Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a run and gun video game for the Super NES and Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis platforms. The game was produced by LucasArts as a comical tribute to both classic and schlocky horror films of the 1950s and 1960s.

A sequel entitled Ghoul Patrol was released in 1994, but was not as well received as its predecessor and no further sequels were produced. A similar game called Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia now out on the Xbox 360. It also contains references to Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

The player chooses between two teenage characters, Zeke and Julie, both of whom can be controlled in multiplayer mode. They navigate suburban neighborhoods, shopping malls, pyramids, and other areas, destroying a variety of horror-movie monsters, including vampires, werewolves, huge demonic babies, and the game's flagship, zombies. In each of the 48 stages (excluding the bonus levels) the goal is to rescue the surviving neighbors, at which point a magical door opens that will take the player to the next stage. However, if the player is not careful, any enemy in the game will kill the neighbors, preventing them from being saved. At least one neighbor must be saved from each level to progress to the next. The game is lost if all of the neighbors in a certain stage are killed or if the player(s) lose all of their lives. Scoring points earns players more neighbors to save and extra lives.

The player chooses between two teenage characters, Zeke and Julie, both of whom can be controlled in multiplayer mode. They navigate suburban neighborhoods, shopping malls, pyramids, and other areas, destroying a variety of horror-movie monsters, including vampires, werewolves, huge demonic babies, and the game's flagship, zombies. In each of the 48 stages (excluding the bonus levels) the goal is to rescue the surviving neighbors, at which point a magical door opens that will take the player to the next stage. However, if the player is not careful, any enemy in the game will kill the neighbors, preventing them from being saved. At least one neighbor must be saved from each level to progress to the next. The game is lost if all of the neighbors in a certain stage are killed or if the player(s) lose all of their lives. Scoring points earns players more neighbors to save and extra lives.
Weapons and Items

The player starts out with a standard default weapon, a water gun. Other more powerful weapons can be collected throughout the game, each with different effects on different enemies. For example, silverware would kill werewolves with one hit, a play on werewolves being vulnerable to silver. Some weapons included are footballs, Martian bubble guns, popsicles, weed-whackers, tomatoes, crosses and soda cans. Different weapons can also have different effects on the games terrain. One powerful weapon, the bazooka, can break through hedges, walls and doors as well as deliver tremendous damage, But has a firing recoil which throws the user several paces backwards. The strongest weapon in the game is the flamethrower found in the level Revenge of the Tongue.

The player also has a variety of secondary items available; these include inflatable clowns which act as decoys, Pandora's Boxes (smart bombs), speed boots and health kits. Most interesting are the monster potions, which give a variety of transformations depending on the potion's color. A blue potion can cause the player to become intangible like a ghost, enabling them to walk on water and straight through enemies to save the neighbors. A red one can turn the player into a big purple Hulk-like monster who is indestructible and immensely strong, but unable to swim or use trampolines (this is a reference to the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde novel). Potions with a question mark will have a number of effects, at random. It can give the effects of the other potions, or heal or hurt the user, give the speed boots effect or even make them turn temporarily into a zombie, no longer controlled by the player but instead wandering aimlessly. If they come near a neighbor in this state they will attack and kill them.
Enemies

Zombies Ate My Neighbors has a diverse selection of enemies. Many of the game's enemies are imitations of famous horror movie monsters. Each monster is unique in its own respects, as evidenced by the descriptions below.

Normal enemies

Doppelganger: Strange extra-terrestrial beings, Doppelgangers are alien impersonators. They spawn via strange plant-like pods near areas hit by meteors (a reference to Invasion of the Body Snatchers). They perfectly mimic both the appearance and the movements of the player's character.

Evil Doll: Resembling Chucky doll of the Child's Play series, Evil Dolls spawn either from cardboard boxes in factory assembly lines or out of bags of toys in supermarkets. They move quickly, wielding small axes, either swinging or throwing them at the player. They are easily killed with soda cans, and are immune to the Bazooka, which they easily duck under.

Fire Demon: Sometimes, upon being killed, an Evil Doll transforms into a Fire Demon. Fire Demons are one of the tougher normal enemies, are worth 400 points. Fire Demons do not necessarily have to spawn from defeated Evil Dolls. There are certain areas in the game where Fire Demons can actually spawn from a fire. However, they are most often a by-product of a dying Evil Doll. The bonus level entitled "Someplace Very Warm" is inhabited solely by Fire Demons.

Flying Head: This unique enemy is a play on the final boss of the game and appears only in the Credit Level, Monsters Among Us. Rather than basing its appearance off a Horror Movie Monster, it is drawn to resemble an average person.

Giant Black Ant: Giant Black Ants are the fourth toughest normal enemy. They are fast and have the ability to climb over walls and can also carry items away before the player is able to retrieve them. They are easily killed with martian bubble guns.

Giant Red Ant: A more powerful version of the Giant Black Ant, Giant Red Ants appear only in two stages. Giant Red Ants are considered to be the second-toughest normal enemy and the fastest enemy in the entire game. Like the Giant Black Ant, these enemies can be killed with a single shot from the martian bubble gun.

Jelly Blob: Jelly Blobs are animate masses of red goo spawning from toxic wastelands. They are an homage to The Blob, and like it, can only be killed by cold - namely, fire extinguishers or popsicles.

Martian: Big-brained aliens from Mars, Martians are very quick and carry Martian Bubble Guns. A single Water Gun shot will cause a Martian to teleport elsewhere; unless they are attacked with a tomato, they will never be truly "killed." Even destroying the Martian Spaceship will not stop the Martians from respawning.

Mummy: Mummies are an all-around average enemy. Soda Cans are useful (one-hit kill) but often it is easier to utilize the Water Gun.

Mushroom Man: Spawning from extra-terrestrial weeds, Mushroom Men are living fungi. They are very short creatures, and not considerably tough.

Pod Plant: Always found surrounded by extra-terrestrial weeds, Pod Plants are the toughest normal enemy. They are purple in color and have several tube-like projections jutting out from their upper side. From a distance, Pod Plants appear to be inanimate. However, whenever the player steps too close to one, it will spew plant juices from its tubes which have incredible range. The Water Gun is ineffective against the Pod Plant, but the Weed Whacker is a good choice.

Spider: They are the smallest enemies in the game and are able to quickly surround the player.

Squidman: The Zombies Ate My Neighbors version of the creature from the Black Lagoon, Squidmen are the only enemies in the entire game that can swim underwater. Therefore, they are the only enemy that can damage the player while swimming or kill an innertube using neighbor.

Tentacle: Tentacles appear only in Level One's bonus level, Day of the Tentacle and the credit level, Monsters Among Us. They do not spawn on-screen, but rather appear sporadically as the player moves around the stage. These weird creatures move around surprisingly quickly when attacking.

Werewolf: Werewolves are the third toughest normal enemy though a single hit with silverware will destroy them. They either appear like other enemies (spawning randomly) or in certain levels containing Werewolf-Tourist Victims. The Werewolf-Tourist Victims usually appear in threes and individually turn into Werewolves after certain time intervals.

Zombie: Zombies are among the weakest enemies, dying with a single hit of any offensive weapon. They spawn usually in groups on-screen by climbing up through the ground, as if already buried. Only male zombies are featured in the game.

Semi-Bosses

Stanley Decker the Chainsaw Maniac: A combination of Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th and Leatherface of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. He can cut through walls and hedges with its chainsaw and has a large amount of health.

Tonguenstein: An representation of Frankenstein's monster surrounded in an aura of electrical energy, these enemies are hodgepodges of various human parts assembled and reanimated by Dr. Tongue. Tonguensteins are only found in Dr. Tongue's laboratories, and so their numbers are few. Use the cross to kill these while remaining unharmed by their electric attacks.

Vampire: Vlad Belmont by name, these semi-bosses are not as tough as Chainsaw Maniacs or Tonguensteins but their defensive and offensive maneuvers are the most advanced of any enemy. They can turn into bats and fly around the level, following the game character. They can also dispatch a bat which can turn corners. They can even disappear temporarily and reappear in a different location. The last name Belmont is a reference to the generational Vampire hunters of the Castlevania series. Crosses and Pandora Boxes are the best weapon here.

Bosses

Martian Spaceship: This massive craft flies around the level constantly attempting to shock the player with electricity bolts. Destroying it is not necessary, but doing so will net a total of 14,400 points.

Titanic Toddler: A 40 foot tall baby that returns to normal size when defeated, creating an extra victim and a skeleton key. They move incredibly fast, trample the players flat, and scald them with their bottles. They are usually found in large open areas. They can usually be defeated with four or five Pandora's Boxes.

Snakeoids: Giant sandworms similar to those found in the movie Tremors. All one can see is a bump in the dirt moving around, until it attacks. Snakeoids only attack when the player moves or scrolls through the weapon/item inventory. Plates are useful against these massive enemies.

Dr Tongue: the main boss of the game. The player must fight him first on level 36 and again on level 48. The first fight sees him drink a potion and transform into a gargantuan spider, resembling a jumping spider. The second fight sees this same transformation. However, once the giant spider is defeated on level 48, Dr. Tongue drinks a second potion that mutates him into a large, flying head (not to be confused with the flying head of the Credits level). In this form, Dr. Tongue spits out tongues and shoots flying eyeballs at the player. After receiving considerable sums of damage, the flying head will deteriorate. Eventually, Dr. Tongue will finally explode in a vibrant display of colors and smoke. Note that plates are extremely useful against the flying head.

Victims

Zombies Ate My Neighbors also has diverse cast of "neighbors", including tourists, Archaeologists, babies, cheerleaders, dogs, and even more. Each level has a maximum of ten neighbors, but if they all die without the player saving even one throughout the stage, the game is over. Most victims are vulnerable to the various monsters in some way throughout the game. The victim lounging around in an innertube can only be killed by Squidmen. The only victim who can never be killed by any enemy whatsoever is the girl jumping on the trampoline.

Archaeologist: A curious man clad in yellow garb suitable for his position as archaeologist, this man scrutinizes his surroundings using his trusty magnifying glass. However, he remains stationary gazing upon the ground of the levels in which he is found, which usually is a pyramid or catacomb. Worth 500 Points.

Baby: The cheerful little toddler is often found in the neighborhood setting and continuously steps in circles as he learns to walk. The baby can also be found after the heroes defeat the Titanic Toddler. The innocent baby is worth 700 Points.

Cheerleader: The tall, blonde high school enthusiast can be found jumping and smiling in various levels. The cheerleader is seen wearing a red uniform with a large white "M" embroidered on the front. She is worth a whopping 1000 Points, obviously worthy in the heroes eyes.

Chef: The chef can be found on any level where there is a grill, endlessly flipping burgers. When he is rescued, a humorous observation can be made about his Point worth. The victim is worth 5 Points, and the burger is worth 100 Points.

Dog: A brown canine companion can be found most often in the neighborhood setting, waiting patiently for his master. The dog is worth 500 Points.

Militant: Obviously not a brave addition to the Army, the camouflaged militant is the only victim to freak out at the sight of monsters, paralyized by fear. He is often found near stray bazookas that the heroes can use. He is worth only 100 Points.

Old Man: A grumpy old man can be found picking up trash, which has an vivid "F-" emblazoned on it. He has surprisingly red eyes and is worth only a measley 10 Points.

Pool Man: One of the safer neighbors, this man lazily floats on his inner tuber in various pools and beaches. He is worth 100 Points.

Tourists:A large man and a tall skinny woman can be found in various locations ranging from neighborhoods to beaches, to Egyptian pyramids. The can be seen taking pictures and blowing bubbles with chewing gum. When rescued, the heroes recieve 100 Points for EACH (200 Total).

Trampoline Girl: The only victim who is completely safe from harm, this girl consistantly jumps on her trampoline. The only way to rescue her is to jump on the trampoline with her and receive 300 Points.

In-game references

The game makes several references to horror movies, including An American Werewolf in London, Child's Play, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Mars Needs Women, Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th, Them!, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Day of the Triffids, and Tremors, as well as the classical novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

The final villain of the game is named "Dr. Tongue," first referenced in the level "Dr. Tongue's Castle of Terror". This is perhaps an homage to George A. Romero's Day of the Dead. The first zombie shown in the film was given the nickname "Dr. Tongue" during production because he is missing his jaw and has a protruding tongue. The name could also be based on the character of the same name portrayed by John Candy on the 1970s-80s TV series SCTV.

One of the levels is called "Where the Red Fern Growls", and is a parody of Wilson Rawls' novel Where the Red Fern Grows. It may also be a reference to the red weed from The War of the Worlds. Additional parodies include "Mars Needs Cheerleaders," a reference to the Sci-Fi film "Mars Needs Women," and "Seven Meals For Seven Zombies," which is a parody of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.

Another level is called "The Day the Earth Ran Away" which is a reference to the classic sci-fi movie The Day the Earth Stood Still There is also a level called "Dances with Werewolves", which is a parody of the movie Dances with Wolves,

There is another level called "Martians Go Home," which is reference to the Fredric Brown story of the same name and the 1990 film adaptation.

A hidden bonus level, Day of the Tentacle, is a reference to the LucasArts adventure game of the same name. This is an example of an Easter egg.

GamePro ranked Zombies Ate My Neighbors #9 in their "top ten games you never heard of" list in their 200th issue.