5 Major Tips for Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Zombies Ate My Neighbors, the greatest videogame of the 16-bit era, makes its return to consoles this June!
LucasArt’s classic run-and-gun game, along with the much more obscure sequel Ghoul Patrol, will be arriving on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, as well as Steam and GOG on June 29th, 2021, and should retail for around $15 for both games.
To celebrate the exciting news about this horror comedy gaming classic, here are five things to know when you either replay, or play for the first time!
1. Hit the Bonus Level First!
The first level of the game, “Zombie Panic!” features a secret token that opens a bonus level. This bonus level, “Day of the Tentacle” serves as an homage to Lucasart’s Day of the Tentacle adventure game and features a great many powerful items early on. The problem is that your chances of accessing it at slim. You’ll need a monster potion or bazooka to destroy the hedge wall in the northeastern section of the map, but both items are very rare in the first level. They don’t exist as standard pickups and may only spawn from cabinets and trashcans if you are very lucky.
However, with the right password, you can hit the bonus level first, load up on items such as the bazooka, and then start at the first level to replay the bonus level again. Simply use the passcode BCDF to do this. Is it cheap? Not really, you’ll likely play the same level twice. Given the hordes of monsters as you progress through the 50 or so levels you should take any advantage you can.
2. Rescue First, Gather Later!
The Victims are your lifeblood in this game. You begin with ten per level and if you fall to zero victims to rescue in a level it is game over. Victims can be returned when you hit certain score thresholds, but it really is in your best interest to rescue them as fast as you can and not lose a single cheerleader, baby, or tourist.
Not all Victims are at risk, however, so be sure to prioritize your rescues based on monsters and victim exposure. Trampoline Kids, for example, are general safe from any harm, allowing you to focus on more exposed Victims, such as those out in the open. Locked doors are often helpful for keeping victims out of reach, but some monsters may still be able to reach them. Don’t neglect Pool Guys on levels with Fishmen either, early in the game the guys floating in swimming pools are generally safe. Not so much as you progress.
With the Victims as your priority, don’t worry about scoring monster kills or gathering items until you’ve spawned the exit door, that way you’ll always have a quick out when needed.
3. Use the Radar!
The radar in the game is a proximity-based window that lists the current Victim count and their relative positions to you within a certain range. This is especially helpful on more maze-like levels. As soon as you pop into a level, activate your radar and start rescuing civilians. This is your priority.
Use a combination of your radar, situational awareness, and caution to make sure you keep your Victim tally high. Victims are also worth various levels of points, so you’ll need to make sure you maximize your run every time.
Remember to rescue based on Victim vulnerability, and don’t fret if they are surrounded by monsters, there is a way around that…
4. When in Doubt, Run Away!
Computer memory in classic gaming consoles could be very limited. You can actually use this to your advantage to maximize your gameplay. Specifically, enemies that fall a certain range off screen will despawn. How helpful can this be? Well, consider two scenarios.
Scenario A: A lone dog is menaced by a crowd of zombies and you are separated from it by a wall. if you manage to get the dog and the zombies off your screen there is a chance the zombies despawn, giving you a chance to find another way to the dog. Remember, monsters will vanish, but the Victims will not, as their positions are preset.
Scenario B: If you are being menaced by one of the sub-boss monsters, such as Chainsaw Guys, Vampires, and Werewolves, you can get them to despawn by getting them off your screen. The range will vary, but this can be very helpful at times if you can get it to work.
5. Some Weapons are Stronger than Others!
The arsenal of Zombies Ate My Neighbors can be large and wacky, but there are some key weapons and items you’ll want to gather and use. Your most frequently used item is also the most basic: the Water Gun.
The Water Gun is filled with Holy Water and will kill a zombie in a single hit, but it can also deal damage to most other monsters and is surprisingly effective. The Fire Extinguisher will freeze and weaken monsters and is a great way to control the assaults of the sub-bosses. The Weed Whacker creates a sustained pool of damage in front of you and is surprisingly powerful in shredding monsters, but the ultimate practical solution in dealing with sinister alien weeds.
There are also so many more items to consider but above all use your bazooka sparingly. It is one of the few items that can destroy barricades. We’ve not even covered the top-secret flamethrower in the game… but that is for a future article.
Are you excited about the return of Zombies Ate My Neighbors? Are you looking forward to experiencing it for the first time? How about Ghoul Patrol? Share your thoughts on this gaming classic with us. We’ll be covering more about this classic game and the more obscure sequel over the coming months.
Next in my journey of all the cool games I saw at PAX, Quest Master! Quest Master is a love letter to retro dungeon crawlers and level designers. Taking inspiration from both Mario Maker and the Legend of Zelda franchise, Quest Master promises the ability to play and design dungeons with a variety of enemies, traps, and puzzles.
Check out the Quest Master game announcement here:
I was given a private 30-minute demo, where I got to try out some of the core features in a pre-beta version of Quest Master. This demo was led by one of the developers, Julian Creutz who shared some insight into the game design and user experience. My interview with Julian about Quest Master can be found here.
Quest Master has two main modes, playing dungeons and building them. I got to try out both, though I had a more comprehensive experience playing dungeons. While playing dungeons, the game mechanics were intuitive and simple. However, I was continuously surprised by the complexities offered by the puzzle and logic systems. For example, you can collect a boomerang which is incredibly easy to use. To solve one of the puzzles, I had to throw the boomerang through a torch (which I thought was just decorative) to catch the boomerang on fire and enable it to activate a gem. While the individual mechanics were basic, they combined into a sophisticated puzzle-solving experience.
Immediately, I was eager to look under the hood and see how the dungeon building mode enables the puzzle solving as previously described. Once again, I was impressed with the sophistication of a system with such simple mechanics. The controls for building weren’t intuitive for me, though I also don’t use a controller for much of my gaming (like I was during the demo). Additionally, I could see how it would be really easy to get accustomed to as you build.
As it was a short demo, I wasn’t able to try any of the multiplayer features (i.e. co-op, online map sharing) so I can’t speak to the success of their implementation. As this is supposed to be a large part of the game, I’m wary of wholeheartedly suggesting Quest Master for those interested in the multiplayer experience. However, I was impressed with Quest Master’s modern take on retro dungeon crawlers like the Legend of Zelda games. The graphics and controls feel like much needed quality of life updates for a system taking inspiration from older classics.
I recommend wishlisting Quest Master if you are a fan of old Legend of Zelda games or are looking for a fresh take on the dungeon builder genre. If Quest Master interests you, don’t forget to check out my conversation with Julian too!
(4.5 / 5)
Check out my other PAX posts here!
This past week I had the opportunity to go to my very first PAX East convention! For those who are unfamiliar, PAX East is a large gaming convention in Boston. This year marked its 20th anniversary, which meant an extra layer of celebration and festivities! Courtesy of a HauntedMTL Media Badge, I got to play tons of new games and meet even more interesting people. One of the games I was able to demo was LONESTAR by developer Math Tide.
LONESTAR is a roguelike spaceship building game reminiscent of FTL and Dicey Dungeons. It was released for early access on Steam in January and has gotten largely positive feedback. In the game, you play as a bounty hunter traveling through various sectors to defeat your bounties. Along the way you can visit a shop, take a breather, or experience other various events.
I was able to play the early access build for thirty minutes on the showroom floor, and I was pretty instantly hooked. I love roguelike deckbuilders, with Slay the Spire (especially the Downfall fan expansion) being a strong favorite. LONESTAR nails what I love from the genre, with an aesthetic smoothly integrated in its form and function and novel gameplay mechanics.
LONESTAR’s ‘deckbuilding’ element takes the form of ship systems. You can collect, buy, and upgrade them as you progress through a run. However, your ship only has so much space on board. As a player, you have to prioritize weapons and utility systems while also ensuring you diversify your damage output/defense across all three sections of your ship. At the beginning of each round, you are randomly given number values that can be input into your ship systems to achieve varied effects. The enemy responds in kind, meaning whoever can get the highest damage output is who overwhelms the other in the round.
I loved the possibilities for synergy and strategy as your pilot explored more dangerous sectors. It was incredibly rewarding to turn a couple of crap numbers into a super powerful attack. I also enjoyed the various options for “vacation” time in between battles, which kept everything feeling fresh. Of note, I only played for thirty minutes. While they were a rewarding thirty minutes, the game was not incredibly difficult. I cannot speak on the general replayability, though I would have been happy to continue playing for at least another hour. My only critique from the whole experience was that some of the vocabulary was unclear. However, that could have been due to starting mid-run during my demo.
If you enjoy deckbuilders and are interested in a spaceship game a bit easier than FTL, I think LONESTAR is a great choice. It is still in early access, however, I feel confident that the game is plenty of fun already. It is also only $10, so definitely worth taking a chance on. I’ll continue to watch the development of LONESTAR with great excitement!
(4.8 / 5)
