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" Genre: Action & Shooter / Video Game for Nintendo Wii / Suitable for 18 years and over / Release Date: 2009-02-13 / Published by Sega "
* Prices may differ from that shown
What a totally hilarious game this is. There's not a lot to it - shooting zombies, whether they are carni's or doctors or just simple members of the public, they all bleed the same. The action is quick fire and you need to have very quick reactions.
The main story line focuses on two 'cops' - both of which seem very angry about something (or life in general). After each amusing cut scene (totally over the top scenes, involving lots of swearing and anger and general 'B' movie style 'overacting' - which is what makes it hilarious), the player is transferred to first person shooter perspective, but the game moves on it's own, from one scene to another, where you have to unload. Your Wii cursor becomes a cross hair, and the 'A' button the trigger, shoot off the screen to reload, it's all pretty standard for this kind of game. Scenes vary from living rooms, to swamps, to A&E departments and many more. You won't easily get bored of this.
There are unlockables and extras to be had by shooting brains around the levels, and the variety of 'zombies' is quite wide ranging (from the fat bald chaps, to evil looking clowns). The weapons in particular are good fun to upgrade, meaning larger clips, quicker re-loading times and more firepower in general. Bigger guns mean easier (and bloodier) kills.
The Wii remote is quite accurate, though I would recommend anyone intending to buy this game, also buy some kind of gun accessorie to go with it. This makes the whole game more enjoyable, plus you feel a bit more of a 'man' pointing that at the screen than the ordinary wii remote.
One other thing that is great about this game is the two player option - really good fun with two of you going at it.
I would definitely NOT recommend this game for kids - there is a LOT of profanities involved (in fact, I think just about every other word spoken is an expletive - but that's the whole point!), not to mention the head/body/leg explosions as you open up with a shotgun, which clearly aren't suitable for under 18's.
I WOULD recommend it to any executive type who wants to get their office based, real life frustrations out in a nice, cheap manner that doesn't involve a prison term.
I first got this game about 3 years ago for the Wii and it was my first shooting game. The game uses the Wii remote and nunchuck and although it isn't completely necessary, a gun casing is preferable. I use a zapper gun which cost me £5. The game itself can be bought for about £10 online. The basic plot is that mutants have overrun the city and its surroundings and your job (as a detective) is to shoot them all in different locations around the city.
As a shooting novice I found this game really good as there is no seeking element. The game moves the angle and view for you so you just point and shoot (a bit like an arcade game). The characters are not moveable. This may, however, be a con for some people as it makes the game relatively simple and easy once you have mastered it.
The higher you score, the more money you receive which you can then spend on gun upgrades or new guns. This adds an incentive to score combos and accuracy.
Once you complete the game, you unlock the director's cut which gives you a reason to play again.
The storyline is weak to say the least. It is completely ridiculous and a bit messed up, but I believe (and hope) it is all in an ironic way along with the stereotypical characters.
The graphics are pretty poor - there isn't any element of reality or genius CGI.
It's a fairly short game to complete - 5 scenes each of which takes about 15 minutes to complete. Another bad point is that you can't save the game part way through a scene - it's all or nothing.
You can only play with two players. There is no option for more players to be added.
This game is a lot of fun to play with a friend. It hasn't got a lot of challenge or skill, but it can be exciting at times. The game allows you the feel of an arcade in your home rather than the usual shooting games. The storyline and script needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, but for the price I'd say it's a good addition to a wii games collection.
I have not played a house of the dead game since the old arcade versions. The old games had no real story line but were highly addictive and I spent large amounts of my pocket money trying to complete. I decided to get overkill for the Wii as a reminder of the old game. Not much has changed apart from the way it is to be played (a Wii or PS3 instead of a bulky arcade machine)
The game has not changed much is respect of story line. It is virtually non existent but you do not play a house of the dead game for the story line. It plays like a B movie, being deliberately tacky with some immensely tacky one liners, its kind of comparable to the films like Machete or Hobo with a Shotgun. The cut scenes are horrible but so enjoyable.
The graphics are not amazing. After reading some reviews I believe the graphics on the PS3 version are better than the Wii, but you must have the special remote to play they game, where as Wii you only need a normal remote. You play as agent G who has the responsibility of killing zombies and other odd creatures.
The game is set in first person and each level guides you through automatically, all you have to worry about is shooting the zombies, ending ultimately ends with a boss fight which are pretty easy. There are a decent amount of levels and some extras including survival mode which is quite fun. I highly recommend buying the plastic gun add on for you Wii remote. I picked one up from gamestation for £4.99 and it has made the game so much better. The remote clips in easily and the gun works well and is very responsive. Each level has some golden brains which you have to try and shoot to gain extra points which can add to replay value I suppose.
The game is an 18 rating which is fair enough as the language is quite colourful as is the levels of violence and gore.
To be honest this is a brief review and there is not a massive amount to say about this game. The game is very simple and appealed to me as it brought back memories of the original. I have only played it a handful of times. It is not one for hours upon hours of gameplay. It can be enjoyed with some friends on multiplayer but at the end of the day is designed to be a quick, fun and somewhat pointless game, but I cant help but find it entertaining. I purchased it for £12.99 from gamestation, second hand, but it was in the 2 for £20 deal so could technically be got for a tenner, and for that price I definitely recommend it.
I bought this game due to its cheap price expecting it to be a satisfactory shooter game to pass the time and to see what horror games were like on the Wii. Suprisingly, it exceeded my expectations even due to its low price, as the graphics were much better than expected, with many different scenarios and types of zombies to shoot with a humourous plot line.
The story starts off with Agent G (who you play as throughout single player mode) investigating Papa Ceasar and people going missing within a village, when doing this he meets Detective Washington who is out to seek revenge on Papa Ceasar. After the encounter, this leads them to facing multiple situations in which they encounter zombies, such as a house, science lab, circus and a prison.
Each level consists of shooting various zombies, with many different types included such as the fast crawling zombies who you must shoot as soon as you see them or you must use the Wii Remote fast to shake them off and some zombies in certain scenarios who will throw things at you and damage your health. At the end of each level you are also faced with a boss zombie, who will take longer to damage and can do certain things other zombies can't, such as bring in more zombies for you to kill or be able to teleport. In many of these boss levels, it requires you to shoot certain circles and then dodge attacks as they come towards you.
Aside from playing single player, you can also play as a pair or do the mini games which are equally as fun. I played this with my boyfriend who plays more difficult shooter games, and found this one to be as fun as one of them. However, maybe dont play with kids in the room if you don't want them to hear the continous swearing of Detective Washington! There are also many collectables to collect throughout the main game whether you play single or double, which adds great extra gameplay.
Overall, this is a good game for its price, with great variety of levels and zombie types. Having extras to collect throughout the game and being able to play with another person really makes this game worth it. Its easy to get the hand of and is a game you'll keep in your collection. With a funny plot and upgradeable guns, you'll enjoy playing through it.
Set 7 years before the events of House of the Dead the player follows Agent G of the AMS teamed up with Detective Isaac Washington hunting down a mad crime lord named Papa Caesar in a town full of mutant clowns, nurses, residents, obese green things, crazy wheelchair kid with hot sister...the kind of things you enjoy shooting.
Gone are the blockey polygons of the originals (creating the Star Wars paradox of the prequel films having the better graphics) instead we are met with the power the Wii can offer.
The style of the game is set up like a 60s 70s grindhouse experience with hilarious cut scenes involving ridiculous amounts of swearing, unheard of in Nintendo pre the dawn of the Wii (they've always maintained a family friendly aesthetic but since the rise of xbox and PS3 they had to change their ways).
This game is more about the relationship between G and Isaac rather than the storyline itself: two mismatched cops a la literally every cop film of the 1980s.
Their are some wonderful quirks in the game that were not in the others. You get paid after each chapter and the money can be spent on new weapons and upgrades going from pidley handgun to all out assault rifle.
Keeping in tune with the film feel, once the game is completed you unlock deleted scenes and a directors hut. The deleted scenes being unfinished chapters in the storyline, the director's cut being a harder version of the game that has to completed arcade style i.e. in one sitting.
Worth a play if you don't mind extreme swearing and gore.
I'd been looking forward to playing House of the Dead Overkill ever since a mate cane to work one day saying how brilliant it was. However, I'd never actually got around to ordering it as I'm generally too busy playing on my Xbox. That was until I saw it in gameplay.co.uk's January sale for just £9.98, I clicked the order button and a few days later the game arrived.
I'd played the old House of the Dead arcade games and was very much looking forward to firing the Wii up, and I must say I wasn't disappointed.
The game is presented in a grindhouse style and even the menu systems reflect this. You play as Agent G, an American government agent whose job it us to go around and shoot all manor of zombies, mutants and monsters. The graphics are pretty decent for the Wii (obviously they're not as good as the PS3 or Xbox 360, but they're certainly not bad for Nintendo's under-powered machine).
The game is played in 1st person view with just your crosshairs and your enemies visible on-screen. The simple aim of the game is to shoot anything that moves without dying. Levels last around 10-15 minutes and the better you do on each level, the more money you're rewarded with and the better gun you can buy for yourself.
It's a really fun first person shooter and in my opinion it's the 2nd best game that there is on the Wii after Resident Evil 4. However, there are one or two problems with the game...
For a start, it's way too short. There's only around 8 or 9 levels meaning that the game only takes a couple if hours to complete which us criminally short for a game in this day and age. There's also no replay value at all - the Wii doesn't have achievements or trophies and for me this made it a complete-once, then put on PlayTrade kind of game.
The constant swearing can get a little annoying too, especially when there really isn't any need for it.
However, these are only minor flaws in what is otherwise an excellent game.
You can get House of the Dead Overkill for around £10-£15 if you're lucky. My advice is to spend the same amount again on a gun for you Wii too, as it'll make the shooting a little more authentic.
For anyone out there who owns a Nintendo Wii who is looking to kill a couple of hours here and there and is looking for a mindless gory shoot-em-up,then this game is definitely for you.Basically,all this game entails is blowing zombies to pieces(and oh what fun!).You dont control your character,you just aim and shoot as you go through different levels.This may not sound very exciting,but believe me ,there is enough to occupy you shooting zombies without having to guide yourself through the levels.There are some super levels with the hospital and prison levels being my personal favourites.To get the best out of this game I would recommend buying the official House Of The Dead Overkill Hand Cannon although a cheaper Wii Light Blaster Gun also works very well.The only couple of negatives I can think of are the use of very explicit language.Although in a game of this nature you would expect some language,this is very crude.Also the game is over quite quickly.Overall,if this is your kind of game,you will get countless hours of fun and enjoyment from this game.Give it a go
Anyone who has played a 'House of the Dead' videogame, either in the arcade or on a home console, will have a preconceived idea of what to expect. However, 'House of the Dead: Overkill' on the Nintendo Wii brings a dramatically different feel to the franchise, with an attempt to replicate the look and feel of a 1970's zomsploitation movie. If this game was a film, it would be jointly directed by Quentin Tarantino and George A. Romero - firstly because of its sickening gore-fueled antics, and secondly because of its jive-talking dialogue which makes it a fitting Grindhouse parody. Let's get one thing out of the way, House of the Dead: Overkill (from here on in known as H.D.O) is an immensely gory game - in fact, It's one of the goriest there is. From the moment you pick up your virtual shooter, you'll be confronted with flying limbs, splattering guts, and more blood than you can possibly imagine. Continuing the non-PC theme, the title contains what is probably the worst language ever heard in a videogame with one of the main protagonists dropping 'the F-bomb' in every sentence - "motherF*****" this, and "motherf******" that... you have been warned! - it's not something you would expect on the normally family-friendly Nintendo console. Sick and twisted moments are aplenty - gamers will need to dispatch a range of hideous creations including a Steven Hawking-like mutant scientist (complete with computerised voice), and in a later scene witness a deranged lunatic crawling back into the womb of his dead mother - H.D.O really goes out of its way to be nasty, albeit with tongue firmly in cheek. It certainly isn't suitable for kids, and although there are probably thousands of children playing this game across the globe, it thoroughly deserves its 18 certificate.
OVERKILL / oh-ver-kill/n.
1. The capability to obliterate a target with more weapons than are required
2. Any excess of what is required or suitable as a result of zeal or misjudgment
The Plot Thickens...
The story revolves around Agent G, and Detective Isaac Washington - two law enforcers who are trying to get to the bottom of a mass zombie (or technically 'mutant') outbreak. Washington is the Samuel L. Jackson'esque foul-mouthed cop, whereas Agent G is the sunglasses wearing government official who rarely looses his cool. It's a typical buddy-movie set-up, albeit a buddy-movie featuring the undead and high levels of gore. Like the majority of other gun-based games, H.D.O fits into the genre of the 'on-rails shooter', meaning your character follows a set path throughout the game. It's your job to shoot the enemies that are put in your way, and you have no control over which path to take. Yes it's mindless blasting action, and yes, it does get a little repetitive by the end - but there's a definite appeal to obliterating zombies, especially as they're such nasty looking creations. The levels are fairly varied, and you start out by visiting the obligatory spooky mansion, complete with dodgy research facility buried deep in the basement. There's also quite a cool stage based on a train, which brought back memories of the classic 'Goldeneye' from many years ago. One of the creepiest passages of play has to be the part set in a fairground in the middle of nowhere - here you get to shoot the undead whilst traveling round at high speed on a ghost train!
Nintendo Nastiness
The game is split up into a series of sections which play out like scenes from a low budget B-movie. These scenes are headed off by an end-of-level boss, each with a different set of characteristics and powers. The bosses are really quite grotesque - yet however nasty they look, they are far too easy to dispatch, and certainly won't cause the seasoned gamer to break into a sweat. In fact, easiness is one of H.D.O's main faults, as the story mode can be done and dusted in under four hours which is nowhere near long enough. When the main game is completed, you can play through what is known as the 'Directors Cut' - an *almost* identical second run which is slightly more difficult. To be honest, the Directors Cut is also too easy, and far too similar to the main game to be worth including. Apart from the shortness, the game is made easier by the fact that the Wii remote isn't technically a lightgun - as aiming is done by guiding the onscreen cursor, rather than shooting by sight as you would have done with House of the Dead games in the past. Speaking of shooting, If you're not happy with the standard Magnum style blaster that you're issued with in the first level, you can decide to upgrade your 'piece' in a gun shop between missions. Although there aren't that many zombie-obliterators to chose from, the four or five selectable weapons each have their own set of pros and cons. The shotgun is probably the best of the bunch in terms of destructive force, although there are automatic weapons to choose from if accuracy isn't your thing. All the weapon upgrades make close range zombie blasting a shower of gore, and certainly very messy. If you don't fancy buying a new weapon, you can choose to upgrade the one you have by purchasing a larger clip, faster reload time, and less recoil.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, H.D.O is a mixed bag - the characters are surprisingly well rendered for the Wii, however, many of the backgrounds are low-res, jaggy, and muddy in appearance. The whole game is played behind an aged film filter which (in keeping with the 70's theme) replicates a crinkly old cinema reel. This works particularly well, and also helps to mask the Wii's technical limitations on the graphical front. Where H.D.O does excel is in its presentation, and the developers have gone all out to ensure a stylish looking retro experience. Disappointingly, many of the backgrounds aren't destructible, meaning that the majority of the objects you see scattered around the place can't be broken. Whereas the occasional window can be smashed, gunshots do little harm to the environments. The numerous zombies that you'll encounter are fairly varied in terms of their appearance (zombie doctors, nurses, clowns etc), but each one is heavily replicated, meaning that by the time the game is over, you'll have taken down each one at least 200 times. On the plus side, the in-game soundtrack is awesome with a selection of catchy funk-based numbers setting the tone beautifully.
Any Replay Value?
As well as the main story mode, there are three minigames to try entitled 'Stayin' Alive', 'Victim Support', and 'Money Shot II'. Stayin' Alive is basically a survival mode which challenges you to... well... stay alive for as long as possible (or until the time runs out), fighting against a constant wave of zombies who increase in toughness. Victim Support requires you to protect a group of civilians who are caught in amongst a zombie crowd - very tricky, and also quite frustrating. And finally Money Shot is a traditional carnival style shooting game with targets, requiring uber-accuracy for a high score. To be honest, none of the minigames are anything special and won't provide the game with a massive replay value. In terms of the multiplayer options, H.D.O is a good title to play alongside a friend, as two gamers can work side-by-side in co-operative mode. This is where the game is most fun, as you can compete with you partner to be the most accurate, get the most head shots, or simply kill the most zombies. All the starts are shown between levels, and you can save your high scores in an arcade style old-skool points list. The only downside in the two player mode is the fact that each player's gun sight graphic on the screen can get mixed up, and a better colour coding system may worked in the game's favour.
Final Word
Many reviewers have gone overboard in their praise for House of the Dead: Overkill, seeming overly impressed with the gore and extreme language, and frequently awarding it with 90%+ ratings. Whilst the game is undoubtedly fun, it's also very short, and offers no real variety in gameplay. Many years back I owned House of the Dead 2 on the Sega Dreamcast, and it was just as much fun, and almost matched this latest incarnation in terms of its graphics. Overall, H.D.O offers a mindless blast of exhilarating gameplay, but due to its linear nature, I would personally recommend it for rental only. That said, the game is currently being sold on Amazon for only £10.98, so if you want to check it out, now might be a good time to buy.
House of the Dead Overkill is one of many 'lightgun' games that have come out recently for the Nintendo Wii, reinvigorating and developing a genre that many thought died back in the 90s with Time Crisis and Virtua Cop. The motion sensing Wii remote means that there's no need for the extra peripherals that used to make these games so expensive and is a fine replacement for a conventional lightgun with the B button on the remote's underside acting as the trigger.
The game can be played in this way, with just the remote and a simple shake (or a press of A if your feeling less energetic) acting as a neat reload facility but the game feels a better fit with the Wii's Zapper which, like the plastic wheel that came packaged with Mario Kart is a plastic housing in the shape of a gun that you insert your remote and nunchuk into. The speaker on the Wii remote gives out a recoil sound effect as you cock your Zapper which is very satisfying and does a pretty good job of bringing the arcade feel home.
Of course, there's only so much an on-rails shooter can do and to separate it from the crowd developers Sega have taken a very distinct creative direction, adopting the grindhouse style that was popularized recently after the release of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. A genre that revels in ridiculous gore and over the top swearing and characterisation is unsurprisingly a fantastic match for a video game. The game doesn't hold back and in the shape of Isaac Washington we have perhaps the most offensive protagonist in a game ever whose non-stop swearing is a hilarious backdrop to the main feature that is shooting zombies in the face.
Unlike most other lightgun games, Sega have made a good fist of adding longevity to the game with the inclusion of good old high score tables and the introduction of a 'gun shop' which is basically an opportunity to increase your arsenal and upgrade your weapons and the currency for this is earned based on your performance in the games levels. The ability to upgrade is a welcome one but one that I can't help but feel has made the game a little bit too easy but these games haven't ever really been about overcoming difficulty but more about the experience and House of the Dead delivers here with an unashamed emphasis on presentation and atmosphere over the game's duration.
With the release of Dead Space: Extraction to compliment titles like Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Ghost Squad and House of the Dead 2&3, Overkill is part of a wave of great lightgun games housed on the Wii and is a great example for those who bemoan the Wii's lack of traditional games with this resurrection of a genre almost as old as gaming itself.
I love the House of the Dead games; they're fun, B-movie-esque throwbacks that aren't much deep, but are extremely fun and quite challenging. House of the Dead: Overkill, is the latest attempt to reinvigorate the franchise, by turning it into a Grindhouse-style shooter, with great success.
You play Agent G, an AMS agent who has been sent to Bayou City to investigate paranormal activity there. You (and if you're playing with a friend, with your teammate Isaac), have to shoot your way through various stages to survive the horror, and each stage is styled in the way of a different Grindhouse-type film. A lot of the gameplay is based on a merit system, such as attaining cash to upgrade weapons, and also such that if you die, it is your skill and point that will determine whether you are admitted another life.
What I really love about this game is the presentation; it is superbly styled, with pre-stage cutscenes being replete with a grainy picture and plenty of artefacts appearing all over the screen. Also, this appears regularly during the game yet isn't obtrusive like you might expect, although I did find the low frame rate at times a bit disappointing.. This tone is cemented by a glorious soundtrack that for the most part features songs reminiscent of 1970s explotation cinema, and is thoroughly tongue in cheek.
Overkill is one of the better light gun shooters in a long time; the Wiimote makes for a fine gun, and the clever Grindhouse-style tone was a great way to change up the conventions of the series. If you liked the other HOTD games, you have to add this to your collection.
House of The Dead: Overkill is a 2009 prequel to the Arcade series of the same name. It features the head-popping antics of House of The Dead's Agent G, and his incredibly cliche` no-nonsense black sidekick Isaac Washington, who uses the word "Motherf*cker" at any given opportunity. Its done in a very "Grindhouse" movie style, and the screen is crackly throughout with faulty film effects and missing reels in the story. This really takes the emphasis off the graphical models which are somewhat dated, but well-animated. There's not a massive amount of variation in enemies, and its a bit repetitive, with not much to break up the action, but this can definitely be expected of games of this format.
Like the other games in the series, its entirely on-rails, and features a lot of shakycam action, as you blast through hordes and hordes of zombies.The levels are long and all start with trailers akin to grindhouse movies. The plot is thin as ever with House of The Dead, and the characters are often incongruous with clunky dialogue and weird voice acting. There's a bit of mild charm to it, and there's clearly some influence of 1980s action cop movies.
The main problem with the game is that, unlike all of the other earlier games in the series, the game does not account for increase in difficulty during two-player mode. This means that even when you play on "Extra Mutants" mode or "Uncut" mode, its still far too easy when playing with a friend, especially when you pull out the big guns. Also, you get really confused as to which target reticule belongs to whom, which for me, vastly detracted from the gameplay. The reticule can be turned off, but only for Player 1, which only leads to more confusion. - Two player mode is ultimately flawed.
One very nice element, however, is that you amass points by shooting at trophies shaped like brains throughout the levels, and this, coupled with the points you get from headshots, combos and kills, can be spent between levels at the "Gun Shop" where you can buy pistols, submachineguns, rifles and shotguns and upgrade them quite extensively.
There's some unremarkable target-shooting, survival level minigames too, that aren't really anything special and don't add much.
The guns definitely give a visceral feel to the player. The sound effects are pretty great and the music is silly but dynamic and entertaining. It works best with Light-Gun peripherals for the best combat experience. Its a pretty good shooter on the Wii but they could've made it a lot better.
Supports 1-2 players.
Only requires WiiMotes.
The House Of The Dead : Overkill ( Nintendo Wii )
This game is a long waited return from the house of the dead franchise, the original house of the dead games are what we all probably remember for back in the arcades where you used to have great fun shooting zombies!
This newer version that has been created for the Nintendo Wii is more of the same which is great. The graphics are not great but there still very playable and Sega seems to have used this to there advantage and made the game quite cheesy and funny.
The aim of the game is simple, kill zombies and survive the level, your wii remote is what is used as a gun in this game and the game itself directs you around each level so all you have to do is point and shoot,
As you advance through the game different types of weapons become available to you from machine guns to shot guns etc and each has its own characteristics and can help you progress further.
The game is an absolute bargain now and you can pick it up for around £10 - £15 pound, its defiantly worth ago!!!
Caution though there are scenes of strong language in this game as well as gore !!!!
House of the Dead: Overkill is the latest offering from the well known first person zombie blaster series. It's an on rails shooter for one or two people with an outrageous story line that takes you to different locations filled with the freaky mutants so that you may find, stop and wreak revenge on the person that started it all.
Warning: This game is not for the faint of heart. As the 18 rating shows, it's not only full of blood and gore, but excessive amounts of swearing, and some moments that I can only describe as really gross (I'd give examples but it would completely ruin the storyline). Yet, somehow it doesn't really offend. Overkill has a great, jokey sense of humour about it and the whole game is set in a B movie style, with each level having a name such as "Papa's House of Pain" and comes complete with a trailer-esque voiceover at the beginning. There are even deliberate mistakes in the cut scenes!
Shooting the zombies and defeating the bosses is satisfying, but the game isn't too much of a challenge, especially once you've upgraded your weapon to something like a shotgun or an assault rifle. However, there is an option to add extra mutants to levels to increase difficulty, which will also help you earn more money. Overkill is also incredibly short even with replay value added. It only took me a few hours to complete story mode. This opened up "directors cut" to me, which basically made the levels a bit longer, but again I easily completed it. For those who like to fully complete a game, there are certain challenges, which once completed will open up extra content, but the majority of this is art and 3D models. Not that exciting.
All that said, despite it's brevity Overkill is certainly an entertaining game, that's well worth a look. You can pick it up really cheap right now, so grab a friend (the experience is great shared) and get blasting!
I'm not one for shooting games, but my partner was insistent on getting a game which would offer 2 player mode but also involve lots of shooting. We eventually got this game and set it up all ready to play.
Story mode can be played as either one or two player with one or two weapons. It's all first person shooting, where the movements are controlled by the computer. I found it pretty frustrating as you couldn't look around the rooms, you had no idea where you were going, and what exactly was happening.
There are the crosshairs onscreen which turned red when there is something to shoot which was quite helpful.
You can build up points by getting headshots, shooting the bonus pick-up "brains", saving civilians and getting several kills without missing shots. If you die with-in gameplay, you can "spend" some points to rejoin the game.
At the end of the game you're then given a score based on the number of kills made, bonus points, number of times you've died etc.
You earn cash at the end of each level, and you can use that to "buy" new guns and upgrade existing guns.
Once you've completed story mode you get to play Directors Cut which is pretty much the same as story mode but you get to limited continues, random mini-games and tougher enemies.
If you're looking for a game that doesn't need lots of thinking and you just want to shoot, then this is definitely the game for you. The dialogue between the characters in two player mode can be quite entertaining at times, although it's weirdly terrible, you still find yourself wanting to play it. It's ok, entertaining and got a decent amount of gore for those of you who like that kind of thing. It is literally an arcade game in your home.
The House of the Dead is the original Zombie shoot 'em up arcade classic produced by Sega back in the day. With Sega jumping in to bed with Nintendo the House of The Dead game is now available in all its glory for Wii users to exploit.
AMS Special Agent G (i.e. you the gamer) is forced to join forces with Issac Washington, a loud mouthed, brash detective. Together the new 'dynamic duo' work their way through Bayou City in the quest to destroy the zombies and defeat Papa Ceasar, the crime lord behind the zombie infestation.
The controls are simple and involve the Wii remote (which can be clipped in to a light gun or the Wii zapper if you have one), and nun-chuck. The remote, with its point and shoot action, is basically the gun and the nun-chuck is used to switch between different weapons as they become available.
****Game play****
This is a first person shooter, i.e. you are inside the character walking around, and as such all you see are the environments and zombies. There is the all important cross hair sight, to assist you with aiming, constantly on the screen which turns red when you lock on target.
Like the arcade versions of the game you do not control the movements of your character as this is done by the computer. You have no input on the direction you go and other than quick glimpses of other floors or basements etc. You have no idea where you're going. The only thing the player has control of is the aiming and firing of the weapon. With the player needing to concentrate on aiming and shooting zombies the action soon gets very fast and furious and the zombies just seem to keep coming and coming with little time for the player to step back and gain composure. With this amount of action having to move your character as well as shooting the zombies would be a massive task that would require some practice. Personally, I think this would reduce the appeal of this game as it would take too long to get good at and many would give up. We all like a challenge but I think this would be too much and would only appeal to the hard core gamers, of which I am not.
I agree this limited game play is quite dated but then given the genre of this game I think it is excusable, besides to change it would be sacrilege as House of the Dead is such a classic. Leaving the movement to the computer keeps the game flowing at a fast pace and stops the player wasting time going down alleys and passages already searched or getting 'lost'. It keeps the action coming thick and fast, which I consider to be a good thing.
This is one gory game that contains graphic images of zombies with severed limbs and deformed faces and heads covered in blood, which increases with every hit. The zombies take multiple shots (the exact number of which varies depending on whether they are body shots or head shots) and with each bullet there is more blood. This game will have limited appeal and is definitely not for young children, as indicated by the 18 certificate.
There are multiple modes for this game including the original story mode and . Whilst this does add to the longetivity of this game and will provide a few hours of entertainment, I do question the replay value of this game and once both modes are completed this will be a game that will be left on the shelf to collect dust.
I suppose there are those gamers who will complete the game again trying to use less lives, trying to achieve a higher score, trying to increase accuracy or the number of head shots and the like, but with the repetitive nature and the fact that you will already know what's coming I don't think there this game will have the same appeal the second time around.
Many seem to slate the graphics by stating they are poor and dated. Personally, I don't think they are poor. The zombies are 3 dimensional polygon rendered characters with distinguishing features. I admit that there is not much variety in the types of zombies, and that all of those of the same type behave and move in exactly the same way but just how many types of zombies can a team actually dream up? I know I would be struggling with coming up with more than a handful so I think this repetition is acceptable, besides you don't get much time to actually sit there and analyse the looks, features and characteristics of each zombie, not if you want to survive and progress through the game.
Whilst the environments are dark they are perfectly detailed and very well thought out complements to the overall theme of the game.
For those of you who remember the 'House of the Dead' in the arcade that was popular back in the day you will soon see that this game is very, very similar. In fact, I would say it's almost an exact replica, so I suppose you could argue that the graphics are dated. But is that such a bad thing? After all, to change anything would ruin this iconic game, in my opinion.
Overall I am impressed with this game's audio. The sound effects are great and you will frequently hear the grunts and groans of the zombies as they crash through windows or fall down the fireplace or simply appear from a passage way. The noise made by the zombies are usually the first warning you get that you are about to be attacked so this is a game where you need the audio.
There are times during the game where there is dialogue between you and your partner. This is totally computer generated and as a player you have no input in what is said. The dialogue is weak and involves your partner asking you questions or shouting some advice but it does add to the tension and adds 'something' to the game.
The language in this game is foul and there are frequent uses of the 'F' word, so if you are not keen on profanities this is not the game for you. I agree there are times when foul language emphasises the mood which can be beneficial, although I don't think this is the case with this game. Personally, I think the foul language is totally un-necessary even with the games' 18 certificate.
****Multi player****
There is an option whereby you can team up with a mate on a two person co-op mission and go hunting for the crime lord together. A second player can enter the mission at any time, so you don't have to finish a level or section before your best mate can join in on the action.
A double in the number of players leads to double the weapons and double the amount of ammunition, but the same number of zombies, therefore the difficulty dramatically decreases in two player mode.
****Price and availability****
House of the Dead Overkill is available in normal and special edition versions. Having only played the normal version I am unable to comment on what makes the special edition different. I managed to get my copy of this game for £6.99 new from an Amazon store (I forget which one as I just one-clicked on the cheapest during a drunken shopping spree) but at the time of writing the normal edition of this game can be bought for as little as £10.25 (excluding P&P) from Amazon and as much as £19.59 (excluding P&P) from Argos.
The special edition appears to be sold out at most online retailers although the price looks to be around £19.99 (excluding P&P).
If you are looking at getting a copy of this game then you should have no problems in finding a normal version, although the special edition may prove to be a bit more problematic.
This is one scary game, it's not quite as spine chilling or disturbing as Dementium The Ward, but I found myself being spooked (maybe startled is a better word?) on many occasions. Traversing through the dark environments with the Wii zapper at the ready you will find several different zombies appear out the shadows from nowhere. Add this to the eerie sound track and dark sound effects and you are likely to find yourself submersed in a horrible nightmare.
I appreciate this game is not for everyone but if you want to kick it back old skool playing a fast and furious game with lots of blood and gore, and revisit those hours spent blasting zombies in the arcade this game may be just what you're after, although I doubt you will be playing it for long. This is a pure out and out shoot 'em up that requires no strategy or thought and the only skills requires are quick reflexes and an even quicker trigger finger.
Lock 'n' load, Wiki owners - the daddy of zombie shooters is coming to your console! Released early next year, The House Of The Dead: Overkill is aimed at gamers with an ironclad stomach, dead-eye rifle skills and a suspect taste for blood.


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Evolution Hoax
Georgetown University of Washington announced Sarah Joseph (39), CEO and Editor of Emel -the Muslim lifestyle magazine in United Kingdom, was named as one of 500 most influential Muslims of the world.
Sarah Joseph grew up in a Catholic family and studied Theology and Religious Studies at King's College in London. At the age of 16, she converted to Islam. She expresses her conversion as follows:
"My family comes from a diverse Christian background and tradition. We always had faith in Allah and Christianity was the only way for me to express my faith. I even thought of becoming a nun to serve at a Church. Then I started to study Islam and I learned that in Islam that not only did they worship Allah, but they also revered and respected all of the prophets also All Muslims believe that Mary (pbuh) gave birth to Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and he is one of the prophets of Allah. I was really impressed by Muslims at that time but had not decided to convert to Islam yet. So, I started to pray to Allah. Over time I realized that Islam means surrender oneself to Allah and that is exactly what I wanted. I do care about what Islam says about Prophet Adam (pbuh) and Eve and how salvation will come true and who Prophet Jesus is. Christianity is in harmony with Islam but of course there are differences and these differences made me more curious and interested about Islam. It was tough for my family to accept my decision as I was only sixteen years old. I told them I would choose my Lord, Allah, if they had forced me to make a choice, however they finally approved of my conversion.
Every day Islam influences all of us and consequently all of civilization. We express this view in Emel Magazine. We always give place to the success of women. It is not enough to explain the rights of the women in Islam but we should also live by these rights and contribute to our society. Muslim men should follow the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) as a role model. Our Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) always gave women freedom and behaved in a kind and in a polite manner with them."

subset: commoncrawl


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For the last two years I've been researching and creating by hand a limited edition artists' book based on the printers who worked aboard Titanic. The book has been printed letterpress which was printing technology utilised by these printers in 1912. Only 36 copies have been made. Foreword by renowned Irish author Colm Tóibín. Pre-launch copies of the book are available to purchase now.
I've been keeping a blog which gives an insight into the book's production. http://titanicletterpress.blogspot.com/
I hope people get a kick out of the blog.
I've enjoyed the journey so far!