Splatterhouse wasn’t just a game—it was a horror gaming revolution. Here are the 10 craziest, weirdest, and most brutal facts about the blood-soaked beat ‘em up that freaked out parents and made history.
It Was One of the First Games to Get a Parental Warning
Before the ESRB, Splatterhouse came with a content warning in arcades:
“The horrifying theme of this game may be inappropriate for young children… and cowards.”
Namco knew exactly what they were doing.
Jason Voorhees? Nah, It’s Just a “Japanese Noh Mask”
Rick’s Terror Mask looks exactly like Jason Voorhees’ hockey mask, but Namco swears it was based on a Japanese Noh mask.
Still, it was close enough that Bandai canceled a planned Famicom port—they didn’t want to risk a lawsuit.
Splatterhouse Was Supposed to Have More Horror Movie References
The devs wanted the game to be a full-on horror movie tribute, but a lot of ideas got cut. Some made it through, though:
- The chainsaw-wielding boss? Leatherface.
- The body horror monsters? Inspired by The Thing.
- The evil severed head in Splatterhouse 2? Direct quote from Evil Dead II: “I’ll swallow your soul!”
The TurboGrafx-16 Version Censored the Blood—Sort Of
The arcade version was pure carnage, but when Splatterhouse hit TurboGrafx-16, the red blood was changed to green.
Because apparently green monster guts are totally fine.
Splatterhouse 2 page TurboGrafx-16 magazine ad (1990)
The Game’s Creators Were Hardcore Horror Geeks 🔪
Namco’s Splatterhouse team, led by Hiroyuki Inagaki, wanted to make the first true “playable horror movie.” They were obsessed with:
- Friday the 13th 🔪
- Hellraiser 🔥
- The Evil Dead 🪵
- H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror 👁️
If you ever thought Splatterhouse had Lovecraft vibes, you’re right—the mansion and creatures were heavily inspired by his work.
Namco Originally Didn’t Want to Release Splatterhouse in the U.S.
Namco thought the game was too violent and bizarre for America. But NEC America (who made TurboGrafx-16) begged them to release it because they needed an exclusive, edgy game to compete with Sega and Nintendo.
Splatterhouse ended up becoming one of TurboGrafx-16’s biggest cult hits.
The Terror Mask Is Sentient—and Evil
In later Splatterhouse games, the Terror Mask starts talking and manipulating Rick into committing more brutal violence.
By Splatterhouse 2010, the mask is fully voiced by Jim Cummings—the same guy who voiced Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, and Dr. Robotnik.
Splatterhouse 2010 Was a Development Disaster
The Splatterhouse reboot was a nightmare behind the scenes:
- Namco gave the project to BottleRocket Studios.
- Then they fired BottleRocket mid-development and took over.
- The game was rushed, full of glitches, and almost canceled. But despite the mess, it became a cult hit.
There’s a Pac-Man Easter Egg Hidden in Splatterhouse
Namco couldn’t resist sneaking in a Pac-Man reference. When Rick eats a roast duck (a health item), the sound effect is the same as Pac-Man eating a pellet.
Because nothing says horror like a little waka-waka in the middle of a bloodbath.
The Original Arcade Game Was Almost a Friday the 13th Game
Namco wanted to make a horror beat ‘em up, and the original concept was a licensed Friday the 13th game. When that fell through, they created their own horror universe—but kept the masked slasher look for Rick.
Final Thought:
Splatterhouse didn’t just push boundaries—it shattered them with a 2×4. It was gory, brutal, and ahead of its time. No Splatterhouse? No Resident Evil, no Dead Space, no The Last of Us.
🩸💀 What’s your favorite Splatterhouse memory?