In spite of the Wii’s controllers seemingly being made for genres such as light gun games during the course of the two years since the console was released it has received very few titles, even less original ones. Sega are no strangers to the genre, with their popular House of the Dead and Virtua Cop series’ proving that they know how to handle the genre. Their latest light gun title however is developed by Headstrong Games, best known for their work on Battalion Wars 2, and thankfully the new studio do the series justice.

House of the Dead: OVERKILL takes a few radical departures from the series. This game acts as a prequel to the other titles and is heavily influence by grind house cinema. The game is still firmly routed within House of the Dead series however. Fans of the series will recognise Agent G, who continues to refuse to tell anyone what the ‘G’ stands for as well, as other shout outs to previous games which are littered throughout.

The story sees Agent G on his first mission with Detective Isaac Washington, best known for saying “motherf**ker” at every possible occasion, and these contrasting characters and the way they play off each other provide a lot of the game’s funniest moments. Grind house films are known for their absurd plots and House of the Dead: OVERKILL isn’t afraid of paying homage to this. Agent G and Detective Washington soon find themselves chasing down a mad scientist with the help of a stripper named Varla Guns. While I won’t give away the ending I will promise you its one of the most amusingly vulgar things I have seen in a long time that really shows this is not a game that takes itself seriously, which really works.

Of course a critical aspect of any light gun game is how well it handles and thankfully the game handles very well, from the accuracy itself right down to the feedback you receive when you point to something that can be shot. The only complaint I do have is concerned with the game’s two players mode. While playing this each cursor has a trail behind it, either red or blue depending which player you are. However when you aim at something that can be shot the cursor becomes red which can get confusing in the heat of the moment. Even though player one’s cursor is one circle and player two’s cursor is two circles this difference is still quite minor and normally undistinguishable when your bigger concern is killing a rampaging zombie.

Headstrong Games worked alongside Bigben to create the Hand Cannon, a gun shell best designed for House of the Dead: OVERKILL while still being suitable for other light gun games. While I have been unable to try out the Hand Cannon staff member RedShell has and notes that compared to other shells such as the Perfect Shot it is a lot heavier. This gives the gun a more realistic feel but ultimately will wear on your arms after an extended playing session. While the Hand Cannon looks more impressive he notes that the trigger is somewhat loose, although still better than the Wii Zapper.

Just a few of the friendly faces you’ll meet.

Thankfully the game not only handles well it also is fun to play. It has been a while since I have laughed at a game, and I find it hard to recall a time I have laughed this much. The banter between Agent G and Detective Washington is one of the game’s true highlights and for once you will actually want to watch the cut-scenes rather than just skip them. While on the topic of cut scenes it must be mentioned that prior each level a grind house style trailer, complete with ridiculous titles (‘Papa’s Palace of Pain’ for instance) and over-the-top narration, is shown. This extra attention to detail really adds to the game.

Light gun games are known to normally be quite short to play through and while it’s true, you can complete House of the Dead: OVERKILL’s main story in about three hours this is merely the tip of the iceberg. After you have completed this mode a ‘director’s cut’ version is made available whereby the difficulty is increased, more zombies are thrown into the mix and the level itself is approximately a third longer in length. In addition to this the game features three mini-games; ‘Stayin’ Alive’ in which you must survive against waves of attack, ‘Victim Support’ in which you have to help civilians escape and ‘Money Shot II’ in which you compete against others to get the highest score in a shoot the targets scenario. The story mode can be played with a friend, while the mini-games can be played with three other people.

This is not the only way in which the game keeps you coming back. Headstrong have implemented an achievements system which is similar to Super Smash Brothers Brawl, if not at least because you are told what you need to do to unlock extras rather than just having to guess. Achievements are unlocked for meeting a variety of criteria such as accuracy, score and golden brains, of which at least ten feature in every level, collected. Once you achieve these you unlock a variety of extras such as videos, concept art and music tracks, both game versions and soundtrack versions, the latter of which feature lyrics. For the more competitive players there is of course the ever-desirable high score to achieve. Additionally if you get a big enough combo, of around thirty shots, you enter ‘goregasm’ mode and trust me, this is not as easy as you may presume.

Bloody good fun.

Each level that you complete results in a score based upon your performance and this score is then converted into currency. You can use this to upgrade your weapons in a variety of categories, which include reload speed, recoil, and clip size. In addition to this you can buy new guns such as shotguns, automatic shotguns and automatic rifles. It is also possible to unlock a dual-wielding ability to really cause a zombie-destroying rampage.

The game is not without its faults, although the ones it does have are rather minor. There are some lag issues at times but they rarely crop up, and considering how far Headstrong have pushed the Wii their infrequency is admirable. In addition to this there are times when you may shoot a zombie who is on the floor to have them suddenly be stood up and then lay back down on the floor. However, as stated these issues are minor and considering the fast-paced nature of the game they are barely noticeable.

Overall this game is a must buy for anyone who wants fun. Had the game been a standard House of the Dead title it would have been enjoyable no doubt but the unique style, humorous script and over-the-top use of profanity make it truly unique. The game’s creators described the game as one you can show off to friends and I wholeheartedly agree. The graphics themselves are impressive of course but even watching friends play this game is enjoyable too and as such it is perfect for anyone whose bored of popping on Wii Sports when they have company.