With Halloween creeping up on us slowly, relentlessly and with added creepy noises to scare us, it seems only right that we write about it. The season isn't just about dressing up and eating candy / sweets until we're sick, but it's also a time to either embrace scary gaming or, alternatively, find something cute and cuddly to take our minds off of Halloween.
In any case, plenty of your Nintendo Life writing crew want to share their Halloween gaming plans with you, and as there are quite a few of them we're splitting this into two parts. So... enjoy!
Jonathan Wahlgren
Usually what I do every October is pick a big ol' spooky game and play it all month. Various reasons this year (named Super Mario Maker, MGSV, and NHL '96) have stopped me from doing just that. So instead, I'm gonna pick a few smaller games this week and see if I can get through at least one of them.
Likely, this'll mean a bit of Slender, a dash of Extreme Exorcism, maybe even a touch of The Fall (not "horror," per se, but spooky isolation = creepy), and definitely some Decap Attack.
But let's face it: I'll just end up making more stupid Ghost House stages in Mario Maker.
Mitch Vogel
For my Halloween gaming plans, I'll begin by doing my annual playthrough of Super Metroid. Though it may not inherently be a "horror" title, the creepy, isolated corridors of Planet Zebes provide an excellent atmosphere that's still just as engaging as it was decades ago. After this, I intend on moving on to Super Castlevania IV for some classic Halloween action. I've had this game on my hard drive for several years now and never actually gotten around to playing it, so now is as good a time as ever to see what all the hype is about!
In terms of more recent games, I'll be getting some co-op action in with a run of Resident Evil Revelations 2 with one of my hallmates. I've played through this one once before solo and quite enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to seeing what another person would bring to the experience. Otherwise, I'll give PT a go again just for the experience of playing through a game that is genuinely terrifying. I might pick up the new Fatal Frame, too, but I'm leaning more towards waiting for that one to go on sale.
Joel Couture
This Halloween, it's time for me to settle a decades-old score with Friday the 13th on NES. I don't care what it takes or how long I'm at it - that purple and blue freak is going down.
I've always been the oddity in that I really like Friday the 13th. It's clunky and overly-difficult and unfair, but all of these things make it into a really good horror game. You've got an unpredictable enemy that can show up out of nowhere, one who can kill you in a single, unprepared instant. You've got clumsy, uncoordinated player characters who barely stand a chance against the enemy. You've got a confusing, twisting maze of a world that hides some dangerous secrets. It's all a recipe for a solid horror game.
I'm looking forward to the fight. To the random, tense appearances of Jason on the camp paths, trading blows while praying he leaves first. To the shrill, sharp note that plays as he rushes toward you in the cabins, machete streaking towards your head. To the confusion of the forest as I search for the tools that'll give me an edge against my overpowered opponent. I'm looking forward to this. I'm looking forward to ending it.
I've said this before, though, as the little red light on my NES came on. Said it many times just before that lightweight controller was airborne, carried along on my anger and defeat. Jason is unbreakable. A brick wall that hits like a truck, fading away as he slowly whittles away at my best-equipped players. How am I supposed to take a handful of klutzy teenagers and keep them alive against something like that?
I don't know how. And I don't care. I've got the willpower. I've got Nintendo Power. This year, that poorly-written, super short ending is going to be mine. Chrissy and Mark, you're going home. As for the other counsellors…well…we'll see?
Narelle Ho Sang
Halloween usually starts every October 1st with Jack appearing in my Animal Crossing town. That mischievous Jack-o-Lantern spirit always seems to come a-haunting my life every few years, across console generations. This year though, it's going to be a little bit different. I think I'll be the one playing a trick. With Happy Home Designer as my latest Animal Crossing obsession and finding its way into my heart, I am going to bring Mr. Resetti into my game to scare up a little Halloween fun for him.
Between my real-world trick-or-treating with my nephew and his friends in a brand new neighbourhood, I think I'll design a very spooktacular home for that mole. Picture this nightmare if you will: A storm-weathered patch of land for a grey shanty of a house. Tombstones outside. Black flowers on each. Inside the house, a vampire bust. A creepy, old rug. Jack's album on the wall with K.K. Dirge playing on the basic cassette player. One wax-candle on a wooden table for ambience. In a tiny backroom over-looking the cliff there'll be a single cauldron. Maybe a skeleton in the corner.
But best of all, his house will have concrete walls and floors for a dirtless home. It's the one detail that's very important: Try to bust out of that to tell me how wrong I am about life, Mr. Resetti!
Alan Lopez
So here's what happened last Halloween...
I dug out my old Ash costume from my closet - literally the same one I wore for the Pokemon Mall Tour in 1999. Here I am as a handsome 12 year old in the city paper:
I was astounded that the costume still fit, minus the jeans. Knowing that the Pikachu on my head wasn't going to cut it, I asked my girlfriend to dress up as Ash's special comrade, and later that night we took on the San Diego nightlife. On one of our stops we wandered into a karaoke bar and decided to hang around to watch the spectacle: drunk, costumed singers up on a stage.
Before we could leave half an hour later, the MC took hold of the mic and began to announce the winners of the karaoke costume contest: the Ash and Pikachu couple! I'm proud to say that we won a costume contest just by randomly walking into a building.
So this year, I guess I'll just do that again.
Check back tomorrow for more gaming plans from the NL team; in the meantime let us know what you've got lined up for Halloween gaming!
Comments 49
Fear my Luna Blaster.
Why do people think fatal frame will go on sale? It's a Nintendo published digital title. Nintendo almost never does sales on digital content. Have you seen bayonetta on sale digitally yet? No? Didn't think so. Just buy it or don't. All these comment do is cause other to hope in vain for a sale.
Thinking this is a great time to dust off Eternal Darkness on the 'ol Cube.
playing animal crossing, Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon and maybe Happy Home Designer
I'll prob re download The Letter for the lulz
@ajcismo nice! I found a copy for sale on my local Craigslist just a few days ago and am looking forward to booting it up next weekend. I owned it back when the Cube was current but never completed it. I sold Eternal Darkness some time ago ( regret selling games in general ), and am now determined to finally playing through it.
Planning to pass the night on Project Zero at a friend's house, maybe playing multiplayer (as in being multiple players) will allow me to manage to see more than just the first minutes of the game XD
I've been working through Bloodborne this month. What a great Halloween title. Super Castlevania IV is another great game for Halloween.
Going to try to miss Halloween altogether. Real life is scary enough since I work in a job that deals with some serious problems. I'll spend the time trying to finish Yoshi's New Island (getting all the collectibles is hard, at least for me). The chocolate aspect I can really get into, though.
Maybe I'll run through the original Luigi's Mansion again...
I'll probably go back to and finish Famicom Detective Club II, before I forget again.
I'm playing Symphony of the Night, but not because of Halloween. I've never played it before, and have always wanted to. I might play Luigi's Mansion or Resident Evil 4 when I'm done with it.
Playing Super Metroid on Halloween sounds like a great idea! Hmm... I guess I should finally finish my electric guitar cover of Big Boss Confrontation (AKA, that super awesome song that plays when you fight Draygon and Ridley).
@MasterWario I do that every year, might even beat it in one sitting this year since it's on a Saturday.
I'll be representing team pirates in Splatoon!
@Fiyaball Me too! And you know why! Have a happy halloween, brother!
@NintyMan Spoooky splatoon... um okay
I guess if you think about it being able to transform your bone structure from that of a human to that of a cephalopod in about 0.5 seconds is quite scary (and probably quite painful)
Nothing too groundbreaking for me in terms of Halloween games. I plan on downloading the FTS chapters of Fatal Frame and giving it a spin. Otherwise, the scariest thing I'll play is probably the Gamer mini game off of Game & Wario.
9-Volt's imaginary mother is a psycho. O_o
I'm probably gonna start over Lone Survivor. Expert difficulty is slightly annoying. Project Zero will arrive when it arrives and RE Revelations for 10 euros is a no-brainer.
Super Metroid.
Ahh need to give morjora's mask 3D a real go and with my new animal crossing limited edition xl the time is now!
Also project zero limited edition so that shall be fun
My Halloween plan is to play Luigi's Mansion from start to finish,I think it's about 6 1/2 hours.
@shigulicious
Picked up my copy several years ago when the Wii was new and Cube games were plentiful at the local re-seller. So glad I've kept it (and several other Cube gems that have totally shot up in value over the years).
Double dipped on Revelations and got it for Wii U. Also picking up Maiden of Black Water when it is released in Europe next week.
@Zelda_Rocks
Not to mention Torizo.
I will be finishing Skyrim this Halloween (at least trying to get its Platinum trophy. The few remaining trophies I need are story/guild related).
My plan if I don't end up going to a work mates party is to play through Lone Survivor and also start playing ZombiU which I'm yet to play. I've also got Year Walk to start on as well...and just before I go to bed I'll watch some YouTube vids of people play through P.T., yeah that should help me sleep.
Time for the return of the yearly ritual where I play Eternal Darkness and dread the bathtub scene. I also have a save game entitled Halloween on my OoT which is saved just before the Well. Spooky stuff.
I may make a sequel to my halloween level "The Room". Something about the ghost levels in early games is a bit creepy.
Shameless plugging "The Room" 57CF-0000-0098-314A it should be on your halloween to do list
@Fiyaball ha ha, not only is it a great game with easy to learn but hard to master controls, but you can beat it pretty quickly too! Makes it one of the best games for replaying!
Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker is coming out at last over here, so that's the closest to a spooky game I'll be playing.
And.... it's suddenly clear to me no one cares about Fatal Frame, and that we'll probably never see another one. Chibi Robo is actually a surprisingly fun game as well, which we may not see another one of either.
One by one I see decent, competent games release which don't score perfect and everyone skips them. And our library of franchises to look forward to in future generations gets thinner and thinner with each ignored release.
Eh, I don't do videogames on holidays unless I'm on a long drive, sick and miserable in bed, or the current company sucks.
I've been getting strong urges to play Castlevania though. Wonder why?
Happy Halloween my fellow gamers.
@JaxonH I bought it 😇
Friday the 13th on NES is one of my favorite old skool games! (I agree with Joel Couture!) It's a wonderful game! The music, the frenetic pace, the slayed kids, the creepy cabins and screen views. I love it! I actually beat it once, it's possible, but very very difficult! Love it! Grab it if you can at a used game store or online, and play it. I hope Nintendo will release this on 3DS e-shop soon (doubtful though with licensing issues), it would be a wonderful game to play again but portable.
@JaxonH Believe me, if I had a friend with a Wii U who liked horror games I'd totally recommend it. But I have no interest in such games and that's the matter of fact.
@JaxonH I'm having fun with Chibi Robo. It's pretty great. I've got the first chapters of Fatal Frame to try out, since it doesn't seem like my usual game. But at the moment, I've got school and work to deal with.
The Walking Dead: Season Two on 360 for me this spooky weekend!
Gotta finish up Dark Moon and then pick up Fatal Frame 5. Don't think it will go on sale.
@faint @Samuel-Flutter @MasterWario @Captain_Gonru
I know some people are supporting these games and of course, every game isn't for every person. It's just that Fatal Frame, Chibi Robo, and now Triforce Heroes seem to have very little interest in general.
It worries me that games from lesser known franchises and/or spinoffs are ignored so much. I thought all 3 were worthy of higher scores than they received, but those scores seem to be the sole determining factor for most. Idk, I just really enjoyed (am still enjoying) these games and hate to see them ignored by the fanbase. Wish more people would be a little more daring with their buying habits. Think they'd find a lot of great games underneath the guise of 6-7 out of 10
Well Eternal Darkness will certainly be getting a spin as well as the Resident Evil Remake on GameCube and some Silent Hill. Also the Streetpass meet I'm going to will be focusing on Project Zero so there will be scary times aplenty!
Balders Gate 2, Hearthstone and MK8 for me.
I had a Halloween binge through the Virtual Console - those NES games are a nightmare in terms of difficulty.
@JaxonH will be interesting to see what poorly scored or middle of the range reviewed Wii U games emerge with notable cult followings. Arguably ZombieU and W101 both have already. Sometimes a 6-7 score really is simply saying "not for everyone" as the broader readership needs to be taken into account maybe.
@GLA
And I think the reasons why it was scored less matter too. There's a huge difference between a game scoring lower because the mechanics are clunky and it's just not any fun, and a game with ultra-tight mechanics and an addictive gameplay premise that just happens to have a few flaws (like a tacked on single player mode or intrusive product placement).
Because in the case of the latter, you're still going to enjoy the game like it was a 9/10. It's just going to have one or two things you don't like about it. Whereas in the case of the former, no one aspect may be terrible but it's not going to be all that entertaining.
This is why I believe in scoring games twice- one as is by the current standards, and a second score purely on a scale of how much fun it is. Because again, there's a huge difference between games like Chibi Robo, Triforce Heroes and Fatal Frame that are, as far as fun is concerned, a 8.5/10, and other similarly scored games that would be 5/10's at best when it comes to actual fun.
Tales of Zesteria is another good example. Averaged low 70's from all the "critics" but most gamers say it's extremely fun to play and a great game.
Halloween schedule started at the beginning of the month in my household. We have played through the Resident Evil series on Gamecube from Zero to Nemesis so far. Still planning to do Code Veronica, 4 and maybe a bit of Revelations or Project Zero 2 before Maiden of Blackwater appears On Friday! Good times.
I finally picked up ZombiU. The lady's playing it, since she likes horror stuff, and we're not getting Fatal Frame right away, due to the absurd amount of hard drive space it takes up.
Hmm... I may give my Wii version of Ghostbusters another play (die hard GB fan here) more than likely. I may get around to making my first Ghost House in Super Mario Maker. Come to think of it, I have some scary/weird/etc stuff to play on my Wii U I've been slacking on: Year Walk, Lone Survivor, The Fall, and High Strangness. I think I'll give all of these a play.
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