Horror franchises branching out into gaming may not sound like the best idea and only a handful have actually tried this and when they have they are either too difficult (Friday the 13th NES) or too underwhelming (Halloween for Atari). The Nightmare on Elm Street game is a special game for fans of the franchise and it's neither too difficult nor underwhelming, it's a fun and addictive game that even has a multi-player mode! Story 4/10 The story is very linear; you (and others if you're playing multi-player) are trying to take down Freddy by collecting his bones which are hidden in various areas in Springwood. The game isn't exactly about plot it's more about the gameplay aspects.
Gameplay 8/10 Your character must travel to different locations (the opening of each location depends on randomisation) to collect Freddy's bones but along the way you have to avoid or attack a variety of obstacles which are mainly bats and rats. At the end of each location there is boss to defeat which not exactly too taxing if you know the pattern of the boss, this may not sound all too special if anything it sounds far too basic but that's because I haven't talked about the use of the sleep meter yet.
The sleep meter depletes if you stand still too long or get hurt by the obstacles (you can regain it by collecting coffee or whilst in the dream world find a radio) when it depletes all the way you are taken to the dream world, which is the same world but with a higher difficulty, but instead of just expecting you to deal with the harder obstacles you have dream warrior abilities these are; Necromancer, Acrobat and the Shadow Warrior. Your default ability is the acrobat but if you collect certain items you can access the other abilities, this makes the gameplay a whole lot more fun by a mile.
The use of alternating worlds make for fun gameplay but it does get a little too tedious when you're travelling from one location to the other.
Graphics 7/10 The graphics are your usual NES graphics and not especially worthy of noting suffice to say they don't distract from the addictive gameplay aspect although sometimes when an enemy approach you there is a moment where you question what exactly it's supposed to be.
Sound/Music 7/10 The music and sounds after a while may drive you a little crazy but for the most part it's enjoyable and there is a variety of music used that will keep fans of older game music amused.
Longevity/Replayability 7.5/10 If played cautiously the game is relatively short and definitely a game you'll want to replay especially if you own a multi-tap and want to play with friends.
Conclusion 8.3/10 A Nightmare on Elm Street for the Nintendo Entertainment System is a fun little game albeit not for impatient gamers.