Summary
The horror genre didn’t explode in popularityuntil the PS1 era, but before that, there were several quality horror titles out there. Not a lot of pure horror games, but definitely ones that are horror-themed or horror-adjacent.
A common element among them is that they’re not very extreme in terms of their violence. In the early ’90s, video game violence was a hot-button issue afterMortal Kombat, and most countries didn’t have a rating system. After the ESRB came into reality in 1994, you’d see more violent retail games, and that truly kicked off in the next generation.
Updated on October 1st, 2024 by Asad Mubeen:With another Halloween on the horizon, it would be remiss of us to deny our retro-loving readers another taste of 16-bit horror. While the fourth generation lineup of spooky games seems sparse at a glance, with the right recommendations there is a lot of engaging horror to be had. Here are some of the best picks.
13Nosferatu
SNES
SETA Corporation would have called this game Prince of Transylvania if they’d been able to get away with it. Nosferatu plays so similarly to Jordan Mechner’s 1989 classic Prince of Persia that it’s uncanny. This is not criticism: it is praise. Most 16-bit horror games of the time were poorly conceived adaptations that apedthe better beat ‘em ups on the system, so Nosferatu is a breath of fresh air.
There’s a variety of monsters to be fought in Nosferatu, but most of your time will be spent on the puzzle-platforming. The animation could have stood to be more fluid, and the protagonist should take another page out of the Prince’s book and walk faster. However, this is a game where you may beat up ghosts and gargoyles with your bare fists, and that alone makes it worthwhile.
12Decap Attack
Sega Genesis
Super Mario Bros. 2 isn’t the only retro game that pulls the wool over your eyes by being a reskin of a Japanese exclusive. Decap Attack gets in on the action too, being a repackaged, horror-themed version of a Magical Hat title. The thing is, it’s still an incredibly fun Genesis game with gorgeous 16-bit graphics.
Decap Attack’s level design and movement is mildly reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog, and while you won’t be zooming through stages quite as fast, much of the gameplay is still there. It’s more kitsch than some of the more mature titles on fourth-generation platforms, so if you’re looking for a retrogaming session on Halloweenthat doesn’t get too spooky, give this one a spin.
11Chakan: The Forever Man
If you’re a 16-bit enthusiast, you’re already aware of what comes with the territory: high difficulty, leaps of faith, and unforgiving swarms of enemies. This defined much of the Sega Genesis library, but one of the standouts is Chakan, a game whose high difficulty is tempered by its unique gothic art style and uncharacteristically substantial story.
It also gives you infinite lives, so you don’t have to restart the whole game if you lose.
Chakan’s platforming is sometimes imprecise, and its protagonist is too tall for his own good: he can’t help but get hit. That said, the game is definitely a unique fusion of Castlevania and Metroidvania gameplay elements, making this arguably a Metroidvania before the term was even coined.
There’s even a hub world, and you can select levels in any order you want. Just hurry: there’s a time limit for completing all the levels in each location.
10Nightmare Busters
Nightmare Busters is a fascinating game because it was published long after the Super Nintendo’s lifespan had ended. After being scrapped in the early ’90s, it was finally rescued and published by Super Fighter Team in 2013 on the back of strong support by retro enthusiasts. Notevery cancelled SNES titlewas so lucky.
Nightmare Busters is a darkly comic, heavily stylized run-and-gun title that is best played with a friend. It’s hectic, demanding and unforgiving all at once. Think of it as Metal Slug with demons: your leprechaun protagonist is much better off with his twin brother helping him. The character animations are surprisingly fluid for a SNES title.
9Laplace’s Demon
MSX, TurboGrafx-CD, and SNES
The TurboGrafx-16 was a true treasure trove of video games thatcame out in Japan and stayed there. Due to the console’s lack of popularity in the West, it’s not particularly shocking that Laplace’s Demon stayed exclusive to Japan. What’s more surprising is that in a horror gaming landscape that champions Sweet Home so heavily, this survival horror JRPG remains forgotten despite coming out first.
Launched in 1987 on Japanese home computers, Laplace’s Demon was ported to the TurboGrafx-16 and SNES in the early ’90s. With its Lovecraft-inspired setting, unique character roles and gorgeous anime box art, this game should have caught on - if not back then, then definitely now when old games can be explored through emulation. It never did, and that’s a shame.
8Clock Tower
SNES, PS1
The first installment in the Clock Tower series wasn’t originally launched in the West, and Clock Tower 2 on the PS1 dropped the number when it came to the States. Clock Tower is a short and sweet horror romp with a lot of replay value and good scares. It also features multiple endings depending on the choices you make.
A large part of the gameplay is solving puzzles but also evading the Scissorman. You have no weapons, so you’ll have to hide or use the environment to your advantage, which would eventually become a common staple of the genre.
7Splatterhouse 2
Bandai Namco’s Splatterhouse series is a strong cultfavorite of retro horror fans, and for good reason. For one, these titles were some of the only graphic console games at the time, and their gameplay still feels fresh. Splatterhouse 2 is a 2D beat-‘em-up, but you only traverse in one plane.
This means you’ll be evading and attacking incoming threats in a rather tight space, which makes it feel much different than other games in the genre. The graphics and music are fantastic for the Genesis, and the levels are very diverse and constantly switching things up.
Of the two Genesis Splatterhouse games, the second is the best, as part three turned the series into a standard 2D beat-‘em-up that lost what made the series special.
6Zombies Ate My Neighbors
SNES, Genesis
An absolutely incredible title from LucasArts back in the day was Zombies Ate My Neighbors. You must go through a gauntlet of 48 levels, ensuring you rescue your neighbors but have enough supplies for what’s to come. It feels like an arcade game but also survival horror in that sense.
The enemy roster is the best out of any 16-bit horror title. It has close to everything, and even many modern horror games don’t have this level of enemy variety. Thankfully, playing the title is easy today as it was rereleased alongside Ghoul Patrol on modern platforms in 2021.
5Super Castlevania 4
There are a lot of greatCastlevaniatitles, but the best old-school traditional one has to be Super Castlevania 4. What made this title truly special was the ability to whip in all eight directions. This changed the game tremendously and made all other instalments at the time seem like child’s play.
It made the title feel a lot more fair despite still being a good challenge. Castlevania 4 is actually a remake of the first game. This makes the experience somewhat familiar but also refreshing and exciting due to the new controls. Despite Castlevania 4 being the best of this era, there were other instalments equally worth checking out.
4Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood
TurboGrafx-CD
Rondo of Blood launched exclusively in Japan for the TurboGrafx-16’s CD-ROM add-on, and it’s a shame the West didn’t get it until over a decade later. This game lacks the eight-directional whip controls of Castlevania 4, but it has other features that make up for it. The story’s impressive for a 1993 title, complete with animated cutscenes.
Back in the day, these were still fairly new to video games, so it was especially stunning. Themusic is incredible as well, making good use of the CD format, and the levels are the same quality you’d expect from the series. Rondo of Blood is a must-check-out Castlevania entry, especially as the series’ favorite Symphony of the Night is a direct sequel to it.
