Still, there’s something to be said for just how shocking this game is.

It was one of the most controversial games of its time, and, to be honest, there’s almost no real merit to any version of this game beyond shock value. This unlicensed NES port of an obscure arcade game was only spoken of in hushed whispers during the ‘80s and ‘90s (when it was spoken of at all).

While “scariness” is usually a horror measuring stick, this list also includes games with horror themes that aren’t necessarily meant to be scary.

In order to pay respect to the most notable NES horror games, this list also includes games released for the Famicom as well as a notable unlicensed NES game.

Because there are so few stone-cold classics from that time, you’ve really got to dig deep into the unconsecrated ground of early horror games to find the titles worth talking about a little more.Ī look at the best horror games from that time is less of a total celebration of every early experience and more of a necessary look at the early days of this genre and why it’s important to pay respect to the titles that were bold enough to be horror games at a time when everyone was still figuring that whole thing out.īefore we get into the list, though, here are a couple of notes to consider: In a way, though, that makes it that much more interesting to look back at the NES era of horror games and try to find the gems.

While the popular narrative that horror gaming didn’t properly begin until Resident Evil was released in 1996 obviously isn’t accurate, it’s safe to say that the ’80s and early ’90s were a strange time for the genre. There’s no getting around the fact that the NES era isn’t generally considered to be the best time for horror games.

Dead space is torture porn