As an adult, you can look back and laugh at things that once frightened you. Admittedly, the adult world contains its fair share of fears worth backing down, but at least we gamers can enjoy our youth with a satisfied smile, knowing that we’ve overcome our childhood fears. Let’s take a look back at the digital horrors of.. right?
Well, mostly.surely sonic drowning countdown music Every time we hear it, it causes instant sweaty panic forever. However, in the entry below, you can find Team NL talking about the trauma of childhood gaming — a gaming moment that once gave absolute will, but now can be dealt with ( At least in most cases) no problem.
As we enjoy this long Halloween weekend, let’s delve into the games and moments that made a special impression on our young minds…
Kate Gray, Staff Writer
I know this sounds like a total nut to me, and it’s totally fine because that’s what I am, but… for me, what gave me nightmares as a kid.. it was just the wind
is not “Eh, I thought I heard something.” kind of way. The sound of the actual wind blowing in Ocarina of Time. It’s scary enough to know that you’ve been thrown into a terrifying post-apocalyptic future in a nice little adventure game, and you’ll find that the town is full of zombies. But for some reason, going to Ganondorf’s castle and standing in front of a lake of lava surrounded by ash and rubble was the most terrifying thing for me.
And the dire spectacle was accompanied by no music, no sound, just the wind blowing across the desolate, scorched Hyrule. Now, what you should know is that at the time I wasn’t very experienced. That sound effect? For me, it was a sound effect and nothing more until I actually heard it on a camping trip. We heard no creepy wind noise! But the first time in real life I heard the wind blowing through a bare tree, I couldn’t sleep at all.
I have had many nightmares related to Ocarina of Time. It was mostly about Ridd and the scary things under the well, but for some reason, it was the wind that scared me the most.
Alana Hagues, Staff Writer
See, Banjo-Kazooie is a strange game.Even ignoring some of the kidnappings for vanity and experimentation, the toilet humor, and the brutal deaths between the two N64 games, there are still some truly terrifying moments, especially for children. no, but i morning Talk about another shark you met and eventually become friends.
After figuring out how to use my N64 controller and enjoying one of the best N64 games ever, I finally unlocked the third world of the game: Clanker’s Cavern. I was used to swimming in-game thanks to the previous level, Treasure Trove Cove, but this murky water and damp setting was a little more unnerving. It wasn’t out of character for the game, so I dove under the water and dove into the main chamber. Then I ran out of the room.
I just got back from listening to drowning music, and it’s also etched in my brain, but the old clunker absolutely terrified me. As I tried to enter the level again, I squinted so as not to see the dirt and fleshy markings on the garbage disposal unit.
I could barely get through a level, let alone freeing Clanker or getting inside him without pausing every few minutes. I couldn’t sleep that night. Because all I could think about was a giant metal shark biting me. But after all, he really For real Friendly. And by the time I got back into the game years later, I loved him.
Banjo-Tooie’s Mr. Patch still has the upper hand, though.
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
This is a no-brainer for me. I played this game on PS1, but it’s available on N64 and Gamecube, so my choice is valid (Therefore!): Resident Evil 2.
It wasn’t the specific moment that gave me the nightmare, it was the game as a whole. From the first moments of exploring the ruined Raccoon City to evading the devastating attack of the Tyrant (Mr. X), frankly, I had two jump scares to get myself wet . But if push comes to shove and you have to choose a specific moment from the game, it would be your first encounter with kendo gun shop owner Robert Kendo.
After a short exchange Leon tries to leave the room, but what is it? However, when he turns around, he hears the shop window cracking, triggering a cutscene in which Kendo is torn apart by zombies.
It was far more visceral than what the first RE game showed. You can actually see Kendo’s body dyed red with blood. It scared me more than I admit.
Granted, I was only nine years old at the time. Maybe that’s the problem.
Jim Norman, staff writer
I’ve always been scared so easily by video games, and frankly, it’s a wonder I’ve maintained my passion for them for this long. I want to give a quick shout out to my mother who regularly asks me to take on the part. She didn’t always accomplish every task I gave her, but her courage in the face of my childhood fears was always the best.
As for the moment I feared the most, here I have to work with Kate and choose one from Ocarina of Time (I wonder how many people were hurt by this game). But mine is early in the story. Specifically, the entire interior of the Deku Tree is arguably the scariest place in a video game. The weight of knowing you’re on something, the provocative Deku shrubs, seeing Queen Goma’s eyes on the ceiling for the first time — wow, that level really messed me up.
However, it’s very easy to do, so let’s be more specific. What I was (and still am) ridiculously scared of was the click of the Skulltula. It’s a big credit to the sound design that such a simple repetition was enough to keep me up late, but well, it worked.
I still shiver when I hear that sound.
Gavin Lane, Editor
We could have used something from Zelda, but let’s go back a little further. This is less of a terrifying “moment” than a more overarching sense of dread that I experienced every time I landed in Transylvania. QuackshotEven though it was only the third level (you could access it before that, but it required items from previous levels), it was a rough childhood.
Looking back on it now, it was all very cohesive and unthreatening! But the bulbous bats and bouncing swarm balls made me sad at the time. I never understood what bubblegum should be like or how the bricks in Dracula’s castle “melted”.rear duckburg bouncing brassthe spooky music and setting all blended together to create an amazing, unnerving mental block that I struggled to overcome for years — long after I learned the skills necessary to beat the level. I remember going back about ten years and completing the game.
Again, is there anything scarier than a vampire duck?
There’s a small selection out there for you, some more silly than others, but enough to play with your child’s mind. What video game moment scared you when you were a kid? Feel free to share your scares below…
