8-Bit Terror: Nintendo’s Horror Games that Inspired a Thriving Subgenre
Steve Barton
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Beetlejuice:
It was a blast being able to traverse odd landscapes as the devious Beetlejuice. Of course the action – like most games at the time – really consisted of a lot of jumping and dodging, but what the hell. You get to be Beetlejuice, dammit!
Castlevania:
Be realistic now; what sounds more badass than being a noble vampire hunter completely decimating foes with a six-foot long whip? I can’t think of many better ways to spend my days… or nights for that matter.
Uninvited:
Uninvited was a bit like a cross between Dungeons and Dragons and Déjà Vu. Always a sucker for the brainbuster, Uninvited yanked this gamer into a dark, mysterious world (that can happen when the game starts by nearly running over a stranger in the road) that, oddly enough, made me want to linger for hours on end. While I’m too damn old to be playing video games these days, works like Uninvited would be definite go-to material for a relic such as myself.
Fester’s Quest:
Maybe it was a simple affinity for “The Addams Family,” or maybe it was the fact that, for once, an overweight bald dude with terrible fashion sense got to be the hero… whatever it was, it made Fester’s Quest a damn memorable game. And unlike a few others on this list, it wasn’t nearly impossible to beat. (Seriously, not to keep on about it, but who the hell ever beat Jason?!?)
Ghostbusters:
If you were a kid in the 1980s and you owned a Nintendo, you either had Ghostbusters or you were what your buddies referred to as a loser. For a few years I wore the “L” with shame. Eventually that changed, and then I learned that I was terrible at this game. For all the praise my pals dished, I just didn’t “get it.” Classic, regardless!
Bram Stoker’s Dracula:
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was probably the smoothest running game to be featured on this list. I love how the story progresses and attempts to remain faithful to Bram Stoker’s actual tale. Believe it or not, the graphics even look pretty good… by classic Nintendo standards, of course.
Ghosts ‘N Goblins:
And, finally, the game everyone had! If I could count how many hours I dumped into this classic… well, I might be a bit embarrassed. But I’ll be damned if you don’t realize this game is going to rock the moment that evil demon comes down and snatches your pretty little lady up. And then, when you don that armor… oh yes, as the kids say today: Shit just got real!
Bonus Mentions
Jaws and his conch shells
Bandai’s Frankenstein: The Monster Returns
Werewolf: The Last Warrior‘s incessant howling
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