KATEY! Bring me my drill bucket!
Fuck! Killing zombies with a broadsword is fun! And Dead Rising 2: Case Zero has NO shortage of that. Just like in Dead Rising, killing zombies with various weapons, both useful and hilarious, is really the crux of this game. From the aforementioned broadsword to the donkey lamp, all the weapons here feel great, and have their own "charm". Plus, in DR2: CZ you can combine different items together to form absurdly awesome new weapons. Got a power drill and a metal bucket? You've got a drill bucket. Place one atop a zombie's head and watch the blood fly. Or how about a can of spray paint and a road pylon? Well, point that sucker at a zombie and watch it's head pop.
I have heard mixed things about Dead Rising 2: Case Zero's story. While there isn't much narrative here at all, what is there I found to be well done. The father/daughter happenings between Chuck Greene and Katey are believable and somewhat touching. There is even a moment where you have the option to possibly sacrifice your zombie-bitten daughter to help another. The first time through the game this decision had impact, but on subsequent playthroughs I learned to save everyone. That being said, are you really playing a Dead Rising game for the narrative?
Speaking of playthroughs, this game is not meant to be played once. In order to really get everything out of it, you should playthrough it several times. Fortunately, the combat is so much fun that it never felt like poor game design to make you start over to get all the content. It is very intentional, and very fun. All in all, for $5, this is a VERY satisfying taste of the ridiculousness to come, and got me very pumped for DR2.
P.S. CHECKPOINTS!