Zombies Ate My Neighbors was a game released in the early 1990s for the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. The basis for this game is that a zombie outbreak has come and that the zombies are, indeed, coming to eat your neighbors. You play as one of two teenagers, one male and one female, who are trying not only to kill the zombies but also to, of course, save your neighbors from being eaten.
The game is pretty fun and has the graphics you'd expect from a Super Nintendo or Genesis (I have it for Genesis), if you have either of these systems and can pick up a copy of this game for cheap I'd recommend you do. It's no Super Mario Bros. 3 or Shark! Shark! but it's also no ET the Extra Terrestrial. That being said let's get to the meat.
The zombies are pretty well done with the technology available and do a decent job of moving like a zombie, acting like one and chasing you when they see you. The one problem I have with the zombies is that they can be killed by a water gun, the game's main weapon. And water balloons. There are some other cooler weapons you can get in the game like a bazooka but water is your main weapon. Now, I know this is probably because of some Nintendo/Tipper Gore early 90's BS censorship and that the gameplay gives more of a feel that the water gun is just a regular gun and the water balloons are hand grenades. Just one more reason to hate censorship in all its forms.
But at the same time I have to say: really? A water gun? The dead are rising from their graves (literally they pop out of the ground and chase you, it's pretty cool) and I'm supposed to believe that I can take them down with a Super Soaker? Why even bother saving the guy in the pool? He's the safest of all, and he's got a cocktail to boot!
Lastly, let me say that a lot of this game doesn't involve zombies: there are monsters, axe wielding babies and dudes with hockey masks and chainsaws. For a game about zombies eating my neighbors there are a lot of non zombies doing a lot of non eating to a lot of people who probably aren't really my neighbors (except in a Biblical sense).
Bottom line: it's a fun game and there are some zombies in it. If you have an SNES or a Genesis then go pick it up but I wouldn't buy a system just to play this game (I would, however, buy a system just for the mere reason that I don't have it yet).
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bite me
Now, since I've made my views on "The Walking Dead" completely clear some people have come to me and said, "But this is, like, the show you've been waiting for your whole life. Now that it's here you don't like it? I think that you wanted too much from the show and as such you've been disappointed that it hasn't been everything and exactly what you wanted." Hey, maybe that was true. I didn't think so but there had always been that lingering thought in my mind that maybe it was. That was until tonight.
Before I go any further I need you to do something for me. Go to YouTube, search "Bite Me" and watch the 5 episodes that come up. Right now.
Done? Ok.
That show erased any doubt in my mind that I wanted too much from "The Walking Dead" because "Bite Me" is the show that I really wanted and now I have it. Let me tell you, in one phrase, why it's so much superior to "The Walking Dead": it's realistically written.
There aren't any douchebag racists (although there is a douchebag in the style to which I'm most accustom), there aren't any stupid women who've been feebly tricked into cheating on their husbands, there are just traditional sluts and traditional ball-breakers. It has characters about whom I care and to whom I can relate.
I want you to ask yourself, "can I truly relate to any single character on the 'The Walking Dead'?" Then ask yourself if you can relate to any character on "Bite Me." If you're anything like me then your answer to the first question was completely different than your answer to the second.
Sorry about the beginning rant but that was more directed to people I know personally (who seem to encompass about 2 of my 3 readers). But now onto the zombies.
The zombies are well done in this show, both in makeup and in acting. They're your good ol' fashion Romero zombies and you can tell that this is intentional from some of the dialogue in the show. Somewhat more to the point is that there is actual discussion in the show about different types of zombies, which is a bit of a breath of fresh air. In most zombie media there is little acknowledgment of the fact that zombie movies already exist. In this show it is not only acknowledged but celebrated: the main characters play "Dead Rising 2" and are expected to know the basics of zombie survival by each other.
To say something fairly close to what was said in "Bite Me," let me say that I like the fact that it embraces the beginning of the zombie "outbreak." Quite frankly I think that how one handles a pressure like that is a truer sign of one's humanity and morality than how one handles the aftermath. This, in a way, means that "Bite Me" better accomplishes what "The Walking Dead" set out to do than "The Walking Dead" has. Anyone can make the best of a situation and try to do what they want after the fact but it's in the first chaotic minutes, the battlefield if you will, that truly tests the mettle of a man or woman. "The Walking Dead" circumvented this to its own peril; it gave the show a flat feel that quickly ran dry whereas "Bite Me" shows me who, in the heat of the moment, is the real man and who is the real coward.
Let me also say now that I do care about the personal interactions of the survivors, when done well. "Bite Me" certainly brings to me the same feeling that "Shawn of the Dead" did but in a more American way. To suck all comedy out of a show about zombies is reckless: life is full of comedy, why shouldn't unlife be the same? In my mind, after a zombie attack, it's much less realistic to be hateful and bigoted against another living, breathing human being than it is to admit that I'm ashamed of that one time I shat my pants in high school.
In closing, let me say that "Bite Me" is a good zombie show because it hits all the bases not only for zombie media but also for a good show. It gives me well done zombies who are realistically portrayed (and reasoned in a zombie geek kind of way, which is the best way of all), it gives me a realistic premise and realistic decisions based on this premise, it gives me reasons to care about the characters before it expects me to care about them, and, most of all, it gives me the comedy of life in a most painful situation which is, let's face it, the way in which most of us cope with arduous times.
Bottom line: Go watch this, I believe it to be the best zombie media I have ever seen.
Before I go any further I need you to do something for me. Go to YouTube, search "Bite Me" and watch the 5 episodes that come up. Right now.
Done? Ok.
That show erased any doubt in my mind that I wanted too much from "The Walking Dead" because "Bite Me" is the show that I really wanted and now I have it. Let me tell you, in one phrase, why it's so much superior to "The Walking Dead": it's realistically written.
There aren't any douchebag racists (although there is a douchebag in the style to which I'm most accustom), there aren't any stupid women who've been feebly tricked into cheating on their husbands, there are just traditional sluts and traditional ball-breakers. It has characters about whom I care and to whom I can relate.
I want you to ask yourself, "can I truly relate to any single character on the 'The Walking Dead'?" Then ask yourself if you can relate to any character on "Bite Me." If you're anything like me then your answer to the first question was completely different than your answer to the second.
Sorry about the beginning rant but that was more directed to people I know personally (who seem to encompass about 2 of my 3 readers). But now onto the zombies.
The zombies are well done in this show, both in makeup and in acting. They're your good ol' fashion Romero zombies and you can tell that this is intentional from some of the dialogue in the show. Somewhat more to the point is that there is actual discussion in the show about different types of zombies, which is a bit of a breath of fresh air. In most zombie media there is little acknowledgment of the fact that zombie movies already exist. In this show it is not only acknowledged but celebrated: the main characters play "Dead Rising 2" and are expected to know the basics of zombie survival by each other.
To say something fairly close to what was said in "Bite Me," let me say that I like the fact that it embraces the beginning of the zombie "outbreak." Quite frankly I think that how one handles a pressure like that is a truer sign of one's humanity and morality than how one handles the aftermath. This, in a way, means that "Bite Me" better accomplishes what "The Walking Dead" set out to do than "The Walking Dead" has. Anyone can make the best of a situation and try to do what they want after the fact but it's in the first chaotic minutes, the battlefield if you will, that truly tests the mettle of a man or woman. "The Walking Dead" circumvented this to its own peril; it gave the show a flat feel that quickly ran dry whereas "Bite Me" shows me who, in the heat of the moment, is the real man and who is the real coward.
Let me also say now that I do care about the personal interactions of the survivors, when done well. "Bite Me" certainly brings to me the same feeling that "Shawn of the Dead" did but in a more American way. To suck all comedy out of a show about zombies is reckless: life is full of comedy, why shouldn't unlife be the same? In my mind, after a zombie attack, it's much less realistic to be hateful and bigoted against another living, breathing human being than it is to admit that I'm ashamed of that one time I shat my pants in high school.
In closing, let me say that "Bite Me" is a good zombie show because it hits all the bases not only for zombie media but also for a good show. It gives me well done zombies who are realistically portrayed (and reasoned in a zombie geek kind of way, which is the best way of all), it gives me a realistic premise and realistic decisions based on this premise, it gives me reasons to care about the characters before it expects me to care about them, and, most of all, it gives me the comedy of life in a most painful situation which is, let's face it, the way in which most of us cope with arduous times.
Bottom line: Go watch this, I believe it to be the best zombie media I have ever seen.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Oh no... zombies!
Tonight I want to review a board game that I received for Christmas called "Oh no... zombies!" It's put out by a company called Accoutrements LLC (http://www.accoutrements.com) and is for 2-4 players aged 12+. I'd like to tell you how much it costs but since I got it for Christmas I'm not going to go find that out. I'm sure it says the cost on the website. The description of the game from the back of the box is as follows:
"It's come to this. You're trapped in the middle of nowhere inside a rundown shack surrounded by zombies. Your cell phone doesn't get reception and the land lines just emit a constant busy signal. Your only hope for survival is to get to one of the abandoned stores so you can get a battery for the CB radio in the shack and a shotgun to help you survive the trip back. Good luck with that..."
I like this game and I think the biggest reason why is that at the start of the game you're outnumbered by zombies even if you're playing with all four players. The second reason is that you can be turned into a zombie and still win the game which is pretty awesome. The zombies move on every player's turn and are controlled by the player behind you (the way it's done is actually pretty cool, too) which makes the zombie action pretty good for a board game.
When you start you don't have any weapons and have to land on a spot with a weapon to get it. Most of the weapons (like the cricket bat) won't kill a zombie but will allow you to run away from the zombie and the only weapon that will kill a zombie is the shotgun that you find at the store with the batteries. If you don't have any weapons and you run into a zombie (or one stumbles into you) then there's a pile of cards and you pick one to decide your fate. This is where you can become a zombie.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Tom, if you're turned into a zombie how can you possibly win the game?" Yes, at first one would think that becoming a zombie is the most obvious way to lose but actually the way the game handles this is rather elegant. Even if you're a zombie you may still win the game if you prevent any of the human players from getting back to the shack with the batteries.
Let me tell you why I like this. In zombie media it's fairly rare that the tale of the zombie is told. Now I know we've all read stories written from the zombie's point of view and there are a few movies that tell a zombie's story. But let's face it: the number of stories, books, and games about humans fighting zombies far outweighs the number of such media describing the zombie struggle. This game is better than either because it gives both sides. One minute you're fighting for your life against a vicious brain eater and the next you're drooling from the mouth and dreaming of when you'll get your first taste of delicious, delicious brains.
Bottom line: this game is easy to learn, fun to play and makes you think about the hardships faced by both humans and zombies today. I recommend you buy this game and play it with your family.
"It's come to this. You're trapped in the middle of nowhere inside a rundown shack surrounded by zombies. Your cell phone doesn't get reception and the land lines just emit a constant busy signal. Your only hope for survival is to get to one of the abandoned stores so you can get a battery for the CB radio in the shack and a shotgun to help you survive the trip back. Good luck with that..."
I like this game and I think the biggest reason why is that at the start of the game you're outnumbered by zombies even if you're playing with all four players. The second reason is that you can be turned into a zombie and still win the game which is pretty awesome. The zombies move on every player's turn and are controlled by the player behind you (the way it's done is actually pretty cool, too) which makes the zombie action pretty good for a board game.
When you start you don't have any weapons and have to land on a spot with a weapon to get it. Most of the weapons (like the cricket bat) won't kill a zombie but will allow you to run away from the zombie and the only weapon that will kill a zombie is the shotgun that you find at the store with the batteries. If you don't have any weapons and you run into a zombie (or one stumbles into you) then there's a pile of cards and you pick one to decide your fate. This is where you can become a zombie.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Tom, if you're turned into a zombie how can you possibly win the game?" Yes, at first one would think that becoming a zombie is the most obvious way to lose but actually the way the game handles this is rather elegant. Even if you're a zombie you may still win the game if you prevent any of the human players from getting back to the shack with the batteries.
Let me tell you why I like this. In zombie media it's fairly rare that the tale of the zombie is told. Now I know we've all read stories written from the zombie's point of view and there are a few movies that tell a zombie's story. But let's face it: the number of stories, books, and games about humans fighting zombies far outweighs the number of such media describing the zombie struggle. This game is better than either because it gives both sides. One minute you're fighting for your life against a vicious brain eater and the next you're drooling from the mouth and dreaming of when you'll get your first taste of delicious, delicious brains.
Bottom line: this game is easy to learn, fun to play and makes you think about the hardships faced by both humans and zombies today. I recommend you buy this game and play it with your family.
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