This Friday will see the “reimagining” of one of the classic slasher franchises in theaters across the nation.  Standing now at 12 films, it is hard to imagine a film franchise making it this far and not being the subject matter of a game or two.  Unfortunately, the only game of note to honor the Friday the 13th franchise was the infamous NES title.  Since we can’t offer you promises of a new game, below we offer some game suggestions to get you in the mood for the new  film.

Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Xbox / Xbox 360

Unlike the Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween films, there was very little “artistic” vision to the Friday films to begin with.  They were always exploitation films doling out equal measures of sex and violence.  In other words, it wouldn’t really be a Friday film without the T&A.

And what game has ever been more about T&A than Dead or Alive’s spinoff volleyball titles?  Really, these were volleyball games where more energy was spent on the physics of the women’s bodies than the actual volleyball.  While nudity was not featured in the game, it is as close as has probably ever been shown in a mainstream game title (i.e. not an Adults Only rated porn title).

Night Trap
Sega CD / Sega 32X CD

If you want bad acting, cheesy special effects, and women running in their underwear all in one game then you have to go to Night Trap.  Sega’s darling showcase title for the Sega CD format proved to be a little too controversial for its time, and the game was actually edited for rerelease.

Controversy aside, though, this full-motion-video based title plays out like most bad horror films from the 1980s.  A bunch of young women are helpless at the hands of a stalking force.  Sound familiar?  Not a good game, but then, neither are the Friday films particularly good, either.

Splatterhouse
TurboGrafx-16

Sure, it’s a bit of a role reversal in that in this game you’re the one wearing a hockey mask and chopping up people, but so what?  It might just be that the best concept for a Friday the 13th game is to actually you in the role of Jason and set you loose.

Splatterhouse is a classic side-scrolling action game.  With a cursed mask on your face, you battle through levels killing monsters and demons on your way to rescue your girlfriend.  Better yet, a remake coming this year features the ability to fight with your own severed limbs.  Yes, that’s classy in the Friday the 13th vein.

Ninja Gaiden
Arcade / Atari Lynx

How could the Ninja Gaiden series possibly relate to Friday the 13th?  For those who recall the original arcade title it’s fairly clear.  One of the more memorable enemies you faced were legions of thugs in hockey masks.

Why hockey masks?  One has to assume the design was inspired by the Friday the 13th films, though the enemies did not carry machetes.  Still, outside of an NHL or actual Friday the 13th game, it’s the closest you’ll get in a game to beating up on hulking men in hockey masks (what you do in your private life is up to you).

Friday the 13th
NES

You can’t really do a Friday the 13th game tribute without showcasing the number one game—the only one actually related to Friday the 13th!  The NES title has achieved near classic status over the years despite its shoddy quality.  Why?

Fans will tell you it produces a genuine sense of dread and fear unlike almost any other title until the rise of the early Resident Evil titles.  You run around Camp Crystal Lake trying to figure out how to defeat Jason, and all the while he stalks you—randomly popping up both outdoors and inside of cabins.  That sense of never knowing where Jason will turn up next emulates the films incredibly well, and despite the poor quality of the actual game, makes it incredibly memorable as a play experience.