The leaps taken forward in the video game industry can frequently feel seismic and like the entire medium has changed. There are many pivotal players in the video game industry, and Nintendo has always been one of the most fascinating developers with some of the most unique and ambitious games. Over the years, Nintendo has cultivated a reputation that skews more towards younger audiences and family-friendly aesthetics, but this isn’t always the case with their releases.
It’s certainly a rarity when a Mature-Rated game gets released on a Nintendo console, which can sometimes even further amplify the unexpected scares that are generated in the game. There have been some truly terrifying games that have hit Nintendo consoles throughout the different gaming generations.
10 Another World Immerses The Player In A Freaky, Foreign World
Another World, also known as Out of This World in North America, is a 1991 Super Nintendo release that was extremely ahead of its time and has only recently gained proper appreciation with a 15th-anniversary edition for modern consoles. Another World truly pushes the SNES' hardware for the time with an eerie narrative that makes impressive use of cinematic cutscenes. The game focuses on a beleaguered scientist who finds himself stranded in a dangerous alien world that's filled with foreboding and unknown horrors. While not strictly a survival horror game, Another World is still full of haunting imagery.
9 Metroid Fusion Injects Horror And Dread Into The Action-Adventure Series
Nintendo’s prolific Metroid franchise has experienced several facelifts that have fully embraced the versatility of the science fiction series’ rich world. Metroid has never strictly been a horror game, but frightening foes and dark themes have always accompanied the atmospheric experiences. Metroid Fusion, a standout entry on the Game Boy Advance, leans into the horror angle and presents Samus Aran with creatures that are pure nightmare fuel. The creepy soundtrack and level design do a lot of the heavy lifting, but Samus being hunted by an evil doppelgänger of herself is also deeply chilling.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask Excels With Creepy Imagery
The Legend of Zelda has proven itself to be one of Nintendo’s most consistent series. The Zelda series does an excellent job with the creation of new concepts that can anchor a new adventure. The Legend of Zelda’s world is so expansive and many of its darker impulses are left to occupy the sidelines.
The Nintendo 64’s Majora’s Mask remains one of the most memorable entries in the series due to its unusually frightening subject matter. The grim inevitability of a horrifying moon crashing into the world is a lot to take in, but Majora thrives on terror and chaos.
7 Clock Tower’s SNES Start Is The Peak Of 16-Bit Horror
The Clock Tower survival horror series for the PlayStation rose to popularity during the boom of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but the creepy slasher-esque franchise has since fallen into obscurity. The 3D offerings in the series get the job done, but Clock Tower actually started back on the Super Nintendo, and it still nails the tense aesthetic through a 16-bit sidescroller. Clock Tower is so effective because there are constant casualties and assaults on the player that increase the feeling of helplessness. Scissorman is an iconic horror villain who will make the player want to turn off the game in fear.
6 The N64’s Resident Evil 2 Is A Technical Marvel
The Resident Evil series has worked hard to establish itself as the leading survival horror franchise, and it’s gone through some fascinating developments over the years. The zombie series started back on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, which left many Nintendo fans eager to get to experience the scary games. It was a very big deal when Resident Evil 2 got ported over to the Nintendo 64 and on a cartridge no less. It may not be the best version of the game, but it was a crucial turning point for Nintendo horror fans.
5 Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Reimagines A Horror Classic
Remakes can be a double-edged sword in the gaming industry, but it’s become a common prospect with survival horror games due to the success of the slew of Resident Evil remakes. Silent Hill has always been excellent at its exploration of psychological horror, and the Wii’s Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is an excellent reimagining of the first game in the series.
Shattered Memories features plenty of Silent Hill’s classically disturbing enemy designs, but the remake’s changes culminate in a more personal experience that attempts to rattle the player’s nerves through psychological tricks.
4 Sweet Home Establishes The Murderous Foundation For Resident Evil
Sweet Home is one of the earliest horror titles for Nintendo consoles, and it was released all the way back in 1989. Sometimes, retro games are very much products of their times, but Sweet Home and its gruesome images still hold up today. Its storyline that involves the exploration of an eerie mansion is nothing special, but its strength lies in the details. There would be no Resident Evil without a Sweet Home, but the game still stands on its own merits and is more frightening than plenty of the titles that came out more than a decade later.
3 Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water Never Eases Up On The Tension
The Fatal Frame games have never seen the same enthusiasm as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but they're arguably the most consistent survival horror series across the board. The Fatal Frame games turn to ghosts for their horror, and the first-person camera mechanic creates a deeply personal gameplay experience that's conducive to terror. All of the Fatal Frame games are deeply disturbing, but the fifth entry, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, has migrated over from the Wii U to the Switch. The console's control scheme makes Maiden of Black Water even more frightening.
2 Resident Evil 4 Is A Franchise Highlight With Endless Scares
The Resident Evil series has positively affected the survival horror genre in undeniable ways. Most entries in the franchise contain horrifying sequences and enemies, but Resident Evil 4 still gets heralded as not just the apex of the survival horror series, but a turning point for the genre in general. Granted, Resident Evil 4 does bring a heavy mix of action into the series, but the horror elements are overwhelming. Just the simple sound cue of a chainsaw revving up offscreen is enough to induce a panic attack in the player.
1 Eternal Darkness Gets In The Player’s Head To Amplify Its Horror
Eternal Darkness is one of the most creative and effective survival horror games of all time, which makes it even more surprising that it’s a Gamecube exclusive that’s become somewhat lost to time. Eternal Darkness contains standard monsters and tense environments, but the game’s patented use of sanity effects adds a compelling psychological component to the horror where the player doesn’t know what to trust. Add to that a narrative that’s deeply inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe, and it’s hard to go wrong with Eternal Darkness.