RetroRealms – Halloween Gameplay Screenshot

There is almost nothing I love better than a thunder-stormy Sunday afternoon spent playing video games. These days, those hours are spent in my souped-up home office which I have rigged for a VR system, as well as standard PC-gaming.

But it feels like only a short time ago that I was dumping quarters into upright machines at my local arcade. Like a whole lot of people, I feel an incredible amount of nostalgia toward the pixelated games which sucked down so much of early job income. This is why retro arcades have started popping up all over the place and I spent my entire tax refund a couple years back purchasing an upright arcade machine of my very own.

That said, it shouldn’t be the surprise that it was to read that a game developer was reimagining two iconic horror-movie-themed games from the early 80s.

RetroRealms – Ash vs. Evil Dead Gameplay Screenshot

Halloween the video game was first released for the Atari 2600 in 1983 and was based on the film Halloween (1978). Five years in, the movie was considered a huge success, having grossed $47 million at the US box office, against an estimated budget of $325K. This meant Halloween would inevitably be merchandised to death, including to the Atari Video Computer System (VCS), which was released in September 1977.

Halloween was a controversial title at the time due to its violent content and subject matter. Many game retailers refused to carry it and the ones who did often kept it behind the counter. Ultimately, due to its 16-bit violence, Halloween drove its maker, Wizard Video Games, to bankruptcy in 1988, contributing to the game being highly sought after by Atari collectors.

However, Halloween’s reception as a home video game didn’t discourage Palace Software from following in its footsteps by creating Evil Dead in 1984 for the Commodore 64, based on the Evil Dead film (1981). However, some lessons were learned and unlike Halloween, Evil Dead got good reviews and was deemed more an “adventure” game than a blood-soaked one. In 1984, Your Computer magazine said Evil Dead had nothing “to keep even the most unworldly 12-year-old awake at night.” It was probably for this reason that the game was considered only a modest success at the time.

RetroRealms – Halloween Gameplay Screenshot with Laurie Strode

Which brings us to the news this week.

Boss Team Games is reimagining Halloween and Evil Dead in a retro-style, 16-bit platform.

Titled RetroRealms: Halloween and RetroRealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead, the two video games let players traverse worlds and enter different realms to overcome challenges. Combining retro visuals with modern mechanics, players venture between two overlapping environments, with the ability to enter the nightmare infested Dark Realm at any time, which unlocks shortcuts, hidden pathways, and rewards.

In RetroRealms: Halloween,

Players take control of Michael Myers and other characters from the original 1978 film to slash through familiar settings and overcome the ultimate evil that has descended upon our world.

RetroRealms – Ash vs. Evil Dead Gameplay Screenshot with Kelly Maxwell

And in RetroRealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead,

Fans can play as Ash Williams to battle through iconic locations inspired by the STARZ original series while fighting Deadites and other familiar characters from the hit show.

So technically, this game is a cousin to its 1984 progenitor.

Check out the trailer…

Both games will be released October 18 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox. IGN’s report this week notes,

Both games can be purchased separately via a digital storefront for $24.99 each, or you can purchase a physical Double Feature bundle, which will retail for $49.99.

The trailer reveals that grabbing both games will allow you to combine the two horror worlds, which is kind of a cool twist.

IGN goes on to note,

The two RetroRealms titles, each sold separately, connect with each other to create an ever-expanding universe of popular characters that unlocks additional gameplay. The games can be played individually or, if both titles are purchased, new features can be accessed including taking characters from one game into the other. Players can also commemorate their achievements within the RetroRealms Arcade, a lovingly realized 3D gateway and tribute to arcade gaming that connects both titles, providing a single way to access every game in the series and to redeem in-game tickets, view leaderboards, and find other exclusive content.

“Everyone at Boss Team Games are huge fans of horror, and getting to work with these legendary properties is a dream come true,” said Boss Team Games’ CEO Steve Harris to IGN. “It has been an amazing experience collaborating with WayForward, and our licensors to create not one, but two, fast-paced 90’s arcade style games while remaining true to the original Halloween film and Ash vs Evil Dead series.”

The trailer teases bonus characters Laurie Strode from Halloween and Kelly Maxwell from Ash vs. Evil Dead, available to those who pre-order the games now.

What’s old is new again – thoughts?