The Evolution of Video Game Zombies
The Evolution of Video Game Zombies
Yes, zombies. I have a thing for zombies (not like that, perv). I don’t know what it is. Scrambling, mindless, undead hordes just make me happy. Maybe it’s the steady diet of evil? Anyway, I thought a little retrospective on video game zombies would be fun. So walk with me through some of gaming’s zombie milestones. Quickly, they’re hungry. Um, you don’t need your entire brain, do you?
8-Bit Zombies: Basic Braineating 101
Castlevania and Ghosts ‘n Goblins pretty much had it down. Zombies funnel in endlessly from offscreen (Castlevania) or rise from their graves in equally infinite amounts (Ghosts ‘n Goblins). Powered by pure evil and focused on devouring everything in their way, they were also easily put down. Cannon fodder, for the most part. Likewise with any zombie showing up in a role-playing game, like Final Fantasy or Ultima. The technology was simply not sophisticated enough to give us a significant zombie threat. They were never the main antagonist, just the magically animated tools of some bigger bad guy. Filler, nothing more.
It could also be argued that since these guys are also magically animated, skeletons trying to kill you would also fit into this category. Because really that’s all a magically animated skeleton is: a magically animated corpse without all the meat that’s being animated magically.
16-Bit Zombies: Advanced Skullchomping
Zombies Ate My Neighbors. I really shouldn’t have to say much else than that. But you know me; I aim to please. Probably one of my favorite games of all time, not to mention a great zombie game. While the zombie behavior is fundamentally the same as the previous gen’s, this game added a twist: hapless victims. Saving people from shambling corpses and other B-movie critters was much more rewarding than just mowing through walking corpses. You were saving people. For points.
And then there’s Ghoul Patrol. Lots of deep sighing and head shaking occur whenever I discuss the mess that came after Zombies Ate My Neighbors. This was supposed to be the sequel, but it was more of a step back. Followed by tripping over a shovel and falling into an open grave.
Viral Zombies: Playstation, PS2, and Gamecube
Then came the Resident Evil series. The first several games graced us with several different flavors of zombie: the slow shuffling variety, freaky zombie dogs, running zombies, even the giant Frankenstein inspired Nemesis. I won’t even get into the Lickers. Granted the dialog could have been better (I always hear “Jill sandwich” as “Jibble sandwich”), but these are zombie games, people. It’s not about what the characters are saying. Each game had to outdo the last, adding new kinds of monsters while still throwing hungry corpses at you.
The change from the previous generation was very apparent, as a single zombie could paste an inexperienced player quite easily if they weren’t paying attention. Masses of zombies scrolling in from somewhere off screen were traded in for a more intimate, and lethal experience.
It got even more diverse when the Gamecube’s remake came out. Not only did we get your average viral zombie, we also got running zombies, self-destructing zombies, and an unkillable zombie thing that was once a scared little girl. The harder modes also had zombies equipped with cloaking devices. That’s right, invisible zombies.
Current-gen Zombies: Hordes Upon Hordes Upon…
The first major zombie offering of this generation was the 360′s Dead Rising. Featuring what is possibly the highest number of onscreen zombies at once (up to 800 from what I understand, I never bothered counting) and a solid time limit, Dead Rising brought the zombie horde to a little town in Colorado. Which I am convinced to this day is actually Greeley. Not only could you take on or avoid the undead at your leisure, you could also take pictures of them, or put things on their heads to disorient them. Helpful in keeping them from trying to nibble your noggin.
While not necessarily revolutionary as far as zombie games go, Plants vs. Zombies is nevertheless unique in that you use your lawn to fight off wave after wave of zombies. The amount of effort put into actually giving every zombie and plant a personality was just icing on the very large tower defense cake. It also introduced “bwains” to my vocabulary.
Dead Space is more of a sci-fi twist on zombies than normal, with most of the action taking place in space. The necromorphs take on several different forms, but since none of them are really any less outlandish than Resident Evil’s monsters, I decided to include them anyway. The twist is that instead of taking them down with a headshot, you dismember them.
You knew I’d get to it, and here it is: Left 4 Dead. This is, as far as I am concerned, the definitive zombie series right now. Multiple types of zombies, in large numbers, all trying to eat your face. I assume that’s what they’re doing atleast, I’ve never asked. Screaming mobs of average zombies, as well as the special infected we’ve come to know and love, menace survivors and put their own particular spin on the zombie apocalypse. First a group of small towns in Pennsylvania, then Savannah, and most recently New Orleans all fall to grotesque things that used to be people.
And this doesn’t even include the games that feature zombies as incidental enemies, like most RPGs tend to do, or games that feature zombie-like creatures (the Cie’th from Final Fantasy XIII come to mind). As I love my zombies so dearly, I am quite excited to see what comes next as far as zombie games are concerned.
This concludes our abbreviated tour of zombies in video games. Hopefully none of you were bitten. If so, I’m going to have to ask you to speak with my shotgun. Better safe than sorry.
***For the most fabulous gaming column on the net, come back every Sunday for Diva Down.***
About the Author
Paul Cross
Paul graduated high school playing video games, got bored with college playing video games, and then was hopelessly sucked into retail, where he’s been trapped ever since, still playing video games. Now he writes about them, and it would best if you got out of his way.
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