Namco Bandai today officially announced Splatterhouse, an action title based on the 1988 arcade hit.

In development for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 by BottleRocket Entertainment, Splatterhouse will have players assuming the role of college student Rick Taylor.

Faced with the common collegiate quandaries such as a missing girlfriend and "horrific other-worldly creatures," Rick does the only logical thing by putting on the "Terror Mask," transforming himself into a "juggernaut of pure violence." You can't make this stuff up.

A melee combat system that includes grapples and combos will provide the means to crush monsters. Weapons such as the classic 2x4 board, as well as the limbs and heads of enemies will serve to bolster Rick's arsenal.

The game will not feature a health bar--instead, as enemies literally rip Rick to shreds, the Terror Mask must be used to regenerate him, "allowing players to watch in gory detail as bones, veins, muscles and skin return to his body in real-time."

Splatterhouse is expected to arrive on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime in 2009.