Nintendo isn’t known for having horror games. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t horror games on Nintendo consoles; it just means that they aren’t as prominent as they are now. The SNES has several horror theme games.
There were more games in Japan. These games never made it to the US for a variety of reasons. Nintendo of America was trying to preserve the company’s family-friendly image, and horror games probably would have damaged that.
Some made it, though. A few were what you might expect, like Castlevania and Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, while others are a little more obscure. Like the NES and Genesis horror games, the SNES games rely on atmosphere. They aren’t all that scary like the horror games on the PS1.
Bottom Line up Front: Here are 10 Spooky Games on the SNES
Selection criteria
Let’s talk about what qualifies for this list. I’m not just going to be putting any random game on this list. Here are the criteria I used to compile this list:
- Has to have a horror theme
- The game needs to be in my collection
- I have to enjoy it
Super Castlevania IV
Developer: Konami
Genre: Action Platformer
Review Score: 82/100 (GameRankings)
Super Castlevania IV is a remake of the first Castlevania game. It significantly improves the original idea from the NES game, including the controls, graphics, and gameplay. This is another in a long line of SNES games that were remakes of NES titles.
Konami gave the player more control over Simon Belmont in this game. You can whip in all directions, the game is more cinematic, and this is a bigger game. It also takes advantage of the other hardware improvements on the SNES.
This is an excellent game. It came out at a time when Konami still cared about making video games, and they put a lot of time and effort into it. It has the same creepy atmosphere as the NES games but with the improved graphics of the SNES.
Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Platformer
Review Score: 4/5 (AllGame)
Speaking of remakes of games on the SNES, we have Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. Yes, I know that the original started as an arcade game before being ported to the NES, but the plot of the two is the same. I think this is supposed to take place after the first game’s events, but it feels like I’m playing the same game again.
The game has eight stages, which have to be beaten twice to finish the game. This is a tradition in the series, and it is a little annoying if you ask me. It should be expected after the first game, but I find it annoying when playing it today.
It is better than the NES game. I like the Sega Genesis game a little more than this one. All three are fun games, but they take some time to get used to. When you first play them, you’ll notice the difficulty. It isn’t an impossible game to play, but it is a challenging game.
Doom Troopers
Developer: Adrenalin Entertainment
Genre: Run and Gun
Review Score: 8/10 (Sega-16)
I remember stumbling across this game while looking for retro games in the late 1990s. The Genesis version was the first game in the series I played, and I eventually played this game. I like the story behind the game more than the game itself, which feels like the developer tried to make Contra.
This is based on the Doomtroopers card game, part of the Mutant Chronicles franchise. It includes a tabletop RPG, a few video games, a movie, and a card game. You are not alone if you haven’t heard of all of this. I had no idea this existed when I started playing the game in the 1990s.
Doom Troopers is a nice alternative to Contra III: Alien Wars. I still prefer Contra, but this is an excellent game if you’ve had your fill of that game. This is a fun game to play every once in a while.
Blackthorne
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: Platform
Review Score: 8/10 (EGM)
This is an action platformer that is set in the world of Tuul. It is a cool setting for a game like this, even if it is still a generic side-scroller. It looks great and has good controls.
There is a whole backstory to this game. It involves light and dark, monsters, and an evil army taking over a country. The story is way more detailed than is needed for a game like this, but it is a wonderful story for a game like this.
Blizzard made this game and was inspired by games like Another World and Flashback. The Sega 32X version has an additional level that isn’t in any other version of the game. As the game progresses, the main character gets stronger along with the enemies you have to fight.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Developer: Bits Studios
Genre: Action
Review Score: 3.5/5 (AllGame)
This is a movie-based game but also an adaptation of the 1818 novel. It is closer to the movie, as the main character is the monster. You fight against villagers and soldiers while solving some simple puzzles.
By following the monster, you lose some of the issues that Frankenstein is dealing with. Some of the scenes from the movie had to be cut out or changed. The movie is more of a drama, and that wouldn’t be as much fun for an action game.
It would be interesting to see a game that closely followed the book. There isn’t really a hero in the book, and I think that would be nice to see in a video game. This game is pretty fun and has a good atmosphere.
Out of this World
Developer: Delphine Software
Genre: Action-platformer
Review Score: 84/100 (GameRankings)
This cinematic platformer was initially published as Another World. I have no idea why the title was changed when it was released in North America. It was a very unique game for the 1990s.
You play as a young scientist named Lester who is transported to an alien world after an accident. Lester meets an alien buddy and has to escape. You can’t take any damage, and there are several puzzles you need to solve to escape.
A sequel, Heart of the Alien, was made in 1994, but the original creators weren’t involved. Out of this World has an open ending. While I would like to see what happened to Lester, I like something about the ending as it gets your imagination working on how he could either get home or learn to survive in this alien world.
Zombies Ate My Neighbor
Developer: LucasArts
Genre: Run and Gun
Review Score: 84/100 (GameRankings)
This is an arcade run-and-gun action game. While Konami published the game, LucasArts developed it. This isn’t a particularly scary game, but it is a very fun game where you blast zombies and other creatures through several levels.
You play as Zeke and Julie, depending on if you’re playing single-player or two-player, and you have to save your neighbors from zombies. You don’t need much more than that for a game like this. Like many arcade games, you’re playing for a high score. There is also a lot of humor in the game.
I’ve played this game a few times over the years. It is fun to play with a friend, and you can laugh at it while playing a very good game. Don’t take this game too seriously; turn off your brain, blast some zombies, and have a great time.
Demon’s Crest
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Platformer
Review Score: 87/100 (GameRankings)
This is the third game in the Gargoyle’s Quest series, a spin-off of the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series. It stars the red demon character from the Ghost ‘n Goblins series. This is one of the few times I’ve seen a series of video games based on a random character from another video game.
In Demon’s Crest, you’re trying to gather six magical stones. When all these stones are combined, they form the infinity crest and grant you the power to conquer all realms. There are three endings to the game. A secret ending is in the game. It is very similar to the third ending of the game, but it has you fight a hidden boss.
This is a side-scrolling action game. It is a lot of fun and plays like an early example of a Metroidvania. It also plays a bit like a Megaman game where you gain the powers of the bosses you fight.
Musya: The Classic Japanese Tale of Horror
Developer: Jorudan
Genre: Platform
Review Score: 5/10 (Classic-Games)
Musya is a side-scrolling action game in which you play as a spearman. During the localization process, the game’s name was Romanized as Musya to avoid confusion with an unrelated game on the Sega Genesis called MUSHA. Let me know if you want a more detailed explanation of the process.
Back to the game. The main character survived a battle, and he was the only survivor. When he returns home, the village elder tells him a maiden was kidnapped and taken to the Abyss. The player has to rescue her. It isn’t anything amazing, but it gets the job done and makes me want to see the story’s source.
This is a great game. It’s exactly what you should expect from a side-scroller on the SNES. This and the next game on the list made me want to look into Seta more to find out what games they made and what happened to the company.
Nosferatu
Developer: SETA Corporation
Genre: Action-Platformer
Review Score: 6.75/10 (EGM)
This game reminds me of Frankenstein’s Monster on the NES. At first glance, it looks great and feels like the developers were trying to capitalize on Castlevania’s success. It wasn’t, and the gameplay is different from Castlevania. It is more similar to Prince of Persia.
Let me know if you’ve heard this story before. You play as Kyle and must save your girlfriend from a vampire. You start in the dungeon and have to work your way to a tower where Nosferatu has your girlfriend held hostage.
The story is essentially the same as Prince of Persia but lacks all the political crap as it sticks with something simple. Nosferatu wants to drink your blood and the blood of your girlfriend, but there has to have been a better way of doing this. Instead of killing both of you, he has you run through a castle full of traps. I guess we wouldn’t have a game otherwise.
Conclusion
There are other games on the SNES that can be considered horror games. These are mostly atmospheric games that aren’t very scary compared to games released on the PS1, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, N64, and others. While some R-rated movies were adapted into SNES games, a few were horror games like those you saw on the NES and PCs.
For more horror games, check out my Genesis and the Indie Horror Games lists.