Left 4 Dead

Zombies are the asshole of gothic enemies in video games. While one can’t blame a werewolf for his condition and vampires are too fucking cool to hate zombies are just pitiful fodder that you have no qualms on killing. They’re brainless husks of mankind whose sole intent is to “eat your brains.” If they had a shred of human decency they’re quickly realize how worthless they were and ultimately off themselves in the process.

Ultimately the utter contempt people have for zombies is one part of why they make such great video game minor enemies. The other being the fact that usually when zombies are around it’s an “infestation” which causes there to be a lot of them. The endless stream of bad guys is more consistent than Bowsers stream of Koopa Troopas and Goombas.

Zombies have been coming back into the mainstream once again thanks in a major part to Valve’s amazing Left 4 Dead. In one of the best Co-op experiences you’ll ever have (if you’re planning in playing this single player my only suggestion is to save your money now) 4 survivors are pitted against wave after wave of the undead. However these aren’t the shambling horrors of b movies past, these zombies are fast, tough and while mostly brainless a group of special zombies like Hunters that can leap great distances, Smokers who can bind you with their far reaching tongue and the self explanatory Tank can devise mean plots to send you and your team to their early grace.

Call of Duty: World at War

With Co-op becoming the new hot trend in multiplayer gaming it’s safe that the “wave of enemies ala Smash TV” modes are going to be something to be included in shooters for the next couple of years. While Gear of War 2 has the excellent Horde mode Call of Duty: World At War counters with its own take in the Zombie mode as waves of Nazi zombies try to kill. Mixing in elements of Counter Strike purchases system and the horde wave along with the freakiness of zombies coming to get’cha Zombie mode is an off beat but fun addition.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Future “Cult of the Game” candidate Zombies Ate My neighbors is a humorous take on B Movie clichés as two teenage kids run around their neighborhood shooting various monsters like masked serial killers, aliens, mummies and, of course, zombies while trying to save people from certain monster doom. This game is, once again, co op showing that when there’s zombie madness there’s usually a friend willing to kill those brainless jerks with you.

Mortal Kombat: Deception

If you’re like most people in the world you stopped keep track of Mortal Kombat after number 3. While the series had some better-than-they-should-be outings on the X Box and PS2 it’s shocking how deep they took the original mythos of the story. Case in point the MK team decided to kill arguable poster boy for the series Liu Kang in the first new gen outing Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance only to bring him back, albeit as a zombie, in Mortal Kombat: Deception.

Zombie Nation

In one of the most bizarre shooters you’ll ever encounter Zombie Nation for the NES has players controlling a floating Samurai head that shoots bullets out of its eyes and spews powerful vomit sent from Japan to the United States to stop a zombie infestation caused by a space meteor. I wish I could say I was making this shit up.

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel without a Pulse

The hilarious but uneven Stubbs the Zombie breaks all usual video game conventions by allowing you to control the zombies and create the hordes of mindless blood thirsty maniac rather than swat them away with a baseball studded with nails. Yes Stubbs eats brains, a crucial part of the gameplay, but he’s also been wronged in this 50’s era lovestory the features old timey tunes covered by modern indie bands. It’s as surreal zombie experience as you can get.

Dead Space

Most of the time in life addition is the simplest way to make something more awesome. Imagine Microwaves without clocks, arcade cabinets without cup holders or string cheese that functions as a nutritious snack and impromptu cat ‘o nine tails. The beauty of dead space is it takes two things that totally freak the bejesus out of people, aliens AND zombies, and fuses them together to make some more horrifying. Now, if they’d only get around to making a game about Wolfpires.

Metal Slug

If battling pseudo Nazis (call it as I see it people!) wasn’t enough the Metal Slug team are often faced with supernatural and extraterrestrial threats. Of course among these ranks are zombies who are tough and deadly. Conversely your character can also be turned into the lurching undead. Weapon power and movement speed are greatly reduced however your grenade attack switches to a screen clearing vomit of blood attack. Nifty!

House of the Dead

With arcades slowly making their way out of American malls and eateries the industry looked to big even cabinets, things that a home system couldn’t do, to draw the crowds back in. While light gun games are viable on home systems their style of play and presentation definitely has an edge in the Arcade and as part of its coin op reboot Sega released House of the Dead, hoping to soak up some of that Resident Evil proved to be a moody, beautiful and diffcult on rails shooter where popping heads and saving hapless scientist were the norm.

Dead Rising

One would question photo journalist Frank West’s intelligence of dropping into the middle of a Zombie infested disaster zone. While he’s stuck for 72 hours Frank Snaps pics saves seemingly dumber survivors and mixes weird food concoctions from questionable food combinations for power boosts while a convoluted plot about government conspiracies plays out in front of him and the player. The beauty in Dead Rising is that it can be played Sandbox style or players can do the missions brought to them. In the end though it’s over the top nature is what wins it over. Hey, just try not to laugh as you rush pass a bunch of zombies using a giant umbrella!

Urban Dead

Web based Urban Dead is a great concept. Have city populated by playable characters, create a zombie/human dynamic and watch the chaos go. The infested city of Malton is where this all takes place, where you start as either a human or zombie trying to survive/growing your numbers. Alliances are formed as humans build up teams protect safe houses while zombies lurk, shuffle and eat brains. Sure there’s griefers and the games gotten to a point where if you’re not part of a large faction good luck trying to impact it but at its best Urban Dead is a great concept and a fun web game.

OneChanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers

Granted this game isn’t even OUT yet (specifically the Wii version) but come on, Japanese girl clad in a bikini and cowboy outfit kills zombies. I think we have a winner here folks!

Zombie Zombie

Often called the first zombie game Zombie Zombie is a bizarre relic of 80’s computer gaming. Developed by ZX Spectrum and a spiritual sequel to earlier game ant attack it is one of the earliest 3D isometric games ever created. In a strange bit of twisted game design players aren’t given a gun but must rid the city of zombies. Armed with only an air cannon to blow zombies away players must climb buildings and walls and jump off them while the zombie give chase. While the players always survive the zombies aren’t so lucky and become one with the pavement making this one of the more cerebral (heh heh) zombie games out there.

Resident Evil

It’s tough to make a list about zombie video games without mentioning Resident Evil. The game that created the whole “survival horror” genre and put it on the map is classic romero zombie all over, with their moans creeping the living crap out of you, the slow plodding shuffle and near imperviousness to bullets not aimed at the head. Resident Evil’s creepy atmosphere, limited ammo and save system and constant “boo and scare ya” moments make it and the rest of the series some of the creepiest zombie games you will ever play.