Luigi Death Stare Pumpkin

It's the scariest night of the year, mainly due to strange children knocking on the door and demanding sweets in exchange for showing you their creepy outfits; if you don't have candy to give, the consequences can be dire.

Of course, that's not really scary, but it's the time of year when ghosts, ghouls, zombies and reality TV stars creep around in the dark — maybe we're the only ones scared of the latter, to be fair. Rather than venture outside to be terrified, the best option may be to stay indoors, turn out the lights and play some frightening games. Or, in some cases with Nintendo, extremely cute games with adorable outfits.

We know many of you will have plans for trick-or-treating, parties or perhaps a night in with the best games you can find. Some of us are going for the latter, or fitting in some 3DS gaming on the go, so below is what some of the Nintendo Life team will be getting up to this Halloween.

Tom Whitehead

When not fending off kids with unhealthy snacks, I may finally try to beat ZombiU's finale, as I've been too much of a coward so far; also on Wii U I'll have a look at some of the best community efforts in Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones — it's a fabulous game, has fun outfits and lots of blood when you die, which is all appropriate. On the 3DS I may jump into the awesome Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the occasion, though will probably just end up playing Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS instead; actually, I'm sure my Mii could try out some of the outfits I've been unlocking...

Jon Wahlgren

I got back on the Animal Crossing train at the worst possible time because Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros. 3DS, Hyrule Warriors DLC, and Diablo 3 are all competing for my attention. I'm going to pop in and see what Jack the Czar of Halloween wants me to do, and then I'll probably whack him with a shovel and steal his candy.

I play a lot on public transit, so I'll get my AC:NL fix to and from work. But when I'm at home, it's gonna be all about Bayonetta 2. I've waited five years for this game and it has not disappointed. While it's technically more of a Christmas game, there's witches and stuff, so that counts for something, right? Right?

Ron DelVillano

This Halloween weekend I'll be avoiding scary games as best I can. Even as an adult I'm still scared to force my way through any game with eerie silences and long corridors. I will, however, spend my weekend playing and reviewing the very frightening, very chilling, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 on 3DS. All right, it's not scary at all, but there are ghosts in it. Rather like Jon I'm hoping that'll count for something.

Morgan Sleeper

I'm always a big fan of seasonal gaming - I check in on my Animal Crossing: New Leaf town at every holiday, load up Style Savvy: Trendsetters each time the seasons change, and still break out Christmas NiGHTS every year - but this year marks the first time I've ever thought of playing something special for Halloween. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to survival horror games - the obvious choice - but this year, I steeled myself and was all ready to pick up Resident Evil: Revelations on Wii U for some suitably scary entertainment.

Then, something unexpected happened: I popped the Wii U release of Bayonetta into my system last week, and after the first chapter realized I'd found my perfect Hallows' Eve experience. It may not be jump-out-of-your-seat scary, but it's campy, creepy, silly, and sexy all at once, and I'm utterly smitten. I might try the Jill sandwich and tank controls combo come next year, but for now I'm having way too much fun Witch Timing around the world as Nintendo's newest leading lady. And the best part is, when it's all over, I'll have a whole new adventure to enjoy in Bayonetta 2 - coupled with lots of left-over candy, that should keep the Halloween spirit strong for weeks!

Tim Latshaw

This time each year I volunteer at Youmacon, an anime convention in Detroit, Michigan. It's a StreetPass heaven, and there's a room filled with arcade cabinets and systems of all types open 24 hours. I'll definitely be getting some gaming in between my shifts and movie-riffing panels, but this year I have one ultimate Halloween goal: fight against someone in Smash Bros. who's dressed as their character. It can totally happen.

Conor McMahon

Super Castlevania IV is calling me this year, after its very timely release on the Wii U eShop last Halloween. It's one of those classics that just never gets old, and with so many references and tributes to monster icons, it's going to set the mood perfectly. I never actually owned a Super Nintendo growing up, so this was something I used to seethe over not owning when I saw it at friends' houses. That whip action blew my mind.

I would consider visiting my town in Animal Crossing: New Leaf for some Halloween fun, but since I left that place almost a year ago I can't imagine there'd be very much to celebrate any more. In fact it might actually be even scarier now, with all those unfamiliar faces, the ruined landscape... I've created my own ghost town.

Lots of Pokémon X & Y too, which is practically Halloween-themed with all of its creepy pumpkin and haunted-stump Pokémon. The recent reveal of some amazingly creepy art from Junji Ito has me in the mood for ghost types!

Liam Doolan

Although Halloween isn’t traditionally celebrated here in Australia, I’ve always found myself embracing the spooky season on the gaming front. Normally I’ll play whatever celebrates the festivity, and this year, Tomodachi Life with a blend of Animal Crossing: New Leaf should be enough to satisfy my hunger...hunger for blood!

I’ve even changed my 3DS HOME Menu theme to the free black cat. It’s actually my favourite theme so far, with some playfully frightening music, and eyes that follow my on-screen movements about. And if all that’s still not enough to satisfy my cravings, I’ll probably boot-up Bayonetta 2 after dark, and unleash hell on an army of enemies with my array of wicked witch demon summons.

Lewis Childs

This Halloween I have to leave my abode and head back to my hometown for a wedding, which for me is usually frightening enough. This means I’ll have to ditch Bayonetta for the weekend and depend on my trusty 3DS to see me through. Fortunately I've yet to find every Boo in Luigi’s Mansion 2, and I suppose upping my ranking on certain levels couldn't hurt either. This time last year I’d have been playing Animal Crossing and collecting all the Halloween furniture. However, I’ve not visited in a while and the thought of those frosty receptions from my fellow villagers might just be enough to scare me off for a little while longer.


Those are some of our plans. Let us know what you'll be up to this Halloween in the comments below.