MAIN
BEST SPOOKY GAMES
FEATURE
Let's fast forward a few years
to 1986 and Chiller by Exidy. This
game is a pretty controversial
one, and as a result was not
seen by many initially as arcade
owners refused to purchase it.
Just like Mortal Kombat's fatalities
would incite rage and concern
amongst parents and adults in the
90's, Chiller had that going for it in
the 80's and that just led to almost
an air of mystique surrounding
the game. I can fondly remember
my first time playing it at Funspot
(located in the US, in the state of
New Hampshire) and my initial
reaction was one of amusement,
amazement and disgust rolled
all into one. However, it is one
of the more spooky and morbid
games I have played, and therefore
deserves inclusion on our list.
Basic gameplay consists of
blasting your way through various
levels, shooting interactive items
in the scenery to cause torture
and destruction to the various
poor souls in each level. One of
the first levels you encounter has
you taking aim at a blade which
26 | classic console
then falls to chop off a victim's
head and a medievel screw torture
device which as you shoot slowly
crushes a poor man's head. This
game certainly is full of gore and
probably not recommended for play
by children. There was a few ports
including one for the NES, and in
that version they really scaled back
the gore which results in a game
that quite frankly sucks. The original
however will live on in infamy.
No spooky game list is complete
without the game Splatterhouse
by Namco. Released in 1988 as
an arcade game, (with a port later
for the TurboGrafx16) this is the
true definition of what a spooky
game looks like. Like a perfect
marriage of beat 'em up action and
survival horror, this game keeps
you on the edge of your seat.
Throughout the game you play
as Rick, who is something like
a cross between Billy Lee from
Double Dragon and Jason from
the Friday the 13th movies. In
the game you must try to save
your girlfriend Jennifer by battling
Above: A Japanese poster for Splatterhouse
Above:
Splatterhouse
3 (1993)
SPLATTERHOUSE 3
Many's first experience with the Splatterhouse franchise
was by playing it on the Sega Genesis. Splatterhouse
3 is known for being one of the first titles to receive
a mature rating by the Videogame Rating Council.