Top 10 SPOOKY Retro Games

I’ve picked out my personal 10 spookiest scariest retro games to play when to get you in the Halloween spirit. I’ve got some Gameboy, some Gameboy Color, some Sega Genesis, some NES, super NES. Even Atari! But now it’s time, boys and ghouls, to get in a spooky mood. So turn down the lights, put on some SCARRRRY music to set the scene, light some candles, adopt a black cat that you’ll keep for the next 2 weeks and then dump it back in the animal shelter, and fire up your spooky retro handheld, and let’s get into some creepy old retro games!
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- MUSIC CREDITS -
Intro: Captive Portal - Intro For A Nonexisting Video Game
Outro: RoccoW - Chipho instrumental
Spooky background track by Darren Curtis / dark-music-box-and-cho...
- CHAPTERS -
00:00 Scary Story!
00:38 I'm not actually a dracula
01:31 The SPOOKY new X55
02:30 Gargoyle's Quest (GB)
03:44 Haunted House (Atari)
04:40 Uninvited (NES)
05:36 Haunting (Genesis)
06:38 Kid Dracula (Gameboy)
07:54 Zombies Ate my Neighbors (SNES)
09:01 Alone in the Dark (GBC)
10:51 Nosferatu (SNES)
11:14 Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Genesis)
12:15 Happy Halloween!
#halloween #retrogames #emulation
DISCLAIMER: Product(s) were sent to me for the purpose of review, but all opinions are my own. This video is not sponsored, and the company did not get a chance to see the video before it was published.

[@hibikiholmes2867]

The only reason to look forward to Halloween is watching my favourite KZbinrs make horror-themed videos!

[@OliviaRicardo]

The amounts of handheld devices the TechDweeb keeps around is truly spooky!

[@TechDweeb]

I scare myself 😱

[@Holret]

Whatever it takes to make content, right?

[@SeeJayPlayGames]

and a damn sight cheaper than buying GPUs, amirite?

[@user-ty1it5gz4v]

Next Halloween he'll have enough to make a costume out of them.

[@Sneakers8b]

I’m glad you included Nosferatu, it’s one of my favorite SNES games of all time. The pixel art in it is so good… the fluidity of movement, I used to regard blackthorne and flash back as the best of this type of platformer games, but this game got right in line with it for me. I got really far in it, I think I want to make a revisit and try to finish it.

[@eldercristian7329]

Now that's true! When I was 10, my mom took my red Game Boy Pocket from my tiny hands... I was in my bedroom playing some Pocket Monsters all black and white screen and having a blast. Oh well it was late though.

[@Niborino9409]

I absolutely love your background decoration skills! You seem so artistic, both practically and digital. + the amazing art you make with cartoon Tech Dweeb. 😊😃

[@TechDweeb]

I appreciate you saying so!

[@SeeJayPlayGames]

@@TechDweebbut you wear orange and black all the time... anyway what can you really do costume-wise with talking hand videos? Here's a scary idea... face reveal on 10/31? Or you could hide it with makeup/helmet or whatever. We still don't know what ETA PRIME looks like, but Phil's Computer Lab did it a while ago and now he's outed permanently. Or you could do the costume thing and cover your face, thus retaining some level of anonimity. Your destiny is in the balance. Choose wisely.

[@nickentros]

I loved Kid Dracula back in the day

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

Uninvited is great. It's one of my favorite NES games, and nostalgia is not even a factor, since I only discovered it a couple of years ago. I agree that it has a very spooky atmosphere, which is quite remarkable given the limitations of the hardware. The only part I don't like is the inclusion of a silly maze at one point. Mazes were an affliction that plagued a lot of 80s adventure games, even the text-based ones. At least this maze is an actual maze in the story though, rather than a set of tunnels or some other pretext to include a maze-like element. That aside, it is a really fun adventure that has fun puzzles and never seems unfair.

[@jeremynorris_hostyl1]

6:20 so as to the gameplay "style" in Haunting of possessing objects to solve puzzles, there was (is) a game that has a similar mechanic: "Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective" originally for the Nintendo DS but now on pretty much any platform.

[@TechDweeb]

Oh right! I loved that game on the DS. Thanks for the reminder :)

[@3van1993]

Spooky games should be played year round, not just when it's October.

[@TechDweeb]

Agreed

[@MCK13666]

I LOVE YOUR POW KITTY CUT SCENE VIDEOS OF THE CATS PUNCHING! 😂❤

[@nickfoolery]

I know there were sooo many to choose from, but I think that Scooby-Doo Classic Creep Capers also deserves to be on this list. Awesome video, TechDweeb!

[@brave7033]

The black Pow Kitty is freaking awesome 👍🏽😁

[@TechDweeb]

Totally. It's such a good value product.

[@skewyangel]

Your videos make me feel warm on the inside

[@ruxcooking]

Dang! You got me with that spooky black pow kitty

[@jon09]

Awesome!!! Thank you, playing Haunting now!

[@Colcalebcat]

Thank you so much for making this!!! I was just trying to find a list like this a week ago!!

[@solracrod]

Great video! Haunting on Genesis was one of my favorite games, love the creativity and silliness.

[@Juiceboxdan72]

Even the Pow Kitty is spooky!

[@TechDweeb]

It's a black Kitty

[@Juiceboxdan72]

@@TechDweebOh, I don't know that much about different cat breeds. Sorry I'm such a noob.

[@Retrofire-47]

Those digital art skills are coming in handy i see! 0:31

[@TechDweeb]

🕷️

[@billm970]

Pow! kitty! Awesome job

[@Bluepandaiscool]

ur game showcase type videos r some of my favorites :)

[@yekimrelssek2929]

Great Video! Thank You!

[@remy333]

Great vid Dweeb. Gargoyle’s Quest and Firebrand are also related to SNES’s Demon’s Crest. Solid games for sure! 🧋🍣

[@xCreepyKidsx]

ZAMN has always been one of my favorite games of all time, had it for SNES and Genesis back in the day. I'd add the Splatterhouse titles too because they're amazing.

[@seanbrent4245]

Just got my Retroid pocket 2S yesterday and it’s ghostly green and ready for all the spooky games! Excellent video!

[@TechDweeb]

Oh man that spooky green would have been perfect for this vid!

[@suhtangwong]

ZAMN, one of the goats of old school zombie games!

[@IcebergTech]

Easter’s pretty scary. A 2000 year old man came BACK FROM THE DEAD! OooooOOOOOoooo

[@TechDweeb]

SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS!

[@BandoidView]

Thanks! Hanting on the Genesis actually seems really interesting and right up my alley. I'm going to give that one a try! By the way, I'd love to see what a modern rendition of that robot costume would look like. I'm sure you would do an incredible job with it :)

[@jaredtaylor4829]

I will always thumbs up any video with Kid Dracula in it. An all-time fav

[@billtux]

Thanks for putting this list together @techdweeb. A personal favorite I like to play is Friday the 13th. Even as an adult I sometimes experience a jump scare when he pops up along the map or when exploring cabins. Another great game to play this time of the year is Nightmare in the Dark for Neo Geo.

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@mobypixel]

Great video! Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti for NES is a fun one too.

[@digitizer3627]

I also loved Fright Night on the Amiga. Thanks for the snes reco❤

[@gotdangedcommiesitellyahwa6298]

HAHA your intro reminds me of staying the night at a buddy's place when we were just young tech dweebs, staying up way too late and making too much noise. They lived in a trailer, so you could hear the door opening and feel the 'boom boom BOOM BOOM' of every pissed off foot step coming toward the bedroom door. Ah, when life was much more simple... thanks for your vids, bud.

[@disconinja108]

Splatter house games are best suited with Halloween

[@PhenMr]

magnificent the intro it self

[@Chomoh8er]

Ive been looking for a nice retro game community, will definitely look into your discord! great video as always mate ❤

[@TechDweeb]

Good bunch of dweebs over there!

[@fabiobezerra9569]

Your Videos are great, thanks a million! ✌️👻

[@zombee38]

All those are great games , 🙏 thanks👍

[@disconinja108]

Haunted House on Atari is actually a really scary game and I'm afraid to play it in my room when I'm alone and lights are off

[@TechDweeb]

I don't blame you!

[@disconinja108]

@@TechDweeb But I guess if I will take my handheld and lie under the bed I will feel safe while playing this game. That's how handhelds help us on Halloween and not so many of us talking about this advantage

[@hiii4805]

wow the black version looks so premium

[@TechDweeb]

Right!?

[@TyGreenGoblin]

Night Slashers on the handheld. Bloodborne on the ps4......almost a decade old lol. Great video.

[@kyfeam]

just bought one.. i like the blue better though.. another awesome video TD!

[@TechDweeb]

Nice! This is one of my favourite budget handhelds right now. Amazing quality for the price. Enjoy!

[@stillafool]

Oh boy, really thought you would have Clock Tower (SNES) on this list. Deff a scary one!!

[@TechDweeb]

Needed to save some for the next vid ;)

[@rometherevenant8749]

Tech Dweeb and horror? Godly combo

[@gregghernandez2714]

Personally I think you should consider making a part 2 of this video with more recent retro games/more recent consoles. I remember being scared out of my wits by games like Left for Dead and the Original Bioshock for the Xbox 360, Fatal Frame Crimson Butterfly, and Silent Hill 2, Restless Dreams for the original Xbox. I love games that are incredibly atmospheric, and feel like there is something creeping around the corner just waiting to kill you. So many good games that still give me the creeps to this day. This was a great and really fun video...now I hope I can sleep tonight.

[@TechDweeb]

Solid idea!

[@TechDweeb]

Man that original Bioshock was super creepy. One of my scariest game memories, being in that capsule at the beginning when you first arrive at Rapture and that splicer tries to smash their way in.

[@gregghernandez2714]

@@TechDweeb Yeah I remember my heart beating really fast, and I was sweating playing Bioshock. I had to stop and tell myself "Dude, it's just a game, relax!" It is no wonder it was awarded game of the year by so many gaming sites and magazines. A reward well deserved.

[@kennethd4958]

I've said it before but you're becoming one of my favorite KZbin channels. Such great content. Also, I wish I could find that Mini Sanpao CRT Android TV!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks buddy! Yeah shame they stopped carrying those Sanpao TVs. There might be other similar products though, I'll try to find one!

[@kennethd4958]

@@TechDweeb That would be awesome. I’ve seen ones that just play games but having Android on that one is what I’d want. I’m a huge CRT nerd and if I could have a little CRT style tv playing horror movies all day on my shelf I’d be in heaven haha

[@briandemodulated]

Haunting looks amazing! Such fun design and fluid animation. I can think of another game in its style - Ghost Master for Windows XP. A cutesy spooky strategy haunting game with a truly spine-tingling feature - an excessively verbose, fully voiced tutorial! Bwhahaha!

[@CAPMAX_Gaming]

I vote for Maniac Mansion on the NES! Creepy vibes for sure with that game.

[@rafaeljschmitt]

Nice video man. Im happy I fell into this video. Can you tell me what is the dusty game society?

[@TechDweeb]

It's the 'retro game of the month club' for my patrons ;)

[@antonharmacinski276]

Aww. Did you see mommy kissing Santa Clause? 😋😋😋 6:35 - Maybe not exactly, but the Burger King Sneak King game for Xbox and Xbox 360 (The first, if not only dual console format game disc.) was a very similar concept where you had to hide and sneak up on people to serve them BK menu items. People always talk about how that was such a unique concept but you just showed me one that seems to be a precursor. I've actually seen a documentary about the SK and the devs came up with it on their own. They sighted inspiration for some of the companies other titles, but the way it was presented, it was kind of a we need a 3rd game to fix these check boxes to comply with the contract. (The compliances were mostly feature BK menu items.) I'm sorry if you know all of that already. This is the first time I've watch your channel.

[@TechDweeb]

Good trivia!

[@BadgerBrownie]

I remember beating Ghosts n Ghouls (on the Sega Genesis) up north at my parents cabin when I was younger. To my dismay my brother and I realized it sends you back and makes you re-beat the entire game over again. After leaving the console on overnight and FINALLY beating it, both my brother and I laughed when we read the broken English on the screen that it says at the very end of the game.

[@infinity2z3r07]

just waitin for that discounted halloween candy that i can hide under my bed where my mom won't find it 😂😂😂

[@TechDweeb]

100%!

[@I4get42]

Hello there TD! "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance" on the GBA is another retro game that could be fun this Spookieween 😃. Oh, and I'm going to dress ap as Loofy from One Piece.

[@TechDweeb]

Good call!

[@youzernejm]

Did you make your intro images, or did you use some stock photos? I have a bone to pick with the Polterguy. The game seems very interesting, but every time I've tried it, the gameplay never clicked with me. Never gotten very far. Maybe I just need more time to familiarise myself, and not just drop it like it's hot quickly. Nice vid, as always!

[@TechDweeb]

This one was a combination of 2 AI generated images that I modified.

[@martinmagnia314]

Tech dweeb is talented .. I’ve played some of these games before watching and kind of glazed over them.. I watch a tech dweeb video and those same games look so much more fun! And I found about kid Dracula thanks to tech dweeb.. thanks you tech dweeb ❤

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks for saying so buddy!

[@Disconnis]

I love your videos 💓

[@shawnmacfarland3828]

The real scare is when you realize there are only NINE spooky games when 10 are listed?!!! What happened to the other one TechDweeb? What Happened to it? TechDweeb: [Dracula Voice] Ah. Ha. Ha. Ha.

[@TechDweeb]

The last guy who asked that question is missing too. Are you sure you want to go down that road?

[@jackdoobie]

For shame TD, how dare you overlook the the Splatter House series. For Halloween, I'm going with punker jack-o-lantern. You're more than welcome to join us, we bar hop and cause drunkin shinanigans wherever we roam. The POW-KITTY will be joining us of course.

[@TechDweeb]

I'll haunt your party in spirit. Figuratively, of course. Unless I die, then literally.

[@DarkSerge34]

Geist for the Gamecube is a game where you possess objects to scare people

[@TechDweeb]

I'll check it out!

[@Keedin.]

What's that little orange tv in the beginning? Loved the vid, btw.

[@wadeskelton7585]

Seems like every year I’m saying I’m gonna play some scary games leading up to Halloween - here it is halfway through October and I haven’t even started one yet. I think this video has inspired me I swear on my mom’s game boy I’m gonna do it tonight!!!

[@TechDweeb]

That's a solemn oath

[@adinwalls]

Funny how so many spooky games are from old systems.

[@TechDweeb]

Haha yeah. The games back then aren't scary by today's standards but back then they were super creepy. Playing Resident Evil 2 on the Playstation is to this day my scariest gaming memory.

[@NoiseRockGamer]

Star Ocean: Blue Sphere also looks incredible on GBC.

[@fredrick8691]

Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street for the NES

[@KyleRuggles]

Great list! Though your timeline for Nosferatu is off, it's labeled as Chiller. :) Maniac Mansion was a great game too, not as spooky but it was creepy, and a Canadian show! ^_^ Loved it!

[@TechDweeb]

Doh! Thanks for the note. I removed the Chiller clip because it had flashing lights and I forgot to put a seizure warning. Maniac Mansion is a legend! That almost made the list as well :)

[@KyleRuggles]

@@TechDweeb 🤓

[@Xurikk]

I played Gargoyle's Quest for the first time like 8-10 years ago and I liked it so much I finished it without save states in order to extend the play time and really feel that early Nintendo Difficulty. I actually used the passwords and everything.

[@hiii4805]

my personal favourite retroish horrors are from the rpg-maker era.. so many good games I'm playing blank dream rn :) I like mad father and misao too

[@CheapOneLiners]

The first trick-or-treater who shows up at my door wearing orange and black pyjamas gets a full size chocolate bar and a can of root beer.

[@TechDweeb]

I'll be there!

[@ivancho5854]

🥸'm dressing up as an old guy with a walking stick and a flat cap, same as any other day. Humbug... mint humbug. 👻🎃

[@SecondOpinionGames1]

Not bad but I’ll try to top it soon 😊

[@MightySquirrel724]

I'm surprised the splatterhouse series (Arcade, Genesis) isn't on this list.

[@Bits-n-Bytes1409]

You’re choice of kid Dracula was the only right Castlevania for Halloween 😎, but you forgot the best of the best. The game that also could be called “the Halloween Family”, the godfather of Halloween games. And to quote one of the best lines in the movie: Damn you Adam’s 😜 (snes)

[@NorbertRoche]

Hey Dweeb, you need to play Deadeus for the Gameboy! You won't regret it!

[@TechDweeb]

I've heard about that, I'll check it out!

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

To anyone who hasnt played Sweet Home it is my life goal to spread the word of its greatness to as many people as possible. It was the inspiration for Resident Evil. And while 'old rpg with permadeath' is intimidating, it wasnt even an issue for my play through. Its one of the darkest stories of any game. Im talking dead kids kinda dark. Ok that was a weird sales pitch. My point is its legit scary with graphics i didnt think were possible on the NES. Youll need an English patch to play it since it wasnt released in the states (games with dead kids wasnt quite what Nintendo of America was looking for apparently) but the patched rom isnt hard to find.

[@briansmith8898]

Great list! I'd add "Deadeus." Its a fairly dark horror game made for the original Gameboy. It's modern made, but for a retro system. It's a PWYW (including free) original Gameboy rom.

[@TechDweeb]

Amazing game. I didn't include it because it's not a true 'retro' game but I will definitely show it off in a future video :)

[@MrFreezeEdits]

This video took a while to watch because i was mostly pausing it so i can play these games on my sf2000

[@SDodge-jw6jv]

One that I would add would be Turbografx 16 splatterhouse 🎃

[@TechDweeb]

Good call

[@bryanjenkins6112]

Doom and Final Doom for the PS1, that shit is scary when I first played it.

[@TechDweeb]

For sure

[@thomaschipman]

chiller made the list, got a chapter bookmark, and then got left on the editing room floor. lol

[@TechDweeb]

Haha yeah. I cut it because it had flashing lights and I forgot to put a seizure warning.

[@abumu]

Games like Haunting have been made since, check out Haunt the House: Terrortown from 2014 on the Vita (and apparently android and pc)

[@TechDweeb]

Alrighty!

[@SynthetiThespis]

I appreciate learning about these obscure gems! Looking forward to trying Haunting and Alone in the Dark for sure. Are you much of a fan of ms-dos/ scumm vm games? I would probably recommend Gabriel Knight or Harvester to try too!

[@TechDweeb]

I love those styles of games but I've never tried those two. I'll make a point to try em!

[@controllerspixelsplayers9202]

me 3 seconds in: *slaps the like button*

[@TechDweeb]

Correct 🤓

[@ogrejd]

Those Kid Dracula artists were definitely Akira Toriyama fans...

[@TheGuppy]

Great list! I never played Ghouls 'n' Ghosts, despite playing Ghosts 'n' Goblins a million times. And I've never heard of Haunting, so I'm gonna play that today. I would add "It Came From the Desert" (an Amiga/MS-DOS game, so a bit more complicated to get working) which is like those 1950s horror movies where giant insects ravage the townsfolk. And I've just learned it was released on the TurboGrafx-16, though it looks very different to the computer versions. And I've *just this second* learned that a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version was made but never released, until Cinemaware made the ROM available on their website. That website is long dead but the ROM must be out there and I'm gonna find it.

[@TechDweeb]

Solid suggestion! I've added it to my 'to check out' list :)

[@TheGuppy]

Don't play the Genesis version. I see why it was never released! All the spooky vibes are gone and it's just a (bad) topdown shooter.

[@Ari-ez1vj]

so that’s where my mom has been heading out at night

[@Trustyfilms]

How about Bubble Bobble but with fire? I just found an awesome spooky arcade game called 'Nightmare in the Dark' on my SF2000. Well worth a look if you like the sound of a dark and spooky bubble bobble clone!

[@TechDweeb]

Sounds interesting. Added to my list!

[@rodneyolewiler9063]

Gabriel Knight and Phantasm games from Sierra online should play on retroid pocket 3 plus. Have you ever tried birch beer or is that pa dutch drink

[@TechDweeb]

Never heard of Birch Beer but it sounds like I'd love it.

[@kennethd4958]

One more game for you to try if you haven't is Master of Darkness. It's a PAL released Master System game set in the Jack the Ripper times and its similar to Castlevania.. I believe it was also released on the Game Gear in the U.S. but I haven't played that version yet.. I think it's pretty much the same game though.

[@TechDweeb]

Good suggestions!

[@punkrachmaninoff]

Please make a video about the game 'Sheep' for GBA. It is overlooked and hilarious.

[@tonimathias-grumley6631]

What theme do you have there? I love it!

[@TechDweeb]

On the X55? That's the default JELOS theme.

[@tonimathias-grumley6631]

Ahh yes! ok JELOS, I have Onion on my MiyooMini+ dangit! - Thank you tho great video!@@TechDweeb

[@johnsducks9816]

Corpse Party psp is a great one if you want to use the full screen of that spooky black x55

[@bwillythekid8249]

Night slashers

[@TechDweeb]

Looks great!

[@fatbelly2438]

zombie zombie on the zx spectrum 1984

[@levimedley9926]

Where can I get the little TV? Thing would be a cool desk decoration.

[@user-ty1it5gz4v]

If you want your Christmas to be spooky as well, the movie Krampus (2015) is pretty awesome. The director's previous work, Trick'r Treat (2008), is a quintessential Halloween film. My retro spooky list right now includes Pinball of the Dead, ZAMN!, Ghoul Patrol (a SNES-exclusive sequel to ZAMN!), Super Castlevania 4, Splatterhouse 1-3 (and the lesser known NES spin-off, Splatter House: Wanpaku Graffiti, which is cartoony and silly, but pretty awesome), and Ghouls'n Ghosts (for when I want to suffer). MediEvil for PS1 is also fantastic, and very much in the spirit of Halloween. If you care for not retro, but retro-style games for PC, check out Dead Estate (roguelite along the lines of The Binding of Isaac, but with a more silly, B-movie atmosphere) and Death Road to Canada (roguelite road trip through zombie apocalypse. The best feature is the Familiar Faces mode, where you can create and save a bunch of NPCs after your friends and favourite film characters and play as them and/or meet them along the road. It also has 2-player local coop).

[@nakedinthe90s74]

Krampus was terrible..each to their own 😅

[@lobogato100]

You have to play clock tower

[@TechDweeb]

Will do!

[@TheThirdEnergy]

Was going to comment this you beat me to it

[@drazen1529]

Ever player Ghost Master for PC ? Sounds similar to that Haunting game

[@DollyBullDagger]

Honestly the first game that gave me the heebie-jeebies was zany golf, the watered down version on genesis, playing at 1am on a school night, with foam walkman headphones so I wouldn't wake the p's, the way the flickering zenith made shadows dance on the the walls, spookin and geekin like a crackhead by a window 😅😅😅

[@TechDweeb]

A classic horror game for the ages ⛳

[@DonaldWyman]

I like the Famicom version of kid Dracula better(I believe there is an English translation as well)... If for no other reason than it is color.

[@daveyberling9747]

How do I join Dusty Games Society?! Great video as always!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks! DGS goes down in the patron-only private channel on my discord ;) www.patreon.com/TechDweeb

[@daveyberling9747]

@@TechDweeb you bet buddy! You will see me there soon.

[@daveyberling9747]

@@TechDweeb I'm all joined up!! Thank you for the link.