The 80’s were a renaissance for cinematic horror, with countless classics splattering onto celluloid. The decade was also famous for its obsession with merchandizing – evident, for example, by copious cartoons that were little more than glorified toy commercials. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore Transformers and company, but let’s not kid ourselves that quality writing was paramount in the producers’ minds. You ended up with bizarre fusions when blending these neon-era ideas. Just because a franchise was blood-soaked didn’t mean it wasn’t milked for every ounce of pop culture appeal. Kids might not have been old enough to buy tickets to the Friday the 13th franchise, but were able to buy its Halloween costumes in their size. Glow-in-the-dark hockey masks still grace the aisles each season. That dichotomy between dark maturity and family-friendly could be seen in everything from toys to t-shirts to the very subject of today’s ramblings: video games. Nintendo may have prided itself on a wholesome reputation, but it wasn’t about to miss out on that sweet capitalism. Even when it came with Ch-Ch-Ch-Ha-Ha-Ha.
Welcome to R-Rated in 8-Bits, where we explore what happens when innocent consoles try to adapt the polar opposite. How do the grisly scenes, themes, and scares translate into a game anyone could’ve rented from their local Blockbuster? Is the game an accurate representation of the source material, or a shallow cash-in?
Last time, we delved into the Springwood Slasher’s pixelated rampage via LJN’s A Nightmare on Elm St. Today, we’ll shift over to Freddy’s box-office, and ultimately cinematic, big screen rival: Jason Voorhees. Gimmick aside, Freddy versus Jason made a ton of sense from a thematic perspective, as both slashers are diametrically opposed in appearance, methods, and even philosophy.
Freddy Krueger is a sadistic showman, out to watch the world burn on a grandiose quest of revenge. But that revenge is born out of spite, not a desire for justice. His fiery origin was fully deserved, as the mortal Mr. Krueger was a serial killer. By contrast, Jason’s path of destruction could be argued as a dark morality tale. Mr. Voorhees is a force of nature, delivering death swiftly and without a word. Unlike Freddy, Jason’s death was tragic, the result of negligent counselors more concerned with getting lucky than protecting campers. Now he’s returned to pay the world back for its cruel indifference. There’s an almost Brothers Grimm aspect to Friday the 13th, as those who partake in wrongdoing/debauchery find themselves confronted by harsh punishment – almost as if some cosmic boogie man were sent after them. There’s a reason the films’ survivors are often the most innocent of their groups.
Not exactly sympathetic, but it gives Jason an edge of mystery beyond a simple masked killer. As we begin Friday the 13th for NES, we slam into a huge contrast with this right from the start! In the game, Camp Crystal Lake is in full swing once Jason starts attacking. Strange as it may sound, only one film in the series actually takes place while camp is in session, flashbacks notwithstanding. When counselors are picked off in these films, it’s usually before opening day. They’re just getting things ready. Or it’s just some random assortment of teenage slasher fodder. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is the only entry where the camp is active. Campers do encounter the masked menace, but while he has no qualms axing their counselor, he leaves the kids alone.
In the game, camp is also open, but both counselor and camper are on the chopping block. I’ll agree it ratchets up the tension, as no one is safe, but it does remove some of Jason’s depth. His drowning was the fault of the employees, not the kids. The restraint added a bit of nuance to a character already on his seventh celluloid entry (The New Blood) at the time of the game’s release.
Speaking of entries, much like Nightmare on Elm St. for the NES, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly which film NES’s Friday the 13th is trying to capture. The amount of sheer damage Jason can absorb, coupled with the camp being open, suggests the aforementioned Jason Lives, the first film where Jason is a literal zombie. But as mentioned, Jason doesn’t harm the kids in the film. Also, protagonist Tommy Jarvis, around since Part 4: The Final Chapter, doesn’t make an appearance, despite being responsible for (accidentally!) resurrecting Jason. The only link to The Final Chapter is the game’s title screen, which pays homage to the film’s poster. Further complicating matters, the presence of Pamela Voorhees’s sweater and (spoiler) decapitated head suggest the game is taking place during the events of Friday the 13th: Part 2. Granted, Mrs. Voorhees head didn’t float around in the film, but you gotta come up with novel enemies somewhere.
Dive into the six counselors, each of whom is a playable in-game ‘life’, and things get more confusing. Each shares their name with a character from the films, but it’s all over the place. The closest are Mark and Paul, also counselors from Part 2, but they never got around to actually opening camp before Jason attacked. There’s George from Part 5: A New Beginning, but he’s not a counselor and Jason technically isn’t even in that film. Yeah, you read that correctly. Laura only features as a minor side character in a Friday the 13th graphic novel. And while both Debbie and Crissy are characters from Part 3, with Crissy even ending up the ‘Final Girl’, neither were counselors. Common names were likely chosen for all characters, with any link between game and film being coincidence.
That’s a lot of films thrown into a blender and pureed into a single NES game. I appreciate all the franchise touches, intentional or not, but how does it translate into gameplay? We’ve already assessed the threat: Jason is out to murder everyone. Our goal is just as straightforward: Murder him first. That’s no easy feat, as pixelated Jason can soak up dozens of knives and machetes before going down. Take a look at the cracked mask and skeletal smirk from the box art, pulled from The New Blood, and it’s clear zombie-Jason is in play. And no headshot is gonna bring this zombie down. You’ll have to scour the map for heavier weapons, as your starting rock isn’t going to make much of a dent.
As mentioned, the game takes place during camp, so whilst you hunt for weapons, Jason will go after the campers or fellow counselors. When this happens, a timer begins. The race is on to confront Jason before his machete finds a new victim. Run or switch over to a besieged counselor, which can only be done in small cabins, or row out where the kids are, before the timer hits zero. The longer you wait, the heftier chunk of life Jason will slash away from a counselor, or more disturbingly, the more campers start dropping. If a counselor timer hits zero, that playable character is gone forever. If a camper timer hits zero, one-third of the campers are toast. The game plays out as a scramble to collect as much as possible between Jason battles. It’s a stressful balance, and a great way to capture horror-movie tension without violence, but it can get frustrating to halt exploration over incessant countdowns. Alerts can go off literal seconds into a new game, before you’ve even had the chance to upgrade from pebble to knife.
Your characters control responsively enough, and even have differing speed/jump stats, but their health plummets swiftly and healing items only restore a fraction. Item management lends an interesting strategic element to proceedings, as does placement of your characters. Though they can (annoyingly) shift around cabins on their own when you’re not controlling them, the ability to choose how counselors are deployed and equipped is key towards progress. Items and powerups can be traded. There are platforming elements, but the title is just as much a strategy game. Jumping prowess won’t be enough to survive on its own.
Unlike the film series, Jason isn’t the only enemy to contend with. The army of zombies may not be film accurate, but their brain-craving cameos are understandable. You’d only have a single adversary to contend with, otherwise. An interesting twist found in the manual: the undead are Jason’s former victims. Whether Jason started practicing necromancy in his spare time or the land is simply cursed from all the murder, zombies spawn endlessly. You’d think the game’s timers would push you to avoid them, but killing enough rewards you with better weapons. Another tricky balance, which seems to be a central theme. How to best manage time between Jason attacks? Focus on tearing through zombies? Explore the woods or cave? You might find the cabin from Part 2 where Jason keeps his mom’s head, the game’s mini-boss. Or you may get lost when a fellow camper/counselor needs you most, racing the timer before they meet their demise. Get sloppy – easy to do when rushing – and chip damage from enemies piles up.
On paper, it sounds like a fun balancing act. In practice, small mistakes can wipe out an entire play session. Lose a counselor battling Jason while the kids are under attack? Another counselor will have to travel there, likely taking damage as they rush. All the while, the clock ticks down, reducing campers along with it. Even if you make it and survive the fight, your health will be tattered. Lose, and you’ll need to send a third counselor to the rescue to do it all over again. And with each counselor lost, the game becomes that much tougher.
It’s a bummer, because with a few design tweaks, Friday the 13th for the NES could be really fun. Heck, sometimes it is really fun. But it can go from enjoyable to infuriating quick. I suppose that could be argued as the point of horror: to make you uncomfortable out of nowhere. I will commend the developers for squeezing in so many elements from the films. And the Friday the 13th series certainly has a LOT of content to draw from, with the current count up to a whopping twelve movies! There may not be a drop of 8-bit blood, but I’d still recommend you give the game a try. The homages are there, albeit thematically skewed. Though frustrating, it features a creative blend of genres and does an effective job conveying tension. I doubt anyone will be frightened by the a purple/blue Jason sprite popping up, but to attempt a jump scare in a game from 1989 is admirable.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Halloween!
Matt Lotti has explored the realms of paper and pixel in equal measure. An avid collector of both Magic the Gathering and classic NES & Gameboy, he feels imagination is the kindling that keeps the fires of gaming alive. This holds true to both classic titles and new adventures. What matters most is the creative energy involved. Each experience is a new story, and all stories deserve their time around the campfire. So grab an ale and settle in. After all, it’s dangerous to go alone. Matt Lotti can be found on Twitter @Intrepid_tautog.
