By Joseph "Skull Vault" Walter
"When the moon is dyed in blood, a bat departs from a forbidden castle into the night, having changed from its human form to seek its next victim."
"His name is whispered in fear... NOSFERATU, creature of night."
"His name is whispered in fear... NOSFERATU, creature of night."
Thus begins one of the SNES' most unknown and epic of intros.
When you combine Prince of Persia, Castlevania and 1920s horror villains, you get the surprisingly awesome Nosferatu on the SNES. The graphics are gorgeous throughout the entire experience (especially the cutscenes), the music is moody and the gameplay is surprisingly tight. Barring a few frustrating hiccups (and lack of gore, which the game seems to be practically begging to display), Nosferatu is a fun and little-known experience for those seeking a Halloween treat during the season.
While the game itself is worth exploring, it's the intro that is the most impressive element of the entire production, and it's something that's absolutely worthy of the hallowed halls of "An Intro To Remember."
Let's get the ritual started:
When you combine Prince of Persia, Castlevania and 1920s horror villains, you get the surprisingly awesome Nosferatu on the SNES. The graphics are gorgeous throughout the entire experience (especially the cutscenes), the music is moody and the gameplay is surprisingly tight. Barring a few frustrating hiccups (and lack of gore, which the game seems to be practically begging to display), Nosferatu is a fun and little-known experience for those seeking a Halloween treat during the season.
While the game itself is worth exploring, it's the intro that is the most impressive element of the entire production, and it's something that's absolutely worthy of the hallowed halls of "An Intro To Remember."
Let's get the ritual started:
The first thing of note is the awesomely atmospheric music (after the dainty fairy flies by, of course). The stark eruption of the bat soaring into the blood moon is a great touch while the unnecessarily bad-ass writing sets the tone.
Then there's that awesome swooping down into the victim's house, the outline of Nosferatu with his prey, and the utterly epic, incredibly well-animated swirling of his cape into pitch black darkness.
What's apparent throughout this entire intro is just how incredible the presentation is. The art direction and cinematography are stunning, even now, and when coupled with such perfectly evocative writing, creates a stirring sense of dread and a palpably morbid atmosphere that only something like Super Castlevania IV really matches.
By the time we get to the excellent shot of the hero riding his horse, we're already fully immersed into the realm of Nosferatu, and the rather impressive title screen (which is almost good enough to be featured in "Title Screens") fully seals the deal... particularly with that strange, billowing, flame-like aura from within the castle.
Truly a fantastic introduction to a game that seems to have fallen far from the limelight, making it a perfect gem of horror and evil for the month of October.
Then there's that awesome swooping down into the victim's house, the outline of Nosferatu with his prey, and the utterly epic, incredibly well-animated swirling of his cape into pitch black darkness.
What's apparent throughout this entire intro is just how incredible the presentation is. The art direction and cinematography are stunning, even now, and when coupled with such perfectly evocative writing, creates a stirring sense of dread and a palpably morbid atmosphere that only something like Super Castlevania IV really matches.
By the time we get to the excellent shot of the hero riding his horse, we're already fully immersed into the realm of Nosferatu, and the rather impressive title screen (which is almost good enough to be featured in "Title Screens") fully seals the deal... particularly with that strange, billowing, flame-like aura from within the castle.
Truly a fantastic introduction to a game that seems to have fallen far from the limelight, making it a perfect gem of horror and evil for the month of October.
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