Back in the 16-bit heyday, EA were synonymous with bringing the likes of standout sports titles (FIFA International Soccer), aerial battlers (Desert Strike) and the occasional naff fighter (Budokan: The Martial Spirit), but out of all the games they developed and/or published during this period, and since, there hasn't been one quite as unique as Haunting. You played as a troubled spirit by the name of Polterguy, who having taken a tumble off a faulty skateboard decided to take revenge on one Vito Sardini, head honcho of the corporation that sold him this dud deck. Polterguy's wrath came in the form of scaring the bejesus out of Vito and his brood, so much so that each member scarpers and moves on. He achieved this by flinging himself into household objects, possessing them and watching the terror unfold. With so many ghoulishly great scare pieces to recount, iconic moments include pulling a faeces hurling monster from a toilet, turning a kitchen cupboard into a portal to another world, taking control of a swinging chainsaw and popping gaming's creepiest clown from a toy box. It's not all plain sailing for Polterguy, though, with his haunting shenanigans being broken up by regular visits to the underworld (to stock up on valuable Ecto goo), tussles with flying beasts and the family's energy-draining pooch. With these hurdles to float over, and so many items to possess, each play through was unique and differed from the other. The gore is wacky and wondrously inventive and when gaming's slew of horror titles are reviewed, this should be classed as one of the best. You heard the intro, there's a ton of titles to choose from on the console - if you want to mention any other retro wonders please don't hesitate to comment below!
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
