Horror games have been around since the early 1970s.
Scary titles have been around since the birth of the video game industry.
Others will be mere curiosities, forgotten relics of an arguably simpler time.
Perhaps the earliest scary game of note is SegasKiller Shark.
To mask this shortcoming, they gave each of their titles elaborate cover art.
This imagery was simple but effective, tapping into potential players primordial need to be scared.
Too bad the game was such a dud.
Not exactlySilent Hillterritory, but it was a very important start.
On the heels ofHaunted House, Wizard Video Games released a cartridge based on John CarpentersHalloweenin 1983.
Take a look:
First off, the 8-bit rendition of Carpenters classicHalloweentheme doubtlessly inspired countless chiptune bands.
The deaths in this game are sudden and brutal.
Just look at the way the blood spurts from Tommy Wallaces head.
Its a good thing Tipper Gore didnt know about this one.
Point to ponder: Does this game capture the spirit of the source material better than Rob Zombies remake?
Although not horror per se, wed be remiss if we didnt mention ActivisionsGhostbustersgame.
At least on the C-64.
This side-scrolling masterpiece remains one of the most addictive and fun entries from the golden age of videogames.
Probably because Sir Arthur couldnt keep his pants on.
Its worth noting thatFriday the 13thwas later adapted by LJN for the NES in 1989.
Also released for the Commodore 64 in 1985 was Creative SparksMad Doctor.
Sounds fun, no?
What is so great aboutMad Doctoris that it gives you the opportunity to be evil for a bit.
Trust us, theres nothing like taking your frustrations out on an 8-bit simulation of an imaginary English townsperson.
In it, players must explore a creepy abandoned house in search of their lost sibling.
Its influence is still felt today, and for that we should all be grateful.
Unless it gave you endless nightmares, in which case, oops.
The Castlevania franchise now numbers over 30 games, including the most recentCastlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.
Your idea of which of these is the most fun likely depends on which title you started with.
(For the record,Castlevania III: Draculas Curseis our foreverlove).
In October of 1987, Lucasarts releasedManiac Mansion, a game that still seems ahead of its time.
It also got a sequel, the equally excellentDay of the Tentacle, in 1993.
Its a far cry from theirPac-Mandays, but Namco also got into horror gaming with the 1988 release ofSplatterhouse.
The original Japanese version of the game was absolutely gonzo in terms of unrelenting violence.
Along the way they must slash and punch foes ranging from demons to, um, bubbles.
But really, the uproar just really might have been about the dangers of singing about partying off-key.
It took familiar tropes like a creepy mansion and strange creatures and built a tapestry of thrills upon them.
For the first time, a computer game was generating its own scares.
But you probably know it best as the game that ate into your SAT prep score.Doomchanged everything.
It shook up the whole of the gaming industry, and caused console makers to briefly panic.
Well leave it to you to decide if this is ultimately a good or bad thing.
A version of this article ran on October 31, 2014.
