Video games today don't shy away from violence and adult themes. Combine that with vastly improved graphics, and some are straight-up playable horror movies. However, one game from the 1990s takes the prize for the most controversial horror game: Night Trap. Now, it's back to wreak some havoc on the Game Boy Advance. Though, don’t plan on actually playing it.
Limited Run Games is releasing the 1992 game on a cartridge, compatible with the GBA. However, there is no actual gameplay included. Instead, “players” will just sit back and watch the entire FMV classic playout like a 240 x 160 pixel film.
Initially released for Sega CD, Night Trap is an interactive movie game where the player watches several security cameras to keep a group of five teenage girls safe. Think Five Nights at Freddy’s but with scantily clad B-movie actresses. As the story progresses, the reason for all these disappearances is revealed to be vampires. All in all, the game is just a low-budget horror movie where you can watch the events unfold from different angles.
However, Night Trap cemented itself in history when it was brought up in the 1993 Congressional hearings concerning violence in video games. The game, along with Mortal Kombat, was said to be too violent and sexually charged. The hearings ended with Night Trap being pulled from the shelves. This also led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) which is still in use today.
Funnily enough, after the hearing the President of Nintendo of America, Howard Lincoln, proclaimed that “Night Trap will never appear on a Nintendo System”. Cut to this weekend, and Mr. Lincoln is eating those words. Limited Run Games has been working on this for a while, putting a lot of “blood, sweat, and tears” into getting the game to play on any system able to play Game Boy Advance games.
Act fast if you want to see what all the fuss is about, as this limited release is only available for pre-order this weekend.