is a

side-scrolling A side-scrolling video game (alternatively side-scroller) is a video game viewed from a side-view camera angle where the screen follows the player as they move left or right. The jump from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling grap ...

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

developed and published by

Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...

, released for the

Master System The is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console manufactured and developed by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series ...

in 1986. ''Ghost House'' is loosely based on Sega's 1982 arcade video game, ''Monster Bash''. The game was originally released in the

Sega Card The Sega Card, known in Japan as Sega My Card, is a memory card format used as game storage for the SG-1000/SC-3000 and the Master System, Mark III / Master System. Produced from 1985 to 1987 by Mitsubishi Plastics, the cards are plugged into on ...

format, then re-released on cartridge.

Plot

The player controls Mick/Mickey, a young

vampire hunter A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is a fictional occupation in folklore and fiction which specializes in finding vampires, and sometimes other supernatural creatures. A vampire hunter is usually described as having extensive knowledge of vampir ...

out to destroy five

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

s (or "Draculas" as the instruction book calls them) in each stage before proceeding to the next. In later levels Draculas may re-spawn. Everything is out to stop Mick/Mickey from completing this task and making his way out of the

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

. The player has to punch or jump on enemies to defeat them.

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

s fly from either direction after Mick/Mickey passes a fireplace and will attempt to hit him, and he must either duck or jump on them for extra points and eventually gain invincibility as per the amount jumped on (25). Players can jump to touch

light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

s to freeze everything on screen for a few seconds. Rather than punching, the player can collect a

knife A knife (: knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least Stone Age, 2.5 million years ago, as e ...

on any level by jumping on a candelabra as it flies past. Exploiting the game's backgrounds and tricks provide for a unique experience as well as facilitating the expulsions of all the Draculas. The knife is useful when the player fights a Dracula or needs to get rid of Fire Blowers and Mummies. The player starts the game with three lives, and receives an additional life every 50,000 and 150,000 points. There is also an energy meter. The player loses energy after touching

monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...

s, which leads to losing a life. The player can gain energy by collecting

treasure Treasure (from from Greek ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions legally define what constit ...

s scattered throughout the mansion, and it is restored when a Dracula is killed.

Release

''Ghost House'' was released in Brazil as ''Chapolim X Dracula: Um Duelo Assustador'' (the subtitle translates as "A Spooky Duel") by

Tectoy Tec Toy S.A., trading as Tectoy since 1997, is a Brazilian toy and electronics company headquartered in São Paulo. It is best known for producing, publishing, and distributing Sega consoles and video games in Brazil. The company was founded b ...

. Mick is replaced by ''

El Chapulín Colorado () is a Mexican television comedy series that aired from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by actor and comedian Chespirito, who also played the main character. It was first aired by Televisa in 1973 in Mexico, a ...

'' (The Red Grasshopper).

References

External links

* *{{IAg, segasms_Ghost_House_Rev_1_1986_Sega 1980s horror video games 1986 video games Action games Master System games Master System-only games Platformers Sega video games Single-player video games Video games about vampires Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Hiroshi Kawaguchi Video games set in country houses