Grabbed by the Ghoulies (Microsoft Xbox, 2003)

Grabbed by the Ghoulies is an action-oriented beat-'em-up set within a haunted house. Played from a third-person perspective, the game stars a boy named Cooper who must save his girlfriend from the fiendish creatures that reside in Ghoulhaven Hall. Cooper will encounter 25 types of ghastly ghoulies, some of which include vampires, mummies, skeletons, zombies, and flying imps. As players make their way through the many rooms of the manor, they can acquire and use an assortment of household items with which to smash, bash, or slash the nasties trying to do them harm.

The more than 100 types of objects at Cooper's disposal include chairs, pool cues, pictures, fire extinguishers, and tables. Many of the creatures can only be defeated using certain types of weapons, such as the vampires who are susceptible to the powerful garlic-firing blunderbuss. As the title suggests, the game relies heavily on humor in its tongue-in-cheek depiction of enemies and weapons, though it also tries to create some tension through the use of disembodied heads floating through the air, sudden attacks from ghosts, and eerie faces staring at players through windows.

Each of the 50-plus rooms featured in Ghoulhaven Hall also features a number of hazards and traps that players must be on the lookout for. Collapsing floors, tentacles, spikes, possessed furniture, and other dangers can spring forth at a moment's notice, which could have Cooper fainting from the scare if the enemies don't get him first. Among the attacks players will have to worry about are mummification, curses, bites, electrocution, burns, and being thrown around the environment like a rag doll. Fortunately for players, Ghoulhaven Hall offers a few friendly faces in the form of staff members who have served the occupants for much too long. They will be more than happy to supply Cooper with the items or weapons needed to find his girlfriend.