October has finally started and like
all good Blogger, Vlogger and Youtuber out there I'm going to devote
this month to everything spooky and supernatural. So for today I
welcome you to join me in visiting the top 5 haunted places in
Nintendo games. Now this list isn't about the darkest or scariest
places, this will come later, but the most haunted. So if you're
faint of heart you probably can stick around.
But before we start let us lay down
some simple rules. Only one place per franchise and the location has
to be haunted. It's not enough if there is just a spooky or dark
atmosphere. The area has to be inhabited by actual ghosts.
So now without further ado, here are
the five spookiest areas in Nintendo Games.
5: Chozo Ruins
The Metroid Games aren't really known
for the supernatural. Samus explores several alien planets on her
journeys, but only once is she confronted with inhabitants of the
afterlife.
The Chozo Ruins in Metroid Prime are
the leftovers of the once prospering civilization of Talon IV. Now
they are overrun with vermin, poisonous plants and beasts from the
near overworld. While most Chozo left the planet after the leviathan
infested it, some remained and withered away with their world. The
ghosts of these last Chozo now haunt the ruins and make Samus life
quite stressful.
Their ability to turn invisible (unless
you have the X-Ray Visor to track them) coupled with high durability
and strong attacks make them one of the most formidable enemies in
the game.
Sadly they only inhabit specific rooms,
which takes of some points in the spooky departments. Ghosts bound to
a specific area are not too scary and can be easily countered. And
that is why the Chozo Ruins only place last in this list.
4: Lavender Town
No list about ghosts in Nintendo games
is complete without this town. Lavandia is THE ghost town and source
of several well known Creepy Pastas. It's the place where Pokemon are
buried after all.
Pokemon is a fun and happy go lucky
game, so Lavandia is a strong contrast in that sense. Suddenly
realizing that even those happy Pokemon one day have to die, is quite
the somber feeling. Of course the music doesn't really help shaking
that feeling. The Lavandia Theme is easily one of the creepiest music
themes in existence. Just listen to it for a short time and then tell
me you don't get an eerie feeling from it. Especially when you're
alone at home during the night.
And the place is extremely haunted of
course. In the first generation it was the only place where you could
catch ghost Pokemon, which, on second thought, is extremely dark.
Just think about it. The Pokemon Tower is a place where people go to
bury their deceased Pokemon. And then you waltz in an capture the
ghosts of those deceased Pokemon. Maybe you even caught the spirit of
your rivals dead Raticate. And then you used it against him. You
monster.
3: Ghost Ship
There are several haunted places in the
Legend of Zelda Series. The Kakariko Graveyard is a good example, as
is Ikana Canyon in Majoras Mask. But still none of the can beat a
haunted Ghost Ship sailing the Great Sea for all eternity. The
background to this Ship is spooky enough.
There was once a man, who watched the
Ghost Ship and charted it's course. He created a map, which helped
tracking the Ghost Ship, as it showed where it would appear on each
night. Once the man finished the map he died.
The Ship itself is a classic ghost
ship. Once you get near it, the sky darkens with heavy clouds and a
ghostly music is heard. However without the Map Link isn't able to
enter the cursed ship, as it will simply fade away and reappear in
the distance.
Sadly the interior of the ship isn't to
spooky. There are several ghosts for you to fight, but apart from
that it's just a differently textured submarine interior. Except for
one thing that freaked me out as a kid when I spotted it for the
first time.
2: Haunted Hall
And now for a haunted place that is
truly scary. From the music to the scenery to the enemies this place
really freaked me out as a kid. And even today the familiar tune
sends some chills down my spine. In the midst of foggy and enchanted
forests this haunted Hall would feel right at home in any horror
game. The background with it's old and rotten bookshelf sets the tone
for what is to come. And if the laugh of Kackle once he gets you
didn't at least sent shivers down your spine then I congratulate you
your nerves of steel.
The level itself is a chase where every
second truly counts or else the ghostly inhabitants of the hall will
claim your soul. Well maybe it's not that dark, but in my mind that
was exactly what took place whenever the ghostly Kremlings got either
Diddy or Dixie.
For me haunted hall is a true testament
that you don't need hardware power or cutting edge graphics to create
a threatening atmosphere. Whenever I play this level I can't help but
get excited. My heart starts to race. Haunted Hall is a stressful
level, but in a very good way. It's Terror, it's creepy and it's
spooky. Perfect for this time of the year.
1: Luigis Mansion
And my top pick for this list, without
any competition, is the manor from the original Luigis Mansion. While
the I also considered the Ghost Houses from Super Mario World for
this spot, in the end there was only one true choice.
The Mansion from the original Luigis
Mansion is just filled with so much details and most importantly
ghosts, I had to make it number one. The thing that elevated the
original mansion above the ones from the second game is also the fact
that it is packed full with unique ghosts. And while the five Boss
ghosts from Luigis Mansion: Dark Moon are more entertaining to fight,
they also have a lot less character than the original 23.
The Mansion fulfills all creepy cliches
in a good way and also surprises you with several unique rooms and
ghosts. And even though the graphic style is quite colorful and the
ghosts are hardly scary, the spooky atmosphere can catch you off
guard from time to time. Especially in chapter three when all of the
electricity runs out. Navigating the familiar rooms and corridors in
pitch darkness is quite spooky.
All this makes Luigis Mansion the well
deserved number one spot on the list of the most haunted Nintendo
areas.
So what are your thoughts on this? Are
you a fan of everything spooky, scary and creepy? Or do you prefer to
stay in the light and ignore the darkness behind you? Anyways let me
know in the comments.
And as always
thanks for reading
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