SPOOKWARE for Windows

1/3

It's kind of weird that a Halloween themed game managed to arrive a few weeks prior to the next big release of the Mario franchise. Or, in fact, SPOOKWARE episode 1 launched on the same day. But that wasn't the only reason this game got delayed. The folks at Nintendo weren't sure if they should make a full blown sequel of SPookedeen or not, because they didn't feel it would sell well enough to justify the development costs.

So they pulled the "it's not the same old time, it's the new style" card and decided to launch SPOOKWARE as its second episode. This time around the series' main character is none other than haunted house mechanic ghosts, who now have the task of protecting their haunted house from being invaded by marauding mini zombies and villains. Although it doesn't quite make a difference which version you play as, the minigame part is definitely more intense, featuring a few graphical depictions of blood getting spilled, and a rather disturbing scene where a male ghost tries to seduce a female ghost.

Although it may look like a kids game, SPookedeen is actually a quite engrossing horror game, featuring lots of creepy dolls you have to investigate, a few blood-spattered cabinets to explore, as well as some creepy electronic devices to scare your enemies. For example, there's the PIRP gun that you have to aim and kill mini undead creatures with, but which has a tendency to go off accidentally when the battery is not fully charged. The PIRP gun doesn't just scare the little guys; there are some quite haunting music samples that will give you a chill. Other microgames included are a blood fantasy dress up game, a school band Halloween trivia game, and a haunted house escape puzzle game, with a mini guide.