Mega Man 7 on SNES had a spooky-themed level with very nice music. There was even a "secret code" to change the music to something from Ghosts and Ghouls
Definitely the spooky level from Conker's Bad Fur Day! You have a haunted house that includes graveyard full of zombies and you get a shotgun to shoot them... All culminating with a parody of Bram Stoker's Dracula where Drac turns you into a bat, making you to feed him with captured villagers until he explodes from his gluttony
One of my favorite horror in non-horror stages that come to mind is Welcome to Heck in Earthworm Jim. As you work through your way to escape Hell, you're stalked by giant shadow dog things and lawyers, as Flight of the Valkyries is heard and gets mixed in with elevator music and tormented souls screaming in the background.
The level is actually called "What The Heck?", and the music that plays in the background is actually "Night On Bald Mountain", which was even made famous in the Disney animated movie "Fantasia".
I always liked the ghost ship section in Super Metroid. The daunting atmosphere and ghosts just absolutely nail the horror theme in a game that isn't exactly a horror game.
In case you're curious about the what those creepy cupcakes are supposed to be when you were talking about the spooky level in "Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose" for the SNES, they are actually the evil chocolate cake that tried to tempt Hamton into eating it while he was trying to stay on his diet from the Tiny Toons cartoon "Little Cake Of Horrors".
The Sewer Underwater level in Shadows of the Empire with the Space Giant Octopus always had my panties in a bunch. Something about an underwater threat you cannot fully see that makes those kinds of levels so much creepier
One of the best has got to be that final battle in EarthBound against Giygas .. The whole game is so chill and calm for the most part but then just turns into absolute nightmare fuel ..
I was about to bring up that level from Buster Busts Loose. One of my favorite creepy stages from a non-horror game. Such a spooky level! And that music! [chef's kiss] Great video for the Halloween season, Erin!
Great topic for a video! Two spooky-themed levels in non-horror games that I thought of while watching this: Shade Man's stage from Mega Man 7, and the Shadow Temple and the Bottom of the Well from Zelda Ocarina of Time.
Forest Temple had creepy vibes too, especially with that unsettling soundtrack, but yeah, those are probably the most appropriate picks of the game. And yes, Shade Man was great.
The thing that came to mind when I saw this title before watching it is Gears of War 2’s one area inside…well, I don’t know how to describe it, and arguably the entire game could be said to be spooky, but there’s this one section that feels like it veers towards Resident Evil, and was my favorite part of the game. Fun examples in the video, and I bet there’s tons of other fun examples too!
Perfect timing! Very fun video!I also had made my mental list of horor themed stages. Yours is a great selection. In my case, Parodius Da! has a favorite of mine too, the graveyard stage with all the zombie penguins, Japanese folk ghosts shaped as one-eyed umbrellas and the boss woman that morphs from skull to Japanese Dame lol
There’s a level in Streets of Rage 2 where you’re at this amusement park and there’s a section in that level where it take obvious inspiration from the movie “Aliens” where it looks like the hive/Queen’s lair.
You're rocking that hair & costume combo, Erin! Just throwing Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town into the mix. That tower full of possessed people attacking you with Ghost-type Pokémon. And that creepy Lavender Town music! 😨
Love the Gex games and I love the Halloween season. Been playing through Luigis mansion and Alone in the Dark a lot but when you get regular games that throw in a creepy level it’s always exciting for sure. Happy Halloween really enjoyed this one appreciate the content 😊
The one that sticks with me the most under this criteria is Haunted Hall from Donkey Kong Country 2. Being chased by a creepy ghost pirate who laughs evily if he catches you is not fun.
Just played through Ducktales on NES again just yesterday; and wow; what a great game. The Transylvania level was my favorite when i was a kid and still is today. Awesome work; thank you for another great episode.
Two old NES classics: • The town of Old Kasuto in Zelda II. If you go there before you get the cross in Palace Six, Link be taking damage from invisible ghosts. When you're walking through the town, the sky is dark, and all of the houses are wrecked. • Tourian in the original Metroid. This is the final area of the game, and when you finally see the metroid for the first time, it's a scary moment.
I agree about the controls on the SNES Tiny Toon Adventures game. A decently enjoyable "spooky" level that I can think of off the top of my head is the Transylvania stage in Quackshot. Super scary. If your underwear isn't soiled after playing that level then perhaps you have no pulse? Actually come to think of it I wouldn't be surprised if the very large majority of Disney games, at least the ones based on the proper cartoon characters from the past like Mickey, Donald, etc etc have spooky levels in them.
My favorite spooky themed level was the phantom train from Final Fantasy VI. One of the most memorable moments from that game is when Sabin uses suplex on the train itself.
Great to see someone talking about Chaos in the Windy City and the SMS Mickey games; the former gets even spookier toward the end. The one that usually pops into my mind first is The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned expansion from Borderlands; sick as I am of zombies in everything, this one is just ridiculous, and easily the best expansion for the first game. The future/sci-fi chapter from Live-A-Live counts, too, I guess.
I can't believe I didn't know about Windy City until recently. I definitely would like to complete that game some day. And that Borderlands expansion looks pretty cool.
Chip and Dale 2 on the NES had the haunted mansion level, where in one section, paintings in the background turn into creepy, kinda realistic skeletons. Scary for a kids' game, but what frightened me the most was, for some reason, the final boss - a giant, robotic cat that fell down from the sky and before it appeared, lights on the stage were slowly turning off.
That was actually really interesting idea for a video. And I have no idea the evil Horned King from The Black Cauldron is on Mickey Mouse game? Great video Erin.🧛♂️👍
Yes DuckTales and Tiny Toon Adventures was badass back when I was a kid. I watched a VHS tape when I was a kid my grandmother got me a DuckTales board game I don't even remember getting it I was like 6 🤣
Been watching the channel for a bit and just now subscribed. This was fun and your commentary is solid. Back in the day the zombie mansion level in the first Timesplitters creeped me out big time.
That's a nice video. 🤗👍 Here some honorable mentions that i know back in the day: -Mad Monster Mansion from Banjo-Kazooie, -Big Boo's Haunt from Mario 64 (the piano was very scary), -Shadow Temple from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, -Horror House from Harmful Park I don't kinda remember if there are some other game that have levels like that. 🤔
The spookiest level I've ever seen in a non-horror game, is in Super Pitfall for the NES. It's an area you stumble upon that is filled with grotesque enemies, dead trees you have to climb, skulls and bones everywhere, and bleak evil sounding music. The 8-bit graphics and sound just make it all the more creepy. I was hoping to see this in your video.
Hey Erin, maybe this year you can make another video like this, would love to see more Halloween/spooky levels in games, I got one for you that would also make a really great AVGN game lol Eek the Cat! for SNES it has a Halloween level but good luck getting there! this game is hard every level is an escort mission, great graphics and music too, it also has a Christmas level both look great, but i could never get that far in the game, anyway like Eek says it never hurts to help!
Fantastic little list and fun idea for an episode I personally want to throw "Hurricross" from "Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer" into the ring. A spooky, ominous little level of mad scientist Tesla coils and a theme song which always filled child me with dread
Been a while. Some pretty spooky choices here, I remember the "Haunted Castle" level from "Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose". Really dug the music for the level, since it came from show itself. Also I think the thing that red ball turns into is the chocolate cake that was tempting Hampton J. Pig to eat him in one episode. Seeing mention "Gex" here (in particular Gex: Enter the Gecko), I just have to say this...I F---ING LOVE GEX! The original "Gex" game also had a horror themed media zone section, but the second game really upped the anti with the "Scream TV" sets. You have a very Happy Halloween Erin! 🎃
I just stumbled upon your channel, and I have to say (well, maybe not HAVE to, but I'm gonna) that I'm enjoying your content a great deal. Definitely got yourself a new subscriber.
Actually, the only non-horror horror level that made me feel unsettled, and not want to return was the 'Spirit Temple', in Ocarina of Time. Kakariko Village is dark.
