When it comes to zombie games, most fans of this specific horror genre are probably going to think about Resident Evil and Dead Rising. They both belong to Capcom, which is a company that has carved out a nice little niche within the horror genre as a whole, and it’s a big reason why they have thrived for so long.
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There is no shortage of zombie games for both console and PC — some of them amazing, and some not so much.
While there are many great entries in the Resident Evil and Dead Rising franchises, there are also some games that deserve more attention. Most of these examples only got one game before they were forgotten without much of a fan base. Some may be hard to track down and play nowadays, but they will still provide some unique zombie experiences that are worth a laugh or two.
Dead Head Fred
Brain Dead
Dead Head Fred
- Released
- August 28, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation Portable, PS Vita
Dead Head Fred is still a PSP exclusive, which was released in 2007. It’s an action-adventure game set during the 1940s, and it stars a detective, Fred, who has been turned into a brain in a jar. Looking for revenge, Fred went around pummeling enemies in basic combat, but the greatest thing about the gameplay was the head system.
Players could gain heads on their journey for puzzle and combat purposes, like a bulbous one that could shoot fire. Fans of Scrubs may enjoy the game as John C. McGinley, who played Dr. Cox in the show, voiced the lead in Dead Head Fred.
Dead Nation
Top-Down Perfection
Dead Nation
- Released
- November 30, 2010
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Dead Nation is one of Housemarque’s downloadable games from the PS3 generation, way before they made anything huge like Returnal. It’s a top-down shooter featuring small maps packed with endless waves of zombies. The number of zombies makes the numbers in Dead Rising games seem low, or that could be because of how dense the maps are.
Either way, players can defend themselves with plenty of weapons, explosives, and power-ups, and there is even two-player co-op. It started as a PS3 game, but it was eventually ported to the PS Vita and PS4, making it accessible today.
Stubbs The Zombie In Rebel Without A Pulse
Be The Zombie
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
- Released
- October 18, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse was originally released as an Xbox exclusive in 2005, and it remained that way until the 2021 remaster, making the game more widely available. It takes place in the 1950s, although there is some future tech.
Players assume the role of Stubbs, who is a shambling zombie with a diverse set of powers beyond chomping on enemies like they are giant ears of corn. Players can fart to freeze enemies, use their arms to control them, throw their organs as explosives, and there are even some driving segments, all of which can liven up the gameplay.
Operation Darkness
Werewolves Vs Zombies
Operation Darkness
- Released
- October 11, 2007
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360
Operation Darkness is an underrated tactical RPG that was exclusive to the Xbox 360, and it is set during an alternate version of World War 2. Nazis have control of a zombie army and other creatures, while players are part of a werewolf brigade.
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During battle, players will move on a grid and target enemies with guns, bombs, and some powers. Operation Darkness is not the most amazing tactical RPG ever made, but the absurd premise is worth a look, and it’s a shame it is not backwards compatible on modern Xbox consoles.
Zombie Nation
Nothing But Head
Zombie Nation
- Released
- December 14, 1990
- Developer(s)
- Live Planning, KAZe Co., Ltd.
- Publisher(s)
- Meldac of Japan, Meldac of America Inc.
Zombie Nation is a bit misleading for a title, because the gameplay is not about fighting an endless horde of zombies on the NES. Instead, players are a flying zombie head that can target enemy aircraft and buildings to blow up.
It’s actually a reskin of a game in Japan called Abarenbou Tengu, which has a similar premise but with a floating tengu demon head instead. To call either version weird would be an understatement, but this was the 90s, when games on the NES were anything but normal.
D2
Trapped In Snow
D2
- Released
- December 23, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
D2 is not exactly a zombie game, as it was more about aliens infesting humans to become mutants, but it still features those zombie vibes of 90s horror games, complete with poorly delivered dialogue. It was released in 1999 for the Dreamcast in Japan, while North American players had to wait a year.
The game starts with a group crashing in the snowy mountains, and then players have to escape. The shooting and movement controls were fine enough, but the coolest feature of the game was the leveling-up system, which was an early example of a horror game having one.
Deep Fear
A Silly Sega Saturn Gem
Deep Fear
- Released
- June 30, 1998
- ESRB
- nr
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Deep Fear was only released in Japan and Europe for the Sega Saturn, making it one Resident Evil clone that was a bit harder to come by in the 90s. While the acting is cheesy, it did do some interesting things for the genre at the time.
Players could move and shoot instead of standing still like most horror games at the time, and there were more guns and ammo than in typical survival horror games, and in turn, enemies did more damage. The underwater setting was utilized effectively to create atmosphere, and there were even segments where players had to use a breathing device to navigate between areas.
Night Slashers
Brawling With The Undead
Night Slashers
- Released
- 1993
- ESRB
- e
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
Night Slashers is a rare treat for a zombie game because it’s an old-school beat ‘em up. Players can select several characters, each with different powers, and go through normal stages, fighting endless zombies along the way.
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The bosses are more elaborate, like a giant Frankenstein-like monster. It’s a relatively short game, and it’s also very accessible today thanks to a recent remaster called Night Slashers: Remake. If players want a quick and cheesy co-op game to play with three others over an afternoon, this is it.
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ
A Zombie Shoot ‘Em Up
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ
- Released
- October 31, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ is one of the most obscure DS horror games to ever be released, which was a budget title at the time. It’s a vertical shooter starring Red Riding Hood, who is absolutely armed to the teeth with weaponry.
Zombies will march toward the bottom, and players will have to defend their space as the screen scrolls upward. Between her design and the zombies, the game has a very cutesy vibe to it that works among all of the blood splatter.
The Last Guy
Save The World
The Last Guy
- Released
- August 28, 2008
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3
The Last Guy is a PS3-exclusive game that was made internally within Japan Studio, a Sony-based developer. Instead of focusing on fighting zombies in a top-down environment, the bigger task was to rescue as many citizens as possible in a level.
It was sort of like Pikmin, wherein players had to find citizens, gather them up, and then relocate them to save zones while avoiding zombies and other mutants. There aren’t many zombie experiences that are more like puzzle games, which made The Last Guy unique as a PS3 game, and it’s still unique now.
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