Brains Brains Brains- Part 1 of 2: Zombies in Video Games

Zombie Zombie Zombies Ate My Neighbors because they are an Evil Dead Zombie Nation of Horror Zombies from the Crypt who live Alone in the Dark waiting to get their Zombie Revenge on none other then myself via Flesh Feast (3D I might add). Surely, Doom shall prevail you say! Alas, a Corpse Killer arrives with his Beat Busters to rid me of this CarnEvil. One look and I see the Infected- the Dead Rising up and know it’s no longer Plants vs. Zombies. It’s Brandy vs. Zombies in The Land of the Dead. Little do they know I’ve got the Touch of the Dead…I am the Zombie Master and Zombie Wrangler. This is the Last Stand as I scream ‘Burn Zombie, Burn’ as they will all be Dead by Zombie- I am one of their own. This will be a Zombie Massacre and all will be Left 4 Dead. After all- I am the Resident Evil.

You have just read a list of over 87.6% of zombie-based video games (in near perfect chronological order) in silly story format to stray a bit from a boring list. Every since I have been old enough to use my eyes, I have always had a special place in my heart for zombies. You know- those things that feast on human flesh and like to rip us apart. The earliest zombies date back to the 1800s in stories of Haitian voodoo practicers who claimed sorcerers could bring bodies back to life. Combine something like that with video games that I also love? Uhm..YES. Now for those of you who aren’t super zombie nerds like myself- allow me. Let’s have a more detailed look at the history and evolution of almost everyone’s favorite creature of the dead… er…. un-dead I should say, and its appearance in video gaming.

First up- Zombie Zombie for the ZX Spectrum. This game was released in 1984 after the ever-popular Ant Attack and didn’t get near the hype it should have. This game is so different as far as genre. Most zombie games can be either horror survival or action adventure types…but this one was more of a strategy scenario. Yes, they craved human flesh, but you couldn’t just shoot off their heads and blow their brains out. You basically just flew around the city in a helicopter trying to build these structures and then attempt to lure the zombies into jumping to their deaths. The only weapon you were given was a small air gun that could only repel the zombies for an insanely short period of time.






Next up we have none other than The Evil Dead based on this movie… you guessed it… Evil Dead. This game had a typical B-movie plot: defend remote cabin from hordes of zombies. You play as Ash, and the idea is to shut random doors/windows to keep the mist from getting in. The mist changes your friends into zombies if it gets in; and you also have to defend yourselves inside with any weapon you can get your hand on (axes, swords, etc..). In order to win you basically just have to outlast the constant attacks and make it long enough to get the book of the dead and destroy it.






Over the next 5 years, a zombie video game outbreak took place. Several games were released for just about every console, and the zombie fan-base continues to grow. Zombie Nation for NES game out in 1990. Basically you are a big Samurai warrior head who goes to America to attempt to fight against a zombie infestation and get some sort of sacred sword. The premise for the zombie uprising is that in the distant future (1999 actually) an alien crashes in Nevada; the goal was to destroy certain buildings and rescue zombie hostages inside.






Zombi was released by Ubisoft, (its very first game) and it was based entirely off of G. Romero’s 1978 movie Dawn of the Dead. Same concept as movie: middle of a zombie outbreak, 4 people seek refuge in a shopping mall, player guides 4 characters through mall collecting necessary items to survive, and last- but certainly not least- shooting any zombie that crosses your path.






In 1993 gamers got Zombies Ate My Neighbors. This was a hilarious game that was way too censored to be what most would expect from a game with this title. It was basically a parody of several b-horror movies, and you just had to venture through different areas. One thing that this game brought were a couple of other classic horror movie dudes, like vampires, werewolves, and even a giant, towering baby.






Corpse Killer (1994) is the next namely title, (Sega CD, 32X, and 3DO) and had full-motion video variety. It supplied gamers with all standard features that usually accompany the zombie movie/game genre i.e. boring gameplay, terrible production value, and even worse acting. Short version: on-rail shooter set on island run by zombies. These zombies were pretty advanced as far as what we have seen from developers so far… ability to jump long distances, and some would even throw skulls at you in an attempt to fight back.






One cannot mention video games based on the undead without talking about Doom. Although this game didn’t feature zombies as the only enemy, it still has to be counted. When experiments go wrong and demons begin spilling out of a portal to Hell, soldiers begin to turn into the undead and it’s up to YOU to save the day. Doom’s release in 1992 helped to popularize the whole first-person shooter genre with its 3D graphics, interactive violence, decent plot, and multiplayer gaming. Just… just go try it. It’s delicious best.






In 1996, when I was old enough to really appreciate the awesomeness that was a video game arcade, House of the Dead was released. My first memory of that game was standing in an arcade with my friends and taking turns as Agent Rogan and G blasting away at zombies. You were basically trying to stop the evil Dr. Curien’s atrocious creations, and depending on your choice of actions the story would vary. House of the Dead was a rail shooter light gun game, and was even ported to Sega Saturn, PC, and House of the Dead 2 and 3 were even released for Wii. The graphics weren’t the best, and dialogue was just the cheesiest, but it is one of those games you can play over and over.






Resident Evil- Resident Evil. Oh where to begin. As one of the most well known zombie video games, this franchise spans across comic books, film, collectibles, and much more. The Resident Evil games made their debut on the trusty PS1 back in ’96, and traipsed their way across the console catwalk to the PS2, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, PC, the Gamecube, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Wii, and finally XBOX 360 and the PS3.

Most of the Resident Evil games fall under the “survival horror” genre. There are several different story lines for this franchise. Generally, you take on the role of zombie killer extraordinaire, and it’s up to you to save the day, destroy the evil, and all the while hunting down clues and collecting items/weapons that will help you progress in the game, and fill in the gaps in the storyline. This game series also had one of the biggest list of enemies ranging from zombie to chimera, and everything in between: hunters, cockroaches, giga bite, leeches, nosferatu, Cerberus, wasps, and even a botanical zombie. And how can I forget the one that always terrified me.. that Godforsaken zombie dog that waited and waited and then leapt out of no where to hang on to you using his teeth.



I’m very aware that there are several games left out of this list, I really wanted to highlight some landmark games from the first one back in 1984 and kill my way up to 1999.  Come back next week for Zombies Part 2- 2000 to present-day!  If there are any games that you think deserve honorable mention- leave me some feedback, or just leave me your thoughts on the ones I mentioned.

Tags: brains dead michael jackson Nintendo playstation Wii xbox zombies