House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return

House of the Dead originally hit the arcades in 1990, wowing shooter fans with its neat horror twist, relentless undead enemies and inventive bosses. It was a hit, so it was only a matter of time before a sequel was developed.

The first thing you will notice when playing is how accurate the Wiimote feels. If playing without the Zapper attachment, you may feel the lack of a gun handle a bit distracting, but it actually feels a little less clunky after a while. It's a personal choice and one you will discover after a few plays.

HotD games guide you through the level with no movement control of your own. However, by meeting certain criteria such as shooting a key, saving a civilian and so on, alternate routes open up, adding a bit of variety for each play through. Save enough people and you are rewarded with bonus health at the end of each stage. It's tricky though, and in order to perform well you will need to memorise when some attacks are coming. Quick yet steady hands are the key to success.

Zombies eat up a hell of a lot of bullets before they hit the dirt. In true B-movie fashion, the best way to take down the undead is to aim for their head and the same rings true here. Bosses are also nails, especially the third stage boss and his chainsaw friend (you'll see). It takes a bit of practice before you can suss out their attack patterns and weakspots, although some of them remain a challenge even then.

Graphically HotD hasn't aged too well, but it still retains that 'arcade' feel. A truly nostalgic port for any that played the coin-op, and the truly awful dialogue will have you in tears.

All in all, you get two games for a decent price. While they cannot stand shoulder to shoulder against the next-gen shooters, it is still a worthy challenge; with tons of target practice modes and hidden routes offering replay value. One of the best on the rails shooters out there.