DESCRIPTION

This action-oriented take on campy "B" horror films puts players in the role of the title character, once a miserable, Great Depression-era traveling salesman who was murdered, unceremoniously buried in a field, and forgotten — until he was accidentally unearthed some 30 years later, and awoke to find himself with a nagging hunger for human brains. Now, the man once known as Edward Stubblefield walks the earth in undead form, causing mischief and terrorizing the living as Stubbs the Zombie.

The game is set in Punchbowl, Pennsylvania, a fictional, '50s-styled "City of the Future," where citizens have grown complacent with their flying cars, zero crime rates, robot servants, and other modern conveniences. Despite the efforts of local militia and riot cops, these citizens offer tempting meals to the hungry zombie. More than just the wrapping on a quick snack, however, people whose brains are eaten by Stubbs become his minions, and will mindlessly follow him and attack the living who cross his path.

Even with a hoard of zombie minions, however, the challenges of conquering Punchbowl sometimes require more than brute force, and Stubbs may need to make use of various special abilities to reach his goals. Among these is the power to detach his own hand, which can skitter about much faster than Stubbs can lurch, squeeze into spaces too small for a full-grown zombie, and even possess living characters and force them to do Stubbs' bidding. Other powers — such as Stubbs' super Zombie Strength, Gut Grenades, explosive Bowling Heads, and Unholy Flatulence — may also prove indispensable along the way.

Even with an ambulatory hand, disgusting super powers, and a horde of brain-eaten minions at his command, there's still plenty of tough human opposition in Punchbowl, so a co-op multiplayer mode allows a friend to join the undead crusade as Grubbs the Zombie (Stubbs' lesser-known companion, who coincidentally shares the hero's undead fate and repugnant abilities). Stubbs the Zombie is the first release from Wideload Games, a Chicago-based studio lead by Alexander Seropian and other former Bungie designers. Available for home computers and Xbox, it's among the first cross-platform releases from Mac-friendly publisher Asypr. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide