A Nightmare on Your NES
Released by LJN in October of 1989, this game is your typical 8-bit side-scrolling game. You play as a normal, Elm Street teenager, who fights off snakes, bats, and other creepy crawlers. Your goal is to collect all of Freddy's bones and dump them into a furnace at the high school. Players also need to be mindful of their sleep meter. If you fall asleep in the game, your character is now susceptible to Freddy's attacks in the dream world.
The graphics aren't awful. Developed by Rare, these graphics are standard for the period. This game isn't exactly difficult, nor is it scary. Since LJN published this, it's a safe bet that they wanted this to be an all-ages game. When you encounter Freddy himself, he's nothing more than a creepy-looking guy who walks around swinging in the air. I don't see this as a negative to the game. The music is decent, the gameplay is pretty easy, and anyone who can handle a controller can play this.
Investing in This Game
While A Nightmare on Elm Street for the NES isn't rare, but it isn't cheap either. Recent sales for just the cartridge of the game have averaged at $55. A complete game with the box sold for $139.99 on September 24th, with another selling for $225 a mere two days later.
You can also find this game graded by the Video Game Authority. Copies of VGA graded A Nightmare on Elm Street copies show up now and again on Heritage and eBay, and the asking prices for them are high. Expect to pay over $1K for a graded copy.
A Nightmarish Legacy?
While this game didn't exactly make waves, it has made a lasting impression on the horror crowd -- especially those who wax nostalgia for the 8-bit days. In 2013 collectible toy creators NECA released a Freddy Kruger figure based on the A Nightmare on Elm Street game. The box looks like the original NES game case, while the figure itself is a highly detailed, articulated figure based on Freddy in the game.
Since then there hasn't been another A Nightmare on Elm Street game. Freddy did make an appearance in the Dead by Daylight game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in 2017. While this game was a ton of fun (and truly frightening), I think we're long overdoing for a new game based on the series.
There was also a board game based on the hit movie, but as of now, I've yet to see it in real life. Aside from Freddy, another iconic 80's horror franchise also received the 8-bit treatment -- Friday the 13th. But that's another topic for another day. Pleasant dreams!
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