight people I'm sure this game will eventually port it's self on the 360 at any point in the near future.

  • UnknownHedgehog

    Posted Jul 29, 2007 3:58 am PT

    I've seen a gameplay video on YouTube, and it looks pretty good. The question is...where the hell ARE the arcades???

  • marceloviegas

    Posted Jun 18, 2007 1:32 am PT

    I am a Sega's House of dead fan Please port this game for XBOX 360, with a light submachine game included.I'm waiting for this great game.i've finish the arcade version an i think the potencias is supirior of NAMCO time crisis4.PLEASE PEOPLE MAKE POSTS HERE TO "SEDUCE" SEGA'S HEADMASTERS FOR A XBOX 360 INSTALEMENT,I BELIVED IN SEGA POTENCIAL I LOVED SONIC AND CONDEMNED.THHANKS

  • ironman7412

    Posted Apr 20, 2007 5:09 am PT

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR! TO THE CREATORS OF HOTD4 MAKE A VERSION OF THIS IN X360!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • JoePiervincenti

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:14 pm PT

    I want this!!!!!!!!!!!

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 5:41 pm PT

    that sounds so awesome!

  • mike_mgoblue

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 1:48 pm PT

    I can't wait for House of the Dead 4 for Xbox 360!

  • jaefrmbk2k

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 10:59 am PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • tashpool

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 10:23 am PT

    Looks pretty big, but I would definitely pay to give it a go. Was just playing the regular edition at game works this weekend.

    If you do a search on the Japanese name, you can find some screen shots at watch impress, looks like you sit in the middle and the chair rotates between the screens - looks like fun.

  • jackassultima

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 9:35 am PT

    sound awesome, hope they release it over the pond here in Britain soon

  • squarephreak

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 8:53 am PT

    This would be cool, but will probably cost about a buck and a half to two bucks per play if you could actually find one.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 8:21 am PT

    was never into this game, so MEH.

  • ReyWing

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:05 am PT

    could you hook up other components to the 100 inch screens!? cuz then that'd rule! imagine play'n HALO/2, Graw, PDZ, Half Life 2, Doom3, Prey, etc, etc on THIS bad boi! holy crap!

  • Stephen361984

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 6:39 am PT

    Hmmmm so what 2008 before we see it here in Ireland

  • anobato

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:09 am PT

    hopefully our local arcade can afford this one... I am SO looking forward to this!

  • rynmls

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 12:44 am PT

    waiting for august releases...

  • jeffosoft

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 10:05 pm PT

    The basic version seems great I played through a few levels with a friend this weekend while waiting to see a movie.

    The shaking thing was a little annoying but it would be awesome to see this come to the US but the US really doesnt have that large or market for arcades since the arcade crash in teh 80's or whenever that was and alot of companys are afraid to shell out this kind of money for a machine that they may not even break even on.

  • gradius2dx

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 10:02 pm PT

    If this gets a U.S. release I'll be looking forward to playing it. I live within 20 minutes of a Dave and Buster's.

    I've played the original version of HOTD 4 and it kicks ass, though it lacks the survival-horror feel of past HOTD games. Also, The Star is a @(#*%.

  • Karjah

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 8:52 pm PT

    I really really miss the good arcades. All we have in my city are now are those crappy "Ruckers" arcades that cater more to the 12 year old and have a few ddr machines stuffed into a corner for the rest of us.

  • amycasey2

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 7:41 pm PT

    This thing just sounds crazy! Too bad I'll probably never see one.

  • cube-gage

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 3:30 pm PT

    it would make alot of sense to release this for the wii, the wii remote might work better than a traditional light gun. im p off as i recently bought hotd2 for my dreamcast but the disc is scratched to pieces and i can only play the taining mode.

  • Vulpis

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 2:50 pm PT

    *sigh* Do people even *think* around here any more before posting? All these people saying 'I've played it'...no, you've played the 'basic' one-screen version. From the sounds of things, this is a different beastie, requiring you to react to events behind you (granted, it *is* possible they took scenes where you'd normally have your POV whipped around and mapped them to the chair-turn-around instead). And gee, didn't anyone bother to think that maybe they listened to complaints about the basic version and took the time to deal with them in this version?

    And on the flip side, all these nits saying 'I want a console version!'...that'd be easy enough to do with the basic version of the game, but how, pray tell, are you going to get that second screen, short of using a dual-header PC setup? Think, people, think!

    And to add a third side to this...yeah, it probably won't make it over to the US any time soon, just like R360. Honestly, it seems like Japan pretty much gives us the finger on this stuff--take a good look at the kinds of games that are sold within Japan, compared to the dregs that get brought over to the US.

  • Cypher_VR

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 12:36 pm PT

    OH MAN!!! BRING IT TO US NOW!!!
    DAMN, THAT SOUNDS COOL!
    TWO SCREENS, FORCE FEEDBACK, CHAIRS!

  • juliaryder

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 11:05 am PT

    This looks great!!! I want to play! No fair!! I hope that it gets to the US of A!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!

  • Platyphyllum

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 9:20 am PT

    sounds incredible!

  • ZeroGravX

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 8:39 am PT

    Oh man! That would be so much fun. That reminds me of that Jurassic Park game that had a similar setup (except for the screen in the back, there was only one large screen in front of the player).

  • noidio

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 8:36 am PT

    Bah! it isn't that great! sure the sound and shocks feals amazing but i played it a few times and got bored of it. House of the Dead went downhill since 3 when they introduced the shotgun. now with a submachine gun aiming has become pointless and all you do is fill the screen with bullets in a matter of seconds. completely pointless! AND to reload u dun even have to shoot outside the screen or ANYTHING! just wave ur left hand infront of the gun and it triggers the sensor for reload (i know it says to SHAKE! but there's a sensor in front of the gun that does just as well and less tiring) !!! seriously! Dun wry the ppl that live in the US u're really not missing out. except maybe a sore hand by the 3rd level from all the excessive shaking.

  • X7_13o9

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 5:53 am PT

    its really a shame american arcades arent that popular i wish they were so i could play games like this

  • VegetaMaelstrom

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 11:05 pm PT

    Two 100 inch screens? Holy crap, how big is this monstrousity of a machine? I'd pay 2 or even 3 dollars to try out this bad boy. Hail to the King, Baby!

  • edger2006

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:25 pm PT

    make this GAME FOR THE NINTENDO WII

  • Captain-Pants

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 7:39 pm PT

    Port this to Wii

  • dan_3

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 4:50 pm PT

    There's an Arcade in Winter Park, Florida (very close to Orlando) called Rocky's Replay and they get every new Arcade game when it comes in, if you come to Florida, check this bad boy out

    Dan

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 2:31 pm PT

    i never liked horrors

  • ultrazone

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 12:58 pm PT

    Wow, thats a really sweet setup...i want one!

  • daveg1

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 12:52 pm PT

    should be great for the 360 via lindenberg!

  • Hellisunreal

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 12:21 pm PT

    SWEET!!

  • Fallout_red

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 11:01 am PT

    I love Hous e of the Dead series but that Uwe Boll director destroyed it!!!

  • SpiritEmu

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 10:01 am PT

    I played it last week at an arcade and the only problem I found with the original is when you go to reload by shaking the marble it got stuck for me and wouldn't let me shoot.

  • Z00Mbite

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:39 am PT

    im gonna buy the next plane ticket to japan

  • Enterprise-E

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:33 am PT

    I can't wait to waste more coins on this game. I liked all the other ones excepte for house of the dead 3 for the xbox.

  • buckybuckster

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:27 am PT

    Man I would love to have the chance to play this game! the arcade scene in the US is as dead as the zombies in HOTD. But more games like this could breathe a little bit of life back in them.

  • diablobasher

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:11 am PT

    @Ace_Gunner

    Cool, at least its in the UK then XD

    Yeah, london, i live wayyyyyy south of there, so south, south is even in the name of the city i live in

    Ill keep my eyes peeled for it here, but Arcades arent exactly kept up to date anymore, let alone round here, arcades are dying/dead ;_; its a real shame.

    Diablo

  • Hells_Sad_Song

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:07 am PT

    if this doesnt come to America.... I'm moving to Japan.

  • mariomaniac92

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:00 am PT

    Oh snap I love these games!

  • SpareJesus

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 7:28 am PT

    Yeah, HotD4 is in the UK, they have one at the local bowling alley/arcade. Pretty sweet game, although I prefer the HotD3 shotguns to the new sub-machine guns. Too light-weight.

  • J-X

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 7:14 am PT

    I need to buy one of these for myself

  • ffgothic

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 6:34 am PT

    whatever happened to arcades here in the states? remember the good ol dayz!?

  • audiopirate_99

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 6:13 am PT

    I've always loved house of the dead, and I hope this one makes an appearance on the Wii (it might fit with the zapper).

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