GAUNTLET EXITS - Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES): Part 1
6Quick-- we have to save all of these mannequins!
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Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a run and gun video game developed by LucasArts and originally published by Konami for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis consoles in 1993.
One or two players take control of protagonists Zeke and Julie in order to rescue the titular neighbors from monsters often seen in horror movies. Aiding them in this task are a variety of weapons and power-ups that can be used to battle the numerous enemies in each level. Various elements and aspects of horror movies are referenced in the game with some of its more violent content being censored in various territories such as Europe and Australia, where it is known only as Zombies.
While not a great commercial success, the game was well received for its graphical style, humor and deep gameplay. It spawned a sequel, Ghoul Patrol, released in 1994. In 2009, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was re-released for the Virtual Console to positive reviews.
The player chooses between two characters, Zeke and Julie, or both in a two-player mode. They navigate suburban neighborhoods, shopping malls, pyramids, haunted castles and other areas, destroying a variety of horror-movie monsters, including vampires, werewolves, huge demonic babies, squidmen, evil dolls, aliens, UFOs, giant ants, blobs, giant worms, and the game's namesake, zombies. In each of the 55 stages, which includes seven optional bonus levels, the players must rescue numerous types of neighbors, including barbecue chefs, teachers, babies, tourists, and cheerleaders. Once all neighbors on a level have been saved by the players touching them, a door opens that will take the player to the next stage.
All types of neighbors will be killed if an enemy touches them, preventing them from being saved for the remainder of the game or until an "Extra Bonus Victim" is awarded. On some levels, daytime gradually turns to night. Upon nightfall, tourists transform into werewolves and cannot be saved; the game counts it as if they had been killed. At least one neighbor must be saved from each level to progress to the next. The game is lost if the players lose all of their lives or if all of the neighbors are killed. Scoring points earns players neighbors to save and extra lives. Each level has at most ten neighbors, and each neighbor type is worth a different amount of points.
There are various items that the players can pick up along the way. These include keys that open up doors, health packs that restore health, and potions with various effects such as increasing speed or temporarily transforming the player into a powerful monster. Players can also collect various types of weapons, such as an Uzi water gun, bazookas, weed-whackers, explosive soda cans, Popsicles, tomatoes, Silverware, dishes, ancient crucifixes, fire extinguishers and Martian bubble guns, each with their own effectiveness against certain types of enemies.
Although not an immediate success, Zombies Ate My Neighbors became a cult classic years after its release. Upon its release, it got above average praise, earning an 84.5% on Gamerankings.com. Reviewers of the game often cited its humor, two-player mode, graphics and music as some of its best aspects.
Mike Seiblier of Sega-16.com said the variety of weapons shows off the game's "tongue in cheek nature by giving you weapons and items like, silverware, dishes, soda can grenades, a weed whacker, keys, bazookas as well as health packs". The Armchair Empire similarly praised the variety and strategy that the weapon system incorporated. They also made note of the "little details that make it so cool to play", saying "If you come across a door, which you don't have the key for, you can blow it open with the bazooka." Critics agreed the co-op mode is "highly recommended".
Zombies Ate My Neighbors. (2015, October 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zombies_Ate_My_Neighbors&oldid=687691936