Zombie Revenge | 1999
Zombie Revenge is a fighting video game released in 1999 for arcade and Dreamcast. Players are tasked with eliminating zombies in an unnamed city using punches, kicks, and various weapons found along the way. Initially planned under the title Blood Bullet: The House of the Dead Side Story, it was later renamed Zombies Nightmare, and ultimately confirmed as Zombie Revenge.
This game is a spin-off of Sega's popular series The House of the Dead and includes various references to the original series. A port for the PlayStation 2 was planned and worked on by Acclaim Studios Teesside, but it was eventually canceled.
The secret government project U.D.S. (Undead Soldier) aimed to use the dead for military purposes but was shrouded in mystery due to an unknown entity. One year later, a city is overrun by zombies. Three elite AMS agents—Stick Brightling, Linda Rota, and Rikya Busujima—are dispatched to eliminate the zombies and track down the mysterious leader of the attack, Zed.
As they fight through the city, they confront Zed, who reveals that Stick's father was involved in the U.D.S. project. Zed seeks revenge for the loss of his parents due to the project and plans to spread a virus to turn all humanity into zombies, harboring a hatred for humankind. He aims to unleash a powerful force within himself, dubbed the "God of Destruction," to annihilate the remaining humans. Ultimately, the agents must defeat him to save humanity.
Players can engage in hand-to-hand combat, use firearms, and various weapons to fight zombies and bosses. Each player can choose one of the three characters, each with different attributes and fighting techniques. The Dreamcast version adds a battle mode for two players to engage in one-on-one combat.
As a spin-off, the game contains numerous references to the original The House of the Dead. Zombies maintain the same appearance and sounds as in the original, and all protagonists from both series are AMS agents. At the start of the game, Linda’s desktop features computer icons for Thomas Logan and G. The Curian Mansion, featured in the original, is included as a stage called The House of the Dead, with music from the first stage. The final boss, Black Magician Type 01, and the credit sequence also reflect elements from the original, looping back to the start.
The Dreamcast version received "mixed" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. Chris Charla from NextGen noted, "The graphics are great, the gameplay is decent, but it’s completely over in four hours. Go rent it from a video store." Famitsu from Japan rated it 32 out of 40.
Additionally, in Japan, the arcade version was reported on April 15, 1999, as the third most successful arcade game of that month.
One review from GamePro’s Four Eyed Dragon stated that if players didn’t feel enough fighting action from Dynamite Cop, Zombie Revenge is worth renting. Otherwise, the mindless hitting and kicking action could wear out any fighting game fan. Another review from Ankle Dust mentioned that the same console version boasts "fast-paced action and graphics that provide momentary mindless fun. However, due to the game’s limitations, annoying sounds, and controls, it remains recommended for rental rather than a must-have for action addicts."
