Enjoy furious zombie blasting on Wii with The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return, a sweet package that includes both arcade games in their brain splattering glory. Similar to Sega's Ghost Squad, you point the remote at the television and fire. What ensues is pure post-apocalyptic bliss, with creatures of all shapes and sizes exploding into gooey chunks and hapless innocents running for their lives. Factor in the game's $29.99 bargain price, and there's no reason why you shouldn't get in on this monster-slaughtering extravaganza.

Tongue kissing, optional.


Both games cast you as a special agent working for the AMS, sent to combat a zombie invasion and rescue your comrades, some of which (especially G) wind up dead. Similar to most light gun games, you don't move your character, instead following "on rails" with the option to occasionally select from one of two paths to explore. The lack of movement doesn't hamper either game, since you'll spend all of your time killing monsters, be it simple zombies, possessed owls or mutant frogs. In addition, you'll square off against a series of horrific bosses, each of which has a weak point you need to exploit.

Despite showing their age (House of the Dead 2 hit the Sega Dreamcast in 1999), both games look great, with plenty of special effects and tons of gore. Neither is a showpiece for the Wii and House of the Dead 3 chugs at certain points, but each game has a unique style with imaginative scenery. Blasting monsters proves most satisfying, as you're able to blast off their heads, limbs and leave gaping holes in their chests. In The House of the Dead 2, owls, when shot, leave behind feathers that gracefully float to the ground, and in The House of the Dead 3, an angry zombie policeman (who is a few stories tall) chases you through an office building, crashing you through walls and swinging a club made of human skulls.

Playing solo is cool, but it's much more enjoyable when a friend joins the fray using a second remote. With that said, you can also kick them out and dual wield, doing your best John Woo impression. And you shouldn't have to worry about the gun sight being out of whack, since Sega gives you the option to calibrate before and during play.

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.

Related Links

The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return Game Guide