Top Horror Games Countdown: Sony Playstation

Posted on November 9, 2025 by bloodlinematt

The Sony Playstation hit North America on September 9, 1995 and changed the world of video games forever as it was the first disc-based system to truly catch on with gamers as the Sega CD and Phillips CDI failed to gain any momentum and PC Gaming at the time was where CD Games ruled supreme. The Playstation would dominate the home console landscape and even Nintendo’s next console, the N64, failed to dethrone it as the Atari Jaguar CD and even the Sega Dreamcast could not compete when they were released. And because of the power of the Playstation, many publishers would flock to make games for the system as well as port over their games and of course this meant lots of very cool horror games were released on the system and this is where the modern version of Survival Horror would start (but some would say Sweet Home for the Famicom (NES) started it all) and it kicked off for the masses with Resident Evil that was released in 1996 and through this system’s generation many very iconic series would start and continue to this day being must play games for Horror Gamers. The Sony Playstation would come to an end in 2006 officially and would pave the way for the Playstation 2 (PS2) that would become one of the top selling Home Consoles of all time. I got my first Sony Playstation pretty early in the system’s life as my brother would get it for me as he was working for a second hand media store called Replay Media in our area and for day one I was hooked. Now don’t get me wrong my cousins already had one and I can remember playing Resident Evil with my cousin Norman with both of us loving the creepy nature of it. And that is the thing about the Sony Playstation, for me as growing up I have great memories of playing it alongside my friends like Jason Gilmore, Matt Hoffman, Josh Weinberg and Dave Wean during late night gatherings of game playing and junk food eating.

So I have 42 Horror Games for the Sony Playstation (aka the PS1 and PSX) and that makes them the Unholy 42, as I will rank them from Worst to Best! Now I am not going to give them a star rating or even a letter grade I am just going to let their standing speak for itself. I am also going to chat a little about the game as well as my thoughts, and of course I will also tell when it was released, what company put it out, what it was rated as well as if I beat it. And keep in mind the games, I am ranking all have to be in my personal collection and on the original format so no digital rom games will be on here, as all that I am ranking are on the classic disc. I will be ranking them mostly on my personal opinion and of course elements like game play, spookiness, graphics, sound, music, replay value, villain(s), story, characters and presentation will all play factors in the ranking as well. So if you are ready, let’s dust off the old Sony Playstation and bust out the old discs and see what horror titles on the system brought the scares to this gamer.

# 42

Roswell Conspiracies
Released in 2001 System: PSX Company: Ubi Soft Rated: T Beat: Yes

This game was based off the cartoon and has you playing as Nick Logan as you run around blasting monsters and then capturing them as this is your job. You along the way must fight off werewolves, vampires and even solve some puzzles in order to complete your mission. This is a really simple game and is clearly aimed at young gamers who enjoy monsters, aliens and shows like The X-Files. But because the game is so simple and the plot is a little thin, this starts to become kind of a bland play and if you did not watch the cartoon, you would really have no reason to play the game. The game packs very light chills as it’s more about the action than scaring the player. I got this game when released for very cheap and can remember never really getting into it even after beating the game. But I guess I should say if you like the cartoon find this one and give it a play, but as you can see it finds itself in last place here on my countdown list.

# 41

The X-Files
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Fox Rated: T Beat: No

You are FBI Agent Craig Wilmore, and you have been given an assignment from Skinner to find the missing Agents Scully and Mulder. You are joined by police officer Mary Astadourian and you discover that aliens have taken over the bodies of humans and have a sinister plot that is unfolding, and now you have to use your skills and training in order to stop this silent invasion as well as find the missing agents. This is a FMV Point and Click game that takes place during the third season of the TV Show and features all the actors from the show reprising their roles. And while seeing the actors was cool, the gameplay and putting along plot is kind of what makes this game a miss for me when playing, now don’t get me wrong I am a sucker for FMV games and was and still am a big fan of The X-Files, it’s just this game was lacking something to make it be a must play for me and my friends, as I can remember several of my friends starting to play the game at get togethers only to stop it pretty early on as they got bored and wanted more action, horror and suspense in their gaming experience. The game is pretty fun if you are a mega fan of the show, but most casual gamers will not find this a fun play, but it does have some spooky moments that might scare you if you are playing it in a dark room on a windy stormy night.

# 40

Dracula: The Last Sanctuary
Released in 2002 System: PSX Company: DreamCatcher Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is the second game in the point and click Dracula games that is a very slow game that sadly is pretty boring overall as the plot has you as Harker going after Count Dracula in order to get back his wife Mina and has to confront Dracula as well as all those who serve him. This is a slow paced Point and Click game and while it is fun, it also kind of drags in spots much like the first game in the series. And while the game does have some spooky moments and Dracula is a great villain it just kind of lacked something for me as a player. This is a game I played as a teenager and got it when it first came out, and can remember none of my other friends who played horror games wanted to play it as most were not fans of classic Point and Click games, but while it is very low on my list and a little slow I really don’t hate this game, its just not one I would play very often, but if you like Dracula and classic games that play in this style make sure to check this one out.

# 39

Dracula: The Resurrection
Released in 2001 System: PSX Company: DreamCatcher Rated: M Beat: Yes

Jonathan and Mina Harker are having a happy life after the destruction of Count Dracula, but after Mina goes missing and a cult of Dracula worshipers want to bring the vampire back, Jonathan must set on a quest to get his wife back, stop the cult and kill Dracula once again if he is brought back to the world of the living. This is a pretty fun Point an Click Horror Game that does a great job of bringing in atmosphere as well as showcase a continuing story for the Dracula legacy. And while the game is for the most part entertaining as you play through and watch the story unfold, it also is a little slow moving and can drag at times with some elements of were do I go and do present. This is a game I got when it was released and can remember sitting in a dark basement and playing it, and when I beat the game it did feel pretty good to defeat Dracula once more. While this game is low on the list the reason for this is cause I did find it to be a little slow and is a game that after beating I have not put back in to replay, but if you like Point and Click games or Dracula make sure to give this one a play.

# 38

Invasion From Beyond
Released in 1998 System: PSX Company: GT Rated: E Beat: No

This is like a classic alien invasion film put into a fun yet very challenging video game that offers some chills and lots of flying fighting action. This game has you play as a fighter pilot who must fly around and fight off UFO’s as a full fledge alien invasion is taking place and you are the only hope for mankind’s survival. This game is really challenging as for me I could not get the hang of flying the plane around in order to fire at the enemy UFO’s, and this caused lots of frustration and at times un-fun gameplay. The challenge of the game is both great and terrible as we all love a challenging game when its that way because of a difficulty, but it’s not so good when its that because of the controls. The graphics are pretty cool and I do like the premise of the game that feels like it would have been a script for a Sci-Fi film from the 1950’s. And I do not have much connection to this game, as it is not one I played growing up and did not get it into my collection until a few years ago, so I have no nostalgia to help me look past its flaws. And while it’s not a terrible game it just is not a very fun one either as it’s also very repetitive and lacks that something that would make it a must play game for fans who like alien horror. Not much to say here besides it was a fun time waster until it got on my nerves.

# 37

Countdown Vampires
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Bandai Rated: M Beat: Yes

Countdown Vampires is considered to be one of the worst Survival Horror games for the Playstation as it has sloppy controls, is way to easy to beat and the vampires are not that threatening causing players to turn on this one pretty fast and it scoring very low rating with both players and critics. The game has you play, as Detective Keith J. Snyder who is assigned to work as a bodyguard at a casino called The Desert Moon that is horror themed that turns into a true house of horror when black goo comes out of the sprinklers after a fire and this causes the people the goo touched to turn into vampires! Keith is now running around the casino fighting off vampires, saving lives and trying his best to figure out what the hell is going on as these monsters are blood thirsty and someone or something had to be what created them with the goo. This is a really cheesy and goofy game with some really basic controls and laughable voice acting, but yet it tries to deliver some scares along the way even if it fails to deliver. Countdown Vampires is a real clone of Resident Evil and trades vampires for zombies and a casino for a mansion. Over this game is nothing special but for me did kill some time as I waited for the next Silent Hill and Resident Evil game to be released.

# 36

Killing Zone
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Acclaim Rated: T Beat: Yes

The fighting game craze was massive thanks to games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken and Horror themed fighters was a no brainer so entered Killing Zone that allowed players to pick from seven different types of monsters like Skeleton, Mummy, Frankenstein’s Monster, Gorgon, Minotaur, Dark Faerie and Werewolf and each have their own fighting styles and powers that make then deadly. The game is very basic in it’s fighting and is not a fast paced fighter that players were into at the time and that is why this one slipped through the cracks and sadly is a pretty forgotten fighter only showing up now on YouTube game review shows from time to time. The game plays on the fear factor of their fighters and backgrounds, as this one is more about the fights than the frights. When playing this game you will notice that there is no real special moves and that speed is not in favor of these monsters, but while a slow pace fighter it is really fun to play with your friends as who don’t like a monster vs. monster fights. The game is a sequel to Battle Monsters that was released for the Sega Saturn back in 1995, and while a fun play for a short time it is one that is at the bottom when it comes to fighters. Also should say that the game is pretty easy to beat once you get down the controls and your monster of choices fighting style.

# 35

Rampage: Through Time
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Midway Rated: T Beat: Yes

Rampage is a classic game series that got a rebirth in the late 90’s and this is the fourth game in the series and has our monsters George (Ape), Lizzie (Lizard), Ralph (Wolf), Harley (Warthog), Curtis (Rat), Boris (Rhino) and Ruby (Lobster) traveling through time causing chaos and destruction for Scumlabs who must finally fight the giant monsters at Area 51! While this game has a new storyline and adds at least one new monster to the roster with that being Harley they did not change much of the game play and you once more spend level after level just bringing down buildings and structures of all types and fighting off military machines along the way. And while I am a rampage fan by the fourth game in the series you would have hoped that Midway would have added something different to the mix besides monsters and backgrounds. And while this game is a repetitive fun one that brings the three classic monster characters back it is also just lacking something for me that made it one that I played and beat, but never felt the urge to play through it again. Not really spooky but does deliver of giant monster destruction. Not much else to say besides the weakest of the Rampage games for the Sony Playstation.

# 34

Alien Resurrection
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Fox Rated: M Beat: No

This first person shooter game was so delayed and almost seemed cursed that it was doomed from the start, but with that said while flawed it really is not a terrible game. The game has you playing as Lt. Ellen Ripley who is stuck on a ship along side some mercenaries and must fight off a horde of Xenomorph’s and the Queen in order to survive and escape this doomed vessel. The game loosely plays into the film featuring many of the characters from it, and at times part of the game can deliver some jump scares with the Xenomorph coming out all around to get you. The main issue with this game is that when it comes to first person shooters featuring the characters from the Alien films this one just falls flat compared to them as games like “Alien Trilogy” and “Alien vs. Predator” just delivered better gaming experiences, making this one feel behind in the times when released in 2000. But I also do have to say that the game does offer some fun moments and has you also fighting off other marines will using all types of weapons, and the game also gives you missions to complete and this helps add to the storyline and keeps it from just being get from point A to point B without dying. The game also packs a little of a challenge and the graphics are not bad at all. And the only reason this game is so low is that it kind of feels like a clone of another Alien game for the PSX that is much higher on this list, so while it is fun, it is nothing new and I would rather play a few other first person shooters for the Playstation before this one.

# 33

Juggernaut
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Jaleco Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is a very strange and spooky game that plays on mood and atmosphere in order to bring the chills down your spine and has been described as unsettling by many players. In this point and click game you play as a man whose girlfriend has been possessed by a demon and you must enter the mind of your lady that is now like a haunted mansion that is filled with puzzles, items and strange visions and in the end you must save her soul from a devil like creature and truly find out the dark secret of why she has been chosen. This is truly a strange game that moves along slowly but the story start to unfold a little more as you continue on your quest to save her soul, and this feels very creepy as you see strange things all around you as you push forward and solve these puzzles of the mind. This is not your typical style Horror Game and really feels more like it should be on the PC but it is a very spooky game that will surely please fans of point and click games. I also have to say I like the devil at the end and while not overly hard, it is one of those games you feel like you accomplished something when you beat it. The reason this game is not higher is I do find it to be a very cool horror game is because it is one that I played later in my life and did not find it hard to beat and because that I think it is one of those games you will play once or twice in your life and be done with it. But I do recommend it for fans of point and click horror games and for those who like trippy mind games that have to do with demons. And do keep in mind the game is very slow paced and is not action heavy at all.

# 32

Alone In The Dark: One-Eyed Jacks Revenge
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Infogrames Rated: T Beat: No

This is the second game in the Alone In The Dark series and has Edward Carnby who is a Supernatural Private Eye along with his partner Ted Stryker heading to the Hell’s Kitchen Mansion on a case that involves mobsters kidnapping a young girl, but after Ted is killed and Edward is all alone he finds that these mobsters have been taken over by the evil spirits of pirates thanks to voodoo magic and he must fight for his life in order to save the young girl plus find out why they want her and stop these pirates once and for all. This is another game that I have almost when released as I was able to get a copy from a second hand media store in town, and found it to be a fun and spooky game…but the graphics and controls is what took me out of it and made it that I never sat and played the game all the way through. But I have to say I do like the character Edward Carnby and find the concept of ghost pirates taking control of the bodies of mobsters in the 1920’s during Christmas to be a pretty awesome story. I really do hate having this Alone In The Dark game so low on this list, but again if you have ever played this eye sore with the bad controls you would see why I had to do so. This is a game that could really do with a remake as all the pieces are here for a good horror game and the Alone In The Dark series really does need to make a comeback to the world of modern gaming.

# 31

OverBlood
Released in 1997 System: PSX Company: EA Rated: T Beat: No

This is a Sci-Fi Horror Game that was made as a way to rival the Resident Evil games and has you play as Raz Karcy who wakes up from a cryogenic box and you are confused and scared and must figure out a way to escape the research facility that you are stuck in. Along the way you make a friend with a robot as well as Milly Azray all the while you are solving puzzles, wondering around, fighting off both infected people as well as illness yourself. And that is why this game was met with very mix reviews as players felt that the game was just way too slow paced and that the scares were just to far and few. I can remember buying this game from Blockbuster Video back in the day and while I enjoyed the slow burn style game play I did find myself getting bored as I like good solid scary baddies in my Horror Games. And another thing that goes against this game for me is that the story and voice acting is pretty cheesy and not fully in a good way. But while this game is pretty low on my list and it does have lots of flaws I do not hate it and have some great memories playing it late nights. I would say if you enjoy Horror themed games were you wonder around going through doors, solving some puzzles and fighting off some enemies as the plot slowly unfolds give OverBlood a shot.

# 30

Crypt Killer
Released in 1997 System: PSX Company: Konami Rated: T Beat: Yes

Who doesn’t like a creepy Horror themed first person shooter that allowed the player not only to use the regular controller but also light guns to shoot down attacking monsters! In this game you play as a Crypt Raider who is being guided around levels that are like caves, crypts and temples fighting off the monsters and creatures that live in them in order to find the Eyes Of Guidance but in order to get your hands on these keys to open the doors of fate you have to fight a boss like sea monsters and such. The game is pretty fun and is a rail shooter so it moved you automatically through the locations and makes your focus of gunning down your enemies. And while this shooter is pretty basic and the enemies cool but generic I am a fan and have always enjoyed playing this game by myself or with my friend Jason Gilmore when I was younger. This is also a game that I wished would have gotten sequels but do to the poor reviews Konami killed this series after the first. And while this game is not ground breaking nor super iconic I for one enjoy it for all the simple reasons of it being a game to kill time with while shooting monsters!

# 29

Rampage: World Tour
Released in 1997 System: PSX Company: Midway Rated: T Beat: Yes

Rampage is a video game series that I have been a fan of for a very long time as I can remember playing the arcade version at a local Hills Department Store and even back in the day trading a friend at school for a copy of it on the NES. And in the area of the PSX, the series would make a sort of comeback with a new take on the classic destroy the buildings formula. World Tour is the second Rampage game and has you playing as George (Ape), Lizzie (Lizard) or Ralph (Wolf) who escape a Scumlabs facility and go around the world to attack their other labs and kill the employees, and finally you battle the Scumlabs boss on the moon after he turns into a giant monster himself, well I should say you destroy buildings as he bounces around. Much like the other two PSX Rampage games, this has flaws as this game is repetitive, drags, is over long and while the graphics are great it just can not live up to the original. I will say that I do like that they try and give this game a storyline and for the most part that works as I like the idea of the monsters wanting to get revenge on the company that has tormented them for years. And for those wondering, yes, George is the monster I always play as in this game. Over all not a terrible game, just a little too repetitive for my taste, but I do say that it’s worth a play and own for fans of Rampage.

# 28

The Mummy
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Konami Rated: T Beat: No

This is based on the 1999 film by Universal and is an action horror game that is brought to us by Konami who was trying to be the rival to Capcom when it came to horror games! In this game you play as Rick O’Connell and you are on an expedition and of course you are on the bad side of The Mummy Imhotep who has his army of the dead as well as insects on his side. Oh did I also mention to you that your love interest Evelyn Carnahan is also in Egypt with you and could be in danger’s way! This game has very sloppy controls that at times leads to frustrating gameplay, but I have to say that I had lots of fun running around the darken tombs fighting The Mummy’s evil minions as the worst choice for a voice actor of Rick O’Connell drones on during cut scenes, like he sounds nothing like Brendan Fraser. The game has some spooky moments and the fight with Imhotep is kind of fun and adds to the chills. This is one of those games that is not for everyone as it does have flaws and can drag in spots, but for me it is a fun play and Shockley I have not beat this one yet…I need to get on that.

# 27

Martian Gothic
Released in 2001 System: PSX Company: Take 2 Rated: M Beat: No

This is one of those games I have a love hate relationship with as I bought this game when it was released as I was excited about the idea of a survival game that was about aliens, and when playing it I hated the controls and the puzzles were just annoying and there was way to many of theme. The game has you play as one of three players that have been sent to a Mars base called Vita-01 in order to find out why all the people there are dead, soon you find out that they opened a ancient Martian box that has unleashed something very sinister at the base as the dead are coming back to life and now you must find out how to survive and never meet each other again as this will cause the virus to spread even more…and this is what could doom the Earth. This is a fun game that has tank controls and a interesting story, but again the so many puzzles always took me out of the game and caused me never to finish it, and you know I really should revisit this game and finish it. The game also has some spooky moments and the lack of weapons to truly fight back makes this a good example of a PSX survival horror game. If you like games about aliens that has puzzles on puzzled then check this out, as again I don’t mind this game, it’s just something annoy me lots about it.

# 26

Shadow Man
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Acclaim Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is a game set in the world of voodoo and dark magic and is a strange mix of adventure and horror and is oddly enough based on a comic book series by Valiant Comics. The game has you play as Michael LeRoi, a voodoo warrior who is now the chosen one to keep the world safe from the creatures coming from the other side by Mama Nettie who infuses the mask of shadows to his chest, and you must collect dead souls in order to stop the coming Apocalypse that is being ushered in by The Legion who will do anything to destroy the land of the living. This is a pretty fun game that brings in elements of true crime as a character in the game is Jack The Ripper and the creatures or dark souls if you prefer can be creepy and add to the horror aspects of the game. And this is one that for years has been argued about between gamers as some do not see it as a horror game, while others do…I am the latter and that is why it’s on this countdown update. This is one I played when released and ended up beating some time later, I also have some good memories of playing this game with my pal Jason Gilmore during one of our many gaming marathons. If you like your action adventure games with a mix of voodoo and horror then this one is for you.

# 25

Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare
Released in 2001 System: PSX Company: Infogrames Rated: E Beat: No

This is the fourth game in the Alone In The Dark game series and is the first reboot made to try to get the series into the more modern game era as Survival Horror was in full swing. This game has you play as supernatural private investigator Edward Carnby who is looking into the death of his friend and this takes him to an island that unravels clues to do with his murder that includes ancient tablets, dark magic and ungodly creatures! What has Edward stumbled onto and how can he stop the upcoming darkness? You can also choose to play as Aline Cedrac, a university professor who also knows about the tablets and is going to try and stop the coming evil. This is a pretty spooky and fright filled game that is a mix of action and puzzle solving and delivers creatures that want nothing more than to kill you dead. Edward is a character that had been throughout the Alone In The Dark series that has your flashlight be your main weapon, as these monsters you face hate the light. This is a game I played when released and enjoyed the creepy nature of it as I had played pervious games in the series and liked this new restart to the series. I am shocked that I never beat this game and someday I will have to go back and revisit it and give it a go. If you like your Survival Horror games covered in darkness, puzzled and scares give this one a play.

# 24

Space Invaders
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Activsion Rated: E Beat: Yes

Space Invaders is one of the greatest classic arcade games as well as one of the best games for the Atari 2600, and in the late 90’s the classic game was remade and was pretty dang awesome as they took the classic play and turned it up a notch. This game has you play as high-powered tank driver who is fighting off alien invaders who want to take over Earth, and you must keep fighting, as the invasion gets more and more intense as the levels go on. While this is a cool update to a very classic game, if I wanted to play Space Invaders on a home console I would play if for the Atari 2600 and not an enhanced version, and that is the only reason it finds itself at this spot on my list. Now keep in mind, it is a fun play and if you like fending off invaders from space then check this one out. This is also one that I played much later after its first release and I do respect that fact that they try and give the game a little bit of a story with an opening cut scene. Not much more to say besides if you like Space Invaders and want to play a more updated version then track this one down and give it a play.

# 23

Darkstalkers
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: T Beat: Yes

This is a fighting game that has monsters fighting it out in the style of Street Fighter II, and yep it’s cause it was made by Capcom! The plot of this fighter is pretty simple as the Earth is in danger thanks to an invading demon who wants to devour our world, and monsters are the only chance to stop this from happing. You can choose from ten different monsters that include Sasquatch, female cat person Felicia, vampire Demitri Maximoff, werewolf Jon Talbain, merman Rikuo, stitched together monster Victor Von Gerdenheim, rock star zombie Lord Raptor, ghost samurai Bishamon, succubus Morrigan Aensland and mummy Anakaris. The fighting is fast paced and the combos, if timed right, can really help you win the fight. This game’s horror comes with the fighters themselves as they are all based on classic monsters and even the theme of an alien demon wanting to bring down the Earth is a little spooky. While this game is a classic, it is one that I did not play as often when it came to fighters as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and one that will appear a little later in this countdown update. A fun game for sure and one that if you like monsters fighting each other you should play, and yes this game spawned sequels as well as comics and toys as it was a very popular Horror Fighter series for Capcom for years. And I can also remember back in the day having matches against my brother as well as friends.

# 22

Evil Dead: Hail To The King
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: THQ Rated: M Beat: No

This Survival Horror game is based on the classic Horror Movie series and the game takes place after the events of the third film (Army Of Darkness) and has you playing as Ash who along with his new girlfriend Jenny head back to the cabin in the woods to get over his fears and find that the deadites are alive an well and after taking Jenny, our hero Ash must go after her as well as fight his Evil Self and his own cursed hand! This game has a few scares and is a hack slash game that sadly has some of the worst controls in PSX Survival Horror Game history as at times you fill like you are swinging your axe or chainsaw wildly. The controllers is the tank style and can be a little awkward and is what makes combat way more difficult and brings lots of frustration. What does make this game work is the atmosphere that is dark and creepy, spooky and scary villains and an iconic hero as its great playing as Ash. And this game also sparked two sequels and was a great starting point to reintroduce Evil Dead back into video games, as the first was way back in the Commodore 64 days! This is by no means a great game, but it does have a solid story that showcases elements from all three original Evil Dead films and brings characters like Evil Ash and his Possessed Hand back into the fold…and yes, I know that part of the reason I enjoy this game is because I am a fan of the films, but I also know that because the bad controls is why I have never beat the game.

# 21

Resident Evil: Survivor
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: M Beat: Yes

Resident Evil made the jump into first shooter person gaming with Survivor, and since its release it as been meet with lots of hatred by most RE fans, but it as well as built up its own cult following for trying something different. This has you play as a pilot who escapes a helicopter crash but with no memory of who he is, and worse he is stuck on an island that is ran by Umbrella and that has an outbreak of its own! Along the way you fight off zombies and other creatures as the story of who you are unfolds and you must find a way off the island before is self-destructs, save some young kids that have been left behind on the island as well as uncover who you really are all the while fighting a Tyrant that is stalking you. I understand why, when released, that this game was met with bad reviews and anger from RE fans who wanted tank controls and a more deep story, but for me it was just a side story in the RE universe that had ties to some of the characters from the main games and was a way to hold us over for Resident Evil 4 that was coming soon on the PS2. The games controls can be clunky and having to use the controller and not a light gun as it can slowdown your attacks on the enemies. While this is not the perfect or best Resident Evil game on the PSX, it is one that I spend many hours playing growing up and did enjoy this spinoff storyline.

# 20

Primal Rage
Released in 1995 System: PSX Company: Warner Rated: T Beat: Yes

This is a fighting game that is very much rooted in Horror as its Kaiju or Giant Monsters fighting and killing each other and even eating humans in order to get a boost during battle! The game even has a plot that involves a meteor that has hit Earth and has caused it to be destroyed and the remaining humans form tribes and worship monsters that have awaken after the destruction and now they fight for the land and to be the dominate one. The player can choose from a total of seven fighters that are broken into two sides the destructive group that wants the world to go even darker are Diablo a fire breathing dinosaur, Vertigo a snake like dinosaur creature and Choas who is a ape. The virtuous beasts are Blizzard a giant ape, Sauron a Tyrannosaurus, Talon a raptor and Armadon as spiky dinosaur. Each character has their own powers and some are really silly as the ape Chaos uses foul farts to affect his enemies! The game is a little slow and clunky on the PSX as it a port of an Arcade Game, but with the slowness comes the charm of having giant monsters fighting! And I will also say that at times pulling off special moves can be annoying on the PSX version. This game has a cult following and sadly while a Primal Rage 2 was in the works, it never got an official release. I played this game all the time in the arcades and once it came to PSX, I played it solo as well as against friends. A fun Horror themed fighter that is due for a rebirth on modern systems.

# 19

Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Eidos Rated: T Beat: Yes

It took around three years for the next game in the Legacy Of Kain series to be released and this time around you play as the vampire Raziel who covers his face do to it being disfigured and the world of Nosgoth is in chaos as Kain has raised an army of vampires and they have killed off most of the humans. That causes a magical wheel underground not to spin and give life to the land, and now it’s up to Raziel who is at odds with Kain in order to get the land once more set right as well as find the Elder God who lives underground and controls the wheel. This is a really fun action horror game that adds to the story of Kain and the land of Nosgoth and allows you to play as a vampire who has had his own kind turn on, and this game also plays Kain as the main villain and in the end it’s vampire vs. vampire for the fate of the land. This was a sequel that my friends and I was very much looking forward to, and for the most part it lived up to our excitement and also introduced us to Raziel who is now the series’ main hero and a great foe to go up against Kain. If you like your horror games to have a vast world filled with dark magic and vampires then give this one a play.

# 18

D
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Acclaim Rated: T Beat: Yes

D is a interactive movie horror game that has you play as Laura Harris who is heading to a hospital that her father committed a mass murder spree in and she wants answers to what set him off and caused all this, but she gets the shock of her life when the hospital turns into a castle that is filled with nightmares, weird visions and voices that she must put together in order to find what she seeks. Can Laura find her father, can she save him from the curse of…Dracula and his blood! This is a very strange game that is more of a movie that you can interact with by finding and using objects. The main appeal of this game is its strange story that deals with mass murder and the cure of being a vampire, plus let’s be honest its really cool that the D stands for Dracula as anytime you can work that icon of Horror Media into something I say do it! This game has been met with very mix feelings by gamers over the years as many think that the lack of true game play makes it a lame experience, while others like that it’s more of a animated movie that allows you to help move the story along. This is a game that I have been a fan of ever since I rented it from Blockbuster Video when I was a teenager as its story kept me playing and the fact that you have to play through it in one sitting made for a spooky rollercoaster ride the late night I played it. While this game is not for everyone, this Dracula game will always have a place in my aging gamer heart.

# 17

Nightmare Creatures
Released in 1997 System: PSX Company: Activision Rated: M Beat: Yes

A Horror Game series that I feel has not gotten its share of the fame over the years is Nightmare Creatures as it’s truly a spooky game that is filled with some very cool monsters as well as a good story line that revolves around a cult as well as brings in elements of gothic horror. The game has you take control of priest Ignatius Blackward or Nadia Franciscu,s the daughter of a murdered doctor who was studying a book that had the secrets of the cult who are now working with the evil Adam Crowley who is responsible for creatures and monsters appearing all over London, England! The mood of this game is grim and the dark streets of London are a great backdrop for this tale of gothic cult horror. The downside to the game is that it does get a little repetitive as you just hack and slash your way through levels of the same monsters, but to be fair welcome to that area of gaming. This is one that I got close to when it was released and enjoyed playing it to completion as I did enjoy the story and wanted to see it all unfold. While it is not as iconic as Resident Evil, Silent Hill or Alone In The Dark, I do think Nightmare Creatures is on par in popularity with Clock Tower and Dino Crisis. And for those wondering I liked playing Nadia as her swords were cool and she moved faster in my opinion. If you like hack slash Horror games that do offer a challenge to beat then make sure to checkout Nightmare Creatures.

# 16

Doom
Released in 1995 System: PSX Company: Midway Rated: M Beat: Yes

The classic PC game was ported to PSX in 1995 and was a combo of the first game as well as Doom II and was a welcomed addition to gamers who loved horror titles. In this game you play as Doom Guy who armed with an assortment of weapons goes on a one man quest to stop the demons that are invading Earth and preventing Hell from taking over as well as the true end of times. This is a classic and it was cool to see a port of the game that as well had some changes make it to home consoles as the title truly is a very iconic first person shooter as well as a must play and own game. The one downside is that some levels from Doom and Doom II have been removes for the PSX version so it did not give gamers the true gaming experience that PC gamers got. The game is filled with all types of demons who add to the horror of a game that is based around Hell. Doom Guy is an awesome hero and a true icon for heroes in games. A game that I got almost when it was released and is one that I played lots, and while it’s not a great as the PC Version or the newly remastered version for PS4 this one is pretty dang great.

# 15

Final Doom
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Williams Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is a sequel to Doom for the PSX and mixes elements from Doom II as well as new levels to create an experience just for the console players. This has you take control of Doom Guy as you battle the hordes of demons that want to try and invade Earth and armed with all types of weapons from a chainsaw to a rocket launcher you set your sets on sending them back to Hell. This is a great first person shooter and for me is the true start of that craze that is still going strong in gaming to this day and could be the best first person shooter not only in Horror Games but video games in general for me. This is much like Doom for PSX that we just spoke about as if takes the same engine and just builds onto it. The game can be spooky and does give a challenge when trying to beat it. Over all another great Doom game and is one I played not as often as I should have.

# 14

Area 51
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Midway Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is the classic light gun rail arcade game ported to home console and is a pretty fun game that that allowed you to use a light gun or even your controller to play. The game has you play as a member of the Strategic Tactical Advanced Alien Response team as a race of aliens called the Kronn and their zombie slaves are attacking the military base Area 51 and it’s your goal to stop this attack as well as the invasion of Earth that could be in the cards if you fail. Now I am not a huge fan of light gun shooters as most I find to be a little boring as they have you on a grid that automatically moves you forward through the whole game, but for some reason Area 51 is one that I have always enjoyed just behind the House Of The Dead series. The aliens and the zombies are super violent and want you dead, and they can also offer a few jump scares as they pop into frame. The game also ported over to Playstation very well and this is a very underrated series when it comes to Sci-Fi, Action Horror games. This is one I played pretty often and was one I had to beat when I got it back in the 90’s. Over all if you like rail shooters and like games about aliens and zombies, give this one a try as it’s a pretty fund fast and challenging game.

# 13

Alien Trilogy
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Acclaim Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is a first person shooter that is based on the super popular Alien movie franchise and has you play as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley who as became a space marine and is on a quest to save human lives as well as destroy the Xenomorphs who have taken over a planet along the way you must fight the alien warriors, face huggers, androids and even the Queen herself. The game can be a challenge as some of the areas are maze like and the aliens are fast and will sneak up on you and hurt you, as does their spit acid blood that you must be aware of. The game being first person helps add to the spooky nature as the aliens are coming after you and your gun needs to be ready to bring them down or they will kill you. This is also proof that games based on movies can be great if done right and if the right time is spent on them you can have a enjoyable game. The game is pretty challenging and does have some jump scare moments as the Aliens will scream that can make you jump when playing late nights. This is one I played solo a lot as well as with my pal Jason Gilmore who is the one who gave me this game back in the day. A must play for fans of Alien both in films and games.

# 12

Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Square Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is a very bloody and fun overhead game that has you take control of the vampire named Kain who was turned into a blood drinking and is now in the land of Nosgoth drinking human blood and on a quest to fight for his life as some humans have made it their goal to kill all the vampires as well as fight with those vampires who are chaos and set to destroy. This has you fight both humans and vampires as well as uncover the dark secrets of the land as well as those who protect the pillars that are the source of power, and best of all in the end you get the choice to save the world or bring it down. Kain is a very interesting character as he is kind of an anti-hero who is both good and evil and the world of Nosgoth is very interesting and deep and should be explored more with future games for these modern systems. The game play is pretty smooth in this game and the overhead camera works well for this style of game, plus drinking the blood of your enemies is very cool and adds to the horror elements of the game as many gamers see this more as an action game then a horror one, but I have always seen it as a vampire Horror Action Game series. Spent many hours playing this game over the years and was one that when you beat it you feel like you have accomplished something big. Great game and is a challenge for sure.

# 11

Dino Crisis 2
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: M Beat: Yes

Regina survived a lab leak that had her and her fellow Secret Operation Raid Team being attacked and some killed by dinosaurs, and now she has been brought in to supervise a team to get samples to study and she soon finds herself once more being attacked by meat eating dinosaurs. And once more she must fight to survive as well as uncover who, what and why this new outbreak is taking place. The Dino Crisis series does a fantastic job of making dinosaurs scary and brought a tough female hero into gaming as Regina is underrated when it comes to heroes in Horror Games. This game has the classic tank controls and is very challenging and has puzzles as well as boss fights that will surely scare those who are not ready for a challenge. The original game in the series is a fantastic Survival Horror game, and this sequel is a good follow up and helped add to the world and story this series was building. This game also allows you to play as Dylan and I also have to say Capcom took a little of the horror elements out and added more of a Sci-Fi action feel to it over all. This is a game I can remember playing solo or with my friend Jason Gilmore and when I beat the game it left me wondering what was next for the series, and what we got was a mess of a game that was only for Xbox released in 2003 and they set it in space and removed Regina from the series…and it has remained a dead franchise since then. Over all a great game and I have to stress to Capcom give us a new Dino Crisis game or at least remake them like you have for the Resident Evil series.

# 10

Castlevania Chronicles
Released in 2001 System: PSX Company: Konami Rated: T Beat: Yes

This is a great game as it’s an updated remake of the classic original Castlevania game with better graphics and fighting combat. The game has you play as Simon Belmont, and you are on a quest to bring the end of Dracula who has along with his army of monsters have been tormenting and killing people for decades, armed with your whip and other elements of battle you head to his castle with courage and might as you must not fail. Castlevania is one of my favorite games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and this remake is one hell of a great play as the graphics look great and all the changes help make the quest feel more epic, but that’s also partly why it does not find itself higher of this list as the simple nature of the NES game and it’s difficulty is what makes it so good to me. If you are a fan of Castlevania, this is worth playing as it does its job of updating and iconic game, bringing Dracula back to being scary and is a must own for collectors even though it has a high price sticker. This one I played more when I was an adult as I did not own it when released as it being a remake of one of my all time favorite games was not on my radar then as I would have just played the original if I wanted to play.

# 9

Clock Tower II
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: AgeTec Rated: M Beat: Yes

The world of Clock Tower is a very underrated game series, and this sequel is a good follow up as it has you play as Alyssa Hale, a high school girl who is having issues cause another person’s soul has taken residents in her body named Bates, and he wants to take over her body! Now Alyssa must fight for her soul as well as the world around her is turning dark as loved ones and strangers are turning into monsters and zombies walk the hallways. Are these visions real or is it Bates just messing with her mind is the question all gamers face as they play through this underrated game. This is another point and click game that is more about avoiding then combat and this adds to the terror as you have to think fast during moments in order to survive. This one as well is more about The Maxwell Curse and does lack the appearance of a masked giant scissors carrying madman. This one has a good atmosphere and can be a challenge and has some jump scare moments that help add to the Survival Horror game genre as a whole. If you like point and click Horror Games that have an interesting unfolding plot as well as multiple endings, make sure to track this one down, but keep in mind it is a little pricy. And this is one I can remember playing late nights with the goal to beat it as well as give myself a few scares.

# 8

Nightmare Creatures II
Released in 2000 System: PSX Company: Konami Rated: M Beat: Yes

This game is lots of fun and allows you to hack up monsters using your trusty axe and sometimes Rob Zombie music plays adding to the wild nature of the game. In this game you play as Herbert Wallace, a mental patient at the evil Adam Crowley’s genetics hospital who escapes and with an axe tries to fight off the evil monsters and creatures the Crowley’s occultist magic as brought to the streets of London, England and his goal is to fight Crowley himself to stop all this madness as well as for all the tortures he has done to him and others at the hospital. Plus it’s all also for Rachel the love of his life who as well is caught up in this madness. And this game is very bloody as you kill everything in your way and while the gameplay can be a little repetitive I for one love the atmosphere as well as the story being told, plus playing as the well spoken and yet unstable character Herbert Wallace adds to the over all feel of chaos, sadness and dread that fills every level. And while the game can give you a challenge and at times the controls and camera seem to work against you, it is beatable, as I have done so several times over my lifetime. This is a game I played alone at night with all the lights off and was a great gaming experience in 2000. This one is not for everyone, as some of you will be annoyed by the gameplay as well as the repetitive combat and enemies that appear, but if you like hack slash games check this one out as it is a game I very much enjoy. Plus Konami should bring back Nightmare Creatures or even just place it into the Castlevania world.

# 7

Resident Evil 2
Released in 1998 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: M Beat: Yes

Resident Evil 2 was a great follow up to the original game and added more terror, more story and more layers to the series and proved that Capcom was the King of Survival Horror Games at the time. The game has you play as either Claire Redfield or Leon Kennedy in Raccoon City two months after the events of the first game and another zombie outbreak has infected the citizens and they are trying to stop it as well as get information on the G-Virus, a bio weapon that can turn humans into bio creatures of war. And worse Umbrella, the pharmaceutical company who are responsible for the outbreak, also unleashes a massive bioweapon man called the Tyrant loose in order to hunt down Claire and Leon in order to stop them from uncovering their dark secrets and exposing it to the world. This game offers a challenge to the player and ups the stakes as well as the action and causes you to have to think and act fast in order to survive. Plus besides the zombies and monsters The Tyrant offers a few good scares. Many think that RE2 is the best game in the classic series, and I find it fantastic just not the best for me. I have great memories of playing this game with my friends Jason Gilmore and Dave Wean. Another must have for any Horror Game collector.

# 6

Dino Crisis
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: M Beat: Yes

Capcom had Resident Evil as their top Survival Horror game series but they knew that fans wanted more and with that came the short lived and yet very awesome Dino Crisis series. This one has you take control of Regina, a female agent for the Secret Operation Raid Team who is looking into a research facility that has went dark and was the site of a to secret weapons project, with her is fellow agents Gail, Cooper and Rick and they soon find that the secret project is loose as it’s man-eating dinosaurs who are on the hunt to kill and has caused the mayhem at the lab. Now you must fight to survive as well as uncover the dark nature of this outbreak and if the Doctor behind these experiments is truly dead. This is a great game that makes Dinosaurs scary and adds that Resident Evil touch to its story that draws you in as it unfolds before your eyes. And being chased by a T-Rex is stuff of nightmares! Regina is a great hero and guiding her through this horror as well as puzzles makes beating the game feel more important. It’s a true shame that Capcom fails to see how great this series is and that they have not delivered a remake or sequel in many decades, and heck they could even just at this point pull the characters into the Resident Evil series and people would be happy as who wouldn’t want to fight zombies and dinosaurs! A truly fun and spooky game that I played all the time and had a blast doing so with my friend Jason Gilmore, and with that, again, this is a must own for any fan of Survival Horror games.

# 5

Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Released in 1997 System: PSX Company: Konami Rated: T Beat: Yes

Castlevania is a game series for me that for decades was the top Horror Game Franchises of all time and while now in days I would say that it has dropped behind the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill it still remains a very iconic series even if Konami has dropped the ball as a company. In Symphony Of The Night you take control of Alucard, who is the son of Dracula who is on a mission to bring down his father’s castle, but that does not happen as you are stripped of all your weapons and powers by Death and must gain it all back as your father’s army of creatures and monsters attack and in the end you must face your father Dracula and try to end his reign of terror as well as avenge your mother Lisa who was blamed to be a witch. This is such an amazing game and is considered many to be the best game in the Castlevania series as it’s a challenge to beat, has a great story and allows you to upgrade your weapons and abilities. Plus you get to play as a vampire and better yet, the son of Dracula and even has some appearances by Richter Belmont! The score music done by Michiru Yamane is also amazing and helps add to your quest, and while this is not the most scariest nor bloodiest Horror Game on this list, it is very much a great quest one that features many classic monsters and has top notch game play. This is one I bought when released in 1997 and I can remember playing it for hours with my pal Jason Gilmore and is one that when you beat it you feel like you have been through a rollercoaster of classic horror fright. A must own for any game collector.

# 4

Resident Evil
Released in 1996 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is the game that started the big Survival Horror boom in the video game industry and is the one that made these types of games must plays for gamers the world wide. The game has you play as S.TA.R.S team members Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine who along with Wesker and Barry Burton are stuck in a mansion in the middle of the woods as zombies and creatures are all around trying to make you dead, you have low ammo and must solve puzzles in order to get deeper into the mansion and find out who is responsible for this outbreak as well as try and escape Raccoon City alive. This is one hell of a game and really has some down right spooky moments with one being the iconic first zombie you come across and his slow turn to look at you…creepy stuff. The game also had its fair share of blood and really did seem to be scaring players as the story and the stress of the game would chill your blood and make you anxious as you fought your way through the zombies and monsters. The game also made Tank Controls the standard for all the RE clones that followed for many years. I first saw and played the game with my cousin Norman, and he was a fan and I quickly became one as well from the moment he handed me the control. This is a must play and own game and if you are a classic gamer or even a new gamer and you have not played or own it make sure to get yourself a copy.

# 3

Clock Tower
Released in 1997 System: PSX Company: ASCII Rated: M Beat: Yes

This is a game that I feel is very much often over looked when people talk about great Horror Games for the PSX and for me it has always been one of my all time favorites from the moment I first rented it I went on a hunt to buy it because it was a must have for me and its been one I have played and beat many times over the years as the game has multiple endings. The game has you play as Jennifer Simpson, a young girl who survived an attack by a killer called Scissorsman who has now shown back up and the killing starts all over again. Jennifer is on his list of victims and she must survive in order to find out who and why Scissorsman has returned. This is one of my all time favorite Survival Horror Games and is one that from the moment I rented it from a video store knew I had to own and tracked it down and bought it. The game is a point and click spooky experience that brings jump scares, an interesting story and a cool killer for players to try and dodge and defeat. While this is not your normal style of Horror Games for home console players, it was hands down one of my favorite Horror Games of all time and while the game is pricey now do yourself a favor and track down a copy and give it a play.

# 2

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Capcom Rated: M Beat: Yes

The third game in the Resident Evil game series still is one of my favorite Horror Games of all time and I would even be so bold to say that its my favorite one in the whole series as there is always been something very awesome and spooky about this one. The game has you playing as Jill Valentine, who is trying to escape Raccoon City that has been taken over by the zombies who have been infected by the t-virus, but she has more to worry about when Nemesis shows up with a mission to kill all members of the S.T.A.R.S. team and that puts her are a big target! Now she must fight for her life as well as save those living she comes across all the while fighting the zombies, monsters and of course Nemesis who all want her dead. This game is truly a Survival Horror one as bullets are few and far between and once your machine gun is empty, things do get more difficult. Nemesis is a fantastic monster that chases you around the game and even will kill the zombies if they get in his way as he truly has only one thing on his mind and that’s to bring you death. This is one game that I have played and beat several times and felt good about doing so as its challenging and that is what makes it so good. Plus I really do also like the music used in this game as well as like the story and characters and this is one that almost made my # 1 spot and was only slightly beat out. I should also note that I have lots of great memories playing this game with friends like Jason Gilmore and this is the game that I use to crack my brother up when playing as I would make an injured limping Jill try and escape the zombies and would say “Come On” in my best Captain Rhodes impression from the 1985 classic film Day Of The Dead.

# 1

Silent Hill
Released in 1999 System: PSX Company: Konami Rated: M Beat: Yes

My # 1 has to go to Silent Hill, an amazing game that has you take control of Harry Mason who after an accident driving wakes up to find his daughter Cheryl missing and he is in the strange town of Silent Hill were the fog is thick, the people he meets are strange and monsters roam about when the air siren goes off. This game has some great scares as well as the story just draws you in as Harry must solve where his daughter is and what is going on in Silent Hill! The game also has multiple endings that will have you coming back to play again and again to unlock them all. This was a game that I played when released, and I can remember playing it late at night with all the lights off in the basement and some how the light of the TV Screen in the darkened room just added to the over all creepiness of the game, and that is the thing this game will give you a good fright and has some good jump scares as well as characters that you find yourself bonding to. The atmosphere in the game is also top notch from the rusted out school to the fog riddled streets everything just works so well in the game and let us not forget the amazing music as well! While I love so many of the Horror Games on the Sony Playstation, it’s Silent Hill that hands down is the best of the bunch for me and is one that I feel holds up even to this day.

Truly Silent Hill is one of the greatest Horror Games of all time as nothing can even come close to this game in scares, atmosphere and story for me and this is hands down my favorite game for the PS1. And really this system is my all time favorite one as while I grew up playing Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo and PC Games before I got a PS1 it still is the system that had me locked as a gamer for life. Now don’t get me wrong, the NES is up there for me as one of the greatest Home Consoles of all time, it just got pushed down as being my favorite once I all the classic Horror Games started to get released for the PS1. But enough of me talking about the PS1 as we have came to the end of this update, but before we fully get away from the PS1, I would like to tell you that at some time in the coming years I am working on getting my friends to do their TOP 5 Favorite PS1 Horror Games…and if I can get enough of them to do so, I will make sure to get it up here for you readers to check out. Also I am working on Horror Game Countdowns for others systems like NES, Game Boy and even Commodore 64 so keep your eyes open for those as well. And before we go our separate ways, I would like to tell you that our next update will take us our of the world of Video Games as well as horror and into the future were rebels fight the machines…no, I am not talking about The Terminator but am talking about Captain Power! So until next time, read a comic or three, play a video game or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next time are we fight the future and all the zany robots in it!

Marvel’s Fastest Gun In The West…Rawhide Kid

Posted on February 22, 2019 by bloodlinematt

Once upon a time western comics were all the rage for young readers, and cowboys like Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Billy The Kid, Roy Rogers and so many others entertained and captured imaginations. In fact besides comic books, westerns also use to rule the box office as well as TV airwaves and cheap paperback novels, and it seemed like every kid wanted to be the cowboy when playing “Cowboy And Indians”. But like all super popular media, it, of course, also had a big fall and has lost its hold on the youth today who seem to prefer video game heroes to those from the old wild west. Growing up, I loved films like Once Upon A Time In the West, Magnificent Seven, Young Guns and Quick And The Dead, not to mention the classic true tales of Billy The Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok! Plus no joke. The Rifleman is one of my all time favorite TV shows, and Lone Ranger was a hero of mine when I was a kid! So while westerns in media even by the time of my youth were not as popular of a genre, they still had their hooks in my entertainment. I mean let’s be honest, many of you readers growing up have played Cowboys and Indians and even looked up to the likes of Roy Rogers or John Wayne. For this update we are going to take a look at a western hero from the Marvel Universe and after looking at all the options, I decided to take a look at Rawhide Kid and his 1985 mini series. So get your spurs on, find a trusty horse and let’s head out to the wild west and see what Marvel has in store for us when it comes to Cowboy heroes. This update will be a quick one and should be a fun one for fans of classic Marvel western heroes.

Some of you younger readers I am sure do not remember the Rawhide Kid as Marvel Comics over the years have not really done much with him besides give him a MAX series and turn him into a raunchy character to try and be edgy in 2003, and then in 2010 he had another mini series put out this time again simply released by Marvel. But before we dive too deep and start the review of Rawhide Kid, I want to share a little of the character’s back story and history with you readers who might be unfamiliar with Rawhide Kid’s slinging ways. As a baby, Johnny Clay had most of his family killed by Indians, and he was left behind as his brothers fled and one was even captured and taken. Ben Bart, a fast Texas Ranger gunslinger, took in the infant Johnny and raised him as his own family on an old ranch, where Johnny at the age of 18 became the fastest gun in the west. One day Johnny heads to town for supplies, and while away, some gunslingers sneak onto the ranch and kill Ben and this sparks Johnny who finds the body to become on a quest of revenge. Once tracking them down and out-dueling them both in a gun fight, Johnny turns his adoptive father’s killers in and decides to change his name to Rawhide Kid and to use his fast shooting skills to help others. And after having it out with an evil ranch owner that leaves the man shot, the Rawhide Kid becomes a wanted man when a sheriff fails to see that the Kid was only saving the day. But even as a wanted man, the Rawhide Kid used his gun skills to help people and to fight crime. Over the years Rawhide Kid has teamed up with the likes of Two-Gun Kid, Kid Colt, Phantom Rider and even Iron Man! This character ran from 1955 -1979 and lasted 151 issues for his first solo run and would come back in 1985 for a four issue mini series. While Rawhide Kid is not a popular Marvel Comic character nowadays, he was one who made his mark for the company and is one that deserves respect for being one heck of an entertaining western comic character. Growing up, I read many of his adventures from comics that my Grandma Brassfield would buy for my brother from garage sales, and can remember enjoying them pretty well but still always preferring the superhero and horror comics. If you like classic western movies and TV shows and also enjoy reading comic books, give Rawhide Kid a chance as the early stuff is lots of fun and holds a real classic feel. Oh and I should also note that Rawhide Kid’s drink of choice is milk, and him asking for it at bars and saloons is a running gag in the series.

Cowboys also made a mark in the world of video games with most modern gamers agreeing that the Red Dead Redemption series is one of the over all best games going! But one of the earliest western games I remember was for the Atari 2600 and was called Outlaw and has you having to outdraw an outlaw in order to score points. And when getting this update together I figured it would be fun to take a small NES Challenge on a western themed game for the Nintendo and decided to settle on Gun.Smoke released in 1985 by Capcom. So I picked January 22, 2019 as the day to play this game and hooked up the RES (Retro-Entertainment System) and was ready to just sit back for a few minutes and just have fun and play this game and see how far I could get. My goal this time around is to not even beat the game but to just replay it after all these years, I want to thank Game Swap Kettering for having the game in stock for me to buy and make this quick play a reality. So after pouring myself a tall glass of water and eating a good meal of home made chicken and dumplings, I set out to take a shot of surviving the 8-bit wild-west! And the game was just as fun as I remember as I just ran around shooting all the baddies in town with my goal being to collect a bounty put onto the head of a criminal. The longer I played the more I enjoyed it, but also the longer I played it my hands became more and more cramped as the game forces you to always move up and you must be dodging and shooting at the same time. Capcom should make an updated version of this game and make it like an alternative to Red Dead Redemption and have the player play as a man on the side of the law whose goal is to capture some of the worst gun slingers the wild west has ever known…just an idea. If you enjoy classic NES games and also like wild west shooters, make sure to check out Gun.Smoke as I think it’s a forgotten gem for that system that is worth your play time.

I am not a big soda drinker, but from time to time I do enjoy a good soft drink, and for those wondering it really is hard to pick between Pepsi or Coke as each I think go well with different types of meals with Coke being the best with Pizza and Pepsi going well with Mexican food. But in October 2018 I must say I had one of the worst sodas I have ever tasted (minus those weird ones like Ranch and PB&J) and it was called “Moxie Original Elixir” and my gosh it had one of the worst after tastes of any soda I have drank as it tasted like cough syrup…it was so gross! So this is just a warning for you cola soda drinkers, stay clear of Moxie unless you have a bad cough cause who knows it might help ya!

While working on this update, I got thinking about the old steakhouse Ponderosa that was really inspired by the old west and flavors of the past as well as the TV show Bonanza. Growing up here in Ohio, we had a few of them around and I can remember that my Grandparents on my Dad’s side really loved eating there. I can remember eating the salad bar and loading up on small steaks and baked potatoes and chatting with my brother about toys, comics, video games and horror movies as we ate. But while they were popular places to eat here for a while, they faded away from the Dayton market and all went out of business with the longest one to hold on being on Airway Road. So I wanted to have a meal at Ponderosa in order to celebrate Rawhide Kid and Marvel Western Comics and to relive a little bit of my youth. The nearest Ponderosa is over an hour away from where I live and is in Hillsboro, and after calling up my pal Josh Weinberg, we hit the rode to have a good lunch at an old staple restaurant for our family growing up. The only downside is that I no longer eat red meat and must find some food I can eat from a place that is a steak house. We hit the road on January 15, 2019 to the good old Ponderosa, and on the drive there we chatted a little about the future of the Wolf Hunter movie series as well as a wrestling and baseball talk. It took a little over an hour to get there, but once we did, the place was pretty epic and from the outside was one of the biggest Ponderosa’s I have ever seen! The setup inside was very nice and clean, and Josh and I decided to eat the salad bar buffet. Our waitress was super cute and looked like she could have been a model or a pop star country singer. I chose water as my drink of choice and during my lunch I had chicken wings, mashed potatoes with two types of gravy, mac & cheese, green beans, ham and chicken noodles. And I must say it was all pretty good with the mac & cheese and chicken wings being the stand out and the most tasty. Over all while the inside was very Texas Ranch looking, the meal was good southern style cooking and flavors. On the ride back we talked lots more about MLB aka the Cincinnati Reds and had a hoot as we spotted in someone’s yard a statue of the Apple Pie Tree from McDonalds. It was worth the drive to eat once more at Ponderosa Steakhouse and over all was a fun cold day in Ohio. Below are pictures I took on that day.

So now that I have my belly filled with some good old Ponderosa food, I think it’s time we sit around the campfire with a cup of coffee and start our look at Marvel Comic western hero The Rawhide Kid and the 1985 mini series I have chosen to cover for this update. Now I want to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you’re ready readers and friends, let’s review the Wild West adventures of The Kid! Oh and I want to thank Bell, Book And Comic for having this whole mini series in stock.

The Rawhide Kid # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 1 of 4

The Rawhide Kid is an old man now and is making his way atop Nightwind to town when railroad workers spot him, and the oldest member of the team shares the story of Rawhide Kid being the fastest gun in the west and how he avenged the murder of his adoptive father. After hearing the story, a young city boy on the rail team decides to quit his job to follow Rawhide Kid into town and asks him to train him in gun slinging. Rawhide Kid finds a saloon to relax in as the youngster also enters the bar and hears some of the men talking about the greatest gunslingers of the west and he chimes in Rawhide Kid and points him out to everyone as being the best! The saloon owner refuses to serve Rawhide Kid a good breakfast now as he thinks he is an outlaw and worse as he is about to leave some of the railroad workers have shown up for lunch and bait Rawhide into a massive fist fight that he is winning and is broke up by Sam the town Sheriff and friend of his who takes his old friend to the jail in order to give him a place to rest. That night the City Boy breaks down the wall of the jail to “free” Rawhide Kid who was not even locked up, and this makes the town go crazy as they all start firing at him and his new young goofy friend! But Rawhide Kids still keeps them safe and the Sheriff is able to calm the towns people down, as the City Boy comes to learn that the Rawhide Kid is really in town to put a flower on a grave of a young kid he gunned down in the city many years back.

This Marvel Western Comic is lots of fun and this first issue was a fantastic read to kick off a mini series as it blends his old adventures and his current story really well and brings new readers up-to-date on who the character is and was. The plot of this issue has the Rawhide Kid now an old man who returns to a town that he killed a young gun slinger in and soon finds that the town dislikes him and look at him as an outlaw, that his friend is now the town Sheriff and he also has a young city boy who idolizes him and wants to learn to become a gun slinger like him. Rawhide Kid is an aged fast draw gun slinger who is a man that is haunted by his past as he has taken so many lives with his guns. Plus I like that even though he is an old man he don’t take guff from people who want to try and test him and his legend. I also like that he just wants to avoid trouble and that all he really wanted to do in town is have some ham, eggs, bread and of course a glass of milk before visiting the grave. The City Boy is a young man who gets wrapped up in the stories of how great Rawhide Kid is and decides that by being trained by him will lead him closer to fame and fortune instead of working hard for his money. While he is a good kid, he also is a screw up and causes Rawhide Kid lots of issues with the locals in this issue. The townspeople are all mostly judgmental who hate Rawhide Kid due to old wanted posters that use to hang, forgetting that he was the one who gunned down a madman who killed many of the townsfolk many years back. Sheriff Sam is the only one who seems to know that Rawhide is a good man and he has to be the voice of reason when it comes to them getting trigger happy. And Nightwind is still the same old fast horse long time readers love. It’s great to see that Rawhide’s trusty horse is still alive and helping his owner to get out of tough spots. The comic does a great job of building up a good story that shows our hero is an aging man who still is as skilled as he was in his youth as the world around him is changing and his good deeds are out shined by damning words from the past. The cover is great and has a real classic look and the interior art is done by the iconic Herb Trimpe who is one of my favorite classic Marvel artists. I am surprised on how much I enjoyed this issue, and I am very much looking forward to reading what’s to come in issue two. So with that let’s see what Rawhide Kid gets up to in his next adventure.

The Rawhide Kid # 2 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 2 of 4

Rawhide Kid and City Boy board a train to get out of town and to check one of Rawhide’s bank accounts in a nearby town as he is owned money from a writer who has been writing dime store books about Rawhide Kid’s past adventures as well as tall tales about him and who has not paid! While on the train City Boy gets real nervous when two men approach and even tries to shoot them with a gun he has hidden in his boot causing panic on the train and for Rawhide Kid to also be the target of the two men who turn out to be the law as City Boy is a wanted man! Rawhide Kid and City Boy escape the train and the law as City Boy shares his story of how he accidentally murdered his old boss in Chicago defending the honor of his sister. The pair find an old abandoned shack and spend the night there only to wake up and find that they are in the practice area of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show! And after some talk Rawhide Kid joins the cast of his traveling road show as does City Boy. While working for the show he runs into the writer who he makes pay him all the money owed and also runs into Annie Oakley who was an old fling of his. But the lawmen also show up and he and City Boy must race off as Oakley and the rest of the crew run distraction.

This second issue has Rawhide Kid once more being on the wrong side of the law thanks to his new student City Boy. We find out his real name is Jeff Packard and he is wanted for murder back in Chicago of a slaughterhouse owner who employed him and his sister. Our plot of the issue has two main storylines with one being City Boy and his running ways from the two officers out to get him and the other is Rawhide Kid who has been ripped off by a writer who owes him lots of back pay money for books he wrote about the living legend. Rawhide Kid is very noble and not only wants what’s owed to him but also wants to teach and protect him from the law who wants to take them both in. Jeff Packard aka City Boy is a young man who still has the idea of being a gunslinger will bring him money and tells a tale of why he is wanted in Chicago that involves a man using and abusing his sister, and when thinking about it, I am not sure I believe him and I think he killed the man in a botch theft as City Boy is very much into money and is saying this in order to get the help of Rawhide Kid to escape the law. What really is cool about this issue is the fact they add in real Wild West people like Wild Bill Cody and Annie Oakley and have them at the Wild West Show! Makes me hope that more real cowboys show up in this mini series! The over all feel of this issue is the great chase as our heroes spend the issue on the run from the law who are outclassed by the fast and adventures style of Rawhide Kid who always is one step ahead of them. The cover for this issue is great and holds a classic western comic look and once more Herb did the interior and is fantastic. Over all this second issue is, as good as the original and I cannot wait to see what issue 3 has in store.

The Rawhide Kid # 3 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 3 of 4

Rawhide Kid and City Boy have made camp outside of a town were Rawhide is teaching him how to be fast with a pair of six shooters. Meanwhile the law has hired a former slave now turned bounty hunter to bring in the pair of “fugitives”. While at the camp, Rawhide Kid goes for a quick swim as City Boy goes to make breakfast and is attacked by the law and Bounty Hunter who informs him that his sister is fine and is now to be married off, but thanks to Rawhide Kid and Nightwind, they are able to free City Boy and they ride off to find shelter and a place to hide and regroup in the near by town. Once in town they find that it is made up of former slaves and all the males have been killed and the women and children are hiding in the church and tell Rawhide kid that a hate group killed all the males and are returning for them all because they want the town cause oil has been discovered under it. The Bounty Hunter leaves the law behind and tracks his bounties down to the same town. Once the Bounty Hunter finds them in the church a showdown is about to happen until the hate group shows up and they have to join forces in order to save the locals as well as themselves. In the end the good guys win and kill and chase off the hate mongers and the Bounty Hunter drops out of turning them in and decides to stay in the town and help them rebuild and protect them from others trying to steal the oil. Rawhide Kid and City Boy ride off still on the run but also as heroes.

Wow this is a great issue and shows that Rawhide Kid is a good man who does what’s right and is also teaching City Boy the same morals. This issue has Rawhide and City Boy being hunted down by a skillful Bounty Hunter who ends up joining with his bounties in order to protect a town that is being slaughtered by a group of hate and greed filled men. Rawhide Kid is still a man trying to avoid his legend as he knows that much of it was made up by writers and storytellers, and while some think he is an outlaw, he is really a man who does the right thing and even risks his own life to save others. He also has zero tolerance for those who hate due to skin color and has no issues standing up for what he thinks is right and putting haters in their place or even six feet under. So I have to say I was wrong about City Boy as it looks like he was telling the truth about killing the man over his sister, and he in this issue is learning not only to be fast with a gun but also how to be a better person and to help others. The lawmen are desperate in this issue and go looking for help to capture their “outlaws” by hiring a bounty hunter and once more when they go for the arrest they fail. The Bounty Hunter is a former slave who also fought in the civil war and is now super skilled with a gun and always gets his man and seems very happy to be hired to take down a legend like Rawhide Kid, and in the end he learns that he needs to also look at valuing innocent human life and not just look at all people as dollar signs. This issue really does take a look at racism and does it in your normal Marvel Comics way and shows that they tackled all types of issues in their comics. One of my favorite moments in this issue is when the Bounty Hunter tricks members of the hate group into a barn and traps them inside and burns them alive…very brutal! The cover for this issue is great and showcases true comic western action and interiors is once more done by Herb and is fantastic! With the next issue being the final in the series, I am wondering how this will all wrap up and if City Boy will be reunited with his sister and if Rawhide Kid will find the retirement he so badly wants. Well let’s not delay and see what issue four has in store for our cowboy hero.

The Rawhide Kid # 4 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 4 of 4

Rawhide Kid has a terrible nightmare about having to save a faceless woman from a pack of skull faced baddies who all represent death while the town around them burns! City Boy is startled but warns him that it sounds like one of the tall tales from one of the dime novels written about him and they go back to bed after Rawhide burns the book in the campfire. The next day they ride into town and Rawhide Kid finds it’s the same town from his dreams and after City Boy goes to feed the horses a woman runs to Rawhide asking for help and out comes a pack of men who are the law looking for City Boy! Rawhide Kid tells the lady to warn City Boy to leave town and out smarts and moves the lawmen who warn him they will never give up till they get him! Rawhide Kid finds City Boy who is sick of running and is going to stand his ground against the lawmen and even sucker punches and knocks out Rawhide Kid who tried to talk him out of fighting. When Rawhide Kid comes to he finds that City Boy has been shot dead by the Lawmen and in a dazed state he refights the ghosts of his past leaving them once more dead. When he comes to he finds that he has killed all the lawmen who killed his new friend and this also allows him to bury his past and embrace his legend and to move on in what’s left of his life into the sunset.

This fourth and final issue in the mini series brings together all the stories that ran through it and gives a closing to Rawhide Kid who just wanted to retire and get away from his legend. The plot of this issue has Rawhide’s nightmare of a burning town with people trying to kill him coming to life and while he is able to face his inner demons and let go of his past, he also loses his new friend City Boy in the process. Rawhide Kid is an old man who has a bad rep with some people and others view him as a hero…and all he really wants is to be left alone and enjoy the time he has left on this world without having to fear that some upcoming gunslinger wants to put a bullet through him. The thing about Rawhide is that he is very loyal to his friends as well as to his morals of what he finds right, and because of this as reader I found myself feeling bad for him as trouble always seems to find him. In other words Rawhide Kid is a western hero who has baggage and guilt for those he has had to gun down in the past and would love to just disappear and never shot another person again. Poor City Boy I really did judge him all wrong, and he is no liar or coward in fact he is a young man who has warped views on how to be a good guy and what it means to be a true gunslinger, but means well. It’s crazy that in this issue he is gunned down and his body is just left on the back of his own horse for the town to see…no wonder Rawhide Kid has to go all quick shot on some lawmen ass! The major downside to City Boy dying is that he does not get to see his sister before he died. The lawman in this issue are very cold blooded and seem to get joy in trying to gun down the “outlaws” and are proud the shot and killed a young man who only killed to protect his sister. But while they are cocky at first, they all end up dead when they piss off Rawhide Kid who out classed them and leaves them all dead in the dusty streets. The end gun fight between the lawmen and Rawhide Kid is well down as he is still dazed from being knocked out by a sucker punch and envisions old baddies he has killed as well as loved ones he has lost, and with each re-kill or re-lose he is letting go of his past that haunts him. This mini series is great and really shows that Marvel has always made the best western themed comics with some of the most interesting original characters. The cover for this issue holds a little horror element to it and is very eye catching and as I have said before Herb Trimpe’s interior art is amazing! If you like westerns, cowboys and classic Marvel Comics check out this mini series!

So while Marvel Comics has left the Wild West far behind and have not had an ongoing series for decades their ones from the past live on for readers to discover at their local comic shops as well as conventions. I would recommend tracking down such titles as Kid Colt Outlaw, Two-Gun Kid and of course Rawhide Kid if you enjoy old western films and comics as they are really entertaining reads. For our next update we are going to stay in the world of Marvel and take a look at one of their most popular Superheroes The Amazing Spider-Man…but there is a twist as we will be looking at his Power Records Book and Record release that features an original story! So until next time cowboys and cowgirls, read a comic or three, watch a classic western film or two and as always support your Local Horror Host! See next update for a web slinging good time!

Do You Hear What I Hear Through The Grapevine

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Juliet Fromholt

Happy Holidays Rotten Inkers! Tis the season for chestnuts roasting on an open fire and visions of raisins dancing in your head. That’s right, raisins..from California. Yes, I, Juliet will be your guide as we explore the 1980s sensations, The California Raisins and their journey from commercial mascots to masters of media and merchandise. I’m sure you’re wondering, other than figgy pudding, what’s the connection between raisins and the holidays? One of the best-loved appearances of the California Raisins just happens to be in William Vinton’s Claymation Christmas Special, which we’ll talk about more in depth in just a bit. Growing up, I was a huge fan of the special and of the California Raisins Show, the Saturday morning cartoon based on America’s favorite dried grapes, and I continue to have a formidable collection of California Raisins figures. So come along with me as we travel to Raisinville and learn all about the California Raisins, including the Blackthorne 3-D comics based on them.

As legend has it, in 1986, the California Raisin Advisory Board was trying to come up with an idea for a commercial when one of the writers, Seth Werner, said, “We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine'” and thus the Raisins were born. Well, they were born through the claymation work of William Vinton and his Vinton Studios. The four main Raisins commercials were: Lunchbox, which featured the Raisins dancing out of a construction worker’s lunchbox on a high rise. The Late Show featured the Raisins dancing past other, less healthy snacks on a side table while a late night talk show played. Raisin Ray featured the Raisins alongside a claymation Ray Charles, and Michael Raisin featured them with, yes, a claymation Michael Jackson.

In 1987, the Raisins appeared in something very near and dear to my heart growing up, William Vinton’s Claymation Christmas special. It hosted by Rex and Herb, two dinosaurs resembling Siskel and Ebert, who actually give some great historic context for the well known holiday carols featured in the program. The songs were done as super elaborate (and time-consuming to create) claymation-style skits, some of which were created in such a way to appear fluid, almost paint-like instead of looking like stop-motion. The songs featured were: We Three Kings, which starts fairly traditionally but get groovy thanks to singing camels, a comedic Carol of the Bells, O Christmas Tree which takes us into ornaments, Angels We Have Heard On High, which features two walruses ice skating in what feels like a subtle nod to the Fantastia Hippo Ballerinas. Joy To the World is a stunning collage of constant motion that celebrates African American culture. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is performed by the California Raisins, putting a little magic into the air after a Christmas eve gig (ala, as the Raisins often were, the Temptations). The hosts get their own story about wassailing, which is mistaken for waffling, waddling, wallowing, etc. This one, upon rewatch, puzzled me a bit. Are the actual wassailers at the end elves or leprechauns? When I was young I thought they were elves, but have they been leprechauns, or perhaps drunken locals the whole time? Weigh in, dear readers. The half hour Claymation Christmas Special debuted on CBS alongside the Garfield Christmas Special and the pair often ran together during the holiday season. I had one night’s CBS holiday lineup (that included Micky’s Christmas Carol, the Claymation-Garfield pairing and A Charlie Brown Christmas) taped on TV on VHS that was yearly, mandatory holiday viewing even after many of these were dropped from regular rotation.

In 1988, the Raisins became fully fleshed out characters in their CBS special Meet the Raisins. This rockumentary mockumentary (think Spinal Tap, but with vegetables and suitable for small children) was produced by Vinton Studios and won an Emmy nomination. It actually wasn’t until this point that the Raisins got their names: A.C., Red, Stretch, and Beebop. The special also featured supporting characters such as Rudy Bagaman, the Raisins’ manager, who would go on to be one of the leading characters in the 1989 California Raisins cartoon, The California Raisins Show. That cartoon had a 13 episode run between September and December – kind of a shocker as my younger self seemed convinced that it lasted much longer. Instead of claymation, this show featured traditional cel animation from Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, but William Vinton served as creative director and executive producer so it definitely kept with his vision of the Raisins’ story. Many of the fruit and vegetable characters that were introduced in Meet the Raisins were prominent supporting characters in the cartoon, and many characters that were created for the cartoon (including my absolute favorite Lick Broccoli) then made appearances in the 1990 claymation special The Raisins: Sold Out!: The California Raisins II, which, furthering the Spinal Tap metaphor, saw had the Raisins attempting to mount a comeback with a new manager. This would be the last TV show/special for the Raisins, and they wouldn’t have much of a TV presence for many years to follow.

During their short run, the California Raisins got a lot of merchandise created in their wrinkly image, and many of it has ended up in the Smithsonian permanent collection. Perhaps the most ubiquitous were the Raisins figurines that came out in assorted series from Hardee’s between 1987 and 1991, and were also stellar garage sale finds. I’ve been able to piece together a sizable collection of little guys, some of which I’ve had since the late 80s. In addition to the figure, there were Raisins t-shirts, Halloween costumes, lunch boxes, posters, coloring books, music albums, and a Capcom video game that was created but never officially released – though luckily it has made its way into the world via the homebrew game market. You can also check out a good representation of the California Raisins commercials, Meet the Raisins, The Raisins: Sold Out, and the entire run of the California Raisins Show on a two-DVD set called appropriately enough, The California Raisins Collection.

In 1987, as part of their series of 3D comics based on licensed properties, Blackthorne began a five issue run of comics based on the California Raisins, and these books are the subject of today’s comic reviews. I heard it through the grapevine that here on Rotten Ink, we grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and are looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So let’s take the boat to Raisinville and get to know our new favorite band, the California Raisins!

The California Raisins 3-D # 1 *** 1/2
Released in 1987 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne Publishing # 1 of 5

Under the cover of night, the Raisinville Chamber Orchestra is kidnapped and loaded onto a boat by masked bandits. The next morning, two young Raisins happen upon a flyer looking for musicians to play the mayoral election. As they head into town, they pick up another Raisin as a hitchiker and find their fourth and fifth potential bandmates playing a whistle on the street. As suspicious advertisements for Snax pop up around town, the new bandmates visit the music store to pick up some instruments, but find that the beloved owner has mysteriously retired, all the instruments are gone, and the store is now home to a surly French Fry Man selling Snax. The Raisins move on to the Chamber Orchestra’s headquarters where they and other raisins queue up for auditions, but something’s fishy as raisins are going in, but no one is coming out. The Raisins catch site of a group of Sugar Cubes up to no good and rush to city hall to warn the mayor. The mayor, however, is nonplussed. He’s worried that his opponent in the election, Big Burger, is trying to run him out of town, but he stops mid-thought upon chomping down on some Snax. This is when the Raisins realize that there’s something amiss; the Snax are turning their fellow raisins into zombies and the only cure is music. So they commandeer Big Burger’s campaign vehicle, which is equipped with a loudspeaker and do their thing. Mayor Van Raisin is re-elected and Big Burger and his Snax are run out of town.

This was such a fun read! It threw me at first because the Raisins (the main ones that is) don’t use their names at all in this book, but that’s because this came out before they had names. That said, all of the hallmarks of the developing California Raisins world were present: the power of music, junk food more often than not being portrayed as the villains of the story, and the delightful little details like the picture on the wall of a bottle of wine labeled Uncle Vino. The artwork was really well done by an unnamed artist, especially considering that the majority of the characters were raisins and you could still distinguish who was who. I liked the 3D effect, though quite honestly, I would enjoy this comic entirely on its own merit so it wasn’t necessarily a selling point for me (in fact, I had a harder time reading it, not because the 3D was poorly done, but just because my eyes have trouble focusing with old school red and blue 3D glasses). This five issue run is off to a strong start, so let’s see how the rest go.

The California Raisins 3-D # 2 ***
Released in 1988 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne Publishing # 2 of 5

In a prologue, Big Burger looks at Raisinville from afar and vows that the town will be his as his junk food henchmen bring a display of the Raisins, Big Burger’s new sworn enemies. But never fear, our villain has a plan….we cut to the Raisins receiving an invitation to receive their complementary mansion earned by virtue of being the official Raisinville band. The Raisins are, of course, excited to reap the benefits of their newfound and begin exploring the mansion and discovering its various perks and quirks including some trap doors. Three Raisins are captured by the ever bickering Cookie and Candy, and the other two narrowly escape multiple traps looking for their friends. The fourth Raisin gets captured, but the last is able to discover the evil plot against them and devises a plan. Using the house’s recording gear and sound system, he minimicks Big Burger’s radio and lures Cookie and Candy away so he can free his bandmates. Together, they roll Cookie, Candy and some Sugar Cubes into a carpet and dump them into the water. When they float back to Big Burger, acknowledges that the Raisins may be more formidable foes than he anticipated, but the next round is his.

This is another solid comic that capture everything charming about the California Raisins. Interestingly, the Raisins’ mansion in this one does remind me of their house in the California Raisins Show (the cartoon), and an episode where Lick Broccoli’s manager bugs the Raisins’ home to steal the Sweet Currants’ new song. But this remains firmly in the pre-Meet the Raisins realm of issue #1: no names for the Raisins. It does, however, establish Big Burger as our main villain and brings back his henchman for more hijinks. I like the continuity, but I do hope that we get to see food characters in the next issue for the sheer fact that I like to check out the different character designs. The art is once again solid, and it’s easy to figure out who’s who among the Raisins. Onward to Issue 3!

The California Raisins 3-D # 3 **1/2
Released in 1988 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne Publishing # 3 of 5

This issue feature two stories. In the first, Waisin Wipeout, the Raisins are lounging at their mansion when they get a call to come down to the beach to film a surfing music video. It’s there that they’re introduced to famous fim director Steven Spielbug, his frog assistant, surfing expert Gnarly Cobb and beach babe Cher Pear, who turns out to be a Valley Pear. While the Raisins surf for the camera, Big Burger and his henchmen (decked out, of course, in pirate hats!) lurk below the water in their submarine base. They use their device to create a tidal wave, knocking the Raisins off their boards and ruining the shot. But Raisins don’t let a little water defeat them. They get back on their boards and surf so well they create a whirlpool that knocks out Big Burger’s submarine…and looks super cool in the music video.

Story number two is X Marks the Spot. While out on a picnic, the Raisins find a map, which they assume will lead them to the treasure of Blueberry the Pirate. Of course x marks the spot right under where they were picniccing so the Raisins start digging, and find nothing. They then realize that they were digging in the wrong spot, and after several repeated instances of this, begin fighting amongst themselves. This results in tears until one Raisins realizes that the seemingly shifting x on the map was shifting because it was actually a spider.

While I didn’t hate this issue by any means, this is definitely the weakest of the first three issues. First of all, why two stories? Especially when the second story, for me, was pretty weak. The first story was good, but messed with a few of the things that I love about the Raisins in general and that the first two issues honored: why are the filmmakers bugs and not food characters? Also while I get that Cher Pear is supposed to the typical valley girl/beach bimbo, it took me entirely too long to realize that she was a pear because she was drawn entirely too human. These are minor complaints in the grand scheme of things as the art is still great, but for me, the fun comes from the food characters. It’s a formula that works so why mess with it? Speaking of messing with things, it looks like the next issue is going to deviate again by being an adaptation of Meet the Raisins. So let’s take a deep breath and dive in.

The California Raisins 3-D # 4 ***
Released in 1988 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne Publishing # 4 of 5

The Raisins (there are four of them now) are excited because their show is getting ready to come on. We go into the TV documentary where our host tells the humble origin stories of A.C., BeeBop, and Red (names!) as they formed their first band with bass singer Zoot, who introduced them to his eventual replacement, Stretch. From there we see the Raisins’ slow rise to fame with the help of their young manager Rudy Bagaman. From impressing Ed McMelon and being literal smash sensations to rebuilding their shattered careers by working with quirky director Frederico Rasperini and playing a series of concerts in the arctic. Their eventual, triumphant return comes when Rudy Bagaman nearly crashes a plane, providing an amazing introduction to the band. The documentary concludes there, and the Raisins are pleased with what they saw.

Admittedly, I’m a little torn about this one. I would have preferred an original story as opposed to a straight adaptation of Meet the Raisins, but this was extremely well done and captured the charm of the TV special so I can’t be too mad. As I’m sure you noticed above, the Raisins now have their names, and they’ve gone from being a band of five to a quartet with a completely different back story. I wonder if these Raisins are the next generation of California Raisins, or is there some sad fifth Raisin out there in the word waiting to write his tell-all book about how his band abandoned him. The artwork in this one is the same as the rest of the comics so far: really great! Needing to be able to distinguish the Raisins from each other isn’t as big a deal though, because along with their names come new, more distinct character designs. The cover features our newly revamped Raisins rocking out on the stage. I wonder if the next issue will be an original story or another adaptation (though the next special wasn’t for a few years). Might as well take a look and see….

The California Raisins 3-D # 5 **1/2
Released in 1988 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne Publishing # 5 of 5

Back to multiple stories so: In the Music Mash, the Raisins (there are still four of them, but they’re not the same four from the last issue) are in the studio preparing for a gig and arguing over a new song. They decide to visit their friend Gigo who’s created a new machine that can create hit songs on the spot. Everything is going well, and they bring the device to a gig with them, but when a workman leaves his toolbox too close, the machine malfunctions creating chaos onstage. In the end, the Raisins realize it’s best to go back to basics and sing one of their classics.

In California Battle of the Bands, the Dough Buys and Richter are headed to the semifinals, and the Raisins (all FIVE of them) are late to their recording session. When they arrive, an oddly cartoony Rudy introduces them to three Lady Raisins who are their new backup singers. Back at the battle of the bands, Cookie, and Candy French Fry are sabotaging the competition for their boss, Big Burger. They plan an earthquake device and play a few more pranks on the Raisins when they show up to play. When the Raisins discover the mischief, they interrupt Ratchet’s set to warn them about the earthquake device, and the two bands work together to defeat the bad guys. They celebrate their victory with a concert all together.

I have SO MANY questions. Are there multiple bands performing as the California Raisins? This kind of follows my theory from last issue, and we do learn that there’s a whole Raisinville from which these bands could have been formed. This is all to say that these Raisins are different, unnamed Raisins than the ones we saw last issue. And then there’s the numbers issue. Was Fifth Raisin on vacation for the last story and a half? Also, what is Gigo? He’s not a discernible fruit or vegetable? Is he an alien? That said, there are so many things right about this, like Shrapnel, one of the battle bands that are clearly an homage to Guns N Roses. It was also amazing to see Shirelle, Dixie and Crystal, aka the Sweet Currants, in this issue even though they, like the Raisins this time around, weren’t called by name. I’m also glad we got one more chance to see Big Burger try to thwart the Raisins and thus conquer Raisinville. The art was great, but the latter story was a little more cartoony than anything else we’ve seen in this series. All told, this was an extremely fun and solid comic series that served these classic characters well.

So there you have it, the life and times of the California Raisins with a sprinkle of holiday cheer. I hope it’s merry, warm and bright for you and yours, and that you’ll join Matt back here on the blog for his big holiday update. He’ll be taking us from the land of singing fruits and vegetables into animated knights and dragons when he covers the comic adaptation of Dragon’s Lair. In the meantime, make sure you’re well stocked on hot chocolate, support local and indie businesses as you’re able this holiday season, and read a comic or three.

The Undead Files: Resident Evil

Posted on March 25, 2016 by bloodlinematt

I remember the first time I ever laid eyes on the game that captured my imagination and was one of the key deciding factors for me to buy a Sony Playstation over a Nintendo 64 and other game systems. The year 1993 was the major kick off for what is called the fifth generation of gaming with such systems as the Panasonic 3DO and the Atari Jaguar hitting the market late in the year and both claiming to be as powerful as systems that came before them like The Sega CD, Phillips CD-I and the Super Nintendo. But both failed to capture the market for many reasons, one being 3DO’s high price sticker on both the games and console and the Jaguar had terrible in-house games and very few third party releases. Sega responded to these systems with an add-on for the Genesis called the 32X in 1994 and then again a year later with stand alone system the Sega Saturn, but the console wars was about to heat up when on September 9^th 1995 Sony released Playstation and Nintendo released the N64 in 1996 as well making an all out war for who would be the king of home consoles. The year 1996 also marked the death of Atari and Panasonic being console makers as both the Jaguar (who even tried to stay alive with a CD game add on) and 3DO hit the electronics graveyard, while Sega and Nintendo held on with the Saturn and N64 it was the Playstation that became the king of the home fifth gen. Consoles!

As you all know, I am a gamer and have been since the days of the NES, and horror themed games have always been my cup of tea. So I figured I would talk real quick about one of my favorites for the NES, based on the horror film series Friday The 13^th by LJN. And before everyone gets worked up, this game is by far NOT the best horror theme game for the NES, but it is by far the most mistreated and underrated and seems to be the punching bag for cheap Angry Video Game Nerd rip-off reviewers the internet wide. So let’s take a quick look at Friday The 13^th for the NES.

Camp Crystal Lake is back open for business. Six counselors are in charge of the campers, but the hockey mask killer Jason Voorhees is back and is making chop steak of the kids. He is not alone as zombies, wolves, birds, bats and his mother’s floating head all try to slow you down from the rescue. Your weapons are rocks, knives, an ax, pitchfork, torch and machete, and your goal is to light all the cabins fireplaces, kill Jason’s mom’s head to get her sweater, save as many of the kids as you can, fight off Jason in and around the cabins, and live through three days of terror. The gameplay is a side scrolling action game that adds in a maze style when you enter the cabin, and the maze controls can be confusing and cause the player to get turned around. The side scrolling also doesn’t follow the rules, and when heading right you are really going left! But once you get used to this terrible control set up, the game starts to become really fun as you hurry from cabin to cabin lighting the fireplaces and running to the cabins Jason is attacking. Jason not only will fight you in the cabins Punch Out style, he will also surprise attack you during the side scrolling section and try his best to kill you! The game is a challenge for many reasons; yes, one is being the bad controls, but also because it’s a race against time and survival of all the little campers and fellow staff members is in your hands and it can add some pressure as the Jason Alarm (a loud beep) goes off and you know that people are dying! This game is one that I used to play all the time with my brother Bryan and cousins Dino and Norman Dimitrouleas, and all of use would spend hours trying to beat it. The first person I saw beat it was Norman, who was shocked to see that he finally beat it! I would later go on to beat it as well, but Norman was still the first and the trail blazer to beat what was a hard game. The game has a special place in my gaming heart and will be one of those games I will always remember that I played and beat.

The game’s graphics are nothing special. The camp counselors have no facial features, and the backgrounds are standard woods, lake, cave and trails with nothing major standing out. The normal enemies look like stock characters and could easily be placed in other games of the horror nature. Jason looks great in an odd way, as he wears a purple jump suit and has a bright blue mask and gloves on. For as long I can remember, people made fun of this look for Jason, but the funny thing is that for all those goons who laughed at the look and the game, they all sure did flock to by the super cool action figure from NECA toys! Jason in Friday the 13^th for the NES made by LJN will always be one of my favorite games for the NES and once more will say that its very underrated by gamers, but I will admit that the AVGN episode was really funny as The Nerd meet Jason who was forcing him to play the game or be killed!

It was spring of 1996 when I first saw Resident Evil on the Sony Playstation made by Capcom at my cousins’ house. Dino and Norman were always up to date on video game consoles, and besides Nintendo Power and Game Informer Magazine and my friend Jason Gilmore, they were always my key to what cool new games had came out. They much like my brother and myself were into horror films and enjoyed a good scare and that’s why Norman told me he wanted me to come see his new zombie game. I can remember that the Playstation was downstairs in a furnished basement that had a pool table as well as a giant couch. As soon as Norman pushed power on the Playstation and that amazing chime echoed off the walls and I saw the games first cut scene of actors running from an unknown attacker, I could feel myself being drawn into the story of the game. You have a choice of playing two members of an elite group called S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield and along side fellow members Albert Wesker, Barry Burton and helicopter pilot Brad Vickers must search a giant mansion for fellow members, all the while fighting off hordes of zombies and other nasty baddies. This is the true birth place of what is called Survival Horror in game genres, although many would say that it’s Sweet Home, a game made by Capcom back in 1989 for the Japanese version of the NES called Famicom and based on a film of the same name, but to me Resident Evil is the true starter of this style of game. I can’t express the moment I saw the first zombie in the game slowly turn around as he was munching on one of your team mates and comes shuffling after you. Now thats’ a true scary iconic moment in gaming and something super cool that my cousin shared with me knowing I would eat up every horror filled bite! Sadly early this year the world lost Norman D, and thats heartbreaking as he was a kind hearted man who not only had friends and family who loved him but also left behind two children. This update is for you Norman…Love You Cousin.

I sat and watched Norman play the game and was drawn deeper and deeper into the story and wanting him to find the next key or item to move onto the next room in the giant abandoned mansion and was hyped when a zombie or infected dog or monster would appear. After we left and went home, I was craving more Resident Evil, and when I bought my Sony Playstation, Resident Evil and WCW Nitro were the first two games I bought and me and my friend Jason Gilmore spent many late nights playing the heck out of those games. After that I can remember buying Resident Evil 2 and 3 from Blockbuster Video as well as Resident Evil Survivor, and these games made me a loyal fan of Capcom as well as fueled my love for Playstation. So in a major way this update is a big THANK YOU to Capcom for making the Resident Evil series and bringing Survival Horror games to the front of the class during this era of gaming. So here is to you, Capcom, for all the years of making games that have entertained the masses and have brought us all types of iconic series from Resident Evil all the way to Street Fighter. Keep doing what you do best and that’s make games that make players happy.

The present day world of gaming is filled with first person war shooters, terrible digital download fluff games and a heck of a lot of cellphone games. For me, the only games that make me rush to my local game shop and preorder are survival horror and always at the top of that list is Resident Evil alongside Silent Hill and TellTale Games Walking Dead seasons when the retail discs are made available. So before we get into the Marvel Comics promo comic that was given away for free back in 1996, we should first take a look at Resident Evil in games, movies and pop culture. So grab some healing spray and stay close as we are about to travel a path filled with the undead as we enter the world of RESIDENT EVIL! The write ups will come to us thanks to IMDB and their contributors, as I tend to babble when I write about things I love like these games. However I will also add my thoughts to each to add my own flare.

“Something bizarre is happening in Raccoon City. People are being eaten with no clue why. S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team goes to investigate more on the situation in Raccoon Forest. The team is supposedly wiped out and S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team is sent in to find out what is going on. The team, comprised of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, and Albert Wesker, find strange mysterious goings on. They retreat into a huge mansion where the horror and terror begins. Throughout the game, truths about the problem in Raccoon City are revealed.”

This is the groundbreaking game that started it all. Not only was it filled with scares but also puzzles that made you think as well as taught you not to just run and gun down the zombies as bullets were hard to come by. Not to mention, it was great how you could pick to play as Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield with each having their own adventure and cut scenes. The mansion was a perfect setting for this type of game as you felt almost as if the walls were coming in, and the atmosphere of being alone and not knowing where your friends are could send shivers down a gamer’s spine while playing late at night. The game is so classic that it got a Directors Cut on Playstation, a remake on Nintendo Gamecube and an HD Remake on PS3 and other systems. Over all this in one great horror themed game and ranks for sure in my top 10 video game for the original Playstation.

“In this sequel to Resident Evil, the genetically made zombies are back and it’s up to two new heroes to stop them. Leon S. Kennedy picked a bad day to join the racoon police department. He finds the town of Raccoon City crawling with zombies. Along the way, he meets Claire Redfield (the sister of Chris Redfield from the first game). Claire has come to the town to find Chris. Leon and Claire decide to separate and search for survivors on thier way to the police station. Along the way, they meet some interesting characters. Leon meets Ada Wong, a mysterious woman who doesn’t like talking about what she is up to; Claire meets Sherry Birkin, a troubled little girl searching for her parents. The game comes on two separate disks to follow the separate adventures of Leon and Claire.”

This second game is also a classic, but I cannot lie, when it first came out I was a fan of it..BUT thought that it was a little overrated by all my friends who would say it was the best Survival Horror Game and better than the original. Taking the location to the city and away from the old mansion certainly helped add a new level of horror to the series. I can remember playing this game in my parents’ basement with Jason Gilmore and trying our best to beat it, and he did! Over all, it’s a great follow up to the original game with great new characters added to the storyline wth Claire Redfield, Ada Wong and Leon Kennedy who are now mainstays in the over all story arc.The game also not only has zombies but also super tall super strong trenchcoat wearing baddies called Tyrants.

Just days after surviving the grisley disaster at the mansion lab, Jill Valentine resigns from S.T.A.R.S. and attempts to escape a nightmarish city in ruins. Trapped in a town crawling with hordes of flesh-eating zombies, hideous mutants, and a relentless new nemesis, she must rely on cunning and brute force to stay alive. What she soon discovers is that the evil created by Umbrella Corporation’s bio-tech terror is even more horrifying then she ever imagined…

This is hands down my favorite game in the series! I can remember that I bought this game from Blockbuster Video when I worked there and was super hyped to pop it into my Playstation and give it a play. From the moment I started running around the zombie filled streets as Jill Valentine to the moment I first saw the one monster brute killing machine Nemesis, I was hooked and became a superfan of the story and characters of this 3^rd game in the series. I loved hearing the booming voice of Nemesis screaming “STARRRRSSSS” and this game reminded me for some reason of my favorite zombie film Day of the Dead. I have a story about why, but I will save it for when we take a look at Dead Dog Comics Day Of The Dead comic. I can remember when I finally beat this game I totally felt like I accomplished something major.

Six years after the viral outbreak that destroyed Racoon City, former police officer Leon S. Kennedy is a federal agent sent to Europe to search for the President’s daughter. Unfortunately for him, he stumbles upon a scenerio frighteningly similar to what he encountered back in Racoon City…

The 4^th game in the series is one that most fans of the series will tell you is the best one next to Resident Evil 2, but for me it was a fun play with a pretty cool and creepy storyline but is way overrated as being called “the best” in the series. Gone were the hordes of zombies and in their place was infected people who mutate. Gone away was the tank style controls as it was replaced with over the shoulder style aiming and movement. The game is a fun spooky play with blood, guts and gore, and while not the best in my eyes, it did change and shake the series up.

“Sent in by the BSAA, Chris Redfield has a new mission. It takes him into South Africa where he encounters a new horror and relives an old past.”

When I first started to play Resident Evil 5, I straight out was not enjoying it as the A.I. partner I had was always getting stuck and dying causing me to have to start over again. I was so frustrated that this game sat on a shelf for about two years until my friend Jeremy Hoyt said he would play the game again and with a fellow human playing the second character, the game was fun and yet still challenging. Word of mouth on this game has been very split since the day it was released, with some fans loving the more action horror approach while others hating the fact the survival element is gone as guns and ammo are aplenty. I myself am very split on this game as the one player mode would get a D- and the two player mode would get a solid B, worth the play with a friend.

“The war on bio-terrorism continues as Chris Redfield, Leon Kennedy, and other famous Resident Evil stalwarts battle a seemingly familiar adversary. However, as these veterans of survival horror pursue this latest threat, their nightmare reaches critical mass when it is discovered that it is in fact Ada Wong’s dark clone, Carla, who is championing the most deadly bio-weapon yet – the C-Virus. Chris and Leon have eradicated some of the worst viral strains, from Raccoon City and beyond. But can they overcome this most deadly strain yet? Moreover, when push comes to shove, can they shed old compassion and take down their former friends? How will a conflicted young Wesker come to terms with his lineage, and where will his true alliance fall in this deadly chess match?”

This 6^th game in the series was met with mixed reviews, and I feel like it was was too harshly judged. I enjoyed the fact that the game took three different paths and each would cross at times and would get you ever so closer to the over all store of this installment. The game had the right mix of horror and action and was a fun co-op game as me and Jeremy played and beat this one as well. Lots of a gun play, some zombies as well as bosses made this one a good time. I will say that it’s by far the weakest in the series, but again, not as bad as some would have you believe.

“In 1998 a disaster struck the quiet midwestern residence of Raccoon City. An uncontrollable outbreak of the Umbrella created T-Virus transformed the city into an inescapable death trap. To stop the outbreak from spreading, Umbrella Incorporated was forced to wipe out the entire city. However, this was not the only location where an outbreak occurred…”

I wanted to cover this game real quick as it was another Resident Evil game that was one the original Sony Playstation that I spent tons of time trying to beat when I was in my early 20’s! The game was not a third person one but took the route of being a first person shooter as you took the role of a man who forgets who he is and must survive the zombie outbreak. As of the last 2 years I replayed this game, and while it’s nothing special, it still has a place in my heart. My friend Jason Gilmore hated this game so much, and I can remember him getting so pissed off at it having to use the controller instead of a light gun. Below is also is a picture that acts as a who’s who of the Resident Evil Video Game World from Zero to 6!

Resident Evil’s main story only has 6 installments up to this point but has a ton of spin-off games that help add to the legacy of the series, and these have been made on many systems over the years like Gamecube, Nintendo DS, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 2, XBox 360 and many more! Some of the great games in this series are Resident Evil 0 – a game that acts as a prequel, Resident Evil Revelations that has sparked two games thus far and is a cool way to add to the creepy nature of the series as the first game in the series has you stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean! But these spin-off games have also had some bad games like the Resident Evil Outbreak series that had you picking from a cast of everyday people and trying to survive and escape the odds as well as the shoot em up cheese fest Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City that while fun for being a no brainer kind of game was very much a major time waster as well. Love or hate these side games, one things for sure, they at least help add to the Survival Horror legacy that the series help start.

Besides the video games, Resident Evil has also broke into the world of Hollywood as several live action and some animated films have been made featuring the characters and even making some up along the way. The live action movies follow Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, with the first film coming out in 2002 and a total of 5 films thus far made for the series with the 6^th on planned for a 2017 release. While they are by no means classic zombies films and fall flat when you compare them to the likes of Romero’s Dead films or even the first three of the Return of the Living Dead films, they still deliver some zombie horror filled with over the top Matrix style action scenes. While I have seen the live action Resident Evil films, many of them even in the theater, I have not seen that animated ones though I hear that they are fantastic and are better. My friend Jeremy who is a Resident Evil fan like myself really enjoys the animated ones and recommends them to you. So if you dig the games and can’t get enough R.E., make sure to check out the films as they may hold you over till the next game.

One thing that has always been really cool about Resident Evil is that lots of toys have been made of the characters with some of the first ones I remember coming out via Toy Biz who were known for making the X-Men and Marvel Toys when I was a youngster. What I remember most about these toys was that they did ones for parts 1 and 2 and that they would come in two packs that would feature a hero like Jill and with a zombie! They would be packed with all types of weapons as well as sometimes other goodies. I know over the years I have had some of the zombie figures, and I think in my parents basement somewhere there is a Jill but what I remember the most about these figures is when Game Swap in Kettering first opened my friend Max brought some of his figures in and he placed them on the shelf above the DVD Boxsets. To this day, they sit on that shelf in his honor. Looking back at it, he was also big fan of this video game series, and I would like to dedicate this update to him as he was truly a great friend and will forever live on to all those who knew him.

Before we get into the Marvel Comic promo issue, I would like to take a moment to say that I have been to many horror and comic conventions over the years, and it’s always cool to see people dressed up cosplaying as their favorite characters from film, video games and comics. I always like to see was the people who dress as characters from Resident Evil! Always nice seeing a good looking goth girl running around in a S.T.A.R.S. Uniform like I use to for many years at Horrorhound Weekend. But I have not seen her the last few times I have been, so below are some pictures of people cosplaying as Resident Evil characters Jill Valentine, Nemesis and Ada Wong, so check them out and enjoy!

So we have made it to the Town Hall here in Raccoon City and have dodged many zombies. Along the way, we have talked about Resident Evil in video games, movies, toys and cosplay, and we are now at the point where we will be talking about Resident Evil in comics. I chose to review the Marvel Comic over Wildstorm’s because this was the first R.E. comic and is a direct tie in to the original game. So while you use the health spray and pick the green herbs to mix with the red ones, I need to remind you that I grade these on a standard 1-4 star rating and base it on entertainment value, quality of the story, the art and how true it stays to the source martial. So let’s get ready to enter and hope we can find a rotten ink ribbon fast!

Resident Evil # 1 **1/2
Released in 1996 Cover Price Free Marvel Comics # 1 of 1

Richard Aiken is a member of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team and is alone in a mansion with “things” that are watching him as he tries his best to call back to base and his boss Albert Wesker for help, but soon finds that the wires in his phone box are cut! Aiken’s team has been attacked and many of them killed. What was just a search for missing hikers has turned into a massacre of his friends. Meanwhile Wesker gets a phone call from a shadowy figure that tells him that he must keep a secret from being discovered and that he did a good job of sabotaging the Bravo Team’s chopper. As Wesker hangs up, Barry and members of the Alpha Team show up to see if he has any news on the missing team, and this makes Wesker decided to call on his top team to find out what’s going on in the area near the abandon mansion. Meanwhile Aiken is in the mansion running from shadows, poison gas and worse a giant snake! Wesker gets his team ready that includes Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, and together they chopper to the site of the missing team and bail out in order to find them.

This comic is a pre-equal to the Capcom PlayStation video game and does a nice job of quickly explaining what happened before the events of the game and shows you some of the fate of the Bravo team. The plot is this simple: a group of special forces go missing in a area where people have vanished. They themselves get into a world of trouble as what is waiting for them is something pure evil and their only hope is another team who is on the way to save the day. Richard Aiken is the first member of S.T.A.R.S. we meet, and sadly by the time we catch up with him, he is filled with fear and is running for his life. But he does fight to stay alive all the way up to the giant snake crossing his path and for all accounts ending his life. Albert Wesker, who is the head of the S.T.A.R. teams, is clearly a scumbag as he is shown to be hiding something from the start and is more into keeping that secret then saving his missing men. Jill, Chris, Barry and the rest of the Alpha Team are all side characters, and they clearly take this back seat as they are more important in the video game so I think they wanted them to be around but not the stars. This comic shows no zombies besides in shadows and the only “monsters” shown are the giant snake and the green gas of death. I do wish they would have shown the zombies, but again, if they did I think it might have taken away from the game when you first meet the flesh eaters, a true double edged sword. The comic has zero blood and is only a total of 12 pages with the cover the same as the game’s cover and has art done by Dave Johnson who worked on other books like Detective Comics and Action Comics. Over all this promo comic was a fun read and helps add to the story of Resident Evil but it also is way too highly priced for what it is. So fans of the game series should check it out for sure. Casual fans might want to stay away from a comic with little action and no true scares. Below is some artwork from the comic to show you the style of the book’s art.

So while this Marvel Promo Comic might not have been great like the game it was based on, it still was a fun read and a part of the history of Resident Evil. For our next update, we are leaving the undead-infested Raccoon City and entering the fast food world of fried chicken as we are taking a trip into the 11 herbs and spices of KFC and learning about its spokesman Colonel Sanders! So from zombies who eat human flesh to a Colonel who eats friend chicken flesh, our next one is for sure going to be a great time. Until then, read a comic or three, play a video game or two, support your local horror host and watch out for the undead!

Rotten Pixels 2

Posted on February 12, 2013 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back boils and ghouls as we continue my look at horror films that should be made into video games for PS3, Xbox 360 and even the WII. Yeah, I know that the next gen systems are coming very soon, but these titles could carry over onto, say, a PS4. Working at a second hand video game store has given me the chance to buy and play many different systems, and one that I have found to be a fun 8-bit experience that has many horror themed games is the Commodore 64 (C64). While mostly known for being a computer and really is nothing more then a keyboard that you buy floppy disk and datasette drives for, it’s a surprise in the gaming department. This system has games based on the films Friday The 13^th, A Nightmare of Elm Street, Psycho, Nightbreed, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Evil Dead and even cartoon vampire duck Count Duckula! It also had games based on Dracula, ghosts, Frankenstein, Bigfoot and Werewolves, not to mention horror hostess Elvira Mistress of the Dark had two games based around her. While the NES also had games based on Friday and Nightmare, the C64 versions are way different giving gamers a little more to play, and best of all the controls for this gaming computer are just like the Atari 2600 joystick. In fact you can plug in and use a 2600 joystick. The wonders of classic gaming is something I hold near and dear. If you would like to read up on some of my thoughts on these video games, you should read my reviews over at www.bloodlinevideo.com for both games and movies.

So without me blabbing on some more about my love of survival horror games, classic gaming and my website, let’s just get right into the list starting with number 10.

# 10.) The Wolf Man

Larry Talbot is a man who comes from a well to do family. When returning home, he falls in love with a shopkeeper’s daughter who is set to be married. Larry charms the young woman and gets her to go out with him to a local gypsy carnival of sorts. While out on this date, he is attacked by a werewolf who passes the full moon curse onto him. Larry struggles with his new curse, and the fact he is responsible for the deaths of many locals. This causes him to have a death wish and by the end of the original film, he meets his end by a silver cane wielded by the woman he loves. But you can’t keep a good monster down as Larry would return in many more films trying to find a way to be cured and also doing battles with Frankenstein’s Monster, crazy scientists, Count Dracula and even Bud Abbot and Lou Costello. Like the Phantom of the Opera, this is a perfect game for a company like TellTale Games to snatch up and turn into a solid, fun point and click spooky horror adventure. Imagine playing as Larry Talbot during the day trying to right the wrongs you have done the night before during the full moon as The Wolf Man! The ultimate goal is to find a cure or even find peace in death; all these decisions would be up to you the player and your actions would determine what course the game would take. Lon Chaney Jr. who played The Wolf Man’s son Ron Chaney should also do a voice in this game, adding to the over all feel. I for one would flip out for a game like this and would support a whole line based on Universal Monster Movies! And really this is one of my top five favorite movies of all time, and while the sequels don’t have as much impact as the first, they also are amazing watches during the cold month of October.

While a company has made a free to play internet MMO of The Universal Monsters, the Wolf Man has had some what of a presence in the world of video games. In 1988, a text based game was released for the Commodore 64 and while the name of the game is WolfMan, it’s not a Universal sponsored product and in no way ties into the Larry Talbot myth, but sure did try and cash in on it. The only other game I can think of is a Handheld game made by Tiger sometime in the mid to late 90’s. While the moon still gets full and the game systems around the world fire up, maybe one day we will all be able to howl with fear and play a true console game based on this iconic character.

# 9.) Pumpkinhead

When you have felt that you have been wronged and what has happened is truly something you want unforgiven revenge for, there is an old witch that lives in a rundown cabin in the woods that can help, but her help comes with a price as Ed Harley found out when a group of city teens accidentally kill his son with a dirt bike. The revenge is a demon called Pumpkinhead who will murder all those who are on your hit list, and the price is your soul! Now imagine a game developer like Rock Steady getting to work on a game like this, and how epic and scary and deep the plot would be. I see this as a game that you play as two characters, one being the poor fool who summoned Pumkinhead and the other being one of the poor saps he’s after. In the end you must choose who is right in this situation and and this will effect the outcome of the game. All the while during this plot you are running for your life away from the revenge demon and watching as your friends are being brutally killed. Plus for the fun of it, you can add in the spirits of those who summoned this monster in the past to haunt and warn the player of the dangers, giving the game the freedom to tie it into the film series and a way to have Lance Hendricson (Ed Harley) in it. To me once again this movie has all the right tools to become a video game series if done right.

Pumpkinhead has had one shot at the video game market when the second film “Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings” was released in 1994, and it got the PC Game treatment with a game called “Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead’s Revenge” a year later. The game is a first person shooter that used clips from the film and was looked at as a rushed mess with no direction and no real scary moments by almost all gamers. But with this bomb of a game way in our past, I truly think Pumpkinhead should rise once more and show us all just how scary he can be!

# 8.) Return of the Living Dead

Two medical supply workers accidentally open a military drum filled with a toxin that turns the dead into brain eating zombies. A group of punk rock teens, a mortician, the two workers (who are now very ill) and the medical supply warehouse boss must fight to stay alive as the dead just keep on coming up from the nearby cemetery. Zombie video games are super popular, and while some would say they are flooding the market, they are still selling well and gamers seem to not get enough of the gut munchers. That’s why taking something like Return of the Living Dead and turning it into a gaming franchise is a no brainer. This could easily become a series of games that could give House of the Dead, Dead Island and even Resident Evil a run for their money by adding in the punk rock feel of the films and score music lifted straight from the movie. Imagine this as the plot of a Return of the Living Dead game that plays like a updated version of Resident Evil in which you play as a punk rocker teen who alongside friends have been caught in the acid rain. You see, you are friends of the punk rockers from the first film and must fight to stay alive using what ever you can find to fight off the undead. The game could be multiplayer so friends can join in the game of survival. Add in cameos from characters from the first film and of course have the famous Tar Man Zombie be a boss fight, and you have the making of a great classic movie tie in game. This could then lead into games that tie in the second film and then onto the third and so on, even though parts 4 and 5 are terrible. Game companies that I would love to see tackle this game include Rock Star, Capcom, Konami and WB Games. Only time will tell if some game company decides to take the chance on this amazing IP.

# 7.) Creature From The Black Lagoon

The Creature is considered by many as Universal’s last great horror monster icon and has three solid films behind him making the video game world a perfect outlet to continue his legacy. A group of scientist go to the lagoons of the Amazon rain forest and come across a human like fish man dubbed “The Gill-Man” who has taken a liking to the female of the team. When he kidnaps her, it’s up to the crew to get her back but not before our fiendish fish man kills as few humans off. The creature in his film appearances has also been captured and put on display at an aquarium and last time we saw him, he had been turned more human like, wanted to set lots of fires and is believed to have drowned after his escape. This is where our game should begin and would show that the Creature has survived and in fact has hid out and healed to become his former scaly self. The game would have a family lost on a fishing trip in the back waters of the Evergreens in Florida. To the families, surprise they have also caught the eyes of Gill-Man who has set his eyes on their college aged daughter. As the father, you must survive the horrors of the swamp and the terrors of the Creature in order to get your daughter back. This one again would and should be made by TellTale Games and showcase the Universal Monster in a great episodic survival horror adventure. I also feel that the character and his whole story could make for a very solid and fun game that would sure to please classic horror flick fans, kids and even most survival horror fans. This is another game I would order the moment it was announced! And with a re-make of the film in the works, we might just get this!

The Gill-Man has made it to the video arcades back in 1993 when Bally made a pinball machine based on the Creature From The Black Lagoon that was complete with a hologram creature that would appear in the game’s lagoon. This is one of my favorite pinball machines, and I can remember going to a local arcade called “Krazy Kats” and playing this machine a lot in my youth. This is truly a retro machine that I would love to own and put into my place of work to let a whole new generation enjoy. If you get the chance you should check it out and give it a play. It combines a classic Universal Monster, Drive-In Theater and Pinball, what more could a horror kid ask for.

# 6.) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Leatherface alongside his brothers W.E, Choptop and Hitchhiker Sawyer with their ancient Grandpa are a sick family that come from the slaughterhouse industry who are way to much into the meat business as they kill humans and use them for dinner. W.E is the brains of the family and not only does he run a small gas station, he also travels around selling the human meat products to hungry football fans. Leatherface is the dumb brute who acts as the butcher, Chop Top is a vet with a metal plate in his head who is as blood thirsty as a psycho gets as the Hitchhiker is just bat shit crazy. Many have died and only few have survived. Now imagine a game where you must survive the Sawyer family’s attack as you are alone and stranded by their infamous farmhouse. The plot would have you, a young man driving through Texas to get to Mexico to meet up with friends on vacation when you have an accident that leaves your car totaled and your spirt low. Things get worse when Leatherface comes calling, and you must run and fight for your life. I see this playing like Clock Tower 3 but with more of a chance to fight back. Another feature would be if Leatherface hits you with his chainsaw your injury stays with you through out the game. So say he cuts one of your hands off, you are stuck with no hand for the rest of the game. Throw in some other characters for kills and you have yourself a video game bloodbath waiting to happen. The game would be filled with strong violence and be set in the late 70’s or early 80’s making room for follow up games. Not to mention this game could go many different routes, it could follow the 1974 series that had 4 films or even the 2003 reboot series that had 2 films. This is just a rough idea for this game and with more sequels to this franchise in the works, it only makes sense that it should get the game treatment. Companies who should make this game include Konami, THQ, Activision and WB Games. Only time will tell if a game company ever will gas up the old chainsaw again and give us survival horror fans a real classic Texas treat.

Sadly Leatherface has made it to home consoles thanks to Wizard Video Games. In 1982 they brought a pixelated mess of a game to Atari 2600 that had you playing as Leatherface chasing girls down in a field and cutting them up with his chainsaw. The goal is to kill as many girls as you can before the gas that powers your saw runs out. When your turn’s over, a woman runs up and kicks you in the butt! What a shameful only game for a horror icon to have.

# 5.) Friday The 13^th

Camp Crystal Lake has a death curse surrounding it that took hold when a young deformed boy named Jason Voorhees was thought to have drowned in the lake and a pair of counselors were murdered. Jason’s mother Pamela went crazy and killed some teens that were there to reopen the site many years later, and she met her end when she was beheaded by one of her would-be victims. But to everyone’s displeasure Jason didn’t drown, and now is an unstoppable killer who hacks and slashes his way to avenge his mother’s death and to keep all away from his home. Jason has had 11 films that followed each other and a 2009 remake of the original. This lends itself to be made into a video game for this generation’s systems, and in fact lots of fans of both the films and video games have been waiting for some company to be a hero and make one. This one could take three routes and give the player the choice of playing as a camper who has become the target of Jason, play as Tommy Jarvis who has battled Jason in a total of three films or as Jason himself giving the game replay value. All three would tie in at the end giving the game a closing. The camper story line would have you trying to get teens out of the camp before they become worm food thanks to Jason’s weapons of death. Along the way, you must battle the wilds and traps the killer has set, not to mention a copycat killer who is also lurking in the woods. Tommy’s story line would have you tracking down Jason and coming across the government who is there to take Jason away as if he is some sort of super solider weapon. This gives you plenty of action as you must fight them off while Jason is attacking. And Jason’s story would simply be kill. Kill all the teens, kills the agents, kill Tommy, Kill the camper and kill the fake you! In the end it all comes together for an epic end battle. Again, this is just an idea, and I am sure game makers could make an idea that is way better and give us all a good scary gore filled game. Companies that should tackle this one would be WB Games, RockStar, Konami or Capcom. It’s a shame that we have not gotten this game yet, and I hope one day a game company will listen to what the fans want.

To be fair, Friday The 13^th has made it to home consoles twice, but both game are considered bad. The first is for the Commodore 64 made by Domark and came out in 1985. It has Jason almost being a bodysnatcher who is hiding in the body of a fellow person, and you must find out by clues who it is and kill the one you think is the killer. Then in 1989, LJN made a game for the NES that had you playing as camp counselors trying to save kids from a rampaging Jason who would just appear and attack the kids in cabins and you on paths. While the Commodore 64 version is kind of lame and lackluster, the Nes one, while a bad game, is super fun and I kind of enjoy it. Not to mention a few Homebrew games have been made for the Atari 2600 by Salem Frost Games based on parts 2 and 3. With many years removed from these titles, one would hope the hockey mask killer will return to stalk home consoles soon.

# 4.) A Nightmare on Elm Street

Freddy Krueger is a razor clawed glove wearing, child killing, dream stalking bastard son of a 1000 maniacs who has tormented and killed many teens. Freddy when human was killed by vigilantes for crimes against children and during this he was burned alive and making his spirit haunt and kill the children of those who killed him, making the youths pay for the sins of their parents. Many have tried to stop Freddy and all mostly have lost their lives. The only one who has been able to beat him twice and live is Alice, a young woman who can bring people into her dreams and take the powers of friends who have passed. Now think about this, Freddy has a total of 8 films and 1 remake he has appeared in, and is one of the most well known horror icons of the slasher years. Now imagine a game where you must fight Freddy in our world and in the dream world and how mant crazy levels could be made, not to mention places from the films like the junkyard, high school and Nancy’s house all thrown in for a nice touch. I see you playing as a young woman who has lost most of her friends to Freddy Kruger while they sleep one night. When he comes for you, it’s discovered that you have the power to fight him off, and now the war is own as Freddy uses your friends and fears as pawns in order to break you down and steal your soul. This is a film that lends itself to being a very visual game and the possibilities of levels and bad guys are endless, not to mention Freddy can take on many different forms. It makes no sense why WB Games, whose parent company owns the rights to Freddy, would not make a game based on the burnt dream slasher. Here’s hoping that WB finally opens their eyes and sees that this film series would make a perfect game series and that fans would love to step into a nightmare and battle Freddy. And of course Robert England would have to voice Freddy ’cause no one else should!

Freddy Kruger is no stranger to the video game world and has made a few appearances in some such as 1989’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” by Monarch for the Commodore 64 that has characters from the third film and has you trying to save Joey from his evil clutches. A year later, LJN released a game of the same title that was a 4 player side scroller that had you fighting monsters and Freddy in order to gather Kruger’s bones to burn them and put him to rest. In 1994 a pinball machine based around Freddy was released to arcades. Then in 2011, Freddy Kruger based on the remake look was a downloadable fighter for the newest Mortal Kombat game. So as you can see, Freddy is ready for an all new full game!

# 3.) Frankenstein

Henry Frankenstein and his assistant Fritz have built a “man” that is looked at as a monster who has super human strength, fears fire and has the hatred of all the villagers coming down on his patched together body. Henry at first stands by his creation but quickly turns when the monster gets loose and goes on a rampage. The Monster in this film series has been burned, blown up, sank in quicksand, fought the Wolf Man, had his brain switched, fallen in hot molten sulfur, been frozen and even had a Bride who wanted nothing to do with him! The Frankenstein Monster is the first classic horror monster to have a long running series that totals 8 films, and this is something Universal should be very proud of. Once more this is a great chance to get sequels made for these classic films in the way of a video game, and once more TellTale Games should be the ones to tackle it. In fact this is a game that I would love to make and have spoken to a few people about maybe getting this ball rolling on getting one made. So if anyone at TellTale is reading this, contact me! The beauty of these classic monster games is that you can make the ratings E or T and make them scary and fun for all ages. Plus the Universal Frankenstein lore is so rich and has so many amazing characters that a company could turn out a few games based on this IP. Imagine a game where the player is in control of both Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster and some other familiar faces show up like the Bride and Ygor. The plot I have in mind would be an epic spooky tale that would sure to please gaming and film fans!

Frankenstein’s Monster sure is not a stranger to the video game world, and his image has been used in many games from NES’s “Castlevania” to Atari 2600’s “Frankenstein’s Monster” but very few have been based on the Universal Monster license. Once more a quick cash-in text-based game for the Commodore 64 called “Frankenstein” was released by CRL in 1987, but once more had no real ties to the Universal film. Some time in the 90’s Tiger Electronics released a handheld game based around The Monster, and in 1998 Williams released a pinball game called “Monster Bash” to arcades that featured all of the Universal Monsters in a rock band. In 2012 a free to play online MMO called “Universal Monsters Online” was released, and while a cool concept, the character designs are generic. So here is hoping that some stormy night lightning strikes, and Frankenstein’s Monster comes alive on our PS3 systems.

# 2.) Hellraiser

A puzzle box holds the secrets of both pleasure and pain but knowing this information comes with a terrible price if you solve the box’s riddle: the cenobites! Led by Pinhead, the cenobites will torture and kill you and damn your soul to a hell like limbo where you will forever face your own private hell. The cenobites’ world is a giant maze, and their god is Leviathan. Only one man has ever escaped them and that was Frank Cotton who in turn brought this nightmare onto his brother’s family, specifically his niece Kristy who in turn is the first human to defeat the cenobites. Like A Nightmare on Elm Street, this is a perfect fit for the video game world and has so many characters and possibilities that could make this game a creepy experience. Even though, I am not a full fan of this genre this would be a cool first person shooter and could tap into the creepy atmosphere of the maze-like Hell and deliver scares like the F.E.A.R. series or even Doom 3. The plot could have you opening the box by mistake and being sent to Hell. You must use the Puzzle box to fight off Cenobites and other worldly creatures in order to get back to life as you once knew it. Pinhead would be the final boss, and it would be cool if through out the game he taunts and sets you up making you think you have won at many different moments. This could also be made into an amazing third person game and take all the great elements that make a game like Silent Hill work and add them into a game were you must travel to the Cenobites world in order to save your loved one from the hell they have made for themselves as they were dumb enough to open the box. Imagine creeping around the maze like world and running into Chatter. Once you save them and return to our world that game doesn’t end and Pinhead and his crew come to claim whats theirs in what could be an epic final boss battle in a game! The game makers should allow Clive Barker, the master mind behind this story, to write the script and of course have Doug Bradley voice Pinhead. It should include all the classic Cenobites from the first two films (Female, Chatter and Butterball). Hellraiser has a total of 8 sequels and a remake is being planed showing this series does have a good following even if some of the sequels were direct to DVD stinkers. With the Weinstein Company opening TWC Games in 2011 this game could one day become a reality and while I don’t think it will make it for the PS3 life cycle I do have faith that the PS4 will. They make the game, and we would play!

Hellraiser is no stranger to the video game world but almost seems to be a cursed IP with games based around it never seeming to see the light of day. In 1990 Color Dreams (a unlicensed game maker) attempted to make a Hellraiser game for the NES, it was set to be you in a maze fighting monsters but sadly the plug was pulled when they realized Nintendo was on a rampage, running these rogue game companies out of store shelves and that the cost to make this game was becoming to high. You see, they designed a better cart with better chips to make the game bigger and better. Even Color Dreams PC version was ditched and ended up at the pixel graveyard. Also sometime in the 90’s, a rumor was going around that Konami, the fine folks who brought us Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania and Saw, were developing a game for the original Sony Playstation, Once more cost kept this game from seeing the light of a TV Screen. This game would have had you collecting charms from Cenobites. And then in 1996 Magnet Interactive was working on a game called Hellraiser: Virtual Hell that was a first person shooter that had the player solving puzzles and fighting off cenobites and other creatures. Doug Bradley was in this game as they filmed him for cut scenes during breaks of filming Hellraiser: Bloodlines. This game was scraped due to a terrible game engine and the lack of faith and effort given to the project from the company. The only game that did make it somewhat to home consoles is a home brew Atari 2600 game called Helloween that combines Hellraiser and Halloween,and is really more of a Pitfall clone. So sadly there were many games planned, and none of the official ones ended up in gamers’ hands. So here is hoping a company will come through and make a scary, chilling and gross game based around Pinhead.

So here we are at the # 1 spot, and I have chosen everything from silent horror icons, Universal Classics to slashers and zombies and each of these I truly think would make amazing games. That’s the one thing about video games nowadays, they seem to not want to take a chance and they only seem to want to stick with things that have been done and rehash sequels and recycle the game over and over. I mean do we really need a new Call of Duty or Madden every year? But with this said let’s go onto the # 1 Horror Film that I think should be made into a video game.

# 1.) Halloween

Michael Myers killed his older sister at a young age and had spent most of his youth in a mental asylum where he shut down and never spoke. His doctor, Sam Loomis, sees that the young man no longer has emotions and had turned into a nothing more than a ticking time bomb. Many years pass and now an adult Myers has escaped and is on a murderous path toward his hometown of Handenfield, Illinois targeting teen girls and more importantly his baby sister who was adopted. Michael Myers has returned in 6 sequels and has had a remake that also spawned a sequel and is one of the most popular slasher icons of the silver screen. While at first he was just a sick and twisted human, he later became a undying killing machine. This film is perfect for a video game and has so many great levels and backgrounds that can be used from the mental asylum to the run down Myers house, each spooky in their own way. Imagine playing a level in the basement of the Myers house and all you have is a flashlight and that white mask of Michael comes popping out of the darkness, you know you would scream. When I was a teenager I even wrote a Halloween game that I wanted to make for the Sony Playstation with the help of Konami. The idea I had then I think still works now as you play as Dr. Loomis who must stop Michael Myers’ rampage that has him targeting a young woman once more on Halloween night. It would take you all over the town and famous sites like the Myers home, the asylum and the high school. The goal is to set traps and fend Michael off until you can get the girl to safety and if she dies, the game is over. This was just the old idea of a teenage boy; imagine the epic game we could get if Capcom, RockStar or even TellTale put some AAA game writers on it. This is a game I truly hope makes it into my game library so that I can enjoy the chills late night in the TV’s glow.

Wizard Video struck again in 1983 when they released Halloween for the Atari 2600 and had gamers play as a babysitter of tons of kids in a huge house. You must guide the kids away from Michael Myers. The film’s theme plays in 8-bit glory every time Michael shows up. Halloween had to have been the most bloody and violent game released at the time and depicts decapitations and murder of young children both complete with pixelated blood. But much like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the game was a bomb and was not showcased at retail stores causing poor sales. And for years gamers have asked for a new game based on this series that has yet to be made. With TWC Games still open, one could only hope that we will get one in the future. And I should say that while the Atari 2600 game was by no means great, I still have a blast playing it.

So there you have it, 21 horror films that I think should be made into a video game for current generation home consoles. Survival Horror and and plain horror themed games have been a staple in the industry, and while I feel they don’t get the push and quantity they deserve on home console, it seems the PC Gaming world gets plenty. One of the best ones has to be the free to play slasher fighting game called Terrordrome. Imagine a game that allows you to fight as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers or Freddy Kruger and beat up the likes of Candyman, Manaic Cop or Ash! Sadly this game came under attack from companies like Warner Brothers and now it’s in limbo.

Survial Horror will forever live on, and I hope someone in the gaming industry is reading this and takes a chance on one of these IPs so that the fans are finally able to play the blood chilling horror game of one of our favorite horror icons. Next update we go back to the world of comics as we take a look at Marvels Saga of Crystar series.

Rotten Pixels

Posted on January 26, 2013 by bloodlinematt

This update I think I am going to take a break from comics and films and talk about another great past time for me: video games. So I’m dubbing this one Rotten Pixels. I grew up in the prime time for gaming and was a fan of home gaming consoles from the start. While I never owned a Atari 2600, a childhood neighbor named Brad Burns did when I lived in Waynesville and I remember playing games like E.T., Superman and Raiders of the Lost Ark and being captivated. A few years later my parents got my brother and I a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for Christmas after our cousins Dino and Norman showed us the wonders of Super Mario Brothers, Ninja Gaiden and Contra. The system was a hit at the Brassfield house, and even my parents would play on occasion. My Mom liked playing Mario, while my Dad would play sports games like Blades of Steel and WCW Wrestling against us. Those times spent playing the system with my family will forever be amazing memories. The games that seemed to capture my attention were games based with horror themes like Castlevania, Friday the 13^th and Ghost and Goblins. The more monsters, the better, I always thought.

As time passed, we moved up to a Sega Genesis that we bought off a guy Bryan went to school with for $30.00. While the system had better graphics and some amazing games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast and Golden Axe, it failed for the most part in the horror department. While some great horror games would come out like Castlevania Bloodlines and Splatterhouse 2-3, the system was bogged down with some off the wall and down right crappy movie tie in games like Bram Stokers Dracula, Marry Shelly’s Frankenstein and The Lawnmower Man. The Sega Genesis years for me belonged to the super hero games like Captain America and the Avengers, Spider-Man Maximum Carnage and Incredible Hulk. While I still loved a good spooky horror game the games were just not being made as fast leaving me fighting super villains and not horror icons. The Super Nintendo would come along, and my brother would be the one to take that step and get the system when we moved to Kettering. While the system had great games, once more I found it had the same bad horror film game tie ins and even less horror games coming.

We made the next move to Nintendo 64, and while it was a solid system, the lack of horror inspired games led this to be the system of “name brands” for me like Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda Ocrina of Time and Goldeneye. But in 1995 Sony released the Playstation, and things would never be the same. The system had many great titles and a ton of horror games that become known as survival horror, making this my favorite system and making me a loyal Playstation buyer. Games like Clock Tower 1-2, Resident Evil 1-3, Silent Hill, D and Nightmare Creatures 1-2 kept the gamer in me happy with chilling monster filled games. But during this time there was also a lack of games based on horror films, something that continues to this day. Sure, every once in a while we will get a game like PS2’s Underworld: The Eternal War and Microsoft Xbox’s Land of the Dead: The Road to Fiddlers Green, but the Underworld game was a European only release, and Land of the Dead was a rushed mess. But back to the system at hand, Sony Playstation would have many horror inspired games come out during its run like Evil Dead Hail to the King , Juggernaut, Over Blood, Legacy of Kain, Dino Crisis, Castlevania Symphony of the Night to name a few. I spent many of late nights in my room or in the family room playing these chilling games alone or with great friends like Jason Gilmore and Andrea Seay, and enjoying every spooky moment. The PSX had a few movie tie-ins that were based on horror/sci-fi films like Evil Dead, The Crow and Alien. Then In 2000 the Playstation 2 was released and like its predecessor it had a nice amount of Survival Horror games released including sequels to Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Evil Dead and Clock Tower, and introduced new series like Siren and Fatal Frame.

In 2006, the Playstation 3 was released and along with it came HD survival horror games! Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Siren, Splatterhouse and Castlevania all have sequels that came out with top notch graphics and continued the amazing story lines. The PS3 also had horror writer and director Clive Barker help make a game called Jericho. Konami released games based on the SAW movies to be a companion to their popular Silent Hill franchise. There were many more great games like the goofy cult classic Red Seeds Profile, zombie first person shooter Dead Island, and the F.E.A.R. series that added end of the world themes with the supernatural. These are just a handful of amazing titles that have come out on this amazing system. While they are not the best of the PS3 horror titles, the SAW games are some entertaining games that show that horror films CAN make some good solid games! Kanomi has only released two in the series and there is a rumor of a third game which, as a fan I am hoping will come.

In 2013, PS3 and Xbox 360 were supposed to get a game based on Childs Play’s killer Chucky! TikGames is the company that making the game, and they claim that in game you will play as Chucky and spend the time plotting against and killing all those who are in your way. The downside to the game is that as of this point it will not be a disc based game but a download only title that it appears will not feature the voice talents of Brad Dourif who has voiced the doll killer in five films. While I am hyped for the game I am still a little let down in the game’s handling, and I feel like the download games are most the time just throw away games. As you can see by these pics at least his look is well done. But as of late 2012, it looks like this game has been canceled.

I could go on and on about video games, but that’s not the full reason for this update. The main reason is the fact that there are many horror films that would lend themselves to becoming amazing video games for a present generation system (aka PS3, XBOX 360, WII). So I would like to do a Top 20 list of films that should be made into games. I chose from a list of many, and it was hard to choose just 20, but I was able to limit down my list and choose ones that would lend themselves to the gaming world. But enough of the build up, let’s start the list with a nice runner up one that came close to making the final cut.

# 21.) Puppet Master Series

Andre Toulon is a puppeteer who has the secret to turn his puppets into living, killing beings! At first Toulon used his puppets for good to fight the Nazi’s that were responsible for the death of his wife. But after his suicide, others used the Puppets for evil as did Toulon when his secret formula later brought him back to life. The Puppets (Blade, Jester, Pinhead, Miss Leech, Torch, Six Shooter, Tunneler) have become good and bad guys and have dispatched ancient demons and even had a fight with The Demonic Toys, another film series from Full Moon Pictures. What the game could be about is that at first you play as Alex Whitaker (psychic from the first film) who must find a way to fight and capture the puppets and turn them from evil to good at Bodega Bay Inn and must use them to help stop a evil cult who wants to steal the secrets of the puppets for an evil plot. The rest of the game is spent playing with your choice of a team of three from all the puppets and using them to fight back against the cult. While the game at this point would not be a huge IP (Intellectual property) for a company to pick up, its cult following and 11 films done and one on the way proves this franchise has a good fan base.

# 20.) Rawhead Rex

Clive Barker’s short story of the same name from The Books of Blood Volume 3 came to the silver screen in 1987 and told the story of a pagan god who was released onto the countryside of Ireland and an author who must risk his life and that of his family in order to stop the killing machine once and for all. The film’s subject would be a perfect fit for a video game as Rawhead would be the main boss and his followers, the goons you must fight off. Rawhead would pop up through out the game and give chase much like Nemesis in Resident Evil 3. It would be great if the character you are is caught off guard from the start of the game and must use whatever he can find to fight off the crazed followers. The gameplay would be very close to Silent Hill and Red Seeds Profile and would have the vast world of Ireland’s countryside complete with farms, barns and small towns. The movie, while very low key and having a cult status, should be and should have been made into a bloody good survival horror game.

# 19.) Wishmaster

A evil Djinn grants wishes to those who posses a gem that binds him to do the bidding of the owner. The Djinn, who can become more powerful by capturing the soul of the possessor, must do so to bring on the end of mankind and the age of the Djinn’s. The film sparked three sequels, and while the second in the series had the same Djinn, the following two sequels had a new one showing that there is more than one of the powerful beings. The game would be a fun one that would have the player making the mistake of waking the Djinn from the gem and causing chaos all around them, with many Djinn’s and the fact they can use their power to create monsters and have the ability to steal the looks of those they choose. It would make this game a fun time trying to figure out who is friend and who is foe. They could get all crazy with enemies and backgrounds given the fact the villains are so powerful and will be as cruel as possible to get what ever they want. Plus getting Andrew Divoff who played the Djinn from the first two would be a must to voice him again for the game. This could make a great PS3 game and would have also made a great PSX game. While the series has lost a little steam in this day and age, it still leaves itself wide open for a good game.

# 18.) Phantom of the Opera (1925)

At the Opera House in Paris, a deformed madman roams the sewers causing terror and killing those who go against his wishes to turn a young singer (Christine) into the star of the show. But the singer’s lover Raoul wants to marry her and take her away from the demanding Phantom. This clash leaves people dead and the Phantom being hunted like a wild animal. The game could follow the aftermath of the film and follow up to what happens when the Phantom who is believed to be dead is in fact not and sets out to get his songbird back, leaving the player to control Raoul having to find Christine who has been kidnapped in the underbelly of France. Besides the Phantom the player would have to also beat rats and vagrants that have been hired by Phantom to stop him at all cost. This could be a mix between a game like SAW and Uncharted and mix horror, action and puzzles together to force Raoul to stop the madman and rescue the lovely lady. The look of the Phantom would have to be taken from this 1925 version and keep the whole Lon Chaney Sr. look of the character. It would also be cool if his grandchild Ron Chaney would lend his voice to the Phantom character. The legacy of The Phantom of the Opera has lived on not only in the reprints of the novel the whole property is based around, but also in stage and film making the character a classic in the world of horror. I think TellTale Games would be the perfect company to make this one come to life.

The Phantom has made it to a few games for the PC. The first is called “The Return of the Phantom,” a game that is very similar to the idea I would want but is one of those early point & click adventures. The second is “Mystery Legends Phantom of the Opera,” both helping tide over fans of the character. And if ya need more Phantom there was also a pinball machine made by Data East for arcades. So PC gamers they have gotten a Phantom fix, but what about us home console guys, why are we left out in the cold?

# 17.) Tombs of the Blind Dead

The Knights Templar were the Catholic Church’s right hand men and were the warriors who spread the word of God, until they were all set up and murdered by the same church they worked for and were accused of witchcraft. The Knights were blinded by fire pokers before they were killed, and for this the Knights placed a curse on the small European town that they were executed in. Years later they return as blind zombies to get their revenge and make all pay for their wrongful deaths. The series of films featured them in old ruins and even on a ghost ship showing you cannot escape the blind dead who hear you breath and your heartbeat. The film had three sequels and a handful of copycat films making it a very well loved iconic Spanish horror series. So if you have not seen them, I recommend them. The game could take place in the small town and could follow you and a group of other survivors as you must survive the night of the Blind Dead’s attack. Guns, torches, swords and blunt objects are your weapons, and the game will send you into harm’s way many times to save fellow men from what could be their deaths. Everything in town can be used and every building is open for hiding because the main focus of the game is to save others and survive! The game’s path can change whether or not you are able to save people in your group and depending on the amount you don’t affects your ending. The game could also be multiplayer and would allow you and friends to try and survive the night of terror. This game would fit in perfect with the zombie craze that is sweeping the consoles now and is one that could appeal to fans of the film and those who don’t know the series.

# 16.) Leprechaun Series

Forget about Lucky from Lucky Charms cereal, this pint sized terror is an overprotective mean magical terror of his pot of gold and will murder you and your friends to get it back! A family moves into an old house and after taking a dried up four leaf clover off a box a newly freed Leprechaun torments them. His weakness is not only the power of the four leaf clover but also that of dirty shoes that he feels like he must clean. The Leprechaun has been in a total of seven films and has been to Las Vegas, Space and even the Hood twice. He kills in all types of silly yet fun ways, and delivers funny rhymed remarks while doing so. The game could take place with a group of friends who stumble upon his gold and make the mistake of splitting it and making themselves the target of the pint sized terror. This one would be fun to play as either the human who must get the gold back from his friends and or stop the Leprechaun or you could play as Leprechaun and avoid the means of defeating you from the thieves and collect all your gold back. This is just a small idea that would make for a good cheap download game, but I know that there is a full disc-based game to be made with some other idea beyond what I’ve come up with here. This character lends itself to the world of video games and with the cult following, it could easily be a good selling game as well. Warwick Davis is a must to voice Leprechaun and it would be nice to see the look captured in video game form as well. With a reboot of the series in the works for 2013 from Lions Gate and WWE, there might be some hope this film series might get the game treatment.

# 15.) Phantasm

After the death of a long time friend, brothers Mike & Jody and ice cream man Reggie go to the funeral and find out that the new mortician called the Tall Man is not what he seems. He is super strong, super tall, loves the cold and controls hooded dwarves and silver flying spheres that can kill a man in seconds! Tall Man has spread death and chaos around the world for many years and wants to ruin the whole world. This amazing yet odd series has four films total and begs to be made into a video game that could be almost an official number 5 in the film series that seems to have had problems for years getting made. The game could finish the storyline that has been presented into the films and could have you play as Reggie and Mike and have them go to war with Tall Man and his followers. You would have to switch between the two depending on the mission and at times the two would have to complete a mission together. I would love to see this game made, and it should have all the actors from the films voice the characters they played in the films. It would be a must to have Angus Scrimm voice the Tall Man. Someone should pitch this idea to director and creator Don Coscarelli and a game studio and get this game made! Also when you die, Tall Man should say “You Played a Good Game..But You Died” then laugh…that would be amazing!

I should also mention for gamers who still have an Atari 2600, they can get their hands on a fan made game cart based on this popular film series. It’s a maze-based game and plays like an early version of Final Fantasy. The game has not only Tall Man and the dwarves but also an amazing midi version of the films main theme. This is a must have game for fans of the film series and all that’s horror for the Atari 2600. Copies of this cart pop up on Ebay from time to time so keep your eyes open. I happen to be the proud owner of a copy of the game, and I must say while simple, it is a fun gaming experience.

# 14.) The Howling

The Howling series is one that’s run for a total of 8 films so far and for the most part each follow a different town with different issues dealing with werewolves. The first film follows TV reporter Karen White who helps in the capture and killing of a brutal serial killer whom she thinks turned into a beast before he was gunned down. The station sends her away to a nice resort to relax but instead she finds out that she is in the company of a town filled with werewolves and the killer she thought to be dead is back and is in fact a werewolf! The sequel to the film had Karen’s brother trying to get to the bottom of his sister’s torment and fighting the queen of werewolves. While low budget after the original, the series has a wide open door to making a good video game and has enough characters and locations to keep it fresh. It would be great if in the game you must escape the resort only to find that the whole town is werewolves and it becomes a race to escape the hellish location. Throw in key werewolves from the other films in the series and bam, you have a great survival horror game like Resident Evil that substitutes the zombies for werewolves. Or another idea could be that you are a hunter who goes to different locations from the films to kill off werewolves, you see one of them killed your wife and now you want revenge on them all. This one also could be a first person shooter and support motion controllers. Or one last idea would have you play Ian the werewolf from part 6 and have him at war with other werewolves, that way you can have them fight! While this series does have some stinkers, it still could be a fun cheap IP that could make for an entertaining gaming experience.

# 13.) The Hills Have Eyes

The Carter family goes out into the desert looking for an old family mine, and while on the quest they suffer some car issues that lead to them fighting for their lives against an inbreed family lead by the father named Jupiter. The death toll rises and only one family will make it out alive. The film spawned an official sequel and a remake that also had a sequel. The game could take place in the desert and would have you playing as a new family that finds themselves the target of the hills family. The goal of the game would be to rescue and dispatch the cannibal family before you and yours become dinner. It would be a prequel as well that way you can add in all of the family and show a little backstory of who and what they do, and as well they could make up and add new family members. The plot of the game could also take many twists and turns and could really build up the suspense and horror of what this family does. It should be based on the original films and not the remakes and must have Pluto look like Michael Berryman, and include the rest of the family and from the first and second film making this a full tie in. This one could be made and while the IP is not a major household name if the right amount of survival horror and terror is placed in the playing experience I am sure horror gamers would check it out. I would like to see Rock Star or Konami handle this title.

# 12.) SCREAM

Sidney Prescott is a teenage girl who is dealing with the murder of her mother and the relationship she has with her boyfriend. But when fellow classmates are being slaughtered and she gets haunting phone calls, she becomes the focus of a killers sick game. The killer known as “Ghostface” is out for blood and fame, and Sidney must fight to stay alive and to figure out who the killer is! This one also was made to be a video game and with the graphics and advanced programing this could be an amazing game! The game again could play like Silent Hill mixed slightly with Resident Evil and could follow you as Sidney Prescott or another young lady who is being stalked by Ghostface and how you must find who the killer is and save those he has also targeted. I know many people have said they would like to play as the killer but to me that would not be as fun as trying to survive his attack. With the The Weinstein Company getting into the video game business with the birth of TWC Games, one would think it’s only a matter of time that a home console gets a game based on this film series. Fans want a game as you can see by this “fake” PS3 cover.

TWC Games did make a Scream 4 game, but sadly it’s just an iPod/cell phone game and to me those are not really true games they are just small games for none gamers who play the games while waiting. In the game you play as Ghostface and must kill your target and avoid being captured by the cops. So with this I must say come on TWC Games get on making a full game for PS3 and Xbox 360.

# 11.) Hammer Frankenstein Series

Doctor Victor Frankenstein is a man hell bent on creating life and finding the secrets of life and death. Along the way he doesn’t care who he has to kill or swindle to get what he wants. After many failed attempts to create life Victor has been hung, been burnt and attacked by his own monsters many times. If fact when we last see him, he is a patient in a mental hospital who is in fact running it. The Hammer Frankenstein series has a total of seven films and every installment has a different monster! Victor Frankenstein was played by the amazing british actor Peter Cushing who American fans also know as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars. In fact David Prowse who played two monsters in the series was also the man in the Darth Vader suit! The series left itself wide open for another sequel and what better way then to do one in the video game world. It could take place in the asylum and have you play as The Baron as the inmates have turned on you. You working on a new monster, but something goes wrong as you must battle your old monsters from the past. All the creatures from the past seven films could be present and you must destroy them and your new creature all the while trying to escape the inmates, guards and monsters. Or you could play as a man who has had his girlfriend kidnapped by Victor who has taken a shine to her and has decided she will be his. So you travel to the asylum and must battle inmates and all the monsters of the past that have been rebuilt by Victor in order to save your woman. This would be a Hammer fan’s dream, and this could happen if Hammer that has now been reopened decides to get into the growing game market. I would line up to play a game based on this series, and I am sure many others would as well. I would like to see Konami, Capcom or THQ tackle this one.

Well this is the end of the first wish list for horror films that should be video games, and we have made it from 20 to 11 and have even had one bonus film! To me it’s odd that more film companies have not gotten into the game business. I mean WB has been in and has made a killing on their Batman titles. Universal has gotten kind of into the game world with working alongside companies like Telltale Games and TikGames to bring Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and the soon to released Childs Play to gaming consoles, and even Paramount has released new games based on Days of Thunder and Top Gun. The Weinstein Company has said they will be making games when the only thing that has been released is a cell phone game based on Scream, and one company that should get into the gaming market is Lions Gate that owns the rights to many horror properties that could make great games. I mean Lions Gate has the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie coming out made by the people who did the SAW series and what’s keeping them from teaming with Konami and Zombie Studios to make a game based around Leatherface and his family? Well while you try and figure out the answer I will see you all back for part 2!