Soon after downloading Burn, Zombie, Burn and booting up the game for some zombie destruction, my roommate enters the room and poses a simple question. “Is this a new Zombies Ate My Neighbors?”

Understanding that he games nearly as much as I do, I simply told him, “No, this is Burn, Zombie, Burn.”

But the question loomed in my head while playing the new PSN game; is this really a new interpretation of one of my favorite 16-bit games?

Both Zombies Ate My Neighbors (aka ZAMN) and Burn, Zombie, Burn (aka BZB) offer addictingly fun, arcade-style, zombie-killing action. But what separates these two games?

Besides the obvious 16 years between the games’ releases, which one offers the best overall experience?

Pump up your squirt guns and light your torches as I get to the bottom of this pressing issue.

Gameplay 

BZB pits you into one of six environments and three modes of play.

Free play has you killing zombies to rack up an insane number of points, timed mode has you doing the same but with a time limit (which facilitates the need for time power-ups to extend how long you play), and a defense mode where the game’s character Bruce (based an a real-life Bruce we probably all know) protects his girlfriend, Daisy, who is in the middle of each level in a convertible.

A challenge mode is also included where players must complete one of ten challenges that hand you an exploding zombie head or a mid-level zombie zapper.

Split-screen Co-Op is also available (no online… shucks) where Bruno joins the good fight and points are shared.

The number of burning zombies on screen increase your point modifier and is absolutely the name of the game.

ZAMN is a bit more straightforward. Work your way through each level and save as many neighbors as you can to get to the next level. With a total of 55 (yes, 55!) levels and difficult bosses, this game is a challenge to beat without a continue.

Same Screen Co-Op (no online of the 16-bit systems, sorry) playing as either Zeke or Julia is available as well.

The game has a B-rate horror vibe the whole way and pokes fun at movies like <em>Jason</em>, or <em>Creatures from the Black Lagoon</em>, ZAMN with never cease to amaze.

Winner: ZAMN. Braving 55 levels of horror as a kid wearing 3D glasses to save the lives of neighbors who are probably assholes anyway speaks for itself.

Enemies 

BZB has players executing zombies, zombies, and more zombies. You have dancing zombies in tutus, chargers in football helmets, exploding zombies, and one giant zombie called a flamer that can only be down by explosions, among other slightly changing variations.

ZAMN has zombies, werewolves, martians, giant babies, huge spiders, lagoon creatures, giant ants, mushroom men, deranged dolls, dopplegangers and more.

Winner: ZAMN. With so many different obstacles to rescuing all the neighbors, it is hard not to pick ZAMN. The Dancers in BZB are a pretty funny sight to see, though.

Weapons 

Both games offer the use of a primary weapon and a secondary item that can be used at a time.

BZB hands you more practical weapons such as uzis, gatling guns, shotguns, chainsaw, and baseball bats to dispose of all the decaying flesh.

Additionally, there are quirky weapons such as brain guns that attract zombies in an area or a dance ray that if fired on zombies makes them start boogying to the tune of “Thriller,” making them easy fodder for your shotgun or explosives.

Baseball bats and lawnmowers also supply entertaining methods of destruction.

ZAMN offers a more zany variety of weapons, starting you off which a squirt gun that downs the basic zombies in one hit. On top of that, there are plates, silverware (use this on werewolves for a one hit KO), popsicles, weed whackers, bazookas, tomatoes, and soda pop bombs. Ridiculously Delicious.

There are also a variety of items that help you along your way such as a blow-up clown that attracts baddies or potions that make you invincible or transform you into a giant wall-smashing mutant.

Winner: Tie. Both offer wide varieties of weaponry for maximum zombie disposal. BZB’s weapons would be more of the type I would want when confronted by a zombie invasion, while the sheer craziness of ZAMN proves that when there are zombies at your doorstep, you will use anything to rid your world of them.

Overall 

As you probably surmise from the start, BZB was never going to beat out ZAMN as a better game. But that is not to say that BZB is not an incredibly fun game that will have you coming back for more and more zombie slaying action.

Even more interesting may be future comparisons to the recently revealed Zombie Apocalypse (should release Summer ‘09, we shall see) that seems to follow the same gameplay ideas as BZB.

But until then, fire up the Sega or SNES and make sure you have plenty of water in your squirt gun.