I love Halloween so much I decided to dedicate one of my "museum" features to it. Here you will find various odds and ends from my collection that I feel are vaguely related in some way to Halloween. A few of these might be a stretch but work with me, people!!

Some of these items have proven quite controversial, as you'll read below. I hope you enjoy your visit to my Halloween Museum. Step lively now...

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I've always been a fan of Resident Evil, and in the early days I would purchase just about any item related to the series. In 2011 I picked up this set of Wii controller attachments from Amazon. They were designed to work with the new Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles games.

The "magnum" was just a gun-shaped shell that could accomodate a Wiimote, giving you a nice grip for more realistic shooting action. The foam "knife" could hold a nun-chuck which you would shake to fend off hungry zombies.

I originally posted a picture of these along with one of the game reviews and Google came down on me like a ton of bricks! They started sending me all kinds of cease-and-desist email notices about policy violations, infrigements, dogs and cats, living together, mass hysteria! I was ordered to immediately remove the offending photograph or else eliminate all Google Ads from that page. Apparently an image of a foam knife was the most vile thing they've ever seen online!

So if you're wondering when the internet went from being an innocent utopia to a wretched hive of scum and villainy, it was me all along. Sorry about that! You'll notice I no longer have Google Ads. They can keep their two bucks!

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A lot of people like to make fun of Night Trap (Sega CD, 1982), but believe me when I tell you the game is awesome. It was one of the few early CD titles that properly made use of the technology, employing full-motion video with cameras you could change on the fly. It starred Dana Plato as an undercover agent at a slumber party in a lakefront house infiltrated by vampires. The premise alone deserves an A+.

This VHS tape allows you to watch all of the scenes from the game strung together like a movie. It also includes a series of outtakes, and from the looks of those, they had a blast making this game. The video quality of the original games was marginal at best, making this VHS tape look high-def by comparison. I suspect this is an unoffical release.

I have a little game room storage area in the basement (the "annex") where I keep extraneous boxes and things, and I set up a little TV and VCR in the corner of it like an old Blockbuster Video store. When I have a Halloween party I keep the Night Trap tape playing on a loop, exuding that awesome late 80's/early 90's vibe.

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Being a sophisticated gentleman of discerning taste, I prefer my controllers to be durable, stylish, and when possible, demonic.

I picked this one up at my local Gamestop in the early 2000's. It's a Playstation 2 controller from hell, and it goes by the name BERSERKER! Have you ever seen such an insane controller?? My friends freaked out when I showed it to them, their eyes bugging out like the thumbsticks on this controller.

And would you believe it if I told you this jagged hunk of plastic is not ergonomic? The buttons and handles feel rough. That said, the controls are responsive enough and after extended play the painful blisters are replaced by comfortable calluses. On the downside, when I handed this controller to my old buddy Francisco, the controller ate him. Rest in peace, Francisco!

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Chiller is one of those rare unlicensed NES games. It was controversial as well. Using the Zapper light gun you took aim at chained-up prisoners, shooting off their limbs. I was surprised to discover I own the box to this game - and in such good condition! Of course, when I started collecting in the 90's people were practically giving away "junk" like this.

I love the whole Creepshow aestetic. The ghouls hiding being the gravestone look terrifying and the skeletal hands rising from the grave appear to be clutching an artifact imbued with demonic powers no doubt.

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This may be the crown jewel of all my horror paraphernalia. This GameCube controller perfectly embodies my unhealthy fascination with survival horror games, slasher flicks, and collectibles that consume an inordinate amount of shelf space. This high-quality, sturdily constructed chainsaw is even pre-smeared with human blood - saving me a LOT of time, effort, and possible litigation. And just look at that awesome packaging!

The controller is quite functional too, although it takes some time to get used to. Your hands must be turned 90 degrees, but it's fairly comfortable and I played through most of the original RE4 with this thing. The protruding blade does add some weight, but unlike real chainsaws, it's safe to rest it on your leg. Vibration kicks in when a chainsaw-swinging maniac appears in the game, but it's actually a pretty tame buzz.

This may be a case of form over function but damn does it look good on my shelf.

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Caught in the swells of Resident Evil mania in 2005, I picked up this special "steelcase" edition of Resident Evil 4 on a whim, despite the fact I already owned the game. What did it have to offer?

Not a whole lot! The red metal case is plain and devoid of art. It's slightly larger than a game case, so it doesn't fit neatly on the shelf. It doesn't even have the title along the spine.

Inside is a copy of the standard game, and it's still sealed! Also included was a little artbook (sponsored by Brady Games, maker of all those guide books back in the day), and a "laser cel" image that comes with a certificate of authenticity. I need to keep that certificate handy in case the authorities break down my door at 3AM and accuse me of owning a counterfeit copy of this lame little picture.

Overall this was probably not the best investment, but hey - it's RE4 and that's still considered the best one the last time I checked.

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Among my game-related trinkets are some cool video game-themed Hot Wheels cars, and this is one of my favorites. The green and black color scheme is striking and the stretched design reminds me of a hearse. The images on the side depict half-decayed zombie faces.

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A lot of games try to capture the spirit of Halloween, but nobody quite "gets it" like the guys at Cash-In Culture Games. These two excellent homebrews embody the essence of the holiday. It's not just about ghouls, ghosts, and jump-scares. It's that foreboding feeling you get from eerie places like a deserted playground at sunset, an abandoned mall, or a shadowy forest. These games exude that creepy vibe and I make a point to play both of these with friends every October.

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This Atari computer game was produced when publishers actually cared about their game covers and would commission real artwork. It made you proud to own the game. The Maxwell Manor cover reminds me of Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame, although in fairness to Bruce, he would be probably be holding a human head.

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I don't normally associate aliens with Halloween, but this statue is such a frightening sight I thought it deserved a waiver. This 6-inch figure came with the Special Edition of Resistance 2 for the PS3. It may not look too scary from overhead, but when you stare right into its gaping maw it's downright terrifying.

I often think about what I would do if I was walking down a dark alley and saw this thing. I would definitely try to avoid eye contact, which could be a challenge considering he has six. I would casually glance at my watch, and then turn in a natural manner as if I just remembered I had a dental appointment. That would be followed by a lot of hauling ass in the opposite direction.

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This collector's edition had a lot of little knick knacks but it was the game itself that stood out. It came in one of those steel cases, but not a lame one like Resident Evil 4. This one looks awesome. It appears to have been scribbled on by a madman, with a number 5 burning through the center. Better yet, it's normal size with its name on the spine, so it fits neatly on the shelf with all the others. Inside is a glossy, color instruction manual, and two discs including a bonus DVD.

The trinkets don't offer much to get excited about. The knap sack is small and thin; I'm thinking not durable enough for professional zombie hunting. Also included is an African medalion (the game is set in Africa) and an obligatory patch (what do I do with this?). Rounding things out is a 3-inch fugure of Chris Redfield in an action pose. He looks good but has no base and is pretty fragile.

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