10 HORRIFYING Moments In Children's Video Games

Historically, video games have always been seen as a pursuit for the youngsters of society. Back in the day, adults were far too preoccupied with grown-up things and obviously had too mature tastes to enjoy something like Pong. This led to the first few years of the gaming space being dominated by titles that had been designed specifically with kids in mind.

Thankfully grown-ups have become more and more commonplace as the industry has continued to evolve, though that hasn't stopped a steady stream of kid-friendly games from continuing to hit shelves that even these adults are able to sink their teeth into.

Because of this hybridisation over who titles are being designed for, even the friendliest-looking game can house moments that aren't necessarily what a concerned Mumsnet user would expect.

Subtle winks from the writers, overly-gruesome and gory sequences and legitimately chilling encounters can all rear their heads even in games, but in the case of these instances, they have a few more childhood nightmares attached to them.

When it comes to the creepy moments in The Legend of Zelda, most players think of Majora's Mask as the creme de la creme of the series. This has led to its predecessor flying under the radar, despite packing some punches of its own.

The Bottom of the Well in Kakariko Village is probably the creepiest location in the whole game, with the murky cistern housing baddies like the skeletal Big Skulltulas and mummified Gibdos. The most nightmare-inducing part of this level is reserved for its boss, Dead Hand.

Even for a fantasy game, it's astonishing just how much imagination has gone into making this monster truly horrifying. A zombified head with an unnaturally large jaw and blood-red blotches across its pale skin, Dead Hands have four-six disembodied hands that it uses to suddenly snag any unsuspecting players. The way in which it skulks around like a slug is what especially gave this article's author nightmares back in the day.

The fact that Ocarina of Time has had this enduring legacy of being the 'brighter' of the two N64 titles mean interactions like Dead Hand earn extra points for being far more surprising. Other Dead Hands can be found in Ganon's Castle and The Shadow Temple, although the combination of this zombie burrowing in the depths of a sewer surrounding makes it the most chilling.