It's Halloween time, which means that everybody is out in full force recommending the scariest games of the year. If you're tired of the typical spooky mansions and lame jump scares, then you might be interested in Halloween Forever, a fun little 2D platformer that evokes the spirit of 8-bit classics like Ghosts 'N Goblins and Monster Party. It's not very scary and probably won't take you long to beat, but this debut release from Imaginary Monsters is a fun diversion from the generic survival horror games and their haunted houses.
This is the story of what happens when an undead sorcerer raises the ghouls and ghosts of the underworld in order to celebrate All Hallows' Eve every day of the year. But in a twist the sorcerer didn't see coming, his magic also turned a nearby pumpkin into a candy corn puking action hero. Now it's up to that Pumpkin Man to fight a bunch of monsters and find his destiny.
Much like the holiday itself, Halloween Forever is short and sweet. The game consists of five stages, ten bosses and a whole bunch of secret characters to uncover. It's the kind of old school action game that expects you to beat it in three lives, even if that means replaying it over and over until you memorize every last obstacle. There are no continues and only a handful of 1-ups, so you're going to need to harness all of your 2D platforming prowess in order to defeat the evils of All Hallows' Eve.
As far as actions games go, this one is pretty simple. Pumpkin Man's only attack is to vomit candy corn, which has an arc to it that reminds me a lot of the worst weapon from Ghosts 'N Goblins. The attack is a little better here, but you'll quickly find that its range is limited. It's probably worth noting that Pumpkin Man can also duck and double jump, which rounds out all of the moves at his disposal. It may not seem like much, but it's just enough to defeat every monster in this all-too-brief horror game.
Although simple, there are a few things Halloween Forever does right. For one thing, it includes a lot of alternate paths and hidden areas to explore in each of the five stages. There are also a bunch of secret characters to unlock and play as, including a butternut squash and a Jason impersonator. And did I mention that there are a number of different endings to unlock and enjoy? These are just a few of the ways the game incentivizes you to replay the adventure multiple times.
Click For the Full Picture ArchiveIt probably won't surprise you to learn that most of the issues I have with this game are the same problems that plagued the 8-bit games that inspired Halloween Forever. This game has a big problem with random deaths and cheap hits. It's not so much that you can't anticipate enemy attacks, but rather that you're asked to jump blindly down a pit and hope for the best. Usually this works out fine, but it's far too common to land on an enemy or straight into a pumpkin-killing spike trap. The game wants you to memorize the hazards in all five stages, yet never gets you the tools to see what you're about to jump into. This is only made more frustrating by the fact that you have limited lives and no continues. This is a game where every single life is important.
On the other hand, I like the boss fights and how each of the unlockable characters is a little different. The butternut squash, for example, spits out explosive fire, which ends up making the game substantially easier. Some of the other characters can explore different parts of the level, reminding you that, despite a few cheap deaths, this is a well laid-out world. There are plenty of hidden areas and bonus items to find, including stuff I completely missed the first several times I ran through the stages. There's nothing necessarily earth-shaking about Halloween Forever, but it's a well-made 2D platformer with a lot of charm and personality.
At only five dollars, this debut release from Imaginary Monsters is worth picking up. Halloween Forever nails the 8-bit look and feel, all while giving us cool bosses, non-linear stages, extra characters and plenty of secrets to find. It's short and there are some frustratingly cheap deaths, but there's also a lot to like about the level designs and the different endings. If you're the type of person who would rather play Ghosts 'N Goblins than Resident Evil, then Halloween Forever was made for you.
