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Splatterhouse confirmed for 2010

It's still in development for PS3 and 360.

Namco Bandai has confirmed the remake of arcade fighter Splatterhouse will be released in Europe next year.

The game is in development for PS3 and Xbox 360. It was originally being worked on by BottleRocket Entertainment, but Namco pulled the studio off the project back in March. BottleRocket shut down last month.

So it would seem Namco Bandai's in-house team has finished off the game, which follows the adventures of college jock Rick Taylor. He goes looking for his missing girlfriend at a weird old mansion and stumbles accross the Terror Mask, gaining huge muscles in the process. Cue lots of fights with demons and beasties.

There's an original storyline, which hopefully will have a bit more to it than that, from Judge Dredd and Necronauts author Gordon Rennie. Marvel artist Dave Wilkins has contributed original work to give the game a comic book look.

Playing as Rick, you'll be able to learn dynamic combos and grapples. Weapons include the trademark 2 by 4 and any limbs you manage to rip off as you go. Rick's rather agile these days, which means he can pull off big jumps and swing from handholds. He can also raise enemies from the dead and force them to fight alongside him.

There's no health bar - you'll see damage Rick sustains as tears in his flesh, exposed organs and missing limbs. The Terror Mask will allow him to regenerate, however, and you'll be able to watch his bones, veins, muscles and skin grow back in real time. "If you have the stomach for it, there's nothing more satisfying than beating a hell beast to death with its own leg," said Namco Bandai's Hiroaki Ochiai, who's clearly never tried curing a hangover with a Fray Bentos Steak & Ale Pie and a bottle of original Lucozade.