Halloween 2019 might be long gone, but if you’re just not ready to let go of the ghoulish spirit, HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow) is now available for the Nintendo Switch. HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 provides fun, 8-bit platforming action for those looking for a hint of nostalgia while on-the-go.
HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow) was first released as an original Nintendo Entertainment System game - physical cartridge and all - in 2017, and is a follow-up to HAUNTED: Halloween ‘85. The game picks up one year after the events of HAUNTED: Halloween ‘85 (obviously), with players taking control of Donny Johnstown in the seemingly sleepy town of Possum Hollow on Halloween night. This time around, Donny is joined by newcomer, Tami, who helps beat down the zombies, ghouls, and other monsters that are once again plaguing the town.
Tag, You're It
For those, like me, who are old enough to remember the original platforming/beat-’em-up titles in the early days of gaming, HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 provides ample opportunities for nostalgia, ranging in everything from overall difficulty to having to be spot-on with pixel-precise controls. The game is so on-point in this regard, that I dumbed down the difficulty to the easiest setting after failing multiple playthrough attempts just on the normal difficulty. Fortunately, even on easy, the game is still challenging enough to be enjoyed and taken seriously.
As challenging as it is, HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 provides plenty of chances for players to be able to make it through the levels, such as power-ups that can be snagged along the way. Donny and Tami can also be swapped out tag-team style when one gets too close to death. The duo can possess special abilities - such as double jump and a charged hyper uppercut - to use when the odds are stacked up against them, which is early and often as the game is essentially a beat-'em-up.
Familiar Fun
Enemies in HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 are your standard fare. You’ll face off against zombies and overgrown infected ants while trying to avoid lethal substances a la sidescrolling platforming. HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 shines in this regard, featuring combat abilities that are reminiscent of platforming’s early days, such as throwing the head of a fallen enemy to take out another. The pattern-based boss battles in HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 are also well-executed. Again, it admittedly took me a while to figure out the patterns of each boss battle, which took me back to my early days of gaming and not knowing what the heck I was doing.
HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 is rounded out by its audio and musical tracks that are repetitive enough to grind on your nerves, while maintaining that nostalgic feeling of yesteryear’s gaming consoles.
Ultimately, HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow) doesn’t necessarily bring anything revolutionary to the genre, but it really doesn’t need to. The game feels like a game I played years ago, and that’s what makes it so much fun. HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow) is a well-executed trip down memory lane, but with the added benefit of being able to play on Nintendo’s portable console.
A Nintendo Switch copy of HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow) was provided to TheGamer for this review.HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow) is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Entertainment System.
HAUNTED: Halloween ‘86 (The Curse Of Possum Hollow)