Just in Time for Halloween

Happy Halloween to all my wonderful blog viewers! To fully immerse ourselves into the Halloween spirit, let's count down the best games that truly capture the horror essence!

A game doesn't necessarily have to have jump scares to be scary. It has a number of factors, like atmosphere, gameplay, characters, and monsters. To me, a horror game's good when it leaves an impression on you long after you've shut it off. It gets real deep under your skin and leaves you curled up in your blanket come nightfall.

These games either fuck with your mind or just scare you shitless. Either way, they're still some of the best horror games out there.

Top 5 Scariest Horror Games

5. Resident Evil 4

While every Resident Evil game before RE5 was superb, I chose RE4 because it's my favorite! What's that? Bias? You bet! But still, RE4 is one of the first games to advocate the third-person, over the shoulder view which really added to the game (giving us a nice view of Leon's ass...whoops! I digress). The graphics were very detailed, allowing us to fully capture how grotesque those enemies were. And speaking of enemies, who doesn't remember their encounters with those huge El (Los?) Gigantes, those goddamn dogs, and those nearly indestructible Regenerators? This game is probably the most memorable of the series!

4. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem 

Eternal Darkness did the one thing that every single video game player is ultimately afraid of. No matter how tough you are or how long you've played video games, this little thing can cause anyone to scream bloody murder. It deleted your entire saved game. Or, at least it appeared to do that! Eternal Darkness is a game that just fucks with the player's mind if they let their sanity meter run out. Your character's head falls off, you hear whispers in the background, your TV suddenly mutes, you somehow get the blue screen of death, or your save files get deleted. Eternal Darkness did an excellent job blurring the line between the game and reality.

3. Silent Hill 2

This game pretty much gave birth to what we call "Survival Horror" in video games. It laid the foundation of what we expect from a horror genre game. After its debut, many games have struggled to recreate that perfect terrifying atmosphere and the anxiety we felt while playing this game. Silent Hill 2 wasn't just a game, it was an experience. It had it all: excellent atmosphere, memorable characters, mind-blowing twists, and horrifying enemies. This game also created one of the most recognizable, iconic creatures in all of horror genre games: Pyramid Head. Who can forget their first encounter with PH, walking in on him having some
"fun" with a couple of mannequin monsters?

2. Dead Space

What's so bad about being trapped on a spaceship isolated in space with hundreds of mutated alien monsters that want to tear you to pieces any chance they get? I mean, it's not like you're completely surrounded by darkness with only a small circle of light to guide your way. It's not like necromorphs are really fast and strong and sneaky and terrifying or anything. It's not like you have to aim for that little area of ligaments to shoot off their limbs to kill them while they hurl themselves toward you. It's not like you're slowly going crazy throughout the whole game. Right? ... Right? Oh who am I kidding? I was screaming and firing my gun like a maniac every time I saw a necromorph.

1. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

If I had to use one word to describe why this game is so terrifying, it would have to be atmosphere. You wake up all alone in an enormous mansion with no memory except your name. Right from the start you feel such a disturbing sense of isolation, helplessness, and fear. As you search for answers, you feel that something is following you. Soon you find yourself unconsciously looking back, checking every corner, listening to every sound that echoes through the dark hallway. Shadows move, voices whisper, and you hear something growling. You're afraid of something, but you have no idea what. A nameless fear. This fear then takes the shape of a horrendous, mutated creature that's sole purpose is to hunt you down. If it sees you, it will chase you to the ends of the earth. You can't reason with it. You can't fight it. You can't destroy it. Just run. And whatever you do, don't. look. behind. you.


As a horror game enthusiast, I had a lot of fun making this list! I always enjoy a good game that keeps me on the edge of my seat and then scares me out of it!

Parasites and Mutants and Zombies, Oh My!

These creatures pretty much came out of the deepest pits of hell just to scare us shitless!

Sometimes a game just likes to give its players a good scare every now and then, even if they're not even horror games. One way to scare you is to add terrifyingly powerful enemies that want to do nothing other than make your life as miserable as possible. These guys can be dangerous, deadly, unnerving, or just down right creepy. Whatever they do to us, players remember every single moment of it.

These enemies are the kind that make you check under your bed before going to sleep.

Top 5 Scariest Enemies in Non-Horror Games

5. Deathclaw

 Fallout Series

In a post-apocalyptic barren wasteland, you have to worry about giant flies, raiders, and super mutants. Am I forgetting something? Oh yeah! Those giant, fast, scary, and extremely dangerous Deathclaws! Once, long ago, these creatures were just innocent chameleons, but not anymore! These demonic beasts have giant, razor-sharp claws that can tear you to pieces! What's worse? They are very, VERY fast! It's very difficult to outrun them, and it's very difficult to fight them. Don't even think about fighting these mutants without a Fat Man with you!

4. Psycho Mantis

Metal Gear Solid

I really could not pass this guy up! The fight with Psycho Mantis is something you will never be able to forget. It wasn't just your average boss encounter; it was an experience! The thing that made him so scary was the fact that he could actually see right through the player. He read your memory card and commented on your games, he screwed with your TV, he could read your every move. He knew exactly what you would do before you even tried it. Psycho Mantis wasn't just hard...he fucked with your mind! Plus, he made a picture of Hideo Kojima laugh at you! That's pretty damn scary.

3. Ultimate Chimera

Mother 3

What's worse than a super powerful, completely indestructible enemy? Hearing a super powerful enemy come after you, but never knowing where it really is. That's what happens with the Ultimate Chimera! You attempt to run away from it, but no matter what floor you're on or where you hide, you always hear it stomping towards you, unleashing a heart pounding roar every so often. It could either be on the floor below at the end of the hallway or right outside your door. No matter where it is, once you see this creature, all you can do is run. RUN! One touch and you're dead! So. Just. Run.

2. ReDeads

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time

Do you remember the first time you encountered a ReDead? Those terrifying screams that paralyzed you will haunt your dreams forever. Probably the most unnerving thing about them is that when they scream and freeze you, they slowly approach as you button mash the hell out of your controller, trying to break free. And if you're too slow, then they wrap their long limbs around you and proceed to viciously suck/hump the life out of you. That's right. They hump you to death. Talk about traumatizing.

1. SA-X

Metroid Fusion

When you first see SA-X, probably the first thing you think of is "Oh shit." Just one look at those soulless eyes and you know that you're screwed. It's a parasitic copy of Samus' suit except it's stronger, faster, and all it wants to do is kill you. Similar to the Ultimate Chimera, SA-X can be heard walking slowly through corridors followed by some ominous music. It's then you wonder if the heartbeat you're hearing is just part of the music or your own. The first time you physically encounter it, all you can do is, you guessed it, RUN! Run and pray that it doesn't catch you. This thing is a walking killing machine that will destroy everything in its path, especially you. You're able to beat it later in the game, but until then, all that's left is running and crying...like a real man!

These enemies are all excellently designed to scare the player in a way different from your average jump scare. Enemies like these make me miss goombas.

Happy Boss Day! Let's Dance to Some Music!

Today is Boss Day, so let's celebrate with the best music to listen to while dealing with your boss!

In my opinion, music makes the boss. It has to be the best composition in the entire game, especially if it's the final boss. For me, the music has to perfectly describe the boss. It has to be his alarm clock that he wakes up to every morning! It has to be his lullaby when he goes to sleep every night! The music somehow prepares you for the upcoming battle. It warns you that the next fight might be your last.

These bosses have the best theme songs in the entire game! So crank up those speakers and get ready for some epic tunage.

Top 5 Boss Themes

5. Baby Bowser

Yoshi's Island

This song just starts off mysterious and foreboding as you see the giant Baby Bower emerge from the horizon. It warns the player that they're in for it now! After a number of repetitions of the same notes, it suddenly drops to this fast paced song that keeps you on your toes and keeps your heart pumping. The song has excellent rhythm that I found my foot tapping along to the music.

4. The Great Mighty Poo

Conker's Bad Fur Day

How many bosses actually sing their theme song?  It's even a sing-a-long! His lyrics are creative and catchy while the music is an excellent opera masterpiece. Half-way through the battle, he starts to get really angry and the music begins to speed up which only adds to the mood. The Great Mighty Poo has the voice of an angel and the face of shit...because he is shit...but there's nothing shitty about this song! Except the fact that it's about shit...

3. Bowser

Super Mario 64

I know...I know...I'm putting Bowser on here twice! What is this, a conspiracy? No. But hear me out! These two themes are completely different in style and rhythm. The song begins with a drum that just lays down the beat. Then the music comes in with a dark, threatening style that makes you realize you're about to face off the giant koopa himself! And unlike Baby Bowser's theme, this song continues being dark and evil. It continues to remind you that you're going to die here...multiple times!

2. Vs. Red

Pokemon Series

Even if you've never picked up a Pokemon game in your life (such as me...sadly), you would still be able to recognize this song (like I do). It's iconic! It's pure! It's catchy! It knows that you're in for a long battle that you've been preparing for! It knows how hard you've worked to get this far! It knows that you and your pokemon will triumph in the end! It knows that the time to battle is now!

1. Sephiroth (One-Winged Angel)

Final Fantasy VII

You remember the shower scene in Psycho? This is what this beginning of this song reminded me of. And I guess it actually fits since Sephiroth is pretty much a maniacal killer who slays women while they're in water. Anyway, about a minute within the song you start to hear a Latin chorus sing about Sephiroth, which is very unique considering it's a Final Fantasy piece. The song itself is mystical and enchanting while at the same time terrifying and overpowering. It describes Sephiroth's character perfectly. (Also I looked it up! Nobuo Uematsu, the composer, was inspired by Hitchcock's Psycho!)

Now let's take a moment and appreciate all those difficult bosses that truly tested our skill in the game. However, we always were able to defeat them...like a boss!

Friendly Fire is Helpful with These Guys

It's these types of characters that just ruin otherwise perfectly good games!

The annoying ones. The helpless ones. The know-it-alls. In a lot of video games, there will always be "that guy." That one character that just drives you to the brink of sanity will forever haunt your experience with that game. Without them, the game would be absolutely flawless. However, they're there for a reason, and you just have to deal with them throughout the whole game.

These are some of the most iconic, annoying characters you've probably encountered in your gaming career.

Top 5 Most Annoying Video Game Characters

5. Slippy Toad

 Star Fox Series

We've all been there before, playing Star Fox 64, shooting down enemies, owning everything in sight when suddenly Slippy appears out of nowhere being tailgated by two or three enemy fighters that he could very easily take care of himself, but for some reason he can't, so he has to bother you about it. Now let's not forget that he can be helpful...by telling you useless information in that squeaky  high-pitched voice every five seconds in every mission. It's like Fox's own personal Navi!

4. Ashley Graham

Resident Evil 4

My Date with the President's Daughter? How about annihilating the president's daughter? Yeah. That sounds so much better. This girl can do absolutely nothing when it comes to defending herself. She can't even climb down a simple ladder! You have to stand under it and catch her like she's some kind of little girl. Every time she's captured again, you feel like a weight's been lifted from your shoulders. Finally you can go around and squash bad guys without having to deal with the inevitable "Leon!!!! Help!!!!!!" every five minutes. Plus, when one of the guys catches Ashley, her flailing around does not help my aim, and I sometimes end up killing her. Oh well...

3. Waluigi

Mario Party/Sports Series

Oh Waluigi...why do you even exist? Seriously! Why? He was just made when Nintendo needed a partner for Wario. Now Wario, he's understandable. He's fat, greedy, mean, everything opposite of Mario. He had a purpose. Waluigi is just...there. No resemblance to Luigi at all despite the weird, meaningless upside-down "L" on his hat. He's never even appeared in a game outside the Mario Kart, Party, Sport titles. But for some reason, Nintendo keeps reusing him like he was their last pair of underwear.

2. Navi

Legend of Zelda: Ocorina of Time

This choice was a really close tie between Navi and that creepy pedophile Tingle. However, I chose Navi for one reason...she is ALWAYS THERE! Tingle you just bump into occasionally, but not Navi! She is always there buzzing around your ear constantly yelling "Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Listen! Hey! Look! Listen! Hey!" She would point out every single little obvious thing, most of them just repeats of what she already said. Navi even does this underwater! None of the information she offers you is helpful nor interesting. It's just annoying. Very annoying.

1. The Dog

Duck Hunt

This demonic creature from hell is the bane of the existence of every "90's kid." There you are, just having a great time shooting down ducks on your screen with your NES Zapper until that one moment when you accidentally miss the last bird. You already feel really bad about it, but who decides to just pop up out of those bushes and rub it into your face, throw sand into your open wounds, kick you while you're down, and add insult to injury? That damn dog! He shows up and laughs at you maniacally whenever you fail to shoot a bird. Just the thought of that smug ass puppy makes me want to go dog hunting. It would've been nice if you somehow could get bonus points if you shot that ugly mutt!


Either much thought was put into them, or some developers are jerks that love to torment us. Either way, we're stuck with these kinds of characters. And no matter how much we want to, we will never be able to get rid of them.

Pass the Gel, Please

Don't you just love how the character's hair will remain completely the same throughout the entire game?

Video game characters, especially if they're from Final Fantasy, usually have some pretty outrageous hairstyles that seem almost impossible to pull off in real life (unless you're a determined cosplayer). However, despite how ridiculous they look, we can appreciate their originality and creativity. Sometimes, we may even envy how they never get dandruff, bed head, or frizz.

These characters really stand out when it comes to style! Some look pretty normal while others are more... extravagant. 

Top 5 Best Hairstyles in Video Games

5. Sazh Katzroy

Final Fantasy XIII

Out of all the famous Final Fantasy hairstyles to date, I just could not turn this one down. One reason is because it's actually believable! There are no giant spikes that require thirty-nine bottles of hair gel to keep straight (ahem...Seymour)! Sazh's look is an all natural afro. Another reason is that there's a tiny baby chocobo living in that fro! How adorable is that? And a little gross, but still! That mane must be pretty comfy. Also, it's cool that this awesome style is genetic, seeing as how Sazh's son has the same exact hair as his dad, if not fluffier.

4. Phoenix Wright

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 

Phoenix looks like he just went through a hurricane and came out with his suit completely in tact and his hair blown completely back. Yet how he still pulls off a serious, sophisticated, suave demeanor is a complete mystery. This hair only adds to his famous "Objection" pose because it looks like he can stand up to anything, no matter what it is, and prove it wrong, unlike in Apollo Justice, where you fight the great urge to laugh when you see Apollo do this.

3. Flemeth

Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II

When I say Flemeth, of course I mean her hairstyle from DAII. This style takes a great turn from her elderly, frail, grey-haired appearance in DAO to a more demonic, controlling, powerful, badass look. I mean, her hair looks like dragon horns! How awesome is that?!? The purplish-red dyed tips and her headdress only add to her commanding, manipulating style. Unlike in DAO, this look helps reinforce the fact that Flemeth isn't exactly human.

2. Kratos

God of War Series

Let me just clarify this for a second. Kratos isn't bald. He has a shaved head. Shaved--it's a hairdo. Case closed. Putting that aside, who can better pull off a shaved head than the god himself, Kratos? Just one look at that shiny dome and you know not to mess with this guy if you value your life. If this style does only one thing, it makes him look like a true BAMF. Imagine if Kratos was in a Final Fantasy game? The image of Kratos with a seventeen inch mohawk does not settle well in my head.

1. Bayonetta

 Bayonetta

Bayonetta is living proof that hair can be both fashionable and functional! Who else has hair that not only looks good, but can destroy enemies by turning into fists, transform into a dragon, and form a slick and stylish catsuit? That's right. Her outfit is made out of her hair! Now, let's shift our focus to her style of choice. If there's anyone out there that can make the beehive stylish other than Marge Simpson, it's Bayonetta. The red and silver ribbons that decorate her hair add a very stylish and personal touch to the look, standing out against her dark color. Bayonetta's hair is a glorious combination of stylish and deadly.

The time developers spend on a character's hair really is reflected in the finished model. Some hairstyles have inspired others around the world to try to copy these looks, and then ultimately fail in the end. Mostly because the world can hold only so much gel.