Aside from costumes, large bowls of sweets and the upcoming concern that I’m A Celebrity will quickly dominate TV once more, if there may be one factor that you may financial institution on over Halloween, it is tons, and plenty of scary video video games. The spooky season has an annoying behavior of in search of out these of us — this author included — who will not be the most effective with issues that go bump within the night time, plastering our information feeds with lists of ‘Top Ten Games To Ruin Your Sleep Schedule‘ or ‘Video Game Moments That Will Make You Think Twice Before Turning The Light Off‘. Yes, we have learn them, and sure, they hold us up at night time each time.

For some folks, horror simply doesn’t click on — books, movies or, importantly, video games. But many people do, nevertheless, nonetheless prefer to become involved within the festivities, albeit in a way more cozy, much less give-you-sleepless-nights-for-a-week sort of method.

That is why now we have assembled the next listing. Made up of video games which can be very a lot not spooky, now we have picked out some suitably spooky ranges in order that we will all really feel like we’re a part of the identical celebration with out breaking into chilly dread-induced sweats. Importantly, every of the next picks comes from Nintendo video games which aren’t horror-themed. You’ll discover no Luigi’s Mansion or Majora’s Mask (look, it is scary, okay?) right here, we’re afraid.

Instead, these are a lot lighter video games, which have the odd sprinkling of a Halloween flavour thrown into a selected zone or degree. There are a complete host of ranges that we may have included right here (Nintendo has an actual factor for taking unexpectedly spooky turns), however now we have determined to maintain it restricted to 13 entries, as a result of, you realize, scary quantity.

Even if the scares of Halloween are slightly an excessive amount of, there is no cause why we will not all do some festive gaming!

The Spookiest Levels in Non-Spooky Games

Big Boo’s Haunt, Super Mario 64

It’s one factor to have the odd Boo-based degree in a Mario sport — a proven fact that now we have all begrudgingly come to just accept — however to go from the soothing strings of the Super Mario 64 citadel grounds to the empty and metallic wind theme of Big Boo’s Haunt? Now that is simply asking to provide us the creeps.

Look, loads of these spooky ranges are emphasised in our minds by way of a sure degree of nostalgia, however Big Boo’s Haunt is genuinely nonetheless creepy at the moment. Perhaps it is the clean partitions and pointy profiles of the N64 graphics, however an setting like that’s the sort of nightmare gasoline that Slenderman may solely dream of reaching. It’s no surprise the title has been modded right into a first-person horror sport.

Creepy Castle, Donkey Kong 64

You know you’ve gotten a correctly creepy degree when the sport designers put it within the title. Creepy Castle is simply that. The Donkey Kong 64 stage has every part that we’re after for some low-stakes spooks. There’s a gap cutscene that includes one of many slowest ‘soar scares’ ever dedicated to display, creepy organ music from Grant Kirkhope, a full moon, rain, an enormous rolling gorilla — it is obtained all of it.

True, this is likely to be one of many extra linear ranges in Donkey Kong 64, however we did not come right here to linger within the spookiness. Oh no, for the modest quantity of scares that we’re after, linearity works a deal with, thanks very a lot.

Ghost Ship, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

For a sport which is usually so stuffed with brightness and pleasure, Wind Waker‘s Ghost Ship all the time side-swiped us in our youthful years. To go from the jolly Ocean Theme straight right into a room filled with terrifying monsters? Nah, youre alright, thanks.

Seriously, Ghost Ship wastes no time in throwing you nose to nose with the Wizzrobe’s haunting manifestations, and you then clear the room for what? A Triforce Shard, sure, however most notable factor in our thoughts is the cackling giggle earlier than waking up on King of Red Lions. This will not be what we signed up for within the jolly little boat sport!

Haunted Mansion, Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Look, we could not embrace something from Luigi’s Mansion on this listing as a result of these video games put on their spookiness proper on their sleeve, however what we will do is embrace ranges that match the Luigi’s Mansion vibe to a T. One such ghostly look may be present in Kirby: Triple Deluxe‘s Haunted Mansion, a degree filled with catching ghosts and sucking them up, solely the capturing is rather less vaccum-cleaner-based.

There are loads of spooky-themed ranges throughout the Kirby franchise, and we’ll admit it, none of them are going to maintain you up at night time – however hey, is not that the entire level? The Haunted Mansion in Triple Deluxe might not be any extra or any much less spooky than the franchise’s different choices, however you’ll be able to’t actually go incorrect with the low-stakes platforming of Nintendo’s least threatening character.

Just do not inform Kirby that we mentioned that.

Horror Land, Mario Party 2

As if the considered placing your relationships on the road for nothing various stars wasn’t scary sufficient, Horror Land in Mario Party 2 ups the stakes with some seasonal spooks besides.

What may very well be higher over Halloween than to substitute the real jumps and screams of horror video games for a little bit of Mario Party over a giant ol’ bowl of sweets? The characters gown in spooky outfits for this board (a practice that we see as a should for the actual world, too), and there may be sufficient Halloween iconography to just be sure you really feel concerned within the festivities with out truly, you realize, doing any of the scary stuff.

Lavender Town, Pokémon Red and Blue

Many of the opposite ranges on this listing have simply been impressed by horror, or carry some form of Halloween theme as a enjoyable little token for the festive folks on the market; however Lavender Town, Lavender Town is a straight-up horror present.

Rarely is a reputation so iconic that merely listening to it is sufficient to carry haunting reminiscences of a soundtrack again to thoughts years after enjoying, and oh what a creepy observe it’s. From these cursed stings to the Pokémon Tower and the idea of precise dying, Lavender Town is likely one of the creepiest places in all of gaming. Period.

If it wasn’t for the sheer jollity of the remainder of Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow (and Green), you realize that this may be booted straight off of this listing and in with all the opposite horror titles.

Mad Monster Mansion, Banjo-Kazooie

When you consider horror in Banjo-Kazooie, there’s rather a lot which could instantly come to thoughts, however what’s the spookiest of all of them? That’s proper, the digital camera controls Mad Monster Mansion! [*raises eyebrow* – Ed]

The degree has obtained every part {that a} good Halloween bash ought to have: gravestones, Mummies, pooping eggs into flower pots, and so on. Throw in some creepy organs — the musical sort from maestro Kirkhope — and you’ve got a recipe for spooky success.

Of course, all of that is met by Kazooie’s squeaking and the odd interlude of Banjo music, so it’s fairly forgiving on the scares entrance. That being mentioned, the sharp N64 polygons as soon as once more play their horrific position to perfection — by no means has a cartoon witch regarded creepier.

Seven down, six to go on this spherical up of 13 creepy ranges in in any other case non-creepy Nintendo video games…