Night Trap 3DO Review

A Divisive Game

90’s FMV games – you either hate them or love them for nostalgic reasons, as they evoke the memories of early CD based consoles.

In this review I’m not going to look into the 3DO specific version too much as it is the same version that everybody already knows so well from other consoles. Instead I will look into the interesting history of Night Trap and the gameplay mechanics.

Sega CD – a shabby 32 colour offering

Night Trap re-surfaced originally in 1992 on the Sega CD and despite the use of innovative CD-ROM FMV video, the game managed to attract only average reviews but reasonable sales, until it featured in congressional hearings looking into violence in video games. Then ironically sales increased.

These days the game enjoys a cult following and despite its hilarious over acting it remains a reminder of how FMV interactive video was seen as the next big thing in gaming at the time. The 3DO version published by Virgin Games in June 1994 and made by Digital Pictures boasted the highest clarity video, the fastest switching between rooms and the best sound from all the versions released at the time (Sega CD, 32x and PC) – and honestly puts the original grainy 32 colour Sega CD version to shame.

The Origins of Night Trap and NEMO

Like Sewer Shark– Night Trap was conceived by Tom Zito in the 1980s to be played on the brand-new VHS based console called the NEMO (later Control Vision), which Tom Zito was developing with Hasbro (see image below). The NEMO was intended to let user’s switch from 4 parallel recorded tracks on a VHS whilst overlaying game sprites to allow interaction.

On the original Sega CD you can find a short video where 22 Hasbro executives were shown the Night Trap prototype, which was called Scene of the Crime. This game allowed the user to switch between various security cameras in a house to catch a thief and based on this demo Hasbro provided $Million funding for the creation of Night Trap.

However, the NEMO console was eventually scrapped by Hasbro due to its proposed high price tag in comparison to the dominant Nintendo NES and the fact games would require expensive filming budgets to produce. Tom Zito bought the rights to the games he had made from Hasbro and Night Trap‘s original 35 MM film footage then sat unused for years, waiting for some new technology to properly realise his game concept.

From VHS to CD-ROM

By the early ‘90s, CD-ROM technology began to emerge, offering developers significantly more storage capacity than cartridges. Tom Zito took advantage of this, formed Digital Pictures, and along with Rob Fulop repurposed Night Trap for Sega’s Mega CD add-on. This was no easy step as they had to create a new video codec from scratch for the Sega CD system, as MPEG was still being ratified as a format. Thus, the game was reborn, with players taking on the role of a nameless operative working for S.C.A.T. and taking cues from actress Dana Plato who plays Kelly, an undercover SCAT operative. Together you monitor the Martin house on various cameras to prevent another suspicious disappearance of visitors.

Tragic life of Dana Plato

Dana Plato originally starred in California Suite and was a household star in  Diff’rent Strokes up until 1986. When good acting roles dried up, she took a gamble on taking the starring role in the new games format proposed by Night Trap, but the Hasbro Control Vision version was cancelled until later when it appeared on Sega CD and 3DO. By then Dana had resorted to starring in cheap adult movies and even did a Playboy shoot to boost her popularity. Unfortunately, she soon spiralled into drug addiction and died of an overdose at the age of 34 shortly after agreeing to an interview with Howard Stern.

How Night Trap Plays Out

The game’s plot revolves around monitoring security cameras in the house and using traps to capture Augers. These guys are a  group of black clad stooped intruders collecting blood from victims to bolster the Vampire Martin family blood-based wine cellar. Your objective is to protect the teens staying at the house, including Kelly the S.C.A.T. agent.

You’ll switch between eight cameras in different rooms, capturing Augers before they can cause harm. Fail to trap enough of them, and you’ll trigger a Game Over sequence where your commanding officer, Lieutenant Simms, berates you.

A Game of Timed Decisions

Night Trap cleverly plays with its limitations. For instance, while watching the game’s lengthy introduction, players may not realize that Augers are already sneaking into the house. The more time you spend watching the intro, the more you fall behind, making it a tricky challenge right from the start.

This juggling act between following the story and capturing the villains continues throughout the game. Missing key moments, such as when the Martin family changes the house’s colour access code, can lead to traps failing, forcing players to juggle through random colours.

A Badly Acted, Cult Classic

One of the game’s most famous moments is the awkward party scene where the cast mimics along to the Night Trap theme song. It’s gloriously bad but watching it at the wrong time means missing important clues or failing to capture Augers as they move around the house.

Over time, players learn the sequence of events and can work toward perfecting their playthroughs by catching all 95 Augers and unlocking the game’s best endings.

Controversy and Legacy

When Night Trap launched on the SEGA CD it stirred controversy, particularly in the United States, where it was used as an example during a congressional hearing on violent video games in 1993 alongside Mortal Kombat. The backlash helped lead to the creation of a video game rating system in America. In the UK, it received a rare 15+ rating from the BBFC, making it illegal for younger audiences to purchase.

Finding Night Trap Today

If you’re curious about experiencing Night Trap, you can still buy the 3DO version on eBay or buy the 25^th Anniversary version on PC via Steam. The SEGA CD version is also available via eBay, but the grainy quality is a serious turn off.

In the end, despite its quirks and limitations, Night Trap remains an endearing and interesting piece of FMV gaming history which was quite revolutionary at the time.