Before the Umbrella Corporation or the random occurrences of the town of Silent Hill, there were simple games of ghouls and monsters. Here's a quick look, just in time for Halloween, at some of the classic horror titles available on the Virtual Console.
Horrifying Games
Looking for a good way to celebrate Halloween without watching cheesy horror flicks or stuff yourself with candy? Well, if you’ve read my article on Wii horror titles, you know video games are a way to do that. In that vein here are five classic horror titles available on the virtual console you can download and enjoy much cheaper than purchasing a bunch of new Wii titles.
While there are plenty of other classics in horror genre, these are the best available as of know. Not only are they memorable games, but most of these are among the best available on their respective consoles, including the NES.
The Original Classic
Castlevania (NES – 1987)
No list of classic horror video games is complete without this gem. One of the first epic platforming titles to appear on the Nintendo Entertainment System, it included a host of ghouls and monsters. From movie classic beasts like Frankenstein, hunch backs and fish creatures as well as mythological figures like Medusa heads, this game has a bit of monster goodness for everyone.
Another horrifying aspect of this game is the sheer difficulty. This is one of the hardest games available on the console. Though weapon upgrades and excellent jump timing is a great way to combat these frustrating obstacles. Also, as a kid, one the scariest video game moments I remember is thinking I beat Dracula, only to see his “true form.” The only thing scarier than that was the bittersweet sequel, Simon's Quest.
An Impossibly Difficult Scare
Ghosts ‘n Goblins (NES – 1986)
Like Castlevania, this game has an excellent mix of monsters, zombies and demons. Also, like its Konami counterpart, Capcom really took the difficulty up a notch. In fact, I would argue that without a Game Genie, this game is nearly impossible to beat. The game gives you much less room for error. Instead of a typical life bar, the game allows you basically only two hits, the first of which somehow forces you to remove your armor.
The game also boasts helpful power ups, except for the flame which has no range whatsoever. At any rate, the game is a memorable classic with its fair share of ghoulish creatures ready to destroy you. I hope for the knight’s sake, that the chick he’s trying to rescue is really worth it.