Blogpost 3: Zombie Invasion in Video Games

History of Zombie-related Games

           Zombies was adapted to every people who were fascinated to them. Zombie doesn't only conquers town, cities or countries but also through digital aspects. Since zombies were very popular, it has been used in multimedia matters such as movies, music and specially in GAMES. The topics that I will talk about here is all about Zombie-related games. The first game that zombies exist doesn't started from the Resident Evil game. According to the article entitled, A History of Zombies in Video Games by Patrick Shaw, zombies in games started shambling around more lately than 1996. The following are the timeline created by the said article;

 Zombie Zombie ( first zombie game )

In 1984, A game released in ZX Spectrum and titled by Quicksilva. This game was played using a rifle to kill the zombies wandering when the player used to overrun from it. This game had an inclusion of a helicopter which could be piloted and use to alter the terrain. To kill the zombies in this game, the player needs to lure the zombies in a high place and let them fall off the edge.

Super Mario Bros. 3 ( as of the Dry Bones )

           In 1988, This game was introduced and created. This game was very popular even for our generation. This game doesn't categorized as zombie game but some of the enemies here specially the skeleton turtles. Dry bones is ordinarily a lightweight character in games and always accompanied by Boo.

Wolfstein 3D ( as of Undead Soldiers )

           In 1992, This game doesn't also categorized a zombie game but it was introduced to the players by its zombified enemies which are the undead Soldiers. This game was made by Dr. Schabbs. This game was totally a critical and commercial success. It is highly regarded as having helped popularized the genre on the PC, and having established the basic run-and-gun archetype for many subsequent first-person shooter game.


Zombies ate my Neighbors ( A Cult Classic is Born )

           In 1993, This game was released by LucasArts for Sega Master System, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. The goal of this game is to put up a player into the two teenagers place and kill all the zombies or save their neighbors from the flesh-eating creatures including a giant demonic baby. Various elements and aspects of horror movies are referenced in the game with some of its more violent content being censored in various territories/countries.

Resident Evil ( The Rise of Zombie games )

           In 1996, This game was created by Shinji Mikami and released by Capcom. This game was played inside the mansion with some crawling creatures that is needed to be killed in order to survive or accomplish your mission. At the start of the game, the player will select one from Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as they investigate the disappearance of their fellow team members on the outskirts of Raccoon city, where they escape the danger into an old mansion infested with zombies. As the players explore the mansion, they will uncover clues to solve puzzles and battle the various biological monsters of the mansion alang the way using various firearms. Depending on the player's action, the game ends with different outcome.

The House of the Dead ( More zombie slaying, Less Bullet Rationing )

           Also in 1996, A Sega's light-gun game which has been released on arcades. This game focuses on action as it is presented, where the players are frantically unload and lad their guns in front of a swarm of zombies. Throughout the course of the game, the players are faced by numerous situations in which their actions will have an effect on the direction of the gameplay. 

Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green ( Another Bad Movie Game )

          In 2005, Brainbox Games released this game on Xbox and PCs. This game was considered as the worst zombie game ever because of its quality. The soryline of this game is all about an unnamed redneck farmer must fight his way through hundreds of living corpses, all bent on devouring any human flesh they can find, in order to reach some sort of safe ground. After seeing the city that he hoped would support him is completely overrun and slowly burning to the ground, he decided to run for the last salvation.

Dead Rising ( A Light-hearted look in Zombies )

          In 2006, A Capcom game released on Xbox 360. It is more on a tongue-and-cheek approach in surviving a zombie outbreak than the Resident Evil game. The storyline of this is that the photojournalist Frank West finds himself trapped in a shopping mall overrun by flesh-eating zombies. He needs to kill those zombies in order to survive in the zombie outbreak.

Plants Vs. Zombies ( Mother Nature takes on the Undead )

          Also in 2006, A game was released by PopCap. This is a tower defense game in which players use plants that is needing sunlight to produce in order to defend the house from approaching zombies. The game involves the homeowner using many varieties of plant to repel an army of zombies from eating his brain. The primary game mode of this game are single player, multi-player and adventure mode on which the player can receive money where he spend to upgrade and improve his backyard.

Left 4 Dead ( Play as a Zombie )

          In 2008, A Valve's creation who does this game effectively to the users/players. It was released in Xbox 360 and PC. This game pits a team of human survivors against undead. It is a game in which you have to pass and kill zombies in order to go into a safe zone and meet some survivors. 

Call of Duty: Nazi Zombies ( An unexpected hit )

          Also in 2008, This is only a patch episode of the game CALL OF DUTY. The players need to defend a room for an onrushing zombies by the use of guns  and by boarding up through the windows.



Dead Space ( New Breed of Zombies )

          Another 2008 game was released. This game was debatable for being a zombie game because of the enemies which is transformed into abominations by the use of alien virus. This game was released by Visceral Games for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Dead Rising 2 

         The most latest zombie game created in 2010 according to the article. This is a fictional game which used Vegas as a setting which have lavish casinos and showgirl undeads instead of a mall. This game uses different style in slaughtering zombies. Instead of guns it uses boxing gloves and other types of unusual weapons.

ZOMBIE INVADES VIDEO GAMES

           Video games are used to entertain people. New generation persons are used and born with this kind of environment or regime. Video games releases games which is in the trend. So, they formulate or creating games which can entertain people more than they have been expected. They releases zombie games in order to boost their fears and because of this they are enjoying this kind of games. But, why do people loves zombie games? Aren't they preferring another game rather than this kind of games?There is a quote where it proves why people is fascinating all zombie-related things;

"I can't really make fun of zombies. They're not liars. They're not cheaters."

                                                                                                            - George A. Romero

           According to an article entitled, Why Are Zombies Still Popular in Video Games? by Jeff Marchiafava, 

ZOMBIE GAMES MAKES MONEY

           Putting up a zombie games needs a big amount of money. Game Development is a risky business. If a creator publish a zombie game which is very popular nowadays, He/She can receive a big amount of many for a company to sold it to you and add it to their businesses.

ZOMBIE GAMES FEATURE INNOVATION

            Zombies drives games to innovate new styles of slaughtering them. Many games invented many ways in order to get rid of the zombies approaching. Game Developers will think or innovate thing that are better in order to a line with the standards of the other games.

ZOMBIE MAKES IDEAL FOES

            As we all know that zombies can exist that is discussed in my blogpost 1. Zombie games will stand as our digital dummies. We can learn how to kill them when taking up a zombie game. The things that you will learn from this kind of games can also apply for some defensive actions through the people who have a bad intention.