If you grew up with a Super Nintendo, chances are you’ve either played or at least heard of Zombies Ate My Neighbors—that gloriously chaotic, top-down shooter that felt like a Saturday morning cartoon… if the cartoon was made entirely of B-movie horror tropes and panic.
Video Review
Released in 1993 by LucasArts, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is one of those games people remember fondly, but also vaguely recall as being absolutely brutal. So today, let’s revisit it and answer the real question:
Does it still hold up, or is nostalgia doing all the heavy lifting?
First Impressions & Concept
Right away, Zombies Ate My Neighbors nails its identity.
You play as either Zeke or Julie, two teens armed with water guns, soda cans, lawnmowers, and whatever else they can find—all while trying to rescue helpless neighbors from waves of monsters.
Zombies, obviously… but also chainsaw maniacs, giant ants, vampires, werewolves, mummies, pod people, dolls, and even Martians.
It’s basically every low-budget horror movie idea thrown into a blender—and somehow, it works.
The tone is goofy, fast-paced, and intentionally ridiculous. You’re not here for deep lore. You’re here to save cheerleaders from zombies while throwing plates at a Frankenstein.
Gameplay
At its core, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a top-down run-and-gun action game.
Each level drops you into a maze-like suburb, mall, pyramid, or castle, and your goal is simple:
Save all the neighbors.
Sounds easy. It absolutely is not.
Enemies constantly spawn, ammo is limited, and one wrong turn can mean a neighbor gets eaten in seconds. The controls are tight and responsive, which is crucial because the game is fast and unforgiving.
Weapons are one of the highlights:
- Water guns for zombies
- Soda cans for range
- Bazookas for crowd control
- Weed whackers, lawnmowers, and even ancient artifacts
Experimenting with weapons is half the fun—and half the stress when you realize you’ve wasted your last decent one.
Difficulty (a.k.a. Pain)
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
This game is hard.
Not “modern indie hard.”
Not “you’ll learn with practice” hard.
But classic SNES rental-era hard.
Ammo scarcity, blind corners, instant neighbor deaths, and limited continues mean the game does not care about your feelings. Losing a single neighbor can end a level, forcing you to restart and replay areas again and again.
That said… it’s fair hard. Most deaths are your fault. With memorization, smarter weapon use, and patience, you can absolutely improve.
But make no mistake—this is a game that expects commitment.
Co-Op Mode
And this is where Zombies Ate My Neighbors truly shines.
Two-player co-op turns the game from frustrating to fantastic.
Working together to cover angles, share weapons, and save neighbors adds a layer of strategy and chaos that single-player just can’t match. It’s one of those rare SNES games where co-op doesn’t feel tacked on—it feels essential.
If you’ve never played this game with a friend on the couch, you honestly haven’t experienced it the best way.
Presentation & Sound
Visually, the game still looks great.
The sprites are colorful, expressive, and packed with personality. Enemies have clear silhouettes, animations are smooth, and the environments are varied enough to stay interesting over its many levels.
The music is iconic—bouncy, spooky, and instantly recognizable.
It perfectly balances tension with comedy, and the sound effects—zombie moans, screams, weapon noises—are burned into the brains of anyone who played this as a kid.
Does It Hold Up?
So… does Zombies Ate My Neighbors still hold up today?
Yes—but with a warning.
If you enjoy:
- Retro challenge
- Arcade-style design
- Couch co-op
- Games that don’t hold your hand
Then this is still an absolute classic.
If you prefer:
- Checkpoints
- Generous ammo
- Modern difficulty balancing
You might bounce off it pretty hard.
But even then, its creativity, humor, and sheer personality make it worth experiencing at least once.
Final Verdict
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is messy, difficult, hilarious, and unforgettable.
It’s a time capsule of an era where games were bold, weird, and unapologetically tough—and somehow, it still manages to feel fresh today.
If you’ve never played it, grab a friend.
If you have played it, you already hear the music in your head.
And remember…
Save your neighbors. They won’t save themselves.
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