Nostalgia Trip: Zombies Ate My Neighbors

I owned quite a few games as a kid but that didn't keep me from renting games almost every weekend of the summer.  One Genesis game I almost always returned with a dreadful late fee was Zombies Ate My Neighbors. The concept of the game was so fresh for its time and even today, despite the onslaught of zombie related titles flooding the markets, the concept is still unique and interesting:  Run around a map full of horrifying legendary monsters and save your neighbors one at a time before they die.

You start out as one of two teenagers, Zeke or Julie, armed with simply a water pistol.  You can collect various household weaponry along the way including pop-sickles, soda cans, dinnerware, and a fire extinguisher to subdue your enemies.  Other weapons include a grenade launcher and a crucifix and there are even potions which allow you to briefly morph into a vicious monster when consumed.  This game has it all.

And as the fan art depiction above shows, the enemies are variable too.  Think of anything scary in the early 90's and it's probably in the game.  Chucky-esque dolls that walk around with tomahawks, chainsaw wielders wearing hockey masks, dopplegangers, blobs, and of course zombies.  Werewolves, Frankensteins, aliens, sea-monsters, and vampires all make an appearance at some point.

The most charming part of the game to me is the level nomenclature and the oozy way it appears on screen before each level starts.  Each level has its own title and theme, for example Level 4 is Chainsaw Hedgemaze Mayhem where the player must quickly navigate a hedgemaze to rescue neighbors while the horrifying chainsaw men cut through the hedges and come right at you.  Level 18, Squidmen of the Deep requires the player to swim through parts of a lagoon while dodging ferocious seamonsters or squidmen.

The game even features a few memorable bosses along the way.  I haven't beaten the game but memorable bosses I've encountered include Level 8's Titanic Toddler where a giant baby reminiscent of 1992's blockbuster Honey, I Blew Up The Kid stomps around and squirts milk on you.  You have to take down the toddler in order to rescue your neighbors in the level.  Others include the giant worms of Level 20's Invasion of the Snakeoids which I wasn't able to beat until later in life.

The terrible two's have never been so dreadful.

The game has password saves so if you lose out you can always get back to roughly where you left off and continue the never ending fun.  If you like retro games and own either a Genesis or Super Nintendo, I can't recommend this one enough.  It takes me back to the time when helping your neighbor went a long way and dodging hordes of undead was a fresh idea.

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