History VideoGame / NightTrap

''Night Trap'' is a FullMotionVideo game by Creator/DigitalPictures. It was created (well, ''filmed'') in 1987 and was originally intended to be released on Creator/{{Hasbro}}'s videotape-based game console, the NEMO. However, the NEMO was never released, and the game debuted in 1992 on the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega CD]]. In 1994, it arrived on the UsefulNotes/Sega32X, Panasonic UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer, UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer, and UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, it was released on UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and Steam on August 15, 2017 (with the UsefulNotes/XboxOne version set to be released at a later time), complete with a limited physical run which mimics the Sega CD box art; this version includes the prototype game ''Scene of the Crime'' which led into ''Night Trap'''s development. The rereleases were handled by VFX company Flash Film Works, current owners of the Digital Pictures game library.

''Night Trap'' is a FullMotionVideo game by Creator/DigitalPictures. It was created (well, ''filmed'') in 1987 and was originally intended to be released on Creator/{{Hasbro}}'s videotape-based game console, the NEMO. However, the NEMO was never released, and the game debuted in 1992 on the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega CD]]. In 1994, it arrived on the UsefulNotes/Sega32X, Panasonic UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer, UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer, and UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, it was released on UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and Steam on August 15, 2017 (with the UsefulNotes/XboxOne version set to be released at a later time), complete with a limited physical run which mimics the Sega CD box art; this version includes the prototype game ''Scene of the Crime'' which led into ''Night Trap'''s development.

** Simms chides you again after [[spoiler:Kelly]] dies in three ways.

** Failing to rescue Kelly from [[spoiler:the Martins in the last sequence of the game will result in her being captured by the augers and bitten by whoever you first failed to capture]].

* AWinnerIsYou: All you get for winning the game is Kelly congratulating you on your success. However, if you get a perfect game (all bad guys captured, all innocents saved), [[spoiler:you can trap her right afterward]]. If you don't [[spoiler:trap Kelly]], then Simms will congratulate you afterward.

* AWinnerIsYou: All you get for winning the game is Kelly congratulating you on your success. However, if you get a perfect game (all bad guys captured, all innocents saved), [[spoiler:you can trap her right afterward]].

-->'''Simms:''' What was ''that''? You were doing so well and you just let one of our best undercover agents die! I should have trusted you. And want better? Get out! Breaking contact!

* TheEighties: While the game was released in 1992, the video was filmed in 1987 and it shows.
Oh, and 80's hair.

* AnimalTesting: Of the Ambiguous type, discussed and parodied: In the second part of the bathroom, Megan criticizes Lisa for trying to prime herself with her makeup, telling her that scientists should use cosmetic testing with her makeup on rats "before they let people like [her] play with it". Megan then demonstrates by pretending her hand is a rat facing torture by cosmetic testing, all the while using her squeaky mouse voice, as a way to mock Lisa. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments It's pretty hilarious.]]

* InterfaceSpoiler: In the 1990s, the Sega CD version and the other four console versions had the room icons that were static images, and you could only see what was going on in one room by selecting it. In the 2017 remaster, the room icons now have dynamic, real-time thumbnails, meaning that if you see movement in one room while being in another, you know that something's going on. [[https://youtu.be/Hjz1I3VXteQ For example]], you can watch the girls rock out in the living room and impress Sarah, while [[spoiler:you witness the Augers kidnap [[RedShirt S.C.A.T. member Jason]] and drain his blood in the downstairs hallway before taking him to the basement without even going to said hallway]]! (One [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfubB-PeTns Defunct Games review]] {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it by saying that seeing the movement in some of the room icons makes you feel like you're watching a livestream event of the game itself.) Beating the game to unlock Theater Mode counts after you've gotten the most spoileriffic scenes.

* KarmicDeath: If you play the game right, [[spoiler: the Martin family will be caught by their own traps and meet the same fate as the teenagers they've been murdering.]]

* NewMediaAreEvil: This game is one of the reasons why the ESRB exists today. The game caused controversy and was pulled from store shelves due to its "violent content" and its gameplay being centered around "capturing and torturing young women." It's a good thing that [[CowboyBebopAtHisComputer none of the senators involved in the hearing actually]] ''[[CowboyBebopAtHisComputer played]]'' [[CowboyBebopAtHisComputer the game]]. Otherwise, they would have found out that none of these things happen and they would have had to rely more on the content in ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' to get the ruling that they wanted.

* RuleOfFunny: At one point in the upstairs hallway, you can see the Augers give each other a high five, as if they think the coast is clear. Pretty hilarious.
* SameContentDifferentRating: The 25th anniversary re-release bumped the game’s rating down from an M (for "Realistic Violence") to a T (for "Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes"). It should be noted this game [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny was what kickstarted the formation of the ESRB]], being one of the first games to be rated M and sparking high controversy during its original release for supposedly "promoting" violence against women. In actuality, the "violence" in the game was deliberately made cartoonish and over-the-top, and the controversial bathroom scene (which actually [[WhatTheHellPlayer reprimands you if you don’t save the girl]]) is very tame by today’s standards.

** The normal ending, which you'll get if you complete all critical saves/captures while missing some augers, has Kelly congratulating you, but believing you can do better with practice. [[spoiler:As she leaves, there's a parting shot of an auger appearing behind her.]]

-->'''Simms''': What were you ''thinking?!'' You were hired to protect these girls and you just let Ashley die! You're fired! Breaking contact.

* TheEighties: While the game was released in 1992, the video was filmed in 1987 and it shows and 80's hair.

* DummiedOut: One of the Game Over scenes ([[spoiler:in which you accidentally trap Lt. Simms while he's fighting off Sheila]]), which could only be viewed using a Sega CD Movie viewer on a Windows computer. The 2017 edition adds that scene back into the game along with two other Game Over scenes [[DeletedScene that never made the final cut]].

* TheEighties: While the game was released in 1992, the video was recorded in 1987 and it shows.

''Night Trap'' is a FullMotionVideo game by Creator/DigitalPictures. It was created (well, ''filmed'') in 1987 and was originally intended to be released on Creator/{{Hasbro}}'s videotape-based game console, the NEMO. However, the NEMO was never released, and the game debuted in 1992 on the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega CD]]. In 1994, it arrived on the Sega 32X, Panasonic UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer, UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer, and UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, it was released on UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and Steam on August 15, 2017 (with the UsefulNotes/XboxOne version set to be released at a later time), complete with a limited physical run which mimics the Sega CD box art; this version includes the prototype game ''Scene of the Crime'' which led into ''Night Trap'''s development.

* YouExclamation: In the Bedroom, during the time when [[spoiler:Tony warns Ashley to leave the house while he exposes his vampiric image, she screams, and Kelly bursts in with a revolver pointed at him]]:

* FrickinLaserBeams: Subverted.

** Weird Eddie Describes the augers as this, saying that their draining people of blood is NothingPersonal and just [[BlueAndOrangeMorality the only way they can live]].
* AllForNothing: In the official ReCut, [[spoiler: SCAT's efforts ultimately end up pointless, as TheBadGuyWins]].

* TheBadGuyWins: In the official ReCut, [[spoiler:the Augers kill all of the teens and Victor drains Kelly, meaning that SCAT's efforts were AllForNothing and that the murders will almost certainly continue]]. The only drawback to the Martins is that [[spoiler: the rest of the family is dead, but based off of Victor's attitude he isn't that upset about it]].

* BossArenaIdiocy: In the BossRush noted below, despite being well aware that someone has control over the house's cameras and traps as is using the system against them, [[spoiler: the Martins will very obviously blunder directly into their own traps in their zeal to capture Kelly ([[VillainBall or gloat]]), allowing the player to nab them each in turn. The only one with an excuse is Shiela, who didn't know about the trap that caught her.]]

* AffablyEvil: The Martins seem like nice enough folks, and the reason people are going missing is because [[spoiler:they run a charity wherein they provide blood for augers, though this gets people killed]].

* PragmaticAdaptation: The official ReCut removes most of fourth wall breaks as, since it's a movie, there isn't anything for the viewer to interact with.

* KillEmAll: In the official ReCut, [[spoiler: every named character ends up dead by the end, with the only exceptions being Victor and [[UncertainDoom possibly]] Simms]].

* UncertainDoom: It's left ambiguous if [[spoiler: Lt. Simms survives the climax]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We don't know what happens to the girls or Danny after they escape the house. Some of them are last seen being chased by augers too, making things a bit concerning... The worst case has to be Weird Eddie, who dresses up as an auger, goes into the house with Danny, goes into a room that cannot be seen on the security cameras...and than disappears for the rest of the game. Since you need to avoid trapping him in order to get a perfect run in the re-release, it can be assumed that as long as you don't trap him, he survives, but it's anyone's guess what happens to him after he goes into the room.

* KaizoTrap: [[spoiler: Failing to trap a few Augers menacing Cindy leads to Jeff stepping out to rescue her, and than turn her into a vampire.]] Gameplay continues for several minutes as normal otherwise until right before the climax, at which point control is ripped away from you and you're suddenly killed.
* KarmicDeath: If you play the game right, [[spoiler: the Martin family will be caught by their own traps and meet the same fate as the teenagers they've been murdering.]]

* MenaceDecay: ''Night Trap'' shocked the nation in the 1990's (or at least the more busybody members of the U.S. Congress, anyway). In 2017, the game was re-released for the [=PS4=] and Steam (with the Xbox One version soon to follow)... and rated "T" for Teen, with BETTER quality video than any previous version.

* TheBadGuyWins: In the official Recut, [[spoiler:the Augers kill all of the teens and Victor drains Kelly, meaning that SCAT's efforts were AllForNothing and that the murders will almost certainly continue]]. The only drawback to the Martins is that [[spoiler: the rest of the family is dead, but based off of Victor's attitude he isn't that upset about it]].

* BossRush: The climax of the game. You have to beat [[spoiler:each of the remaining Martins in order: first, when Victor Martin, Sheila Martin, and Sarah Martin corner Kelly in the bedroom, Sheila comes the closest to catching Kelly, so you first have to trap Sheila with a bed that catapults her out the window (which was not originally intended for her; apparently Victor was going to give that trap to his wife as a "surprise"); Kelly will then manage to make it past Victor and Sarah, but Victor chases her. Second, when Victor chases Kelly into the bathroom, you have to activate a wall trap that gets rid of Victor, but that still leaves Sarah. Sarah will cut Kelly off outside in the hallway, so you have to drop Sarah down a pit and ''then'' all the Martins are gone and you've won the game. If you miss even ''one'' of the three Martins in this sequence, [[HopeSpot Kelly will escape at first]], but then whichever Martin you missed will show up with a crowd of augers to drain Kelly and you'll lose]].

* ReCut: The physical release of the ''20th Anniversary Edition'' came with a VHS that edited the game's cutscenes edited into a film. It [[PragmaticAdaptation removes]] most of the interactive elements and, befitting the game's cheesy horror film tone, [[spoiler: nearly everyone who can die in the game [[KillEmAll does]] and TheBadGuyWins]].

* NonstandardGameOver: A few times in scenes where the good guys are grappling with the augers or Martins, they'll struggle into range of a trap, which you'll be permitted to trigger; doing so results in this. [[spoiler:Trapping Kelly at the end of a perfect run also counts.]]

* OffModel: In the Control-Vision version's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eshL1DAnAQ8 original intro]] (which is also in the 2017 edition), you can see the top-right monitor showing the entryway, while the second-left monitor on the bottom shows the same entryway, but with a ponytailed girl in a leather jacket and jeans going up the stairs, which means that the entryway on the top-right doesn't show the girl going upstairs and is therefore a duplicate. This is an error on the developers' part when the top-right monitor is supposed to show the driveway.

* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler:If you let Jeff strangle Swanson before Kelly escapes, he will try to go through the secret passageway by the bookcase door... only to discover too late that he has opened the ''wrong'' side of the door and gets [[BurnBabyBurn incinerated]] [[KarmicDeath by the Martins]]' [[HoistByHisOwnPetard own trap]].]]

* BossArenaStupidity: In the BossRush noted below, despite being well aware that someone has control over the house's cameras and traps as is using the system against them, [[spoiler: the Martins will very obviously blunder directly into their own traps in their zeal to capture Kelly ([[VillainBall or gloat]]), allowing the player to nab them each in turn. The only one with an excuse is Shiela, who didn't know about the trap that caught her.]]