Before Resident Evil, There Was Sweet Home

When you think of survival horror, chances are your mind jumps straight to Resident Evil. Released in 1996 on the PlayStation, it defined the genre with its tense atmosphere, limited resources, and unforgettable scares. But what many fans do not know is that Resident Evil owes its existence to a little-known NES game from Japan called Sweet Home.

Released in 1989, Sweet Home was based on a Japanese horror film of the same name. On the surface, it played like a role-playing game, but underneath it carried the DNA of what would later become the survival horror blueprint. Players controlled a group of filmmakers trapped inside a haunted mansion, each with unique skills that were necessary for survival. The game featured limited inventory management, locked doors that required specific items, and a constant sense of dread as players explored the decaying halls.

What made Sweet Home stand out was its atmosphere. For an NES title, it created an eerie and unsettling mood with chilling music, disturbing imagery, and a story that dealt with life, death, and supernatural terror. It pushed the boundaries of what an 8-bit console could deliver. Capcom designers, impressed with the formula, carried many of its mechanics forward. When Shinji Mikami and his team began developing Resident Evil years later, Sweet Home served as their direct inspiration, even down to the mansion setting.

While Sweet Home never officially left Japan, its spirit lives on in the survival horror genre. Without it, there may never have been a Resident Evil, and by extension, no Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, or countless other horror classics. Sometimes the scariest beginnings come from the most unexpected places.