NES Splatterhouse RPG "Splatterworld" ROM Finally Released to the Public

[Scotty]

I'm sure that a good majority of you guys have at least some familiarity with this classic franchise. It was compromised of 3 side-scrolling beat 'em up games released between 1988 to 1993 for Arcades and home consoles, as well as a Japanese exclusive Famicom game titled "Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti" (Which translates to "Splatterhouse: Naughty Graffiti"). It played just like the original trilogy but with a chibi aesthetic.

But what if I told you that Namco originally had something else in mind for Japanese consumers?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you all... "スプラッターワールド" (Splatterworld)!!

As you can see from this promotional tape, it's an RPG that features turn-based battles similar to "Dragon Quest" or "MOTHER". Rick can also fight alongside Jennifer.
The game's dreary aesthetic looks great. It feels in line with the other "Splatterhouse" titles. The super deformed sprites for Rick and various NPCs are adorable. And the music sounds decent.

That VHS tape got uploaded onto YouTube last year near the end of May. For a while, there wasn't much information about this game aside from that tape and various screenshots.


Fast forward to Halloween 2025. A 4chan user (somehow) procured the ROM and released it publicly.

Now, with the ROM being obtainable from 4chan of all places, one might think it's illegitimate or a complete hoax. But as someone who's played a bit of this, I can gladly confirm that this IS indeed a legitimate dump (It could a final/near final build, judging from the new title screen with copyright info). You can talk to NPCs, leave town and fight monsters, and do various other RPG things. Unfortunately, there is currently no English translation for this yet. Still, it's very surreal to finally play this game over 1½ years later.

Here's some screenshots I took:

 

[UnDubious]

I wonder if it was cancelled because it was so late into the NES? 1993... Would've been more interesting by then as a serious horror SNES RPG. Still, cool find. I hope it gets translated, if it's fully playable.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Nice! As much as I think Sweet Home is a good horror RPG I'd say that Splatterhouse isn't really the kind of game I'd play a RPG of sadly.

Like if Sega has made a "House of the Dead Saga" type of spinoff.