Elvira's Horrorsoft Presents: Personal Nightmare

Taking a look back at the spooky 1989 adventure game for DOS PCs: ...A Personal Nightmare! Or is it just Personal Nightmare? Who named this piece of software anyway, argh!
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● Music used in order of appearance:
Walk in the Park, Whisky on the Rocks, Slow Lowtuned Metal Trailer, Streetlight Conundrum, Out of Love
player.epidemi...

[@Rhetam]

Take Mirror "A horrible spotty ugly face stares back." Screw you too, game.

[@Sweetestsadist]

I don't see a problem with Elvira being the prominent feature of the box art. In fact, I'd be okay if Elvira was the prominent feature of every game box.

[@Axel_Xirics_Music]

Imagine her as a character you'd meet in Blood Rayne or any other more, Noire styled game, or horror slasher c:

[@mukifc]

Hii Max!! Nice meet you here!!

[@Sweetestsadist]

@@mukifc Ooh, no. I'm not falling for that. You get all friendly with a mudkip, next thing you know you're at some convention getting lectured by genwunners about the impurities of dual-types and Mayshippers.

[@mukifc]

@@Sweetestsadist oh its not that. I just wanted to make spam about my channel. I got some pretty hot AI covers Staring you~

[@larsmuldjord9907]

Duuuude, you're on fire in this video! That holy water on devil reenactment, haha! So many great little tidbits in your voice over. Love it!

[@LGR]

Thank you!

[@JoeyJ0J0]

I fucking love Elvira Been a fan of her since I was a kid. Her actual movie was pretty good too

[@Mewobiba]

Then 25 years later, Blue Bottle Games revives that inventory system, amps it up to eleven, and turns it into Neo Scavenger. And I love it.

[@slckb0y65]

Cassandra Peterson was, and not joke aside is still, an absolute bombshell. damn, why isn't there more like her around ? 😢

[@hughjass5156]

your writing and comedic timing really tickles my fancy. I find myself chuckling aloud to your videos. This is high praise.

[@RMPANDA964]

I was about to tweet to you Clint if everything was ok as I didn't see a video yet. Boy am I relieved. Watching LGR is my Monday and Friday night after work ritual.

[@RMPANDA964]

Are you his 5 year old brother? You sure do seem to act like you are 5.

[@grumpyoldwizard]

I seem to remember another Elvira game… One where she’s in most of it and makes a lot of wisecracks. I would love to see that one reviewed.

[@ImperatorGrausam]

Maybe you're thinking of either Elvira game on the DOS/Amiga.

[@silentdissonance]

You know, I'm curious what you'd think of 'the pinnacle' of point-and-click adventure titles; The Longest Journey. It was a 40-60 hour game, costs all of $10 off-sale on steam ($3 right now!), and runs on just the edge of your interest-era hardware (166Mhz, Win2000). You can't get stuck, and the voice acting is some of the best ever done. The story is amazing, too :)

[@pushinguproses]

I hate this game and am glad you covered it. Because now I do not have to. Also, what a great oozy LGR sign on your shelf. A very awesome person must have made that.

[@LGR]

Yeah you know, I wonder if that person has an Etsy store where they sell spooky creations along those lines... hrmm...

[@foxman105]

Aw... I was hoping you guys would make a playthrough of it. Your commentary of last half of darkness series was hilarious. I'd love if you do more mystery/horror playtrhroughs with lgr... planning to release something this Halloween? Anyway. Have a nice day PUR... and LGR

[@nyaaanjake]

You guys are the ultimate retro duo.

[@BlackDragon-xn2ww]

Please review this game you give another way of looking at games and really detail games and are really good at it if I had to choice between you and lgr who did better I couldn't your both good but different at the same time you show other details about a game too

[@herooftime1000]

You and Clint still need to play Waxworks, though. It's MUCH better than this.

[@thewassock]

About 10 years ago I used to occasionally visit a pub called the Dog & Duck. Apparently some years before, and under a different name, Lemmy was an occasional visitor, as he would sometimes stay with an elderly female relative who lived in this town.

[@DieRuhe]

In the DOS version you have to defeat the devil with a makeshift fiddle combining various items you picked up.

[@trailersic]

So to beat this game featuring Elvira you have to have a fiddle?

[@Koronakesh]

The mail section really reminds me of what it felt like playing Kings Quest VI when I was about 7 years old. An enigma.

[@timothy790110]

I'm. Sure many young teenagers have had a cheeky "handheld Elvira" at least a few times!

[@appelsina3497]

"Personal nightmare makes it it's personal mission to make it a personal nightmare for you to play." Woooh! Loved that!

[@clannero7656]

I will remember that little devil reenactment and laugh for the rest of my life

[@acmild]

FINALLY...! Got to see my childhood game reviewed here on LGR... Remembered how used to draw my own "line-map" with pencil and paper just not to get lost. thanks man...

[@VZX3Metroid3Hunter]

I am really liking the dry humor and editing you are mixing into the videos! It didn't seem forced or pushy in any way and I enjoyed myself a lot. Keep the vids educational -and- entertaining and I am definitely going to be looking forward to your next upload, whatever it is!

[@LGR]

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying!

[@lionoh]

Damn I love me some Elvira, Mmmh'mmh.

[@hibuddywazsup5008]

Clint , you are well spoken, funny, informative, and make relaxing and enjoyable content. You are the Bob Ross of the video game world.

[@xanderkin2347]

My Dad used to play this on the Atari when I was a wee lad. The intro terrified me!

[@TheSupremeSkill]

I found all the full screen pictures really disturbing, or rather scary. I'm surprised that you could play through this Clint. I have played through Soma and Amnesia alone in the dark with headphones on without much problem, but I couldn't imagine playing through some of these old horror games.

[@thetwistedsamurai]

Man, I know you’re a PC guy, but I REALLY wanted to see you play the Amiga version. The garden theme is my favorite in the entire game.

[@centaur6ify]

If they ever ask me, LGR was more than just a great set of... informative and entertaining videos. Ha, much enjoyed this one.

[@frankrtwiw]

Fortunately they get better. Just wait til you see Waxworks!

[@Roadstar1602]

OMG the epicness of the first 2 minutes of this video cannot be overstated.

[@stopthrm]

+LGR Sorry to chat up your comments so often recently, lol. But I had something that I wanted to point out something about this game or rather how I found out about the Horrorsoft Games There was a guy back in 2008 with a KZbin channel called Anderstondfeldt. He did a video game review program back then called Concurrent Echoes which focused usually on horror related games like Penumbra Overture or Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder. He reviewed Waxworks, which I've meant to play but have never had the nerve to pop in and try out... :P Great video as always.

[@EndymionMkII]

7:47 this has to be one of my favorite moments ever in LGR

[@ghallora]

I remember playing this on my Amiga 500 as a young bloke. I had no idea what I was doing yet I liked exploring lol.

[@MrBanchiniOfficial]

Being from Kent in the UK I must say going down to the post office Royal Mail and waiting in line just to send a parcel is a PERSONAL nightmare..

[@deletedhobo7405]

File name: farts

[@kingedwin]

"The bottle is dirty and stinks of meths." Well, that would explain the demons. I was going to say people probably confused this with "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark," which had something to do with the character, but Horrorsoft developed that one, too.

[@wyattvb828]

Horrorsoft Presents: Tax time! In this chilling game you have only 24 hours to file your taxes appropriately and mail them in! When you get audited you need to fill out a spooky T-25 form and then try to lie to the revenue agency that you are a singly income independent despite living with your common law girlfriend! woooo!

[@imemyself2820]

Times were different back then. Those pixelated graphics was only there to imply, never describe everything in details. Rest was up to your (still intact) imagination, which made the game more than just a box.

[@hypolyxa7207]

SLAYER! SLAYER! SLAYER! SLAYER! SLAYER!

[@smittenthekitteninmittens2679]

simon and garfunkel !! simon and garfunkel !! simon and garfunkel!!!simon and garfunkel!!!!

[@alexchere34]

David Micheal Williams NO FUCKEN SLAYER!!!

[@allan.n.7227]

What a PERSONAL nightmare!!! nice hooters though :)

[@Robberbarron27]

this is like "your sister is a werewolf", but an IBM game.

[@dakedres]

The name and cover make it sound like a game about a teenage kid having a wet dream that turned into a nightmare.

[@fuyingbro]

Makes me glad I went the Amiga route when I was a kid. At the same time sad that I no longer have it.

[@ryanyoder7573]

The developer made excellent use of the fixed 16 color palette.

[@TotemSP2]

4:17 That's oddly specific. A personal nightmare, perhaps?

[@666-k7o9v]

So that's where Simpson's Boobarella came from.

[@matthewrease2376]

Loved the dramatic reenactment

[@BleepingRelics]

Could you do an episode on Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus ? I played it on Amiga, very tough and strange game.

[@graevollan]

An interesting manifestation/use of the Satanic Panic of the 80s/90s.

[@SourEggz]

Meanwhile the Elvira: Mistress of the Dark game is considered a cult classic, with rather graphic imagery and Cassandra's campy sensibilities! (I always wanted to be Miss Elvira with her metal bouffant and killer makeup as a young person.) And an impossible spider. 🕷

[@stu1701E]

Never heard of this one before, but it reminds me of the Hugo trilogy of games by David P. Gray. Those were my childhood. Hope they are covered on LGR one day.

[@LGR]

They'll absolutely be covered someday.

[@stu1701E]

Lazy Game Reviews Great, thanks!

[@personguy6517]

that devil looks like if guts and that devil dude from the golden age arc (can't remember his name) had a chilld.

[@HazmanFTW]

Yeah, Slayer! \m/

[@Dukefazon]

This game looks like an attempt at a video game by Yahtzee Croshaw, he worked on a strange adventure game he never finished and this game remids me of that.

[@ovalwingnut]

I'm not a Elvira groupie, but I know I'd be expecting to see her in the "game play".. I guess it's just another fine example how the box covers never quite matched the content. GR8T video. T.H.A.N.K Y.O.U

[@ameliawright6947]

Heya, hope you have a good Halloween, Clint!

[@JesseDylanMusic]

The terrified purple person looks like modern-day Jeff Sessions.

[@SoujiMonaru]

I hope we get to see more re-enactments in future! So cute and unpredictable! =D

[@BrooksterMax]

They went on to make the most excellent Simon the Sorcerer. Thankfully the inventory system was improved by then by the looks of it :)

[@damonstr]

1:20 careful there, they might pop out!

[@mccoymrm]

LGR is an absolute genius.

[@intrinia]

1:40 is it just me, or is this dude looking at some nice illustrations, while .... you know?

[@esdblog6100]

I love this kind of graphics.

[@farticusmaximusOG]

one of the best amiga soundtrax

[@benwilliams3880]

You are not from the UK so you don't know.. but the true horror is the royal mail! My god what a nightmare they are.. Well that and the horror of our sarcastic British humour

[@guguy00]

I'm Singaporean and I love British humour. Though I cannot tell jokes in the format!

[@benwilliams3880]

Techindor Ebay an absolutely brilliant type of joke that everyone laughs at

[@lukeyami]

And those who put milk in the tea before it is brewed properly.

[@benwilliams3880]

luke yami the Ultimate British nightmare. Putting milk in your cup of tea before the hot water

[@thenerdmanual]

Best game review of the month.

[@biffy9536]

I wish I had a pair of bottomless pants with bell bottoms. "Homeless people are gonna be livin in my pants, man!" ~ Bill Hicks

[@jstr4life]

Is that screaming face on the cover Belloq after he opened the Ark in Raiders of the Lost Ark?

[@tasospodcast8832]

Staying clear of this. Thanks pal.

[@MegaDoom89]

Are you gonna review Waxworks next? It's actually a good game with a great story, incredible artwork, and more simple puzzles.

[@Staingo_Jenkins]

This one was particularly well done!

[@bisexualsmoothtalker1270]

The only thing that’s scary about this game is the artwork. Awesomely terrifying!

[@ComandanteJ]

You should do Hell: A cyberpunk thriller. That game was flipping awesome of it's time. And it scared the shit out of me haha.

[@failureofahuman9898]

Those death screens remind me so much of the deaths in Waxworks. Was it made by the same company?

[@jochenwuerfel]

Headbaning in 2020 to the intro 🤘

[@bigbro5793]

Elvira was a hit in Russia as well. Never heard of the game though. Thanks.

[@hamstrungharry259]

Those graphics look SOOOO much better on original hardware.

[@ItIsNot1984]

7:48 People in hell could've drank that!

[@Scanlaid]

"Eternal sunshine of the spotted dick" 10/10 sensible chuckle right there

[@abcqwerty123400]

34 seconds and 34 likes, not bad, not bad at all.

[@otaking3582]

I've seen plenty of book covers where the author's name was more prominent than the title, but never seen that done with video game boxart...

[@shkeni]

Just remember that you don't need the word 'oh' to finish the game.

[@chadmearhoff9086]

1:38 that intro was used in the death ss music video "kings of evil"

[@TheTurnipKing]

It's a shame Horrorsoft no longer sells these games from their site :(

[@LGR]

As mentioned in the video, they're on GOG now :) Check the link in the video description.

[@TheTurnipKing]

At last check they only had Waxworks and Personal Nightmare. No Elvira. And of course, no box.

[@JustAtmosphericNoise]

Would love to hear your opinion on Dark Seed, Clint!

[@Dreamerdeceiver52]

Can you please review Waxworks? Definitely interested in your take Clint!

[@iiiiii1449]

I swear elvira can still get it to this day.

[@Vermilleno]

Clint, what is the rock soundtrack used in the devil's intro? Tried ones in description but got no results.

[@MrEpicface97]

Angel of death by Slayer

[@DamoDGCUK]

Definitely alot of terror with Royal Mail in 2022, especially when they go on Strike every five mins. Definitely a UK Personal (Public) Nightmare..

[@marco_evertus]

Ahh a personal nightmare to torment the rest of my existence, just what a wanted.

[@PirateCanvas]

Yeah you have to remove the cork from the bottle and then throw the water on the devil which I guess kinda makes sense, but your reenactment of it seems much more amusing then this game. Seriously I'm all for cryptic problem and puzzle solving, but these type of games just don't age well at all. By the way I do plan to do a let's play of this game sometime, hopefully I won't be pulling my hair out everytime I die.

[@lapytop]

They must have had a bit more integrity back then to sell their games because knowing who Elvira is or not, the UK would have been a lot more grateful for the original cover.

[@alphakodiak16]

Clint, what is the song you used when pixel-Satan shows up? It's dope.

[@ErinTurco21]

Dog runs at you "Oh shit"

[@HeatmanMKIII]

Yeah! A video on my birthday!!! aww WAIT! this was uploaded yesterday! T-T

[@SteveM000100]

There used to be a Dog & Duck near me

[@Danbotology]

2:02 Personal Nightmarf

[@RickWhitechest]

Little Handheld Elvira™.

[@rubz1390]

I recently bought Another World and Grim Fandango from a second hand game store, sadly Grim Fandango crashes often on Windows 7 and has many bugs. Would love to hear your thoughts on those two.

[@mrwibble70]

I used to have such a huge crush on Elvira in my teens.

[@electronash]

Coincidentally, Ms Petersson has just announced the retirement of the Elvira character from public life. I just watched the Elvira movie for the first time the other week too - it's quiet funny, and mainly... bewbs.

[@NihilQuest]

What a cool choice, great video! I was curious about that game. Shame about PC version though.

[@matushorvath]

At 2:08, is that the Linux developer Alan Cox in opening titles?