The digital double-pack of ZAMN and Ghoul Patrol has an interview with Mike Ebert, the lead designer of ZAMN. He details how the bosses and story were Konami's idea, and how, in a rare moment of development heaven (as opposed to development hell), they finished the core game of 20 levels so far ahead of schedule that they made 35 more levels that made it into the final game.
Retro Review: Zombies Ate My Neighbors
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 On 10/29/2022 at 10:55 AM by The Last Ninja See More From This User » |
B-movie monsters abound in this zany and fun adventure game
It’s that time again: Halloween! So this year I want to take you back to 1993 with Zombies Ate My Neighbors, a horror-themed adventure game that was developed by Lucas Arts and published by Konami for the SNES (it was released on other consoles too). This is an overhead adventure game in which you play as either Zeke or Julie and take on monsters from horror movies while trying to find and rescue “victims” (neighbors). The game is co-op, and has a whopping 55 levels! And believe me, you will get your fill of horror monsters and movie references.
You start the game with what appears to be a squirt gun (maybe it’s filled with holy water?), but you can find and use all kinds of weapons, including a bazooka, holy cross, flamethrower, and even forks and plates. Be aware that these all have limited ammo. In addition, there are plenty of items to find, such as skeleton keys (can open any locked door), first aid kit (heals HP), speed shoes (increases speed), Pandora’s box (emits energy that kills nearby monsters), and decoy clowns (monsters will target these instead of victims). There are also two potions, one which transforms your character into a monster and one which transforms your character into a ghost. Both of these last for only about 30 seconds.
The goal of ZAMN is to find all the victims, usually 10 in each level. You will want to find them quickly because monsters can kill them. Thankfully, there’s a victim radar that you can toggle on and off by using the L and R buttons. This will help show you victims that are close by. The game’s art style is very cartoony, so it’s fun to see the different victims in the game. These include cheerleaders, babies, explorers, tourist couples, soldiers, swimming pool dudes, teachers, etc. The game also offers plenty of different locales, such as backyards, castles, Egyptian pyramids, caves, catacombs, laboratories, jungles, swamps, etc. The goofy music helps to make the levels memorable.
ZAMN also has a great sense of humor. This is evident from the level titles, some of which are parodies of movies—“Mars Needs Cheerleaders” and “The Day the Earth Ran Away”—while others are simply funny—“Chopping Mall” and “Fish and Crypts.” The variation of enemies throughout the game is astounding, as you’ll fight zombies, vampires, werewolves, mummies, martians, dopplegangers, chainsaw dudes, creepy dolls, laker monsters, and the list goes on! Things can get tense, such as in level four, where the chainsaw dudes are happy to buzz through any hedge to get you (they’re fast!). This is NOT a casual game. You will want to move quickly and find those victims.
The game becomes more difficult as you progress. Eventually the game adds a secret time limit where victims who are not “saved” fast enough turn into werewolves—and then they chase you to try and kill you! (have I mentioned that werewolves are really fast in this game?) Vampires are also difficult as they will teleport close to you and the only thing that can kill them is the holy cross weapon, so you will want to keep that handy. The bazooka is also a very handy weapon as it can destroy certain walls, hedges, and fences—this will help you to reach victims that are blocked off by these obstacles or to get away from ensuing monsters.
ZAMN has only two bosses, although there are some notable mega-enemies, such as the titanic toddler in level 8. The first boss is Dr. Bug, who drinks a potion and transforms into a huge spider (terrifying!). The final boss is Dr. Tongue, who transforms into a giant head and shoots tongues at you. It sounds ridiculous, but it actually stays very faithful to the off-the-wall sense of humor found all throughout the game. Playing co-op is great, although the two characters have to stay on the same screen. This game can be tough, and if you want to beat it, it will take patience. Thankfully, there are passwords every four levels, so that helps if you want to get through it more slowly.
Final Verdict—4 Stars: Recommended
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a classic. There’s really nothing else like it on the SNES, except for its sequel, of course. The zany humor is one of the watermarks of Lucas Arts, and they don’t disappoint here. And good news! This game (along with its sequel) is available right now on modern consoles thanks to a packaged re-release last year. I think it’s the perfect game to “sink your teeth into” this Halloween. Thanks for reading, and have a happy Halloween.
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