Even back in the classic days of the NES, Nintendo’s primary focus was on family-friendly content for their video games. Still, genre fans had many games to appreciate on the console, as several horror games would be released on the system. Let’s take a look at the ten spookiest horror games on the NES.
1.) Maniac Mansion
This point-and-click adventure game from LucasArts is completely unlike every other game on the console. Highly innovative for the time, Maniac Mansion lets players choose from a variety of teenagers to control at the start of each playthrough, each with their own abilities. The game offered multiple endings with many different ways to complete it.
The story begins with a mad scientist known as Dr. Fred kidnapping a local cheerleader named Sandy, taking her to his remote mansion. Under the control of an evil meteor, the doctor’s plan is to extract Sandy’s “pretty brains” to use for his twisted experiments. Sandy’s boyfriend, Dave, then brings along two friends to break into the house and bust her out while avoiding the mansion’s inhabitants.
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Although it’s filled with clever and hilarious humor, Maniac Mansion has a lot of scary moments. It can be tense trying to avoid the insane members of the Edison family, and the in-game music when they appear on the screen only adds to that further. The game also features permanent death, meaning if one of your characters is killed, they’ll be reduced to a tombstone in the front yard.
2.) Friday the 13th
Obviously based on the popular horror franchise of the same name, the Friday the 13th NES game pits players directly against Jason Voorhees (and endless zombies, crows, and wolves). Six different camp counselors are able to be selected, and the player can swap them out at any point during the game.
The goal is to protect your fellow counselors and the children at the camp. You are forced to confront Jason and fight him to keep everyone safe. Otherwise, you’ll be hit with a haunting game-over message reading, “You and your friends are dead.”
Because of its immense difficulty, this game has been heavily criticized. Still, there are plenty of good qualities about it which tend to be overlooked. Time progresses in the game, meaning each day gradually gets darker as the sun goes down, making the atmosphere creepier. Battles with Jason could also prove to be very tense, as was the worry you wouldn’t be able to reach a cabin in time to save a friend under attack. Its best quality is perhaps its cabin music, however, which is by far the creepiest tune to ever be heard in a video game.
3.) A Nightmare on Elm Street
We can’t talk about the Friday the 13th NES game without also mentioning A Nightmare on Elm Street. Players will control teenagers on Elm Street, navigating through various buildings to search for Freddy Krueger’s bones. The idea was to gather them all and destroy them, putting Freddy’s spirit to rest. Inspired by the film, players are able to “fall asleep” in the game, then enter a nightmare world where the enemies are more dangerous.
Perhaps the game’s most unique quality was its ability to offer 4-player support, letting four players take on Freddy all at the same time. With respect to Dream Warriors, players could also gain special dream powers to use against Freddy, such as using magic or throwing shurikens. The game can get a little tense when “FREDDY’S™ COMING!” suddenly appears on the screen, despite the tacky trademark symbol after Freddy’s name.
4.) Sweet Home
Released in Japan only, Sweet Home is based on a Japanese horror film of the same name. It tells the story of a group of filmmakers exploring a creepy house filled with evil ghosts and other paranormal enemies. Unlike other horror games on the NES, this is an RPG, offering players turn-based battles against the supernatural inhabitants of the creepy mansion.
Most likely due to its graphic imagery, the game was never officially ported outside of Japan. However, fans have since created an English translation of the game, releasing a ROM image online in 2000.
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This game is also notable for serving as a big inspiration for the original Resident Evil. In fact, Resident Evil was originally intended to be a straight remake of the classic Nintendo game. However, Capcom no longer owned the rights, forcing the need to create an all-new story. Still, several gameplay elements from Sweet Home made their way into the game. This includes managing a limited inventory and the door-opening loading sequences.
5.) Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Based on the 1992 movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula was developed for multiple video game consoles, including the NES. In the game, players take control of Johnathan Harker, the character played by Keanu Reeves in the film. After escaping from Dracula’s control, Johnathan’s journey in the game leads to London, where players will ultimately end Dracula’s reign of terror.
The game plays like your typical NES side-scrolling platformer, with players navigating through enemy-ridden areas in their quest to defeat Dracula. Its gameplay has been criticized, but the game can be scary when playing at night, thanks to its eerie atmosphere and music.
6.) Uninvited
Originally developed for the Macintosh and later ported to the NES, Uninvited is a point-and-click adventure game set in a haunted house. With the protagonist’s older sister trapped somewhere inside, players must work their way through the house’s puzzles while uncovering its dark secrets.
Because magic is used for a lot of puzzles, the solutions are not always logical, and solving them requires paying attention to the clues given by the game.
With a classic horror story and good graphics, the game is fun to play for those who enjoy retro adventure games. The NES version is much more fondly remembered than the one released on the Macintosh, despite going through some minor censorship changes at the request of Nintendo.
7.) Monster Party
The obscure game Monster Party‘s story begins with a young boy named Mark walking home from a baseball game. He is approached by Bert, a gargoyle, who says he needs assistance ridding his realm, Dark World, of evil monsters. Once there, Mark works his way through all of the monsters with the help of Bert and his trusty baseball bat.
Monster Party is a clear homage to horror pop culture. Several versions of major horror icons appear in the game, including Medusa, Dracula, Gill-man, and more. The first boss is even a man-eating plant which bears more than a passing resemblance to Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.
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Although it’s largely a parody of the genre, there are some rather grotesque moments in the game, including the bizarre ending, which shows a creature melting poor Mark’s flesh off his bones.
8.) Ghoul School
Years before Resident Evil would popularize the term, Ghoul School is an early example of a “survival horror” game. The story begins when high school senior Spike O’Hara finds a skull in the local cemetery, which he brings to school to show his anatomy teacher. As it turns out, the skull conjures up ghouls and demons, which then take over the school. Spike must work his way through the ghoul-filled building to rescue the head cheerleader, Samantha Pompom.
Playing through Ghoul School requires exploring over 200 rooms while looking for well-hidden objects to aid you in your quest. All the while, you’ll be trying to survive the onslaught of countless sinister ghouls. It’s one of the most fun horror games on the NES that doesn’t seem to get the appreciation that it should.
9.) Frankenstein: The Monster Returns
Frankenstein’s monster (simply called Frankenstein in this game) resurrects from the dead, bringing a supernatural army of ghouls with him. He abducts a maiden named Emily with plans to turn her into his bride. The protagonist is a swordsman attempting to take down the evil army and rescue Emily from the mythical monster, and players have the ability to name the character.
In addition to Frankenstein, several familiar horror characters appear as well, under the control of the monster’s magic. This includes Medusa, Death, and the Wolfman. It all leads to a final battle with the titular monster at the end of the game.
10.) Castlevania
The Castlevania franchise is arguably more popular than ever, with its Netflix adaptation proving to be a tremendous hit for the network. It all began with the first game on the original Nintendo console. Developed by Konami, the game would spawn a franchise with several sequels to be released on various consoles over the next three decades.
Vampire hunter Simon Belmont is the star of the original game. He journeys to Castlevania to take on Count Dracula, the primary villain of the franchise. The game was a big hit at the time, both in terms of sales and with critics. Its gameplay style would inspire countless imitators, with many being described as “Castlevania-style” games. Truly a bonafide classic, the one that started it all remains one of the very best of all time and among the must-play horror games on the NES.
