Who doesn't love zombies? They are the epitome of the song "Everyday I'm Shuffling" They're a classic horror-movie monster, an army for the vilest of wizards, or a justification for giving federal funding to research plant mutations. I know most zombie lists are expected to have a certain amount of unfamiliar indie films, but I love zombies in all their Hollywood, mainstream, cliche glory. So here's my top 11 zombie (because they're just that awesome) movies, games, and books!
11. House of the Dead (series)
I'm pretty sure this was my first experience shooting zombies. I spent so much money on this arcade rails shooter, and I'm pretty sure I never got past third or fourth boss in any of the games. Still, it was worth it to pick up a plastic gun and live out my boyhood dreams of killing zombies.
If you've seen Wreck-It Ralph, the hatchet zombie is a nod to this game.
10. Plants vs Zombies
Zombies are supposed to be serious business, so I was skeptical when I first heard the premise of this game. You have flowers that kill zombies? Really? But my wife and I started playing the game on PC, and when it came to iOS we'd sit next to each other and defend our lawns from the world's most adorable zombies. And how proud was I when I put the game on the iPad and both my kids begged us to help them?
9. Resident Evil 2
This game was so amazing for its time. The first few hours were some of the most terrifying moments I'd ever experienced in a video game. No corpses could be trusted. Later on no plants could be trusted either, but that's why I replayed the game several times and stopped when the enemies got goofy. And when a 13 year old says the enemies of a horror game are goofy, you've gone awry. To be fair, anything was better than a police station with an obnoxiously complex series of puzzles that belonged in an Indiana Jones movie.
Still, Resident Evil 2 is one of the best horror games I've played. Resources were limited, enemies were challenging, the environments were wonderfully creepy, and when you unlocked that magnum...
This game was so amazing for its time. The first few hours were some of the most terrifying moments I'd ever experienced in a video game. No corpses could be trusted. Later on no plants could be trusted either, but that's why I replayed the game several times and stopped when the enemies got goofy. And when a 13 year old says the enemies of a horror game are goofy, you've gone awry. To be fair, anything was better than a police station with an obnoxiously complex series of puzzles that belonged in an Indiana Jones movie.
Still, Resident Evil 2 is one of the best horror games I've played. Resources were limited, enemies were challenging, the environments were wonderfully creepy, and when you unlocked that magnum...
8. 28 Days Later
"Hey, zombies can't run! That's cheating!" That was the collective response to this movie's beginning scenes. The movie explained it away well enough, using the "Rage Virus" to make people violent, adrenaline-fueled cannibals. The first time I saw the movie I just couldn't justify the change in my mind. But as I watched other zombie movies to rinse the foul taste from my mouth, I found an appreciation for the new-found danger found in smaller amounts of fast zombies compared to the large, shuffling mass I was used to.
Apparently most of the zombie world agreed, because since 28 Days Later seemed to revolutionize how we see zombies. The sluggish zombies are harder to find in mainstream video games, with the "rage" zombies seeming to make more sense to a wider audience.
"Hey, zombies can't run! That's cheating!" That was the collective response to this movie's beginning scenes. The movie explained it away well enough, using the "Rage Virus" to make people violent, adrenaline-fueled cannibals. The first time I saw the movie I just couldn't justify the change in my mind. But as I watched other zombie movies to rinse the foul taste from my mouth, I found an appreciation for the new-found danger found in smaller amounts of fast zombies compared to the large, shuffling mass I was used to.
Apparently most of the zombie world agreed, because since 28 Days Later seemed to revolutionize how we see zombies. The sluggish zombies are harder to find in mainstream video games, with the "rage" zombies seeming to make more sense to a wider audience.
7. Left 4 Dead 1 & 2
This was such an amazing game back when people played it. It required a natural level of teamwork that most games just can't emulate, pitting two teams of 4 players against one another. Controlling the humans was amazing, with every game having you worry about going around corners or down narrow hallways. And those moments when you found yourself cut off from your teammates could mean your death.
Controlling the special zombies opened up a whole new level of teamwork, requiring you to coordinate your attacks lest the survivors stomp all over you. Classes were unique and always added something to the team. The Boomer could spit short range bile to attract zombies, a Smoker lassoed people with your tongue, a Spitter created pools of acid, the Hunter basically dive-bombed people from rooftops, and the Jockey was a short, cackling little creature that would jump on a survivor's head and control where they walked. Using these classes, which were randomly assigned to zombie players every time they died, was the true mark of a good team. Survivors could go a whole round without talking and do fine, but zombies who never coordinated would just throw themselves at the survivors one-by-one and get butchered. Winning a round as the zombies was one of the most challenging, and satisfying, aspects of any multiplayer game I've experienced.
This was such an amazing game back when people played it. It required a natural level of teamwork that most games just can't emulate, pitting two teams of 4 players against one another. Controlling the humans was amazing, with every game having you worry about going around corners or down narrow hallways. And those moments when you found yourself cut off from your teammates could mean your death.
Controlling the special zombies opened up a whole new level of teamwork, requiring you to coordinate your attacks lest the survivors stomp all over you. Classes were unique and always added something to the team. The Boomer could spit short range bile to attract zombies, a Smoker lassoed people with your tongue, a Spitter created pools of acid, the Hunter basically dive-bombed people from rooftops, and the Jockey was a short, cackling little creature that would jump on a survivor's head and control where they walked. Using these classes, which were randomly assigned to zombie players every time they died, was the true mark of a good team. Survivors could go a whole round without talking and do fine, but zombies who never coordinated would just throw themselves at the survivors one-by-one and get butchered. Winning a round as the zombies was one of the most challenging, and satisfying, aspects of any multiplayer game I've experienced.
6. The Walking Dead
I've only watched the show, so reading the graphic novels might put this farther down the list. Still, The Walking Dead did a lot to make classic zombies threatening again, and I love the show for that. It's a unique experience to see the day-to-day lives of people in a zombie apocalypse. The fact that all of the show's major characters have a believable survival skill makes it all the more amazing because it becomes immersive for regular people who wonder how they'd survive in this scenario.
I've only watched the show, so reading the graphic novels might put this farther down the list. Still, The Walking Dead did a lot to make classic zombies threatening again, and I love the show for that. It's a unique experience to see the day-to-day lives of people in a zombie apocalypse. The fact that all of the show's major characters have a believable survival skill makes it all the more amazing because it becomes immersive for regular people who wonder how they'd survive in this scenario.
[season 5 spoilers following]
The show has started taking a predictable nose-dive as the show's writers keep getting switched out. Characters are getting muddled in their usefulness (Andrea, Hershel), dull (Carol), or just hated because of how poorly they were written (Lori died, we all cheered), and episodes ranging from bonring (like most of last season) to exhilarating (any time they fought zombies pre-prison), to plain outrageous (Andrea spending what, 5 minutes watching her friend turn in to a zombie rather than actually trying to escape her restraints?)
5. Dawn of the Dead
I love the remake of this movie (the one with the stupid zombie baby), yet I've never been able to figure out why. I first saw it when I rented it while sick, so it has sort of a euphoric memory to it. I've probably watched this more than any other zombie movie just because it has all the classic situations I envision when I picture a zombie apocalypse. It has people running willy-nilly through a shopping mall, sniping zombies from rooftops just because, a bus-turned-tank, and all those selfish jerks getting what's theirs in the end.
Dawn of the Dead is the perfect example of what a cliche zombie movie should be while remaining enjoyable. The zombies move slow, the characters are two-dimensional, the ending is cheesy... but it all works so well together that it's hard to mock it too much. I know it's newer in terms of zombie movies, but it will always be my classic zombie movie.
I love the remake of this movie (the one with the stupid zombie baby), yet I've never been able to figure out why. I first saw it when I rented it while sick, so it has sort of a euphoric memory to it. I've probably watched this more than any other zombie movie just because it has all the classic situations I envision when I picture a zombie apocalypse. It has people running willy-nilly through a shopping mall, sniping zombies from rooftops just because, a bus-turned-tank, and all those selfish jerks getting what's theirs in the end.
Dawn of the Dead is the perfect example of what a cliche zombie movie should be while remaining enjoyable. The zombies move slow, the characters are two-dimensional, the ending is cheesy... but it all works so well together that it's hard to mock it too much. I know it's newer in terms of zombie movies, but it will always be my classic zombie movie.
4. Zombieland
As with Plants vs Zombies, humor in zombie movies is usually a turn off. But the way that Zombieland handled the humor rose so far above the likes of Shaun of the Dead that I had to love it. The movie is like a watchable version of Dead Rising, with gimmicks and humor spread throughout the entire movie. From the movie's "rules" of survival, to Woody Harrilson's hilarious character, to the way the zombies were threatening without the movie actually feeling tense, I tip my hat to this movie for showing that zombies can break away from the norm and still be worth watching again and again.
As with Plants vs Zombies, humor in zombie movies is usually a turn off. But the way that Zombieland handled the humor rose so far above the likes of Shaun of the Dead that I had to love it. The movie is like a watchable version of Dead Rising, with gimmicks and humor spread throughout the entire movie. From the movie's "rules" of survival, to Woody Harrilson's hilarious character, to the way the zombies were threatening without the movie actually feeling tense, I tip my hat to this movie for showing that zombies can break away from the norm and still be worth watching again and again.
So why does this beat out Dawn of the Dead? My wife willingly watched this with me, and even found herself yelling at the TV for characters making stupid decisions. If that doesn't give a movie an extra thumbs-up from me, nothing will.
3. Night of the Living Dead (original)My first love. I rented this from a video store on a whim one night, and I watched it 5 or 6 times before finally returning it. [note to you young 'uns: a video store is like a Redbox that you could walk in to and pay $4 for a movie and $7 for a small pack of candy] The movie was so corny, and a victim of its time, but it was also pure in its execution. I love the claustrophobic feeling of trying to defend a house that wasn't made to be durable. It was just a farmhouse, and the survivors had limited means of fighting the undead.
I blame this movie for my zombie love. There have been so many better movies made, but none capture that pure feeling of survival.
I blame this movie for my zombie love. There have been so many better movies made, but none capture that pure feeling of survival.
2. State of Decay
I haven't beaten this, but from what I've played I'm in love. This game is the zombie video game we've always wanted. You have a group of survivors, limited resources, swarms of undead, a large map to run around in, different places to set up your home base, a cheesy "_____ of the Dead" storyline, and a constant knowledge that you can die at any second (something I've done often).
This game is the least empowering thing I've ever played. You have a limited inventory, so you need to plan what you're going to do before leaving home base. Do you need extra ammo to fight of the undead? Extra stamina-boosters so your character can be away from home longer? Do you take your big truck for ramming zombies or your smoking junker because you might find something better on the road? You have to constantly manage resources because people eat, use medicine, need tools to fix defenses, etc, and neglecting them can hurt you in the long run. The game has a bit too much reliance on managing people, and I find myself getting radioed every 10 minutes because I need to diffuse a situation at home.
Still, the game is awesome so far. I've already had several group members die, I've sniped zombies from a billboard, and I've just casually driven around and cleared out all the zombies from around my base simply because it felt like the zombie-apocalypse thing to do.
I haven't beaten this, but from what I've played I'm in love. This game is the zombie video game we've always wanted. You have a group of survivors, limited resources, swarms of undead, a large map to run around in, different places to set up your home base, a cheesy "_____ of the Dead" storyline, and a constant knowledge that you can die at any second (something I've done often).
This game is the least empowering thing I've ever played. You have a limited inventory, so you need to plan what you're going to do before leaving home base. Do you need extra ammo to fight of the undead? Extra stamina-boosters so your character can be away from home longer? Do you take your big truck for ramming zombies or your smoking junker because you might find something better on the road? You have to constantly manage resources because people eat, use medicine, need tools to fix defenses, etc, and neglecting them can hurt you in the long run. The game has a bit too much reliance on managing people, and I find myself getting radioed every 10 minutes because I need to diffuse a situation at home.
Still, the game is awesome so far. I've already had several group members die, I've sniped zombies from a billboard, and I've just casually driven around and cleared out all the zombies from around my base simply because it felt like the zombie-apocalypse thing to do.
1. World WarZ (book)
I'm hesitant to see the movie just because I love the book so much.In a nuthsell, the book is a collection of eye-witness accounts from survivors of the zombie apocalypse. Max Brookes gives everyone a unique voice, perspective, and story, and the book tells the stories of people from the first outbreak, to a soldier's recounting of a military operation that had an army setting up a trap and mowing down a horde of them, all the way until the end of the "war."
This book is a must-read for any zombie fan, and a must-read-twice for die hard fans of the genre. A few stories are very corny, but overall it's a brilliant look at how a real zombie apocalypse would look in our world. If you haven't read it, you need to head to Amazon and make every effort to remedy the situation!
So that's some of my favorite ways to be entertained by the undead. What are some of your favorite games, book, or movies?
See you tomorrow!
Remember to follow me on Facebook. I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways! This month's giveaway is for an iOS copy of X-COM Enemy Unknown, so enter here to win!
I'm hesitant to see the movie just because I love the book so much.In a nuthsell, the book is a collection of eye-witness accounts from survivors of the zombie apocalypse. Max Brookes gives everyone a unique voice, perspective, and story, and the book tells the stories of people from the first outbreak, to a soldier's recounting of a military operation that had an army setting up a trap and mowing down a horde of them, all the way until the end of the "war."
This book is a must-read for any zombie fan, and a must-read-twice for die hard fans of the genre. A few stories are very corny, but overall it's a brilliant look at how a real zombie apocalypse would look in our world. If you haven't read it, you need to head to Amazon and make every effort to remedy the situation!
So that's some of my favorite ways to be entertained by the undead. What are some of your favorite games, book, or movies?
See you tomorrow!
Remember to follow me on Facebook. I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways! This month's giveaway is for an iOS copy of X-COM Enemy Unknown, so enter here to win!
I am actually not a giant fan of undead stuff in general although I don't mind playing games or watching movies about them now and again.
ReplyDeleteI did recently watch WWZ however and I actually enjoyed that more because how the zombies acted as opposed to what most films seem to do these days when they just try to make them as bloody as possible.
I did however play at an arcade where you payed for a block of time instead of buying tokens to feed the machine. This allowed me to actually beat House of the Dead just because I could continue as much as I wanted without going broke. It was a great arcade shooter.