Published by:
Destineer
Developed by:
EnjoyUp
Release Date:
November 6, 2008
Available only on:
Nintendo
DS
INTRO: I
was wondering what game I should review for the newest review. I was
thinking maybe Killzone 2 but it isn’t really horror related and
on top of that, it’s just a game that’s guaranteed to be awesome. So I
turned to my Nintendo DS, the greatest little handheld system and remembered
a game I’d picked up awhile back. And here we are, with Little Red Riding
Hood’s Zombie BBQ, which may just be the best video game name ever. Read on
to find out whether or not you should pick it up on the way to Grandma’s
house.
GAMEPLAY:
There is pretty much no premise to
this game at all. It’s very much Little Red Riding Hood meeting Zombies and
it’s up to you to kill them all. You play on the bottom screen, as this one
is sort of a top-down shooter with enemies pouring in as you ‘walk’ up the
road (the top of which is on the top screen). You (Red or Momotaro, a
throwing star shooting ninja you can pick) will be ripping up the bad guys
like no one’s business.
It’s a simple premise and its cool- it
works. I like the fairytale motif and the nasty spin they put on things. Many
fairy tale creatures become bosses here and that’s the fun stuff- seeing
characters like Pinocchio, Hansel and Gretel and even Saint Nick himself as evil
nasty bosses is really cool and adds to the enjoyment of the game. It’s bizarre
and it works. It’s also pretty friggin’ hard. The game
plays like an arcade-style one and the bosses will likely kill you pretty often
and you will get frustrated because you often start at the beginning of the
level all over again.
The controls are fun and easy- you touch
to shoot and reload by letting go. You can duck (which is admittedly a little
wonky at times) as a last ditch effort, knife when dudes get close and pick up
lots of powerups to slay your foes. If you aren’t a shoot-em-up
fan I’m not sure you’ll love this game because it gets repetitive and
frustrating, as tons of bad guys can overwhelm you at almost any given time.
Bust crates, shoot early, shoot often and you’ll persevere.
Gameplay: 7/10
GRAPHICS:
The visual style here is
great, although it doesn’t push the boundaries or anything. The play field
is in 3d while the enemies are in 2d. I love the big, bright and goofy
enemies and the boss characters are very detailed. The only gripe here is
that in later levels when there are lots of dudes on the screen you will
suffer some serious slowdown.
Graphics: 7/10
AUDIO:
Audio isn’t the DS’
strongest feature but this game isn’t an aural masterpiece anyway. The music
is tinny and repetitive and the zombies sound alright. The voice acting is
goofy but none of this hurts the game all that much.
Audio: 6/10
FINAL VERDICT:
Little Red Riding Hood’s
Zombie BBQ is a great game with a great name. Is it for everyone? I don’t
think so, but I am hoping to turn a few die-hard zombie lovers on to this
little gem of a shooter. It’s hard, it’s weird, and it’s old-school and has
lots of blood and guts. What more could you ask for in a portable title?
Final Score:
7.5/10
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed