I don’t think a lengthy review is required here. In fact, for many readers simply watching the trailer video, and me adding “Go buy “Snops Attack! Zombie Defense” right now!” is probably all that’s required. I know there will be a few of you who will need, or perhaps want, more, so here goes.
“Snops Attack! Zombie Defense” is a top-down 2D shoot-’em-up (shmup, if you prefer) of the “bullet hell” variety. Bullets come at you at a fast and furious pace. There are several games like it already on the Xbox Live Indie Games catalogue, but this one has a few unique features, and presentation that bests pretty much all the others.
I’d say it looks like an XBLA game, but I can think of few (if any) XBLA games in the 2D shmup genre that look this good. The game has multiple levels of upgrade for each weapon, and the ability to swap to firing behind you (!), a feature not present in many of its peers (I’ve seen some where you automatically fire both forward and back, but can’t think of one off-hand where you can switch back and forth).
There are things to collect, which fill in super-attacks. There’s customisation here, in that you can equip satellites that fly beside you, with different features/abilities. While they pop up at the game’s whim, rather than yours, you can upgrade them by repeatedly collecting the same satellite; grab a different one, and you start the upgrade process over again. These a neat touches, you ask me.
All in all, well worth its measly 240 Microsoft Point price tag for fans of the genre.
Here’s what the developer (Snops) has to say about the game:
“Take control of our canine hero, Snops, in this action packed shoot-em-up as he tries to save the world from a zombified invasion which has turned everything ZOMBIE! Special attacks, massive firepower, explosions, and Zombies! Remember, you’re our only hope… You cannot fail!”
Writings of Mass Deduction 