Zombies Blazing Onto PSN

Zombies have been pretty hot for the past few years, but between the recent release of Dead Space, the current zombie infestations in Azeroth and Liberty City, and the pending releases of Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil 5, it's never been hipper to have an insatiable, mindless craving for human brains. Developer doublesix is looking to capitalize on this zeitgeist with Burn Zombie Burn!, a dual-joystick shooter for the PlayStation Network.

The game claims much inspiration from American horror movies, with creative director Jim Mummery citing Braindead, Shaun of the Dead, the Evil Dead trilogy, Romero's Dead films, and Michael Jackson's Thriller video as examples in an interview with IGN. The title is fairly indicative of the gameplay as well. You'll be armed with baseball bats, chainsaws, lawnmowers, and the mysteriously named Brain Gun, but fire will act as your secondary weapon, which can be used to ward off encroaching zombies, or set them ablaze. While roasting the undead increases your score multiplier, it also makes them faster before their un-life comes to an end.

Having previously worked on Geometry Wars: Galaxies, doublesix certainly has some solid experience with the dual-joystick format. I have to say, for the volume of dual-joystick games that have cropped up on the various console download services over the past few years, it seems that a pretty slim percentage of them have actually been worth playing, so despite the flavor-enhancing powers of zombies, I'm keeping my optimism cautious for now. Burn Zombie Burn! is set to arrive on PSN near the end of January 2009. The official doublesix website also suggests that the game will be coming to the PC and other platforms at some point, but no further details were given.

PSN sure needs more good dual-analoge shooters, no sarcasim intended.

Zombies = win.

There are so many games that could be much better with just the inclusion of a few zombies.

Good. The PS3 has been lacking a zombie game with the exception of Dead Space.

Sweet! bring on the trumpets (zombies)

Sounds interesting.

You can put a zombie in Cooking mama or any other gay game and I would play it. Been a zombie fan since I was a kid.

But... I like turtles!

I do love me some zombies...

Funny that you should say "American horror movies," then mention the creative director of the game citing Braindead and Shaun of the Dead--neither of which are American...

there are only 2 good games on the PSN.. Ratchet and clank thingie and bionic commando rearmed.

I was going to make a list but instead I'm just going to say your mad.

Zombies are fun to pwn.

Magnus, that was actually the phrasing that the fellow from doublesix used. I agre it seems odd, though there's no question that both Braindead and Shaun of the Dead are themselves largely informed by American horror conventions.

Pixel Junk Zombie Smash?

Ryan, I wasn't shitting on your phrasing, for the record. Just making an observation. You're totally right about the flicks being informed by American horror movies, if in a lightly parodist manner.

And that's Magus my boy.