Shadow Temple, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
There was a whole host of options for spooky moments in Ocarina of Time — we didn't realise quite how scarred that game had left us after our first playthrough — but no level is quite as in-keeping with the tone of this list as the Shadow Temple.
The ReDeads? Absolutely terrifying. Bottom of the Well? Genuinely upsetting. Shadow Temple? Kinda spooky, but not enough to keep you up at night — aka, just right.
Except, of course, it isn't. This level is an absolute horror fest, filled with Gibdos, ReDeads, and — the scariest of them all — Dead Hand. True, it is the only level to keep you light on your feet (hehe), but everything else will require a long walk around Lon Lon Ranch to get the memories out of your head.
Chapter 7: Spooky, Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day came at the tail end of that sweet spot where Rare made games solely for Nintendo. While the rights would soon transfer to Microsoft, we reckon there's enough of a Nintendo connection here to grant Conker a spot of his own on this list.
Anyone who has had the pleasure of playing Conker's Bad Fur Day will know that it sticks out here like a sore thumb — far too much potty mouth and blood to really deem the scares 'family-friendly'. That being said, the game's Spooky Chapter is everything that we are after here, an otherwise joyful time that contains just enough spooks to make us feel involved in the season of the damned.
We will admit, the graveyard zombies are perhaps the most horror-game-y inclusion on this list, but at least you are a cute little squirrel, so that brings the chills down a bit, right?
Spooky Trails, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
For some people out there, just the idea of a tactics game is enough to send a shiver down the spine. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle dared to make the genre a little more friendly, but that doesn't mean that it escapes the chance for a good bit o' spookin'.
With Spooky Trails, there are no real scares — for which we are eternally grateful — but it has all the hallmarks of a good Halloween level. Come on, it's in the name, for crying out loud! The organ music, ever the signifier of kid-friendly horror and another Kirkhope classic, does a lot of the heavy lifting in classifying the level for this list, but it is also set around a spooky castle, so that has to count for something.
Submerged Castle, Pikmin 2
We know what you're thinking. 'Pikmin? Have you lost your mind? Those are some of the most light-hearted times going! They're not scary in the slightest!' For the most part, we agree with you all. They're a great time and generally as cute and cuddly as they come. But that is why the emotional damage of Pikmin 2's Submerged Castle is all the heavier.
Dark, twisting passageways. Horrifying creatures at every turn (who on earth thought that the Firey Bulblax was an okay addition for a 3+ game?!). All four elemental hazards. But without a doubt the most terrifying addition of them all: the Waterwraith. We'll be honest, we can't speak about this guy without getting chills to this day.
The level is hella spooky. The game is hella not. Let's move on before our heart palpitations get too much, like that first time we wandered into water not knowing what would happen to non-blue Pikmin and had ourselves a minor panic attack...
Twisted Mansion, Mario Kart 8
Ah, the lightness of Mario Kart 8. Surely there's no better cure for a Halloween party than a couple of Grand Prix races with pals. Yes, costumes are absolutely mandatory for such an event.
The Twisted Mansion circuit has everything that you need to turn such an event up to 11 on the spook-o-meter. It's got a creepy castle (with creepy gates), it's got Boos-a-plenty (creepy by nature), it's got the plinky keys of any good spooky soundtrack (for added creepy). We don't think there is one person out there who mains Dry Bones, but if you throw that skeletal little guy into the mix then you have a Halloween cocktail that is a whole lot tastier than a horror games sesh.
Twilight Town, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
When we were younger, Spirited Away was perhaps the scariest film we had ever seen. Having your parents turned into pigs? That's quite enough for us. Twilight Town in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door also has characters turning all piggy, though this time they are weird little digital people, which I guess makes them even scarier.
This level also has the other big signifier of any good horror level: bare trees. Is there anything spookier than some stripped-back foliage?
Paper Mario is generally a fun-filled romp (unless you have a paper-cut phobia) and while Twilight Town undoubtedly continues that feeling, it also slots nicely into any respectful scaredy-cat's Halloween playlist.
Well, there you have it. Just about all of the spookiness that non-spook fans can handle for one year, wrapped up in the warm blanket of non-scary games. It's nice to know that if it all gets a bit too much, there's always the next level to look forward to.
Happy Halloween everyone!