Ever wanted to punch Count Dracula or roundhouse kick Frankenstein’s Monster? Data East’s ’90s arcade beat-em-up Night Slashers let you pay for that privilege and now, 30 years after its release, it’s back as the blood-splattered, HD-quality Night Slashers Remake.
Released in 1993 by the now-largely-defunct Data East, Night Slashers was classic fighting game Streets of Rage meets Dawn of the Dead meets Universal Monsters. As one of three monster-hunters, you’d fight your way through the hordes and end each level by taking on Frankenstein’s Monster or some other boss.
If you think that sounds a bit silly, you’d be wrong. It was very, very silly, a truly ridiculous game and I couldn’t be happier that it’s back. Published by Forever Entertainment and developed by Storm Trident S.A., it promises to deliver the gore that western audiences were cruelly, cruelly robbed of.
Why robbed? Because if you encountered this machine in an arcade, back when arcades were a thing, chances are it would have green blood. It was the Japanese version that had the gore and going by this newly-released trailer, the giblets are back.
Night Slashers: Remake was announced back in 2021 but it’s only now, two years later, that fans have finally got to see it in action. There is an emulated version of the original on Steam but, going by the reviews, it suffers from technical issues.
And Night Slashers Remake looks gorgeous, complete with all-new redrawn sprites and backgrounds. It’ll also have a new soundtrack though you can switch back the old one if you’d prefer.
Forever also promises that the game will perform better than it ever has, with improved combat and support for up to four players. The original only supported three players so I’m curious to see who the new fighter is and what brain-splattering skills they’ll have.
There’s definitely something ridiculously gung-ho about Night Slashers: Remake’s characters just punching monsters. See that Simon Belmont? Who needs a whip when you’ve got you’ve got your fists and a tiny, tiny cross?
Forever were also responsible for House of the Dead Remake, so they’ve clearly got a taste for blood. However, Night Slashers: Remake doesn’t currently have a release window, or even a platform. But, this teaser proves that it’s still got a pulse and if you’ve got a taste for old-school arcade action, over-the-top gore or both, this could be one to watch.
For now, why not check out the best horror games on PC or if it’s monster hunting you’re after, here are the best games like Monster Hunter.