Some of the most intriguing horror games are the ones which have never been released. Let’s cry a little inside as we go through ten of the most promising horror video games that we’ll never, ever get to play.
10A Nightmare on Elm Street BETA (NES)
To date, A Nightmare on Elm Street has only ever had just two official tie-in video games. Both released in 1989, one was a computer game for the Commodore 64 and IBM PC, and the other was the more well-known version on the Nintendo Entertainment Sytem. Heavily inspired by Dream Warriors, both games lets gamers play as teenagers tasked with defeating Freddy Krueger with various “dream powers.” Originally, however, the concept for the NES game was very different, letting players control Freddy Krueger himself.
The game’s plot was basically the same, just from the other side. Teenagers are traversing through Elm Street looking for Freddy’s bones, and as the Springwood Slasher, your job is to violently stop them. During the game’s production, developer LJN put out an advertisement for it in Nintendo Power, describing the gameplay. As Freddy, players would be able to travel “through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step out in another room” to surprise and kill the horrified teens.
Obviously, the game was heavily revamped before it was released, making Freddy no longer playable. This is very likely because a game about murdering teenagers didn’t exactly fit in with Nintendo’s family-friendly image. Players instead took control of the Elm Street teens, with the NES Satellite peripheral allowing for 4-player action. Taking on Freddy with friends is certainly fun, but playing as the actual dream demon may have been even better.
Related Article: ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Needs a New Game
