Zombie games have always been a popular genre in gaming, as who wouldn’t want to blast through hordes of undead with an entire arsenal of different weapons at one’s disposal? Series such asDead RisingandResident Evilstand out as champions of the genre, especially with newer and more exciting additions thatpush the boundaries of what is possible in modern gaming.
But even before the dawn of modern games with graphics almost distinguishable from real life and the most immersive gameplay, there were still a few zombie games that would have doubtlessly scared gamers witless and grossed them out with their brain-busting gore at the time. It’s time for a trip through the memory graveyard and take a look back at these early, undead hits.
It is impossible to discuss classic zombie games and not mention the firstHouse of the Dead, which was a seminal entry in the light-gun genre. As is normal for zombie games, there was a scientist pushing gruesome and unethical experiments to discover the secret behind life and death, and the fruits of his labor breakout and overrun the mansion. A distress call draws Thomas Rogan and his partner G to the Curien Mansion, where they are besieged by the undead creatures.
In the original version of the game, players got to use a light gun to aim and shoot at the monsters on the screen for a more immersive gameplay experience, something that was notably missing from the follow-up game,The House of the Dead 2.Carefully managing resourceslikeResident Evilis not the aim of the game–players need to unleash bullet hell in this chaotic and fun zombie game to survive.
One would not think a quiet, peaceful suburban area would become the stomping ground of an undead horde, but they would be wrong. Zeke and Julie find themselvesthe reluctant heroesof this classic run-and-gun game after the mad scientist Dr Tongue unleashes a slew of monsters in their quiet neighborhood.
Playing as one character alone or teaming up with a friend, the player or players must run through various different locations in the game and rescue their neighbors from the clutches of the foul beasts freed from the Dr’s castle. If any sort of enemy makes contact with the neighbor, they will be lost, and players must slay all enemies in order to proceed. Players will wield ordinary everyday objects to devastating effect to clear these levels, which is part of this game’s charm and humor.
4Zombie Nation
Boasts One of the Most Unique Premises in the Genre
Zombie games stretch back even as far as the early 90s when most gamers were probablyusing their NES to play titlessuch asNinja GaidenandSuper Mario Bros. For those who were in the market for a fast-paced and fun shoot ‘em up, there wasZombie Nation, a Japanese zombie game with a unique premise.
9 years in the future from its release, the floating head of the great samurai Namakubi travels to America, a land overrun by zombies originating back to Darc Seed, an alien who crashed on earth and caused this outbreak of undead. Rather than unleashing a barrage of bullets upon creatures and structures alike, players will shoot eyeballs and vomit, making for some rather nasty visuals even by zombie game standards. It is a unique entry for players who are growing tired of the same old titles.
One of the earliest survival horror games, and one of the very first games set in the Victorian era,Nightmare Creaturesis an often forgotten and tragically overlooked title when discussingclassic horror games. Players have the choice between one of two protagonists on offer before they set off to face legions of demons and undead, who have risen from their graves to terrorize the living.
Each character offers a new spin on the gameplay as they each have their own unique weapon to face off against the terrifying creatures that seek to force them to join them in the afterlife. The result of a cult that tries to shoot for the lofty goal of supernatural powers to further their nefarious goals, they unwittingly unleash disaster, and now the player and their weapons are all that stand between humanity and utter calamity.
2Blood
Assume the Role of a Legendary Gunslinger
Bloodis an old but classic gameplay shooterin a similar vein toDOOM, as players will splatter undead and unholy beasties with the weapons at their disposal. Set in an indeterminate time period with elements of multiple eras both past and future, players take on the role of Caleb, once the head of a Cult and still wearing the mantle of a merciless and skilled gunfighter. He has risen from the grave to exact his vengeance after he and several other members of the cult were betrayed.
Despite its age,Bloodremains an extremely enjoyable shooter game that will put players’ skills to the test with its challenging difficulty, but that only makes the fruits of success all the sweeter. And with the 2019 release on Steam, the game is easily accessible for gamers who wish to see what zombie games of yore were like.
The firstResident Evilis a celebrated game and for good reason. It was one of the first survival horror games of all time and held a strong influence over the genre. It delivers scares, tense gameplay, and head-scratching puzzles for an all-around exceptional experience. With such a strong start to the franchise, it would seemResident Evil 2was set up for failure, as how could it ever compare? But that’s when Capcom did the unthinkable and made an even better game.
Introducing new characters that would become absolute legends (Leon S Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Ada Wong),Resident Evil 2shows the downfall of Raccoon City as zombie-like creatures have overrun it, leaving no safe havens. Monsters such as Birkin and Mr X have fully cemented themselves in the player’s mind, inflicting nightmares and trauma against an entire generation. Though some would argue the remake is the definitive way to experienceResident Evil 2, there were some drastic changes and tragic omissions that make it a good case that all fans who may have somehow missed out on this game for all the years to go back and give it a chance, as it is the best zombie game of the 90s, and maybe of all time.
