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Zombies Ate My Neighbors
JudoChinX
April 14, 2010
There was a time when I played videogames, not for a great story or characters, but for pure fun. In celebration of retro-gaming, I wanted to take you on a journey back to one of my more favorite games from the Super Nintendo era: Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
I'd frequently visit the video rental store with my family, and while everyone else was browsing the latest films, I always found myself checking out the video game shelf in the hopes that my parents would rent one on my behalf. I remember the first time I saw Zombies Ate My Neighbors on the shelf. The bizarre artwork caught my attention, but other than that, I never really payed it any mind until my friend came over for a sleepover. Bringing the game along, we started it up, and ever since then I've been in a love affair with it. At the time, this was one of my most loved games to enjoy with a friend, and even today, it's something that I still like to revisit from time to time.
The goal of the game is simple. All you have to do is save the by-standers in each maze like level and then reach an exit. This was easier said than done however, as monsters of all shapes and sizes blocked your progress at every turn. Collecting babies and cheerleaders for bonus points turned out to be the kind of chaotic fun that you'd expect to find in an arcade, but surviving the never-ending onslaught of goofy enemies was where the real fun was at. The game, which is playable from start-to-finish with a second player, shines the brightest when playing with a cooperative partner. Killing zombies and other monsters was fun with your squirt-gun, but taking them out with cans of soda, popsicles, or the hallowed weed whacker was even better, and who can forget the boss fights? The titanic baby still haunts my dreams, and the repeated deaths by its equally huge drops of milk has made me indefinitely lactose intolerant. Giant babies are the things nightmares are made of.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors was drenched with atmosphere. Paying its respects to B-Movie horror films, the game featured such foes as possessed dolls, mummies, hockey-mask-wearing-chainsaw-wielding tough guys, and of course the featured monsters: zombies. Everyone who was anybody in the world of horror made an appearance in one way or another. That, matched with its over-the-top melodramatic melodies created something that was familiar, yet uniquely funny. This wasn't a terrifying game by any means. Everything was done in good taste and even better humor. It was an excellent combination that many have tried to recreate since, but in my opinion, have not been successful.
These were the good ol' days. Zombies Ate My Neighbors was the precursor to today's games where emphasis is placed on surviving hordes of enemies. It may not be something we think about very often, but I believe that games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising owe a bit of their gameplay design to this classic title. Not only are you swamped by hordes of enemies in each game, but Dead Rising even placed an emphasis on using many silly and diverse weapons and saving useless people along the way. This is a game that's been very influential in modern game design, and deserves deep respect and admiration. I say this while pouring a caffeinated beverage on the curb for a dear friend, "Thank you Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Thank you."
