On September 18, 2009, Appy Entertainment Inc released the latest version of "Zombie Pizza" a fun puzzle game which is not recommended to people who get sick really fast. However, even if this game is somewhat disgusting, it is by far the most "normal" zombie game found, making it child "friendly", and extremely fun for adults. You can find "Zombie Pizza" on App Store under the Games category, with the latest version, 1.1, for $0.99 price tag. "Zombie Pizza" is compatible with both second and third generation operating system for the iPhone mobile platform. The user interface is really nice, wit graphic details, well designed and offers an overall good feeling to the user. The story line is not really a story, but more of information, zombies enjoy eating brains, but they love pizza.
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Therefore your game goal is to survive your night shift with all the zombies out there, by creating new pizza and making the special orders you will get. The game play is quite nice, it involves time, score and good managing skills (yes you do need managing skills when you make pizza for zombie, don't let your boss tell you otherwise). So, you get to make money, win medals, make great score, and include your entry score into the online database. While feeding your zombie customers remember to make it fast, since, you know, they have temper, with the zombie rage meter always going up and never down. If the zombie rage meter reaches the top, you're done; you will become the next zombie meal. Also in the "story" line is included the chef, which is teaching you how to make everything by the book, recipe book that is.

The Chef Zomboni was beaten, and in four weeks time he will become a zombie. Therefore, he is teaching you how to treat the zombies so that he will transform assured that he will eat pizza for the rest of his eternity (or at least until you get into trouble). Other games, such as tower defense games include weapons and weapons upgrade, "Zombie Pizza" includes ingredient, more and more disgusting ingredients such as hearts, guts, bones, eyeballs and other yummy ingredients for the zombies.

The graphics are nice, since where talking about a puzzle game you will not get any graphics animation sequence, but even so the graphics are nice. The sound effects really complete the game experience especially because it allows the user to turn them off and listen to his or hers playlists.

The controls are intuitive and work properly offering a nice feedback. This game is really fun to play, with a simple, yet captivating, mission. "Zombie Pizza" is one of the scariest puzzle games on the App Store, making it even more desirable. For only $0.99 you are going to get an extremely good game, which will provide you a great game experience.

I don't know how to explain it right, but I feel the gaming world needs to return to its roots. What do I want to say with that? Ideas, ideas, ideas! First of all, a game needs a good idea, then a good execution, always keeping in mind that graphics and sound are a support for the story, not the other way around. Today, we'll talk about a game that managed to give me a bunch of headaches so far, simply because my feelings about it are extremely mixed up: Left 4 Dead, PC version.

Currently available for PC and Xbox 360, Left 4 Dead is a zombie shooter that made me sometimes feel like in a horror movie, and only after a few seconds I felt like the gunner of a tank hunting ducks, if you know what I mean. Just for the record, I played through the single player campaign on "Normal" difficulty mode and that's exactly how I felt, so serious FPS players won't find any special challenge in this game, as far as I can figure out.

The story of the game... well, that is the problem - we have no story, only four playable human characters without any special skills to make one different from the other - Francis (voiced by Vince Valenzuela), a tattoo-covered biker; Zoey (voiced by Jen Taylor), a college student and horror movie enthusiast; Louis (voiced by Earl Alexander), a Junior Systems Analyst in his company's IT department; and Bill (voiced by Jim French), a former Green Beret and a Vietnam veteran.

One of the good parts is that we have extremely decent Left 4 Dead minimum requirements, and if you consider how good can this game look with all graphics settings pushed to the max, this is one good reason to try it, especially since you like to shoot first, and ask no questions later.

As I was saying earlier, all the characters in the game are, basically, the same - no special skills, no weapon specialization, so it doesn't really matter if you're playing Francis, Zoey, Louis, or Bill, because you'll be able to handle the same weapons - single or dual pistols, a shotgun, a submachine gun, an assault rifle and a rather useless sniper rifle(well, it looks pretty nice when you're blowing some zombie brains and watching it through the scope...although you'll be shooting zombies at point blank most of the time).

If you're still wondering about those system requirements, then let me tell you that I played the game with everything pushed to the max(including 6XMSAA) at 1280X1024 on my AMD X2 4000+@2.4GHz//2GB 800MHz DDR2//ATI X1950 Pro 256MB DDR3 system and I enjoyed optimal performance, and since we're talking about a game based on the latest version of Valve's Source engine, performance is not a problem with Left 4 Dead...

...but the single player campaign is...and it's not a problem, since the campaign could be considered a mini TV series with the same theme - survival. Unlike usual shooters that require you to go through a level and move up, in Left 4 Dead you're moving backwards, since zombies are coming from all corners, and your goal is to escape, not push forward. Anyway, Left 4 Dead deserves to be appreciated for its atmosphere and, above everything, the feeling that you're actually one of the characters in a horror movie.

With a ESRB RATING of M(Mature), this game will stay away from most children, and I think this is a bit unfair - Left 4 Dead is, beyond depressing and scary, fun, fun, and - once again - fun to the max! After all, you're only shooting zombies, you're not solving differential equations!

Before moving on to my ratings, I have to tell you that, despite the fact I was really impressed by the looks of the main characters, I found some really disappointing things in this game. Just think about this - you're facing a team mate, and if you go in his direction, you will pass through him, but if you shoot in that direction, you will harm him. What about this? Come on, guys, this game has been in the making for 3 years!!!

One more annoying thing - why would you be interested in hearing your team mates saying "Reloading" over and over again? Beats me, but I think their calls for help when being overrun would have been enough... and overrun will you be if you're not thinking as a zombie - don't use bullets, just hit them with the butt of your rifle, that's all!<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->

I know the above may sound a bit stupid, but that's the reality - as I was saying, Left 4 Dead is like shooting turkeys with a tank, no strategy, just boring zombie killing, and that's all. Now, let's get to my ratings, shall we?

Story: 4/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 6/10
Gameplay: 4/10
Originality: 8/10
Tilt Factor: 8/10
Overall: 5/10 (not an average of the above)

Why? Why take something that could have been great and turn it into turkey shooting? Left 4 Dead could have been a new Doom 3, but ended up in being "Solitaire with zombies," at least for me. I know, I know - multiplayer can really be addictive, but you'll get bored pretty soon if this is not your first computer game, I can assure you of that!

I know all the above may not be your opinion, so feel free to drop your comments below and curse me. Maybe I'll wake up in the middle of the night dreaming about zombies and I'll change my opinion...

I guess you must have seen at least one vampire-movie. For your sake, I hope it was a good one, because a lot of hilarious such movies have been made so far, but let's not get into movies here, because it's not about them. Transylvania, the place were most vampire movies' action is set, can be easily visited, as long as you can afford the trip to Romania. You won't find any real vampires there, anyway, but if your time, money, or both of them won't allow you to get over here, you could easily go an visit an alternative realm involving vampires, namely Castlevania...

<-250x250 Square - left->Anyway, before moving on to our subject today, that being Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, we should talk for a little while about the Castlevania series, because there's quite a history behind this name. Are you ready? :)

Developed by Konami, the series debuted way back in September 1986, with the Demon Castle Dracula game for the Famicom Disk System (FDS), quickly followed by a version for the MSX 2 platform. This MSX 2 port was localized in Europe and Brazil as Vampire Killer, and was followed by a a long list of titles, available for most platforms you can think of, from Game Boy Advance and Playstation Portable to Commodore, MS-DOS and, of course, Microsoft Windows.

The stories of the titles in the series are orbiting around the war between the enchanted Belmondo family and Dracula, which is resurrected almost every hundred years, so that the Belmonts could defeat him once again, and Konami sells one more title. Good strategy for everyone, I guess, including the fans of the series....

Leaving history aside, today I have to tell you a few things about the game released last year for the Playstation Portable, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.

Known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle, which translates to Demon Castle Dracula X Chronicle, the game is basically a remake of the 1993 game in the series, Demon Castle Dracula X Rondo of Blood (Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo).

Although the new game uses the 3D graphics technology of the moment, it still has the 2D gameplay mechanics of the original, but comes with a few interesting additions, like the two new obstacles - a red skeleton barrier and an ice one, as well as a new boss, the Hydra. Other than that, some puzzles have been altered, while new dialogues scenes can be spotted here and there.

Rated by ESRB as "Teen," Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is not one of those games for little kids, because some of the themes are clearly disturbing for them, but if you were a kid back in 1993 and would like live again the thrills of the Demon Castle Dracula X Rondo of Blood, this is a must have! Obviously, nobody says you shouldn't grab this title even if you're new to the series, and if you don't believe me, take a look at what Testfreaks have to say about it!