The 8bit generation wasn’t exactly known for its abundance of horror titles. Sure there’s
plenty of platformers with classic monster themes, but the heart pounding, fight (or
flight) for your life adventure mechanics didn’t establish its self as the survival
horror genre until 3D polygons were the graphical norm. The closet thing the NES had to offer
was Friday the 13th – in which Japanese developer ATLUS asked - how many children
could a simple camp counselor with no sense of direction save from the relentless homicidal
psychopath, Jason Voorhees? Hint? Not many. And don’t forget the NES port of the Apple
][, MacAdventure title – Uninvited. An atmospherically creepy point and click where you hunt for
your lost sister in a pissed off haunted house hell bent on killing you again. And again.
And again. But what hardcore Resident Evil fans already
know is that genre’s inception actually began with a Famicom movie tie-in RPG – Sweet
Home. In fact Resident Evil started early development as a full-on remake of Capcom’s
not-so-hidden gem. And although the project was re-envisioned as a totally new IP – the
direct influences are fairly apparent in the final release. Both games revolve around a
team of investigators as they fight their way through a labyrinthine mansion teeming
with horrifying abominations. Progress is made only through the proper pairing of artifacts
to environmental obstacles. And in both titles, inventory management is crucial to your success.
Alright so the similarities are coincidental at best. But after playing both titles, the
visual nods to the game’s ancestral roots cannot be so easily dismissed.
Lifted directly from the original film, Sweet Home’s story is a surprisingly graphic journey
into the realm of the macabre. The plot starts off like any good low budget horror movie
– a documentary crew arrives at an old creepy mansion to shoot some footage on the lost
art of fresco painter Icharou Mayima. But the would-be film makers quickly realize that
the house is possessed by some great evil and unless they can solve the mystery behind
the hauntings they too will join the legion of spirits tethered there. And so begins your
journey into the depths of the Mayima manor. The rest of the plot gradually unfolds as
the investigators uncover frescoes, diaries, and blood scrawled notes left behind by the
painter Icharou. It’s funny, but the pacing of the game gives the big reveal greater reverence
and emotional impact than the movie bothered with. In fact the film itself is largely forgettable
B-movie camp – worth a watch if you’ve played Capcom’s version just to gain a backstory
for the characters and to pick out the scenes which directly inspired the game – but as
a movie it’s not worth seeing first – you’ll only spoil the mystery.
Sweet Home the game, however, mixes part RPG mechanics, and part adventure puzzle solving,
with a whole lot of survival horror to create an absolute masterpiece of digital art. Every
gameplay mechanic is specifically chosen to provoke a feeling of dread and remind the
player that their party members are nothing more than squishy mortal meat-sacks. Healing
items are few and finite, deaths are permanent, and the hazards many. In order to survive
the trials of the house you’ll need to switch control between characters and teams in order
to pick up and use items. You can’t create a team with more than three
characters and each character carries a key item necessary to progress through the house’s
myriad of obstacles. Emi’s key can unlock most doors, Taro’s camera reveals clues
hidden within Icharou’s frescoes, Asuka’s healing kit cures lethal status effects, Akiko’s
vacuum clears away debris from the halls and dust from dirty murals, and Kazou’s lighter
can burn down barriers and light candles. In addition to these innate abilities you’ll
pick up additional items to assist your characters in their investigation. Inventory space is
extremely limited – each character can only carry two items – and it’s not always
apparent which you’ll need to progress. So not only can you expect to occasionally
backtrack through the house– this also means if a character dies you’re doubly screwed.
Like I mentioned before, there is absolutely no resurrection in this game – should a
character fall prey to any of the numerous horrors out to kill them – they’re gone
for good. And with them goes two precious inventory slots. Three actually, because someone
else will have to carry around an item that replaces the dead’s character’s special
ability. The inventory system may sound tedious – but its limitations prevent the player
from ever truly feeling comfortable. Magic in the game is reserved for opening passages,
there’s no healing spells and you won’t be walking around with a stash of medicinal
tonics or always have the item handy that completely negates the negative effects of
a trap. This maintains a feeling of uneasiness throughout the game while forcing the player
to make strategic sacrifices – hallmarks of any good survival horror title.
While you run around the manor hunting for clues and solving puzzles the encounters are
resolved in a true RPG fashion. There’s plenty of horrors lurking within the estate
– all manner or ghosts and demons are hungry for fresh blood. In a standard RPG, you could
tediously grind your way to victory. But because healing items in Sweet Home are scarce every
encounter is a small step closer to your likely demise. Just another clever mechanic that
reminds the player of the danger their party is truly facing.
Teams engaged with an enemy can pause the battle to call for help. At which point you
can select another group of characters to bring to the fight. This is both useful for
ganging up on tough enemies, maximizing your experience gains, and safely navigating weaker
allies through treacherous locations. Exploration is huge element of Sweet Home’s
gameplay – yes you’re always on the look-out for clues and equipment – but Mayima Manor
is laid out like an (admittedly huge) house. Locked doors and crumbling debris transform
the grandiose floor plan into a twisting maze. New keys and inventory items will have your
characters backtracking through previously explored rooms to unlock new paths – much
like a good Zelda or Metroid title. And hey – did I mention? Invisible Easter eggs are
totally a thing. The visuals are mature for a Famicom game
– despite the 8bit limitation there’s a delightfully excessive amount of blood and
gore. And some of the sprites are all the more shocking when compared to the source
material. But despite being some of Capcom’s best work, it’s regretfully understandable
why Sweet Home was never localized for a Western release. The amount of censorship required
to pass this game off as wholesome American entertainment would have utterly ruined the
immersion. It’s my held fast opinion that this title
is a near perfect gaming experience. Once I started playing, I was absolutely compelled
to see the story through to the end. The challenge of keeping my team alive in spite of the odds
against success only made my triumph more rewarding. If you’re a fan of the horror
genre, or love RPG and adventure games in general you owe it to yourself to experience
Sweet Home firsthand. Give it a play and weigh in on your opinions. I’m looking forward
to hearing them – Daria out.