I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1 Review

So, funny story. I was stuck on trying to figure out what to do for April Fools’. I didn’t want to review the sequel to my crappy RPG Maker game (I might do that next year), and I didn’t want to do another fake leak because death threats aren’t funny. So, one night, I was listening to some music on YouTube, going through my tastes over the years when I remembered this one song I used to listen to consistently.

It doesn't cost a dollar anymore...

It was about a guy… who made a game… with zombies in it.

I never actually played the game myself despite owning an Xbox 360, but I did enjoy the song, so I put it on my playlist and went back to listening to more music. Fast forward a week later, still stuck on my April Fools’ article while reviewing another game that just crashed on me, I decided to do some window shopping on Steam for at least some inspiration. As I was scrolling through, my mind went back to that song.

I don't know what made me search it up, but I decided to see if the game had been ported to Steam. And lo and freaking behold, it was there, released on the 12th of November 2021, and it was free along with the soundtrack… which was one song.

…

Apparently it was made using XNA.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1

A twin-stick shooter developed by Ska Studios, this classic Xbox Live Arcade game was ported to PC back in 2021. So… let’s check it out and how a game from 2009 stacks up in 2024.

The game is simple: There are tons of enemies to shoot, and zombies are part of the horde. Shoot ‘em with various power-ups until the song (which is 13:37 long, nice) ends. There is nothing else that needs to be said here. Surprisingly, the controls work really well here. It feels good to shoot enemies, and the song actually changes the enemies and people you fight. It all feels good, from the shotguns and flamethrowers to the beams and laser shuriken.

And let me talk about that song because this is finally an excuse to talk about my music tastes. While the main developer, James Silva, doesn’t have a conventional singing voice, the music makes it work. You can’t help but bang your head to it as you play. Hell, I’m listening to it right now as I’m writing this! I also just discovered that he went on to make Salt and Sanctuary and Salt and Sacrifice. That’s uh… that feels like a jump, although he also made Charlie Murder, which explains the metal. I want to check it out as well at some point.

Xbox Live Arcade was a mixed bag, full of great games and... weirdly sexual asset flips.

And… that’s all I really have to say here. It’s a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome and it makes you want to replay it, either for high scores or for playing with your friends. It calls to a more exciting time in games where indies began to really shine and you could get an amazing experience for a dollar (as it says in the song). In a day and age where it feels like the gaming industry is suffering from so much, from mass layoffs to very terrible practices, sometimes it’s necessary to look back at the past and just enjoy something that was clearly made just for the hell of it. And hey, there’s always the indie scene there to reiterate what already works or innovate in new, unexpected ways.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1 is free on Steam right now. Go pick it up; you won’t regret it.