The Best Games You’ve Never Played! (Week One) by Kugetsu
This is “The Best Games You’ve Never Played” (not to be taken literally
) where I review some of the best video games that have been overshadowed by other, more popular franchises. This article is partially inspired by a topic in the Console and Gaming Forum titled “Most Underrated Games”. Each week I will review a new game and also give a detailed description of what the game is about. I have played these games personally and any ratings are purely my opinion. If you have any suggestions for upcoming games, PM
Kugetsu on the PPT Forums and I’ll try to play the game (I’ll have to play it to review it
) as soon as possible. Now onto this week’s game:
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Console - SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo
Company - Konami
Release Date - 1993
Genre - Action Shooter
Players - 1 or 2
Rating - Not rated (I’d say “Everyone”)
Sidenote: This review is based on the “SEGA Genesis” version of the game, but SNES is mentioned a few times
What do you get when you throw two teenagers, armed with squirt guns, in a world where the most cliche horror movies are a reality? You get the classic horror game “Zombies Ate My Neighbors”! Two teenagers, Zeke and Julie wake up one day only to see the scare of their life! Their neighbors are being terrorized by the darkest of evil and they are the only ones who can save them!
ZAMN put you in control of either Zeke or Julie as you try to vanquish the evil that is Dr. Tongue. Fight your way through zombies, killer dolls, werewolves, evil clones and more as you trek through 55 levels of fun! Originally armed with a squirt fun, you will gain an arsenal of hilarious weapons such as popsicles, fire extinguishers, and inflatable clown decoys. Trash areas such as parks, malls, crypts, and even your own backyard as you attempt to save your neighbors. The biggest “fun poker” of horror movies in the gaming world, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was easily a classic.
How The Game Works
As mentioned, you choose one of two characters, either male or female. You start out with ten “victims” you must collect. The victims range from babies, cheerleaders, and even a dog! They are spread throughout the level and will die if attacked by a “baddie”. If a victim dies, the next level will have that many fewer victims to collect. Once all of the victims have died, it’s lights out for you. Don’t fret though because once you score enough points you can get a “bonus” victim that will add one to your total victim list. You also get a password every 5 levels that will greatly help should trouble be encountered. To see screen shots of this game, visit this link:
http://www.geocities.com/plinko50000/zamnpix.html
Review Scores
Graphics - 7.5/10
This is probably the game’s lowest point, which really isn’t all that low. The graphics aren’t horrible, but they don’t grasp the potential that the SEGA Genesis holds. The graphics also get a decent mark as the sounds, music, and atmosphere distract the player from such a flaw. There’s not much more to say about this other than they are decent and in my opinion, very good for a game of it’s type.
Sound - 9.5/10
To put it bluntly, I love the music that this game contains. It easily puts one into the spooky atmosphere of the game. The music is also very catchy, and fun. It’s also very well incorporated into the levels that they are assigned to (the malls have different music than parks and so on). The sound effects are also very well used. Howls are heard when a werewolf is on the prowl, or when a “victim” turns into one. Each weapons has a decent sound as well, the only reason this game doesn’t get a 10 in sound is because the sound of the Weed Whacker can get very annoying to some after an extended use.
Control - 9.0/10 (on 6 button controllers and SNES)
6.0/10 (on standard 3 button)
The controls are very smooth and simple to use, but ONLY if you are using the 6 button controller (the one with X,Y, and Z on it) for the Genesis, or you are playing the SNES version. Focusing on the SEGA, with the 6 button controller, you must press one of the X/Y/Z buttons to scroll through the items in your inventory. One is used to scroll through weapons, another is used for items such as medical packs, keys, and potions. The A/B/C buttons are used to use an item or shoot your weapon. (The button functions may be backwards). Unfortunately, the 3 button controller doesn’t have enough buttons to assign each action a button. On these controllers, both A+B and B+C must be pressed to cycle through items. This can be very aggravating to some players.
Fun Factor - 10/10
How could a game be on here if it wasn’t fun? It has a great mix of horror and comedy which makes for a spooky and funny game in one. Weapons are new and innovating and enemies are plentiful and tricky to rid. A fun challenge to anyone who dives into this game. A friend can also join in a single game to fight evil with you. This game has extremely high replay value and will have you going back for it again and again. If you are ever shopping for “old-school” games and you have no idea what to get, this is a great buy (if you can find it) and definitely worth the money!
In Conclusion
ZAMN is a fun, fast paced, action shooter that hasn't gotten the attention that it deserves. I urge all gamers out there to try this game at least once if they ever get the chance. To put it simply, this game is to
die for! (Sorry about the pun
)
This concludes Week One of “The Best Games You’ve Never Played!”
All statements are expressed by the opinion of the author and may differ from that of others.