The House of the Dead review. Classic Game Room reviews the original THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD for Sega Saturn released in 1998. The first The House of the Dead made its way to arcades in 1997 and started the awesome "shooter on rails" series that we all know and love today. This '98 release on the Saturn is played with the Sega Stunner and packs ultra-challenging gameplay and solid late '90s visuals.