Page 47 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #1

A Classic Gamer’s Guide To The

Best Scary Games

takes place shrouded in darkness. important mission
Your score is not based on points for the Smurfs
W ith the advent of Fall but on how few matches you use to since she is the
upon us, the appear- light your way! Impeding your only female Smurf
ance of ghosts, witches and vam- search are hairy tarantulas, a vam- and I’m sure they
pires at our front doors is not too pire bat and a ghost, all of whom would like to guar-
far in the distance. Yes, Halloween seem pretty hell-bent on “scaring antee the survival
will soon be upon us once again. you to death.” This results in a loss of their species for
What better way to spend a Hal- of one of your lives. What this future generations
loween’s eve than curled up with game lacks in graphics it more than (whatever species
your classic gaming system in a makes up for in sound. Wind, that may be). Along the way, your
darkened room, slamming poor Smurf is attacked by crows,
playing a scary doors, light- vampire bats and spiders which
game while ignor- ening and you must either duck or jump over
ing the cries of footsteps to avoid.
begging children? all add to a Aside from its childish theme,
Pathetically genuinely this game is an appealing side-
enough, I can’t scary ambi- scroller. Crisp graphics and crea-
think of any! So, ence. Play tive music (particularly in the cas-
Classic Gamer this one tle) make this game an enduring
Magazine pre- with the winner.
sents a list of lights out
some of the more popular Haunted House and the volume high for Dracula for Intellivision by
scary games to get your maximum effect. Imagic.
adrenaline going on a cold, dark We dare ya! One of the truly great games for
and rainy night. (We’ll understand the Intellivision, this unique game
if you sleep with the light on and Smurf, Rescue From by Imagic
barricade the door with your car- Gargamel’s Castle boasts out-
tridge collection after playing for Colecovision. standing
these.) Ok, so while we game play,
admit Smurfs aren’t great graph-
Haunted House for Atari exactly horrifying ics and
VCS/2600. (however, people who unique
This is still considered to be one collect Smurf memo- sounds for
of the best “atmosphere” games for rabilia are!) we give an under-
the VCS. You play the part of ex- this game a few chill rated sys-
plorer (shown as a pair of eyes) of points based on the tem. You
an old haunted house (although, I stalagmite caverns play the role
seriously doubt there are any “new” and the creepy interior of the Smurf Rescue of Count Drac-
haunted houses) and your task is castle. Your mission is to res- ula, Lord of the
to find the three pieces of an urn cue cutesy Smurfette from the Vampires. Your goal is to see how
and bring them back to the front clutches of evil Gargamel (never many London residents’ necks you
room without losing your nine lives. seen) who has her held hostage can bite before sunrise. Out to get
This is not really an easy task since (bondage-style) atop a giant skull you are police officers, armed with
most of the time spent in the house inside his castle. This is a fairly wooden stakes, who seem to take

Classic Gamer Magazine Fall 1999 47