Nintendo
is often called the videogame worlds Disney. Hardly is it ever
associated with something dark and scary. But just like Disney has
its night on bald mountain Nintendo has several areas that are truly
scary. Areas where even adults may get chills down their spines. If
you stumble upon them in a Nintendo game they may hit you even harder
because that is something you'd least expect to find there.
Two
weeks ago I presented you my picks for the most haunted places in
Nintendo games. And while these places could get kinda creepy, the
five areas today really take the cake for me. These are areas that
really send shivers down my spine. As always there will be only one
area per franchise. So now enjoy my picks for the top 5 creepiest
Nintendo areas.
5: Shiver Star (Kirby Series)
Kirby
games are always happy go lucky. Just like their protagonist. After
all it's a game series about a smiling pink ball and his adventures.
So you wouldn't expect visiting a dead earth along the way to reclaim
the Crystal Shards. This pic is solely on this list because of the
dark and depressing implications, which made the factory worlds of
Planet Shiver Star so unsettling to me. Even thousands of years after
its inhabitants died out or moved to another planet their robot
creations still continue to work. I find it kinda haunting traveling
through these still working factories. It's a small glimpse into the
past of a dead planet.
I
always found Shiver Star rather morbid and creepy. Even Kirbys
cheerful music and graphics couldn't help disguise this fact. Once
you realize the fact that you explore a dead, post-apocalyptic earth
the atmosphere of the worlds changes completely. It's a depressing
and dark outlook into the future of our planet, and the cutesy
presentation only serves to make it worse.
4: River Twygz (Super Paper Mario)
This
game was rated E for everyone for gods sake. Just listen to this
music. It alone is enough to keep you awake for the night. But let's
not get ahead of ourselves. In Super Paper Mario one of the last
chapter sends you to this worlds heaven and hell to reclaim the last
pure heart. The River is located in the Underwhere. It's filled with
the tears of thousands of sinners, which give the river its purple
color. That is already pretty dark for a Mario game, but it gets
worse. Just like with the original River Styx there is a ferrymen,
who will take you across for a small fee. However if you choose to
swim instead (which is possible) you'll be greeted by those.
These
disembodied hands will attack you and Mario has no way of fighting
back. No amount of colorful paper graphics can diminish the fact that
you're swimming in the river of the dead, while under constant attack
from spook skeletal hands. Super Paper Mario is already a pretty dark
game beforehand (You know with all the destruction of reality in
Sammers Kingdom) ,but this easily takes the cake. It's a truly dark
and spooky area fitting for any horror game. And that is why it's
number 4 on this list.
3: Shadow Temple (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
The
Zelda series is home to lots and lots of dark and creepy areas. Be it
the Arbiters Grounds in Twilight Princess, Ikana Canyon in Majoras
Mask or the Bottom of the Well in Ocarina of Time. Even the forest
temple in the same game with it's eerie music sometimes sends a chill
down my spine. But the number one pick for me is without a doubt the
Shadow Temple. The game itself calls it the place where Hyrules Dark
Past is buried.
As
we know from Ocarinas backstory several years before the game took
place a huge war was waged in Hyrule. Links Mother brought her son
before the Deku Tree, so that he may grow up far away from the
horrors of war.
The
Shadow Temple looks like it was used as a prison during that time. A
prison where torture seemed to be the norm.
Exploring
the temple is a truly dark adventure. You can't trust your eyes and
without the Eye of Truth you'll have a hard time navigating through
the blood drenched corridors. The dark hallways are filled with
traps, ReDeads and Wallmasters.
The
final boss, the Demon Bongo Bongo, is a large, pale and headless
torso with a bloody neck and chopped of hands.
The
Shadow Temple is truly a testament to Hyrules Darkness. It is a place
of unspeakable horrors and crimes and the game does a good job
showing you that.
2: GFS Valhalla (Metroid Prime: Corruption)
When
I talked about the list of my top 5 Nintendo villains I mentioned
SA-X from Metroid Fusion as my number four. The reason I put it on
this spot was because it managed to make the player feel helpless. No
easy feat when you're playing Samus Aran.
The
GFS Valhalla achieves the same without letting you face the source of
your uneasiness. This abandoned vessel fills you with dread and
constantly puts you on the edge. In good survival horror fashion you
only uncover what happened there bit by bit. The music and
environment seem hostile from the get go, and you'll get the ever
increasing feeling of impending doom. The game expertly creates this
high tension which keeps on building.
It
is hard describing the area without spoiling to much, but Retro
managed to create an atmosphere where even normal enemies seem
threatening to Samus. It's a perfectly crafted horror experience in a
game where you would at least expect it. And have I mentioned the
music? Because it's fucking great.
1: The Devils Machine (Earthbound)
The
Mother games are all pretty dark beyond their colorful and happy
presentation. Just play Mother 3 and you'll understand. You'll
understand.
Anyways
Earthbounds (Mother 2) final Boss Giygas is well known by this point.
And his boss fight is a great part of why the final area of this game
makes this list. But even before the dark and incomprehensible chaos
that is Giygas you're face with the Devils Machine. This device was
created to contain Giygas unending power. After entering through a
hole in the Cave of the Past Ness and his friends follow several
pulsing flesh tubes till they reach the machines core. The whole
thing has a striking similarity to a female womb, and with all the
heavy symbolism surrounding Giygas this doesn't seem to be an
accident.
All
this combined with the creepy and unsettling music in the background
makes this place a truly spine chilling experience. And after that
you still have the Giygas fight to go through. The tream truly
managed make you feel the incomprehensible mass of chaos that he has
become. His boss fight is stressful and fear inducing. The twisted
visuals and his unstoppable attacks are truly nerve wracking. It's
something that still, to this day, makes be break out in cold sweat.
And that is why Giygas and the Devils Machine are the well deserved
top pick for this list.
So
what are your creepy experiences with Nintendo games? Which areas or
chapters send chills down your spines? Let me know in the comments.
And
as always
thanks
for reading
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