SkiFree
In gaming, there is no sheer terror that quite measures up to the Abominable Snow Monster from SkiFree. Pyramid Head? Alma Wade? That spooky piano in Mario 64? Forget about it, they all flee in fear of the yeti.
In SkiFree, you play the role of an unnamed skier who has been sentenced to an endless downhill purgatory. There is no finish line at the bottom of the mountain; you must simply dodge obstacles for all eternity, at least until this loathsome grey beast sets his sights on you. He will pursue you relentlessly, and once he has captured his prey, you’ll be gobbled up whole. The sickening grin on his face as he picks the flesh from his teeth will be burnt into your memory, for it represents our own fears of mortality.
There are some who say that it is possible to flee from the Abominable Snow Monster long enough for it to grow weary and give up on the chase, but what of your fate then? Is it really better to be forever condemned to downhill skiing? …This game is just upsetting, no matter how you spin it.
