Fright Night

“Horror is a very tricky thing, since there's no one universal thing everybody's scared of. That's why we didn't go for scary. We went with a homage- a love letter to the movies that did do horror right.”

— Fright Night director, Pyrostar ^(t∣b∣c)

Fright Night is a fighting game developed by Pyro Enterprises, said to be based off of a combination of the Super Smash Bros. and Darkstalkers franchises, taking general (yet modified) gameplay from the former and the dark Halloween aesthetics of the latter, in an attempt to make a "more strategic Smash".

The game is a homage to the horror movie genre, with multiple aspects of the game being based on movies and most characters being based off of famous horror flicks.

Gameplay

Fright Night's gameplay is very similar to that of the Smash Bros. series at first glance; players navigate around 2D stages fighting each other, with simplified controls and knockback taking precedence over massive combo lists and intricate combo attacks. However, the method of scoring is extremely different; instead of a health bar or percentage determining health, characters possess an HP-ometer akin to EarthBound.

The HP-ometer, much like a normal health bar, decreases when taking damage and increases when healing. However, instead of damage or healing being instant, the HP-ometer has to scroll down or up to the resulting number, meaning that lethal injuries are not immediately fatal and can be reversed or slowed by healing as the meter ticks down. Being knocked off the screen like in Smash Bros. significantly lowers HP, but does not guarantee a kill.

When a character's HP-ometer reaches 0, they collapse and a special item known as a Soul floats out of the corpse. The Soul essentially acts like a Smash Ball, flying around freely and taking multiple hits to break. If a player breaks an opponent's Soul, they either gain a point or the opponent loses a stock, depending on the mode played. After a Soul breaks, the owner is revived with full HP. To protect their Soul, a dead player can slightly manipulate the path that their Soul takes.

Differences from Smash

• Differences in damage calculation and measurement (see above)
• Differences in point calculation (see above)
• Getting knocked off the stage is no longer lethal except on low HP, and typically only does heavy damage.
• Shielding and dodging are replaced entirely with the new Parry ability, which is universal to all fighters. Parries act similarly to counters in the Smash Bros. series, but leave the opponent open for a follow-up attack instead of dealing direct damage.
  • All fighters have a fifth special attack only accessible after a successful Parry, referred to as a Parry Special.
• Items are much rarer than in Smash Bros.
• Powerful finishing moves in the vein of the Final Smash are not tied to an item, and are instead generated over time via various methods. In addition, each fighter has two "final attacks".
  • Nightmares are powerful buffs that transform the player character into an overpowered, more terrifying form. Nightmares charge as the player deals damage and kill opponents.
  • Frightfest Attacks are extremely powerful attacks similar to Final Smashes. Frightfest Attacks charge as the player takes damage or suffers kills.

Modes

Group

• Horror Show- The main attraction of Fright Night, Horror Show is an eight-player free-for-all battle mode. It's essentially the basic mode that can be endlessly replayed.
• Waking Nightmare- A streamlined, two-man-only variant on Horror Show. Matches are shorter, final attacks charge faster, and set selection is cut down and randomized. It's essentially For Glory combined with a Quick Match option.

Solo

• Frightfest- Go through a five-round Classic Mode-style tournament against random opponents, then a final battle against Greyscale. In between matches, small cutscenes play to act as a form of movie.
• Movie Marathon- Battle against every character in the game on the same life, with limited healing items between rounds. Essentially All-Star Mode from Smash.
• The Vault of Horror- Watch Movie Reels obtained by beating Frightfest with various characters. It's just 60 to 90-minute horror movies, so it works well in case you're too bored to really play. Blooper Reels can also be obtained and played.

Characters

Much like the recent reboot of Killer Instinct, Fright Night has a small starting roster of 15 characters, 10 default and 5 optional. According to director Pyrostar, "our focus was on having a unique roster over a big one, so we started small- like Smash 64".

Default

Neutral	Side	Up	Down	Parry
Dolli Mommy's Little Girl		Dana was once a normal seven-year-old girl. She loved her toys more than anything, specifically a precious doll named Miss Tina. She treated Tina like a sister, almost taking more care of the doll than herself. Then, one day, Dana was suddenly struck by a speeding car while holding her precious doll. The strike killed her instantly... but that night, at the stroke of midnight, Dana's spirit was reborn inside of Miss Tina, creating the living toy named Dolli. With a childish spirit guiding her, Dolli began wandering around, searching for someone to become her new playmate... forever. Dolli's stats are very well-rounded, and she doesn't excel or suffer in any category, effectively making her Fright Night's equivalent to Mario or Ryu. She has two main weapons in her arsenal; a knitting needle, which she uses as a melee weapon, and a large spool of red string, used for longer-ranged attacks and grappling.
Toy Ball Dolli throws a bouncy toy ball forward. It bounces on the ground and deals damage on contact, disappearing after a little bit.	Thread Lash Dolli whips some of her string forward. The attack deals little damage or knockback, but is good for interrupting opponents or stalling for time.	Pirouette Dolli giggles while gracefully pirouetting. On the ground, it's little more than a spin attack, but it can be used for recovery when in the air.	Needle Thrust Dolli thrusts her needle forward in a stabbing motion. The attack can be charged for enhanced range and power.	Tie 'Em Up Dolli ensnares her parried opponent with her strings, squeezing them for rapid damage. Mash the button to deal additional damage.
Nightmare Demon Dolli As the demonic influence falls over Dolly, she becomes much more threadbare and twisted, gaining a creepy face. Demon Dolli is much more agile, has increased power with charge attacks, and her threads leave a poisonous effect known as Wear and Tear.
Frightfest Attack Red String of Fate Dolli throws her thread out to maximum length in front of her. If it hits another fighter (multiple fighters can be hit with the attack), they are inflicted with Wear and Tear as they are trapped in place, taking multiple rapid hits from her childish shaking of the thread. When the attack ends, Dolli flings any grabbed fighters away.
Jerry Klawver The Reaper on Thirteenth Avenue		Jerry Klawver was the son of a notorious serial killer and a lumberjack. Clearly, his upbringing was chaotic at best and downright horrifying at worst. Jerry was a troubled boy in his youth, and one day, he became viciously scarred by a beaker of acid thrown at him by one of his classmates. Gone insane, Jerry took his father's chainsaw and went on a murderous rampage. He was stopped, but like any good horror villain, nothing stops Jerry for long... Jerry's a bit slow, but is defensive and has larger than usual starting HP. He uses his chainsaw for literally 95% of his attacks, wielding it much like Ike or Cloud wield their swords in the Smash Bros. series. He can also rev up his chainsaw to do additional damage- but it also slowly drains his HP-ometer.
Meat Cleaver Jerry swings his chainsaw over his head in an arc. The attack strikes all around him, but is most powerful at the front.	Shaker Breaker Jerry pulls back to gain momentum, then violently spins forward with his chainsaw. Grants superarmor while charging.	Sky Slicer Jerry jumps upward, leading with his blade. Press the button again to perfom a descending attack.	Rev Up Jerry powers up his chainsaw. This boosts its damage immensely, but also slowly drains Jerry's own HP while active. Use the move while active to deactivate the effect.	Asterisk Slash Jerry performs a three-hit combo attack on a parried opponent that creates a demonic asterisk in the air. Good for trapping opponents and extending combos.
Nightmare Jerry the Reaper Jerry infuses with a demonic essence and goes feral and demon-like, hunching over alongside sharp teeth, burnt skin, and a chainsaw-hand fusion. Jerry becomes much stronger, can Rev Up without harm, and deals fire damage with all of his attacks.
Frightfest Attack Klawver Killer The screen goes dark as Jerry vanishes. When he reappears, he follows up with a split-second attack with his chainsaw, which has immense power. He only targets the closest opponent- run, and you may be spared.
Ooz Blobs From The Bermuda		It was a warm summer day in sunny Orlando when scientists first discovered the blobs at the bottom of a trench in the Bermuda Triangle. While they first seemed like a different variety of the previously discovered fist-sized amoeba, these blobs were semi-sentient... and hungry. While most of the blobs escaped the lab and began attacking Orlando, one blob got left behind, somehow managing to assimilate a few scientists. This somewhat-more intelligent blob, naming itself Ooz, decided to be friends with humans; they still don't like it very much. Ooz is a shapeshifter, meaning that he can change his body into a multitude of weapons and shapes if need be. Stat-wise, he's lightweight and has low starting HP, but has a natural ability to regenerate HP, and while he's not strong, he's pretty darn fast. You enjoy Kirby in Smash Bros.? Then Ooz may be for you.
Regeneration Hold down the button to have Ooz stand in place and regenerate HP. He can't move, but it's easy to reverse fatal attacks with this.	Latch Ooz jumps forward in an arc. If he lands on an enemy, he bounces off, knocking them backwards.	Bounce Ooz bounces upward. If used over a platform, he descends and bounces off of the ground for increased speed and damage.	Cell Divide Ooz quickly splits in two, attacking to either side of him before recombining into a single unit. Surprisingly powerful for its user.	Absorb Ooz latches onto a parried opponent and absorbs nutrients from them, regaining HP as they lose theirs.
Nightmare Amalgamate Ooz begins melting as the minds of the assimilated scienists push his puny brain to the brink. Ooz becomes much faster, and he now absorbs HP from his opponents with every attack, bringing his health up drastically.
Frightfest Attack Slime Fountain Ooz sinks into the ground and then bursts out, attacking anything around him. Enemies hit with the initial attack are swirled around in a slime whirlpool, taking rapid damage until a slimy explosion launches them out.
Hugo Geist		Hugo was a normal boy before strange things started happening to him. Those around him got hurt badly, he heard weird whispers in his head, and when sufficiently angered, he gained a strange ability to manipulate gravity. It was eventually discovered that the boy had become possessed by a monstrous ghost- a poltergeist- and it was immediately decided that he needed to be exorcised. The poltergeist sent Hugo on the run, but after a long chase, it was finally driven off. Hugo is a speedy character with average defense, low attack, and exceptional recovery. The reason? The poltergeist's gravity-controlling powers, which let him hover around with ease and throw his enemies around like ragdolls. The poltergeist is also tied to his Soul; it possesses a unique "black hole" effect that other characters lack.
Force Away Hugo pushes forward, the poltergeist's power creating a large hand-shaped projectile. This deal no damage but can push opponents away.	Lift An upward swing that deals little damage but temporarily reverses the victim's gravity, causing them to float upward.	Levitation Hugo is surrounded by a blood-red aura. While active he gains the power to fly around freely for a short time, but cannot attack.	Black Hole Hugo generates a small black hole in between his hands, which will absorb projectile attacks and heal the damage that it would have done normally.	Smash Hugo smashes the parried opponent into the ground, then throws them up, afflicting them with a long-lasting reverse gravity effect.
Nightmare Poltergeist Force The poltergeist possessing Hugo absorbs the demonic essence and appears as Hugo's head turns upside down. This enhances Hugo's offensive ability and lowers everybody else's gravity, making them easier to launch.
Frightfest Attack Gravity Tantrum Overwhelmed by the poltergeist's power, Hugo begins a screaming fit. Standing in place, he emanates shockwaves from his body, which do heavy damage and also inflict reverse gravity. After a few seconds, Hugo stops.
Queen Hatshepsut Rise of the Mummy		Originally, Hatshepsut the Eighth was a powerful pharaoh, ruling over Egypt with a stern, motherly gaze. However, she was also quite the sorceress, and when she finally died, her spirit lingered within her embalmed and mummified body, dwelling within for centuries. When famed archaeologist Sarah Kirina uncovered the pharaoh's tomb, Hatshepsut's mummy was brought to life, unleashing curses upon the area until she was finally resealed. Hatshepsut is a slow character with average defenses and very slightly below-average power. Her main draw is her array of ranged attacks, having the largest number of them out of all the roster- even some of her charge attacks are projectiles. She also has a unique sand element for most of her attacks, as well as a very strange recovery method.
Scarab Shot Hatshepsut charges magical energy and fires a spherical orb of green magic forward. Can be charged longer for increased power and size.	Golden Blast Launches a directable golden wireframe polyhedron forward. 3 polyhedra can exist at once; hold the button to detonate them all.	Sand Pillar Creates a sand pillar to act as a platform. Raises player up on ground, but just raises to current height in the air. Only 1 use until user returns to land.	Sandstorm Hatshepsut fires a small sand tornado forward. Slowly loses "durability" as it travels; can only blow opponents at small size.	Secret Power Hatshepsut opens up her chest bandages, blowing the parried opponent away with a weak gust of wind with high knockback.
Nightmare Mummified Monster As Hatshepsut's wrappings cover her even more and begin crumbling, her features become pale and zombie-like, uncovering her glowing red eyes. In this enhanced state, the queen gains faster speed and charge time, alongside increased power.
Frightfest Attack Mega Mirage Hatshepsut summons a massive sandstorm in the background, which soon arrives on the stage. The sandstorm heals the summoner over time, while all other characters have their HP-ometer decrease on its own.
Coral The Siren's Song		Scientists were baffled when a strange sonar signal began emanating from an island in the Atlantic Ocean, and even more baffled when the tone turned out to be a strange melody that caused insanity. A team of undersea explorers eventually tracked the source of the sound to a squid-like entity they named Coral. Taking Coral onto their research vessel, they were soon driven mad by the siren's song and eventually killed each other off. Shame, really... all she wanted to do was sing. Coral is a character best suited for grappling, as her grabs are enhanced by her extending tentacles, letting her grab opponents and ledges from far away. In addition, she's slippery and agile,and her attacks have little lag, letting her combo multiple moves into a long chain akin to Bayonetta for Smash Bros. She can also use her voice as a universal-ranged move that affects all fighters on the stage in various ways.
Voice of Madness Coral sings a magical song that covers the entire stage. Slowly does minor chip damage over time, no knockback.	Spin Charge Dash forward while spinning. Covers fair amount of horizontal distance and is good for breaking shields.	Squid Burst Coral dashes upward while spinning. Small recovery height compared to most up specials, but can be used again post-double jump.	Ink Releases a squirt of ink that leaves a slippery puddle on the ground. Deals acidic damage if the blob makes direct contact.	Siren's Embrace Coral wraps her tentacles around the parried opponent and squeezes them, dealing heavy damage and launching them.
Nightmare Call of Insanity Upon absorbing the demonic essence, Coral becomes taller, more muscular, and grows massive bat-like wings. She gains the powers of flight and enhanced agility and attack, and her Voice of Madness special gains drastically improved damage.
Frightfest Attack Silencing Siren Coral sings a haunting tune that puts all opponents to sleep, teal wisps hovering over their heads. Coral can either attack these opponents for increased damage or consume the wisps by ducking near the opponent, which restores HP.

Teasers

Teasers for upcoming characters. Guess the inspiring movie below in the comments for a chance to name the character.

All character names have currently been taken by users. Please wait until the next batch of teasers to suggest names.

Character	Character
Licorice Name suggested by Golem Guy (Neo) A very alien character with poisonous properties and a flashing face. It's immune to bullets but oddly enough is weak to fire and... the common cold. Pushover.	Coral Name suggested by DarKingdomHearts She might remind you of a mermaid at first, but this squiddy siren's call is more than hypnotic; it drives men to madness.
TBA Name suggested by Apihedron Plants exposed to loud music have been proven to grow larger, so this thing must've been exposed to worse... as its size and horrendous singing voice prove.	TBA Name suggested by Apihedron A slimy character- or characters- thawed from a pod in deep ice. It has no real form to speak of, instead taking on attributes of opponents.