Top 5 Scariest Nintendo Games Of All Time

Happy Halloween everybody. I have a fun game for all you party-goers, and costume wearers. Take a poll of how many Joker costumes you see at your parties this year and report back. For me this Halloween will be boring; a little bag snatching, movie watching…..sad isn’t it?

Anyway enough about my lust for candy, and Jeepers Creepers, let’s get to today’s Top 5 list. It shouldn’t be a surprise that on Halloween we’ll be taking a look at the scariest games to ever grace a Nintendo console. Last week was all about gore, but this week it’s all about the scares. Those two don’t necessarily go hand and hand, so Here…….we…….GO.

5. Abadox – I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most of WiiBlog readers have probably never heard of the on-rails shooter known as Abadox. It wasn’t a huge success back on the NES, when at that time it was released by an unknown developer, Natsume (yes, they were around before Harvest Moon).

You Know It’s Not Good If Ooze Is Dripping Of The Title Lettering

It’s kind of hard to include a 8-bit era game in terms of being scared in the present day. But this list is about honoring the games in our past, even distant past that were able to be unsettling for its time. Abadox, was definitely one of those titles that made you squirm in your seat with all the images it presented to the player.

The setting of the game itself is enough to make you uncomfortable. Nearly all of the game was set inside the innards of a giant alien/demon/creature. While it never comes out what exactly the thing is, the backgrounds, and set pieces for the stages are so unsettling. There’s intestines looking walls, ooze filled brains. The enemies were no better, there were well drawn flaming skulls that would scream at you. Multi-eyeballed ‘cell’ looking monsters.

It Might Not Be Scary Today, But This Is What 8 Year Old’s (my) Nightmares We’re Made Of In 1992.

4. Resident Evil 4 – Ah, the only game that appeared on the Gore list, and is also appearing on today’s scary list. That just goes to show you how Resident Evil 4 has something to offer all gamers.

Unlike its predecessors, Resident Evil 4 used more urgency to provide its thrill ride. While the previous Resident Evils used more of the creepy, and small spaces factor to scare gamers. Resident Evil 4 really brought the scares through unsettling images, and scenes. The opening parts are the best example of this, as the initial village is probably the place I’d least like to visit in a Nintendo game.

Like in some of the RE sequels before it, the dread factor lessens and ends up becoming more of a thriller. All of the boss fights in RE4 are done incredibly well, and the scale of the enemies are ramped up heavily. So, although it becomes less creepy as the plot unfolds, you’re still on the edge of your seat.

I Knew That Sack-headed Guy From The Strangers Looked Familiar

3. Superman 64 – The horror……oh why Man of Steel……Why!?!?!?

2. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – “Like it or not, believe it or not as you will, your perceptions will not change reality, but color it”. That line from the opening cinematic sequence is a great synopsis of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.

Eternal Darkness is one of those rare games that encompasses so many elements, and at the same time pulling off so many of them flawlessly. It’s my favorite Gamecube game of all time (sorry RE4, and Wind Waker fans), and a lot of that has to do with the scare factor.

Eternal Darkness plays tricks on your mind from two fronts. First, the setting captures and enthralls you from the outset. The mansion where a lot of the game takes place uses wonderful lighting schemes to present the gamer with a sense of time and urgency. As you progress through the game, you’ll see the light change as time passes. Not to mention that there are so many set pieces, as it’s a game that encapsulates so many different periods of time.

Where the ED really hits home is through its sanity effects. There have been very few games that can truly play tricks on the mind, but Eternal Darkness is one of them. As you progress through ED, there’s a bar on the screen that measures the intensity of the images you see. As the meter fills, you’ll start to lose sanity. When that happens, all sorts of things start to happen. Instead of telling you, here’s a video of some. *SPOILERS*, if you haven’t played it yet

1. Resident Evil (Gamecube) – There are very few games that can truly put me on the edge of my seat and make me look over my shoulder as I play. None of them do it quite like the original Resident Evil can.

It’s true that Resident Evil didn’t originally release on the Gamecube. But it did get closer to perfection on the more powerful system. Not only is it scarier, it’s a prime example of how sometimes porting a game is a good thing.

Resident Evil was, and is still the king of the horror genre in gaming. Nearly everything that can cause panic, and creepiness is found in this game. If zombies scare you, there’s plenty. If the sense of being alone is scary, there’s that. If surprises and loud sounds scare you, then there’s all kinds.

I think we all know of the *SPOILER* dogs crashing through the window scene */SPOILER*. If your stereo is up loud enough, and you have no idea of what’s coming, there’s no way that you won’t jump. If jump scares don’t get you, then the overall dread, and eeriness of the mansion can get you. There’s something about being in an old, abandoned mansion that can mess with the mind. As you progress, and get deeper into the story it adds even more isolation.

If anything is more proving of RE’s #1 spot, it’s one particular scene. It’s exclusive to the Gamecube version, and takes place in a lone cabin. For those who have played it, I believe you know what I speak of. Unfortunately I can’t find a video of the scene. *SPOILERS* It involves a screeching girl-monster, and chains all inside a unassuming wood cabin at the outskirts of the mansion grounds.

Alright, let’s hear back from some of your favorite scary games. What are your plans for Halloween this year? Is anyone else a closet bag snatcher?