Batman Returns is a classic 16-bit sidescrolling beat ’em up where players assume the role of the Dark Knight as he attempts to murder hundreds of criminals before the Penguin steals Christmas. This was one of those games that I wanted more than anything as kid. But since I was never given Nintendo related gifts outside of my birthday and the occasionally stellar report card, unfortunately it was one of many to slip through the cracks.

Well I’ve been an adult for a while now and obviously scored a copy at the first opportunity many years ago so here’s what I think about it!

For Beatles fans, there are a few stages you go through when there’s an announcement that “new” material by the band is coming. There’s of course excitement at the idea of listening to something by the Fab Four that you’ve never heard before. Then there’s the anticipation leading up to the release date as all sorts of articles and clips spring up offering details about the track. Finally there’s the actual playing of the music which at first, is less listening and more dissecting.

So now after having given this so called “last” song 3 or 4 dozen spins, is it any y’know… good?

Happy Halloween everyone! Here we are in 2023 with an all new spooky show devoted to one of Ray’s all time favorites: Fred Dekker’s 1987 cult classic The Monster Squad! And how does Robman feel about the movie? Better throw this on in the background while you’re carving up those pumpkins to find out!

Click here to listen!

Here’s a fun idea for you to try sometime during this Halloween weekend: Go into a bar or any place serving drinks where you can initiate a casual chat with whoever’s working. Gradually turn your conversation toward horror movies (specifically ones from the 80’s) and after a while, mention C.H.U.D. If the person you’re yapping it up with recites what those letters actually stand for (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller), congratulations! You’ve just met someone pretty cool. However what happens next will determine whether this person is actually super cool. Say this: “Yeah C.H.U.D. is fun but come on, C.H.U.D. II is even better.” There are only two things that can happen after making such a bold statement. You’ll either have your ass instantly kicked and thrown into the back alley where it will be kicked some more or that bartender is buying your drinks for the rest of the night.

Let me know how that shakes out.

C’mon. It had to be Luigi’s Mansion 3 in the top spot right? Having taken over development duties with Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon for the 3DS (and also behind the great Punch-Out!! for Wii), Next Level Games proved themselves to be a studio with formidable technical skills and a real eye for art design. And here, once again their work on Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a sight to behold with stunning animation and gorgeous details oozing from every corner of the screen. It is hands down one of the most graphically gorgeous games ever released featuring these characters and is a no brainer for the Halloween season. I’m just gonna say it: This is Nintendo’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

That translates to: We’ve got ourselves a tradition.

Yes, we’ve got a bit of a cheat here as I’m recommending a specific stage in a game rather than the entire thing. It’s a slippery slope for sure but by God I’ve lost enough sleep since beginning this countdown at the thought of not including it. To be fair, Banjo-Kazooie is in my top ten games of all time and the entirety demands to be played any time of year. But all of the little details in this Mad Monster Mansion area: From that amazing stage music right down to transforming into a damn playable Jack ‘o Lantern…listen, it really doesn’t get much more Halloween than this.

Except for the #1 entry in this countdown I guess.

Rob and Ray brave the streets of Haddonfield circa 1978 and are here to report back about the infamous “Babysitter Murders” by way of some dude named Michael Myers. Please enjoy listening to us yap about the legendary director John Carpenter’s original classic slasher!

Click here to listen!

Psycho II is nothing short of miraculous: It’s a movie carrying around the stones big enough to even attempt the impossible by following up the original Hitchcock classic 22 years later yet *spoiler alert* folks, it manages to succeed in just about every way imaginable. From the beautifully clever and twisty (not to mention twisted) script courtesy of Tom Holland (Fright Night, Child’s Play) to just a flat out all timer of a return performance by Anthony Perkins (Psycho, This One, Psycho III, Psycho IV: The Beginning), this is a sequel that knows it has something to prove. And not only does the movie step up to the plate and point to the cheap seats…

…it swings and knocks the skin off the ball before that thing flies out of the park.

Outlast II is perfect: It is also definitely not for everyone. But for what the developers are setting out to accomplish, the game is just flawless in my opinion. From the airtight controls to the jaw dropping graphics (really pushing Nintendo’s aging little hybrid console and flexing it’s capabilities), here we have a truly terrifying experience with tense mechanics, a beyond unsettling narrative and…

..well, I could just go on and on about this one!

Layers of Fear: Legacy is one of those “psychological” horror games where your mind occasionally “plays tricks” on you. It’s the kind of experience intending to immerse players in an atmosphere where you’re forced to “question” your own “sanity.” Sort of a distant relative of Eternal Darkness for the GameCube in that regard: Plenty of environmental puzzles offered within a spooky setting. It’s also one of very few non first party Switch titles that I burned right through upon starting, compelled to completion amongst a ridiculous backlog of games.

That means I sure liked it!

You couldn’t really go wrong with just about any entry in this series but I’ve chosen the high definition remaster of the iconic remake that originally released on the Gamecube back in 2002 to single out. Actually it was specifically a toss up between either this or the remaster of RE4. But as much as I do love that fourth *ahem* game changing installment, it leans harder toward the action genre than this, the original, the classic, the great Resident Evil.