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Why ‘Eternal Darkness’ Was the Last Great Exclusive Nintendo Horror Title

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Nintendo hasn’t been a huge advocate of the horror video game genre in recent times. The company’s family-friendly aesthetic, coupled with a lack of well-received horror titles on their consoles, has ensured that other platforms have become the go-to for scary franchises.

This wasn’t always the case. Nintendo was as likely to greenlight a survival-horror, psychological thriller, or other spooky game as much as anyone else back in the 1990s and early 2000s. One such title – Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – even holds the distinction of being one of the most critically-acclaimed games on the Nintendo GameCube. Few have been able to force themselves into this elite class of game since, particularly in the horror genre. Can it be argued, then, that Eternal Darkness was the last great first-party Nintendo horror game?

Upon its initial release in the US in June 2002, Eternal Darkness drew widespread praise from critics for its unique gameplay mechanics, spooky allure, and intriguing plot. Boasting a 92 out of 100 aggregate score on Metacritic, it stands out as the only horror title to deserve such a rating. Players take on the role of Alexandra Roivas, a university student who returns to her childhood home after her last living relative is found brutally murdered. After she uncovers the Tome of Eternal Darkness, the narrative jumps between present day – where Alexandra is controlled – and multiple playable characters within “chapters” of the book. Taking place across four different locations, players must use these characters to prevent a powerful enemy from enslaving humanity forever.

Eternal Darkness took plenty of its inspiration from the Resident Evil series, but the implementation of a ‘sanity meter’ mechanic added a bold layer that often confused and scared gamers in equal measure. Its timeline jumping mechanic and multiple story path endings won it acclaim as well. No other horror title has come close to matching Eternal Darkness’ score since, albeit with little in the way of true competition. Only 10 exclusive Nintendo horror games have been released since Eternal Darkness 16 years ago. Of that number, just three have broken the 70 out of 100 barrier on Metacritic – Dementium: The Ward, Project Zero 2: Wii Edition, and ZombiU – but all failed to overthrow Eternal Darkness at the top.

Score aggregation websites aren’t the solitary marker by which video games are judged, however. Titles can still sell well in spite of what the media thinks. ZombiU, a 2012 launch title on the Wii U, is proof of this. Its score pales in comparison to Eternal Darkness’ – 71 to 92 – but it shipped almost twice as many copies as the Silicon Knights developed game. Some would argue that this barometer is a truer reflection of what should be considered a classic, and yet ZombiU isn’t viewed this way. Thanks to the short shelf life of the Wii U, and a lack of spectacular launch titles upon the console’s release, ZombiU was the pick of the bunch in November 2012. This, if anything, was a perfect summation of the Wii U in general, and gamers quickly moved on from ZombiU and the console entirely.

In something of a U-turn, Nintendo has begun to soften its stance on horror games in the past 12 months. Titles such as Outlast, Doom, Resident Evil Revelations, and more have been ported to the company’s Switch console since its launch in March 2017. The reception to these excellent games would be good enough to potentially rival Eternal Darkness but for one obvious problem – Nintendo’s lack of involvement in their development or publication. Eternal Darkness was published by Nintendo, which protects its rightful claim to the exclusive crown.

Eternal Darkness didn’t get everything right to be considered a truly iconic Nintendo franchise. Despite being lauded by critics, its failure to ship more than 500,000 copies worldwide ended any chance of a potential sequel being developed. Silicon Knights’ financial problems, too, resulted in the developer being closed down in May 2013.

Nintendo still holds the game’s trademark, should they wish to revive it down the line. The company’s lack of in-house published horror games, alongside its desire to refresh and develop its core franchises such as Metroid, Pokemon, and more, means that won’t be happening any time soon though.

Eternal Darkness may not have been well-received by the public, but its uniqueness in certain gameplay aspects and interesting, scary plot allowed Silicon Knights to deliver on its promises. It isn’t iconic in the way that Mario, Zelda, or another Nintendo property is. However, its consistently high review ratings mean that it has gone toe-to-toe with established franchises in the upper echelons of review scores. Eternal Darkness’ rarity as a Nintendo published horror game sets it apart from others on the company’s long list of platforms too, and cements its place in an often overlooked genre for the Japanese gaming giant.

It might not be the unmitigated success that had been hoped, but Eternal Darkness can hold its head high as the last truly great first-party Nintendo horror game.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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