For many friends I speak to, very few of them believe me when I tell them that there were survival horror games that existed before Silent Hill and Resident Evil. I don't debate that those games are classics but they were not the first games in their genre. Horror is a form of art that has drawn in the public audience for as long as man kind has been alive. Sometimes I ponder on the cave men and imagine them sitting around the nightly fire and telling horror stories to one another. And that image makes me think of our American tradition, perhaps a spiritual successor to the cave men, of telling ghost stories around a camp fire. In speaking of camping brings me to the topic of this video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System: Friday the 13th.
Friday the 13th the video game isn't based off any one of the movies from the franchise. It is sort of just based off the franchise as a whole. This game was an interesting experience for me. I found it in a 3 dollar bargain bin at my local used game store. In all honesty I squealed excitedly at seeing it. I had only heard of the game and didn't know I would ever actually find it. So being the horror fan I am I automatically picked it up and bought it. Having loved the series I was looking forward to facing Jason in the darkness of Camp Crystal Lake. I knew it was an old Nintendo game so I wasn't expecting much as far as great game play or graphics go. I've actually seen quite a few people who have reviewed this game on the internet. For the most part they spit on the game and call it trash.
In many ways I actually disagree with the other reviewers. Is it a great game? No. Is it artistic in some way? Not really. But it is probably one of the games in my Nintendo collection that gets played the most. (Along with Nightmare on Elm Street and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest) This is due to the fact that Friday the 13th is my favorite of the many slasher series. On top of that, this game is such a bad rendition of the series that I can't help but love it.
Friday the 13th the video game isn't based off any one of the movies from the franchise. It is sort of just based off the franchise as a whole. This game was an interesting experience for me. I found it in a 3 dollar bargain bin at my local used game store. In all honesty I squealed excitedly at seeing it. I had only heard of the game and didn't know I would ever actually find it. So being the horror fan I am I automatically picked it up and bought it. Having loved the series I was looking forward to facing Jason in the darkness of Camp Crystal Lake. I knew it was an old Nintendo game so I wasn't expecting much as far as great game play or graphics go. I've actually seen quite a few people who have reviewed this game on the internet. For the most part they spit on the game and call it trash.
In many ways I actually disagree with the other reviewers. Is it a great game? No. Is it artistic in some way? Not really. But it is probably one of the games in my Nintendo collection that gets played the most. (Along with Nightmare on Elm Street and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest) This is due to the fact that Friday the 13th is my favorite of the many slasher series. On top of that, this game is such a bad rendition of the series that I can't help but love it.
I've always been a fan of cheap and poorly designed 8-bit games. (I grew up on dos games.) This game is no exception. In it you play a group of four camp counselors who you can change between. The point of the game is to run around and protect the kids at the camp, survive Jason's attacks, and eventually kill Jason. You can also kill Jason's mother's head which floats around in the cave and attacks you. The more times you defeat her the better items you get.
You will need these items in order to even have a chance against Jason in later levels.
This game tries to be innovative by having side scrolling areas that actually walk around an entire map and having 3D building interiors. (If you could call it 3D)
You will need these items in order to even have a chance against Jason in later levels.
This game tries to be innovative by having side scrolling areas that actually walk around an entire map and having 3D building interiors. (If you could call it 3D)
It isn't really innovative, it just is annoying. I love the side scrolling aspect of the game but once you go into the cabins its hard to find your way around and the battles are ludicrous hard. It is also impossible to find your way around in the cave or forest because there is no map and everything looks the same.
So I generally come into this game expecting to loose. And I usually loose within the first portion of the game. It's easy too loose because the game ends if all 6 camp counselors are dead or if all the kids in the cabins are dead. I think this is why I enjoy the game so much. I sit down knowing I'm going to loose and I enjoy myself for the short 15 minutes to half hour while I'm alive.
So I generally come into this game expecting to loose. And I usually loose within the first portion of the game. It's easy too loose because the game ends if all 6 camp counselors are dead or if all the kids in the cabins are dead. I think this is why I enjoy the game so much. I sit down knowing I'm going to loose and I enjoy myself for the short 15 minutes to half hour while I'm alive.
Summing it Up
This isn't a good game by any means but I love it. It's definitely more playable than a lot of other games. And for me its a fun quick horror video game fix that won't tie me down for a long time. Although I can see most people hating it. If your a fan of Friday the 13th and side scrollers, go ahead and check it out.
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 1
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 1
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3
To learn more about my rating system click here.