History NightmareFuel / SonicExe

** Similarly, the inclusion of the Giygas theme from EarthBound really works for some reason, thanks to the eerie nature of the track and the desperation of the "YOU CAN'T RUN" phase, which perfectly complements the dark atmosphere.
* The death scream of Knuckles is funny due to the effect of Laryngeal Dissonance. And Tails' death scream? Perhaps not so much...

* The death scream of Knuckles is funny due to the effect of Laryngeal Dissonance. And Tails' death scream? [[youtu.be/7z9PDy9VzFo?si=gOBs-6hiPSHS42qq&t=206 Perhaps not so much...]]

* The nature of the villain, X. He is an EldritchAbomination who created his own world, while trying to absorb his world into others. He lures unfortunate souls by using his own game, and taking them. The bodies of the victims then turn into an ugly heap of meat with engraved numbers. After that, X creates new bodies for the souls that are based on Sonic characters. Imagine yourself being a victim. You awaken in his world in the body of one of your favourite characters. You gained a new body, but now you are just a play-thing for an evil god who acts like a murderous child. He will kill you in the most brutal ways and revive you as many times as he wants just to repeat your suffering again. [[HopeSpot Someday your suffering may end]], but what will entail if that happens is just as bad if not worse. Like all toys, X will get tired of playing with you, and for such toys as you are prepared for the unenviable fate of being eaten by him. Your body will be destroyed and you will remain in the [[TheNothingAfterDeath black void]]. And then, you, a disembodied soul, [[CessationOfExistence will vanish]] [[{{Unperson}} as if you never even existed]]. Truly FateWorseThanDeath ''and'' CruelAndUnusualDeath at the ''same time''.
** And it gets [[FromBadToWorse even darker]]! X is attempting to merge his world with our own, so he would enslave humanity and eventually, the whole ''universe'' and later on ''other universes'' as well, so all living things would be nothing but disposable toys to torture for X. For a creepypasta with so much NightmareRetardant, this could easily rival The Russian Sleep Experiment in terms of darkness and creepiness.

** Likewise, the insertion of Giygas' theme from ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' actually somehow works, due to the track's very creepy nature and the hopelessness feel in 'YOU CAN'T RUN' stage and they go pretty well for a grim feel.
* Knuckles' scream is very hilarious due to LarynxDissonance taking effect. But Tails'? Not so much...
* Every single "I AM GOD" image (like the picture above), which shows X with a genuinely terrifying NightmareFace. It has been changing from version to version, and every time it brings something new.
* Every time a character dies, you get to see their demonic form standing on the select screen, staring at you with expressions of what can be described as agony.
** Tails' fur is dark gray;
** Knuckles' fur is dark crimson;
** But Robotnik gets it the worst: he's literally drained of skin color (keep in mind that he is ''a human''). His mustache hanging rather than sprouting on two sides does not help at all.
* If the U.S. version of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]'''s GameOver music gave you nightmares, expect a year of night terrors after hearing the ''Sonic.exe'' version of it accompanied with X's gruesomely mutilated victims. The old Game Over screen shows [[DecapitationPresentation Tails, Knuckles, and Robotnik's severed heads on wooden stakes]] with their eyes [[EyeScream ripped out]]. Special mention goes to Knuckles' body for being hung by his ''entrails'' ([[FridgeLogic from the sky, no less]]). Also, Robotnik's head is staring right at you.
** Since Version 666, the Game Over screen was replaced with [[https://deviantart.com/fraeulein-absynth/art/Sonic-exe-You-re-too-slow-414596118 another nightmarish image]], which features X looming over Tails, who has a terrified expression on his face.
* Sonic's level introduced in Version 5, which is not in the original creepypasta. You have to run through a static, empty void that turns into the seizure-inducing [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Giygas]] background with the persistent screaming of somebody being tortured throughout. As Sonic gets close to the end, the HUD is reversed and then completely vanishes. After that, a NightmareFace of X pops up, which here is even creepier than the [[https://t6.rbxcdn.com/37435ccc7f1680824943fc3ecd4c145a "I AM GOD"]] picture; [[http://sonicshadowfan13.deviantart.com/art/Sonic-EXE-344795657 this face]] makes Sonic look like some kind of a wolf/[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed werehog]]/canine with a SlasherSmile.
** This level returned in Version 7, after being absent in Version 666, now with the ''faces'' of presumably the souls X has taken flashing out at you in conjunction with the aforementioned screams.

* The [=GameJolt=] page doesn't give away any of the rollercoaster of a journey players are about to embark on, simply showing a couple of screenshots from Sonic 1, alongside a supposedly-blank image.

!!The Official Remaster:

** Tails outright refuses to approach X upon finding him. You must ''[[ButThouMust force]]'' the poor fox to walk right into his doom.

* The GoryDiscretionShot for Tails and Knuckles is even more PlayedForHorror than the original, with the player only seeing a brief second of X mangling and tearing them apart, [[NothingIsScarier with us left to only hear what's going on]]. And this time, there's absolutely no LarynxDissonance to lighten the mood at any point. While he "simply" starts Tails' murder by twisting his neck, Knuckles gets it much worse as X burrows his arms into his chest, and what happens offscreen (with what appears to be Knuckles ''gurgling on his blood'') is not for the faint of heart.
** He doesn't just burrow his arms into Knuckles. He downright ''slams his fists onto his chest'', with enough force to likely cave the Echidna's ribs into his lungs. No wonder he can be heard choking on his own blood.

* Don't want to advance forward and give X the satisfaction he wants? [[ButThouMust He'll march straight up to your character and force the game to advance anyway]].

* Don't want to advance forward and give X the satisfaction he wants? [[ButThouMust He'll march straight up to your character and take them down anyway]].

** Likewise, the insertion of Giygas' theme from ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' actually somehow works, due to the track's very creepy nature and the hopelessness feel in 'YOU CAN'T RUN' stage and they go pretty well for a grim feel.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sonicexe_original_game_9_33_screenshot.png "Hello. Do you want to play with me?"]]

* What's worse is that characters actually display visible emotions of fear, shock, distress, this taking away a ''lot'' of NightmareRetardant qualities off it.

** And it gets [[FromBadToWorse even darker]]! X is {{Yandere}} to Sonic. The same monster is attempting to merge his world with our own, so he would enslave the humanity and eventually, the whole ''universe'' and later on ''other universes'' as well, so all living things would be nothing but disposable toys to torture for X! This is so fucked up that even Slenderman would fear! For a creepypasta with so much NightmareRetardant, this can easily rival The Russian Sleep Experiment in terms of darkness and creepiness.

* The game's ending is even more creepy than it used to be. After the GameOver screen and one last glimpse of the victims, the game goes full-screen as X appears before us, with an evil glare on his face and a pixelated, yet detailed, face. After a bout of static, [[ArtShift that face becomes... well, hyperrealistic]]. Following on from this, he starts writing his infamous Main/Catchphrase "[[AGodAmI I AM GOD]]" on the computer monitor, and the player can actually hear his finger pressing and moving across the screen, right before his much louder and clearer laughter is heard. As if things couldn't get any worse, HE LUNGES '''[[JumpScare DIRECTLY AT THE SCREEN WITH AN UNGODLY ROAR, MAKING IT SHATTER!]]''' And then there is absolutely [[NothingIsScarier NOTHING]] for almost a whole minute. However, [[FromBadToWorse the silence is quickly broken by one of two messages that X speaks out to you]]. What accents this further is that [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou neither the message nor the screen crack disappear after the game closes]][[note]]well, unless you use Task Manager or Force Quit to fully close the game[[/note]].

* The game's ending is even more creepy than it used to be. After the GameOver screen and one last glimpse of the victims, the game goes full-screen as X appears before us, with an evil glare on his face and a pixelated, yet detailed, face. After a bout of static, [[ArtShift that face becomes... well, hyperrealistic]]. Following on from this, he starts writing his infamous Catchphrase "[[AGodAmI I AM GOD]]" on the computer monitor, and the player can actually hear his finger pressing and moving across the screen, right before his much louder and clearer laughter is heard. As if things couldn't get any worse, HE LUNGES '''[[JumpScare DIRECTLY AT THE SCREEN WITH AN UNGODLY ROAR, MAKING IT SHATTER!]]''' And then there is absolutely [[NothingIsScarier NOTHING]] for almost a whole minute. However, [[FromBadToWorse the silence is quickly broken by one of two messages that X speaks out to you]]. What accents this further is that [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou neither the message nor the screen crack disappear after the game closes]][[note]]well, unless you use Task Manager or Force Quit to fully close the game[[/note]].

* The game's ending is even more creepy than it used to be. After the GameOver screen and one last glimpse of the victims, the game goes full-screen as X appears before us, with an evil glare on his face and a pixelated, yet detailed, face. After a bout of static, [[ArtShift that face becomes...hyperrealistic]]. Following on from this, he starts writing "[[AGodAmI I AM GOD]]" on the computer monitor, and the player can actually hear his finger pressing and moving across the screen, right before a much louder and clearer laughter is heard. As if things couldn't get any worse, He lunges '''[[JumpScare directly at the screen with an ungodly screech, making it crack.]]''' And then there is absolutely [[NothingIsScarier NOTHING]] for almost a whole minute. However, [[FromBadToWorse the silence is quickly broken by one of two messages that X speaks out to you]]. What accents this further is that [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou neither the message nor the screen crack disappear after the game closes]][[note]]well, unless you use Task Manager or Force Quit to fully close the game[[/note]].

* The game's ending is even more creepy than it used to be. After the GameOver screen and one last glimpse of the victims, the game goes full-screen as X appears before us, with an evil glare on his face and a pixelated, yet detailed, face. After a bout of static, [[ArtShift that face becomes...hyperrealistic]]. Following on from this, he starts writing "[[AGodAmI I AM GOD]]" on the computer monitor, and the player can actually hear his finger pressing and moving across the screen, right before a much louder and clearer laughter is heard. As if things couldn't get any worse, He lunges '''[[JumpScare directly at the screen,]]''' '''''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou making it crack.]]''''' [[NothingIsScarier And then there is absolutely NOTHING for almost a whole minute.]] However, [[FromBadToWorse the silence is quickly broken by one of two messages that X speaks out to you]]. What accents this further is that [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou neither the message nor the screen crack disappear after the game closes]][[note]]well, unless you use Task Manager or Force Quit to fully close the game[[/note]].

* The game's ending is even more creepy than it used to be. After the GameOver screen and one last glimpse of the victims, the game goes full-screen as X appears before us, with an evil glare on his face and a pixelated, yet detailed, face. After a bout of static, [[ArtShift that face suddenly becomes a LOT more detailed]]. Following on from this, he starts writing "[[AGodAmI I AM GOD]]" on the computer monitor, and the player can actually hear his finger pressing and moving across the screen, right before a much louder and clearer laughter is heard. As if things couldn't get any worse, '''HE SUDDENLY [[JumpScare LETS OUT A LOUD UNGODLY SCREAM AND LUNGES AT THE SCREEN WITH HIS MOUTH OPEN WIDE]] THAT CAUSES A PART OF THE SCREEN TO CRACK!''' [[NothingIsScarier And then there is absolutely NOTHING for almost a whole minute.]] However, [[FromBadToWorse the silence is quickly broken by one of two messages that X speaks out to you]]. What accents this further is that [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou neither the message nor the screen crack disappear after the game closes]][[note]]well, unless you use Task Manager or Force Quit to fully close the game[[/note]].

** Likewise, the insertion of Giygas' theme from ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' actually somehow works, due to the track's very creepy nature and the hopelessness feel in 'YOU CAN'T RUN' stage.

* Sonic's level introduced in Version 5, which is not in the original creepypasta. You have to run through a static, empty void that turns into the seizure-inducing [[VideoGame/EarthBound Giygas]] background with the persistent screaming of somebody being tortured throughout. As Sonic gets close to the end, the HUD is reversed and then completely vanishes. After that, a NightmareFace of X pops up, which here is even creepier than the [[https://t6.rbxcdn.com/37435ccc7f1680824943fc3ecd4c145a "I AM GOD"]] picture; [[http://sonicshadowfan13.deviantart.com/art/Sonic-EXE-344795657 this face]] makes Sonic look like some kind of a wolf/[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed werehog]]/canine with a SlasherSmile.

* What's worse is that characters actually display visible emotions of fear, shock, distress, this taking away a ''lot'' of NightmareRetartant qualities off it.