Zombies Ate My Neighbors
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| Zombies Ate My Neighbors (NA) Zombies (PAL) |
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 Cover art for the Sega Genesis version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors. |
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| Developer(s) | LucasArts |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Distributor(s) | LucasArts |
| Designer(s) | Mike Ebert |
| Platform(s) | Super NES, Sega Mega Drive |
| Release date(s) | NA July 19, 1993 PAL January 27, 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Horror Run and gun |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Cooperative |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Media | 16-megabit cartridge |
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a 1993 run and gun horror video game for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and Super NES platforms. This video game was originally developed, distributed and produced by LucasArts as a comical tribute to both classic and schlocky horror films of the 1950s through the 1980s. It was published by Konami.
A sequel entitled Ghoul Patrol was released in 1994, but was not as well received as its predecessor and no further sequels were produced.
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[edit] Gameplay
The player chooses between two teenage characters, Zeke and Julie, or both in two-player mode. They navigate suburban neighborhoods, shopping malls, pyramids, and other areas, destroying a variety of horror-movie monsters, including vampires, werewolves, huge demonic babies, and the game's flagship, zombies. In each of the 48 stages (excluding the bonus levels, of which there are 6) the goal is to rescue the surviving neighbors, at which point a magical door opens that will take the player to the next stage. However, if the player is not careful, any enemy in the game will kill the neighbors, preventing them from being saved. At least one neighbor must be saved from each level to progress to the next. The game is lost if all of the neighbors in a certain stage are killed or if the player(s) lose all of their lives. Scoring points earns players more neighbors to save (but only up to the maximum of 10) and extra lives. Each level has a maximum of ten neighbors, and each neighbor type is worth a certain amount of points.
[edit] Production
The monsters in the game are based on horror movies made in the 1950s as well as more modern movies such as Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (for example, the man with the chainsaw is based on Jason Vorhees and Leatherface of those movies respectively). The weapons usefulness is also based on these depictions, such that werewolves die in one attack if attacked with silverware, or vampires die faster if attacked with the crucifix. The crucifix is the most powerful weapon and Pandora's Box is the most powerful special item.
In the SNES version of the game, there is a flamethrower which is not included in the Sega Mega Drive version. The flamethrower can only be found once in the game, in level 22, Revenge of Dr. Tongue.
There is an extra level in which the character is permitted to walk around Lucas Arts and talk to the staff responsible for the game.
[edit] Censorship
Due to the theme of the game, it was subject to some censorship. This game was released before the ESRB came along and before then, Nintendo did not want anything violent in their video games such as blood and gore. Nintendo of America itself ordered all depictions of red blood and gore be removed or changed to green ooze.
Censorship committees at several European Nations, i.e. United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain and Germany, went a step further and had the game renamed to just 'Zombies' and ordered other changes, including making the chainsaw-wielding lunatics replaced with lumberjacks with axes.[citation needed]
[edit] Sequels and successor titles
- A sequel entitled Ghoul Patrol was released in 1994, but was not as well received as its predecessor. Originally, Ghoul Patrol was not intended to be released as a sequel to Zombies Ate My Neighbors, but was re-worked as such in order to boost sales.
- In 1997, The CD-ROM based game titled, "Herc's Adventures" followed the same basic format as Zombies Ate My Neighbors, but instead spoofed ancient Greek mythology. Although distributed by LucasArts, it was made by a different software developer and besides similar gameplay mechanics was unrelated to the Zombies Ate My Neighbors franchise.
[edit] External links
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