The idea behind handheld consoles is -allegedly- to allow you to continue your gaming on the go. However, that was never really my experience. As someone who owned every single iteration of the Game Boy and preached about the PSP as if it were a religious movement, most of my time with portable consoles was spent comfortably lying down in my room in the dark.
That’s why I’ve always thought that handhelds were the perfect medium for horror gaming, as they allow you to cozy up to an immersive experience much like a good scary book. Unfortunately, not every developer sees things this way, and that’s why there are so few horror titles specifically produced for handheld devices. With that in mind, today I’d like to highlight five underrated portable horror games that broke the mold.
For the purposes of this list, I’ll only be considering games that were developed for handhelds first, so no ports like Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on PSP. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own portable favorites if you think a particularly spooky one was overlooked.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
5. Dementium: The Ward (2007)
It’s hard to imagine a disturbing psychological horror game made for the same console that gave us Nintendogs, but Renegade Kid’s Dementium: The Ward is probably the scariest game on this list. In fact, the only reason it ranks so low is that it recently received a remastered Steam port – meaning that it’s no longer quite as underrated as it once was.
Originally meant to be a Silent Hill spin-off before Konami shot the team down, Dementium wears its classic survival horror inspirations on its sleeves by putting you in the shoes of an amnesiac who wakes up inside a dilapidated hospital. Naturally, nightmarish (and technically impressive) frights ensue as you’re soon pursued by monsters.
If you like this one, don’t forget to check out the equally terrifying sequel.
4. Resident Evil Gaiden (2001)
The Resident Evil series saw some amount of portable success through the first Revelations game back in 2012, but that 3D spin-off was by no means their first attempt at handheld scares. The very first portable Resident Evil experience actually came out all the way back in 2001 on the Game Boy Color, and I’d argue that it’s even more impressive now than it was back in the day.
A remarkably faithful recreation of the early series’ gameplay loop, albeit with a top-down camera and RPG-inspired instances of first-person combat, this underrated standalone title follows Leon S. Kennedy and Barry Burton as they investigate a luxury ocean liner that appears to have been targeted by Umbrella’s latest assortment of bioweapons.
3. Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001)
2001’s Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare may have gotten a lot of flak back in the day for following the familiar Survival Horror formula and not really innovating with anything except the game’s compelling narrative, but I’m of the opinion that not every horror game needs to reinvent the wheel. In fact, having the game’s GBC version be a faithful recreation of the home console experience (complete with pre-rendered backgrounds and static camera angles) makes this edition of the title the most impressive one of the bunch!
The New Nightmare’s commitment to classic Survival Horror aesthetics may result in gameplay itself taking a back seat as combat is relegated to a frustratingly difficult mini game that functions like an isometric shoot ‘em up, but the gorgeous pixel art and genuinely creepy story more than make up for the overall jank.
2. Infected (2005)
It was established in the beginning of this article that I’m a PSP apologist, and weird launch titles like 2005’s Infected are part of the reason why. An arcade-y third-person shooter that drops you right in the middle of a zombie outbreak and expects you to mow down hordes of enemies while listening to an appropriately brutal Nu-Metal soundtrack, this criminally underplayed title is one of my personal favorite games on the list.
While the action can get kind of repetitive and your enjoyment of the experience really depends on how much Nu-Metal madness you can take over the course of a single play session, the bite-sized levels and visual flair make this zombie shooter worth revisiting even two decades later.
1. Aliens: Infestation (2011)
When it comes to retro licensed experiences, WayForward is likely one of the best videogame developers out there. However, long before RetroRealms and Shantae’s much-appreciated revival, the studio was already applying their skills to lesser-known titles like the Nintendo DS’ Aliens: Infestation.
A stylish Metroidvania with roguelike elements and plenty of acid-green blood and guts, Infestation was originally meant to be a tie-in to the ill-fated Aliens: Colonial Marines but ended up outshining its big-budget sibling with its comic-book aesthetics, courtesy of Canadian artist Chris Bachalo, and addicting gameplay.
Just don’t get too attached to your squad, as Permadeath is very much a reality in this prescient little shooter!