A classic run-and-gun video game known as Zombies Ate My Neighbors was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993 and graced the world with its zaniness. The game had one or two players battle their way through hordes of zombies, werewolves, mummies, killer dolls, blobs, aliens, chainsaw maniacs, and much more. The evil Dr. Tongue unleashed a monster army upon the world and it’s up to two teens armed with water guns, soda cans, footballs, silverware, fire extinguishers, and an arsenal of other goofy weapons to take them all down and save their neighbors. 

Zombies Ate My Neighbors was rather well-received. It was not an immediate financial success, but it was quickly loved by both critics and fans. It did gain more success after its initial release and even spawned a sequel with Ghoul Patrol. Ghoul Patrol had Zeke and Julie, the two playable characters from Zombies Ate My Neighbors, fighting monsters in a museum’s horror exhibit that came to life. Fans and critics didn’t take to Ghoul Patrol quite as much, though. It wasn’t considered to be terrible, per se, but it was widely agreed that it wasn’t as great as the original game.

After Ghoul Patrol released, that was basically it for the franchise until both games were ported to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and XBox One. There’s been no other sequels and no remasters. There’s been very little official merchandise. It just sort of dwindled into obscurity. 

However, the cult following for the game has only grown over time. That’s because Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a genuinely fantastic and unique game. The various weaponry and enemy types add a lot of diversity to the gameplay. The objective being to rescue a number of neighbors rather than either reaching the end of a level or defeating every enemy made it stand out from other games. The artwork is insanely creative. There’s a niche sense of humor used throughout the game. It all works together to create a memorable co-op experience.

It’s something that deserved to become a bigger franchise, and it’s a bummer that it didn’t. There’s definitely room in the gaming world for a unique comedy-horror run-and-gun shooter focused on co-op and filled with wacky monsters. Each game could cover a different paranormal threat for Zeke and Julie to fight.

If it took off more as a video game series, then there could be the potential for the franchise to expand into other media. More games, a movie and/or a TV series, more official merchandise, and maybe even a comic book series would all have led to more fan celebration than ever. Zombies Ate My Neighbors is an especially great game; it just needed more love from both fans and the developers to keep it going as a series.

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