The Brain Game: Zombies Throughout History

Written by Chris Reiter  on March 19, 2002

Special: An analytic composition of the walking dead, or should I describe it as a postmodern diagnosis of the subjective matter of an individual who has satisfaction with BRAAAAAAAAAAINS!

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Why is it that every imaginable video game genre gets special praise and attention except for the one to do with zombies? Zombies have feelings too, you know. I mean...they like to eat brains, and chew through your stomach at times. There's even the occasional stomach acid that spews from their insides. But, forgive and forget, right? Because zombies aren't receiving the recognition that they deserve in the video game world, this particular feature will show just how much history has been involved with the undead species, a history you might have not even realized existed. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Amongst the various types of undead creatures, from mummies, to wolf men, to even vampires, there's another that may not be as big, or fast, or strong, or even has any sort of special powers. The thing that zombies do have, though, is teamwork. And there's an old saying that says two heads are better than one. I agree. Two heads are better than one. The more heads, the more brains you get. Uh, I mean...never mind. Anyway, even zombies have had their share in the world of video games. Through a series of past, present, and future segments, this article will detail the highlights of what was seen in moments of zombie history, and what has yet to come with a little of what's in between.

Capcom's Brainy Idea
The most well-known zombie franchise has always been Capcom's Resident Evil titles, first started on the Sony PlayStation in 1996. Resident Evil begins with a report coming from a mansion hidden within Raccoon City's forest. A team that was sent in to investigate the mansion never returned, so a second team came in after them, and this is where you start the game out. Through a great ordeal of solving the mansion's many riddles, battling hordes of zombies and irregular mutated monsters, such as giant spiders and even a mountain sized abomination called Tyrant, this game was as scary as things would get at the time. Resident Evil went on to spawn a complete collection from its fan based popularity. A second, a third, and a Resident Evil: Survivor were also released within the PlayStation's life stream. More so, the title even leaked onto many other major platforms, such as the Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PC, PlayStation 2, and Saturn. Almost everyone got a taste of Capcom's vision of horror, and they liked it.

Evil Is Taking Residency In The Future
Capcom's warpath of zombie-itus isn't stopping there, however. Soon enough we'll see future releases in this most popular undead series come to such platforms as Nintendo's Game Boy Color and GameCube, with a remake of the original, ports of numbers 2 and 3, and brand new, never before seen ones, numbers 0 and 4 heading to the GameCube, and another original one coming to the Game Boy Color called Resident Evil Gaiden. But if all this information hasn't gotten your brain pumping with blood yet, then take a bite out of this. The PlayStation 2 will be receiving a third "Survivor" in the shooter series, and even a future Resident Evil online title, which both seem to already appear of major interest in several gaming publications. And, already in theaters, after years of delays and script rewrites, Capcom's Resident Evil franchise has finally made its way onto the silver screen in the motion picture zombie event: Resident Evil. As you can tell, Capcom's been busy as a company that certainly knows their zombies.

Konami Enjoys Brains, And So Should You
Aside from Capcom, Konami is the next major player in the horror foray. Konami's biggest game series that frightens even the bravest of persons is Silent Hill. Although there have been only two games in the series, existing on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, Silent Hill doesn't offer any gameplay that has to do with zombies. But, years before Silent Hill was even born, another classic romp through zombie madness was Konami's Super Nintendo title, Zombies Ate My Neighbors. The game features a colorful look on how zombies invade earth, and places you as the person that has to stop them. In the game, you run around saving humans by blasting zombies, amongst other zany creatures like werewolves, aliens, and slimy blobs, with a large assortment of weapons, starting from a water gun, and leading up to more powerful devices like a hedge clipper, and even a bazooka. At the time of the game's release, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was not only one of the best or one of the most original, but it was also one of the most fun.

Shoot, Zombies!
Similar to Capcom's Resident Evil Survivor series, the House of the Dead games are Sega's way of being a part of the zombie game world. Within each of the House of the Dead games, you're a human, and your enemies are undead creatures, including walking zombies, various mutant creatures, and flying demons. Simple and short, House of the Dead is a shooter set in a first person view perspective. The game has appeared on the Saturn and also the PC both in 1998, with a sequel on the Dreamcast that was released a year later. Coming soon, the Xbox will be getting some zombie frenzy as well, with the third title in the series, House of the Dead 3. Overall, Sega's way with zombies is something a little different, but in its own right, very special and entertaining when compared to just the generic human or space shooter titles.

In Closing
Zombies are real. They're out there in some form or another. From the Night of the Living Dead movies, to the number of game series that have involved within them zombies, they're one type of imaginative creature that has its many uses, but still should be given a proper classification as one of the classic monster greats. For now, zombies will always be a favorite through a large fan base out of the few franchises that still have their popularity and at the same time involve these wondrous brain moochers. Until next time, the balcony is closed.