TRASH:
Original start screen has been changed
No remote play together
No key binding or input changing
No widescreen
No split screen co-op

You can do much more on an emulated version, and have been able to for 20 years now.

I took a gamble on this game after seeing the negative reviews and would like to offer an alternative opinion after playing through a bit of Zombies ate my Neighbors (hereafter abbreviated to ZAMN) as I think a lot of the reviews are concentrating on what they wish the game was rather than what it is. I'm not reviewing this game as a keyboard player, as I exclusively use a controller so if keyboard remapping and the like concerns you then feel free to ignore my review. The controller implementation works fine for me using an XBox Elite 2 controller, so if you're using an Xinput compliant controller you shouldn't run into any issues.

The game seems to be emulated perfectly which was my primary concern. It has built in save state support though as other reviews have mentioned to save a state you need to quit to the main menu to either save or load. This is a quick process but would have been more convenient if there was a "save" option in addition to the "save and quit" option in the pause menu, along with a "load" option to quickly retry if you screw up.

The game presents a new, static title screen to start either of the games from, and as other reviewers have mentioned this means the original title screen and attract sequences of ZAMN are not playable. I'd have preferred if you select a game and it boots the game as it would have on original hardware for authenticity and preservation. As it is when you select a game, the game starts by loading straight into the first stage as though you had pressed start on the title screen of the original game. Not my preference, but once in-game I can't say it bothered me too much.

The actual game seems to play as I remember it did on the SNES. I've emulated this title before, but am not an expert so I don't remember all the minutiae, but the emulation seems accurate, the music is as I remember it, and aside from having a new pause menu, this plays just like the SNES version.

People have complained about the lack of enhancements like split screen two player. This would have been nice to have, but the original games did not have split screen so having both players' characters confined to sharing the play area provides an authentic gameplay experience, including the "warts and all" feature of having to cooperate with you partner to make sure you don't drag the screen too far and leave them trapped in a dead end.

Similarly, people have complained this is the "censored" SNES version, which actually means it's just the original SNES version reproduced accurately. The difference between the SNES and Genesis version consisted of red "blood" versus purple "ooze" on the game over screen and that's about it. It would have been nice to have the Genesis version as an option, but it had inferior music without the SNES audio's virtual instrumentation and also missing sound effects on the audio tracks (though some prefer that as a matter of preference). The Genesis version was also inferior graphically, showing less gameplay area and instead blacking out a portion of the screen to accommodate the player radars which appear as transparent overlays on the game area on the SNES version. It's also worth pointing out that Ghoul Patrol was a SNES exclusive so there was no alternative version for that game. Should this title have included both versions of ZAMN? Yes. Is the version included in this collection the better one? Nostalgic preferences aside, yes.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this collection, given the prevailing negativity of a lot of reviews. As mentioned above I think there were some things DotEmu could have done to make this 100% authentic to the original console experience, and having the Genesis version in there would have been a nice option. But if you grew up with the SNES or were only going to play one version of ZAMN anyhow, you can't go wrong with this.

ZAMN is one of my favorite games of all time, but this port is an abomination.

- No controller remapping. Seriously, wait, what?
- Buggy controller support that can't even allow both players to PAUSE!
- No display options, including, no black borders, only this bizarre mierde spiral.
- Music is entirely distorted, playing at a higher pitch
- No remote play

It's highly doubtful anyone who was involved with this port has actually played video games made on computers in the past ten years- if so, they should be asked to quietly leave.

Crim's Humble Opinion Curator

Zombies Ate My Neighbors (ZAMN) is one of those games that have been a part of my life for a long time. I grew up with a Super Nintendo, and one of the games I got hooked on was ZAMN. I still have my copy as well, which I occasionally drag out and play. When I saw this coming out, I was pretty stoked, because it would be a lot more convenient to play it on on the system I'm primarily on. I booted it up, ready to play, but after playing for a bit, I had mixed feelings.

The two games presented here are fun in my opinion. They are tough-as-nails arcade shooters that were designed with the mentality of "this can go on forever". You have to manage your inventory and the number of humans left alive because once you start to dwindle in either category, the game can reach impossible difficulties. There is a pretty wide variety of enemies in each game with weaknesses to specific weapons, which makes inventory management an even more difficult task. With ZAMN having 48 stages plus bonuses, and Ghoul Patrol having 18 stages, there is a nice amount of content. There are some decent bonus features including an interesting interview, and the ability to save state is nice. I do wish you didn't have to quit back to the menu to use them, though. Unfortunately, despite enjoying the title, there are still plenty of issues that make it feel like a shameless port.

Changing up the main menus takes away from the initial flair the games have. I also immediately noticed the borders on the side of the screen with the awkward spiral. If the game had to be put in this constant 4:3 ratio then there should be options to make this screen black if you so choose. Aside from that change regarding the visuals, they're the same old games. Not too much of a con, I know. The borders, while somewhat irritating, don't distract from the gameplay too much. There aren't any real resolution options aside from full-screening the game. The game also seems to run at a slightly higher speed when it is in full-screen mode, making it even more difficult to save people.

Then there is the audio. Aside from intro tracks being sacrificed yet again on the main menus, the rest of the music has changed ever so slightly. On top of the minor changes, it feels a bit lazy to not include both versions (SNES/genesis) of the soundtracks for these games. If this were the Nintendo port on the Switch I could understand, but not giving players the ability to play with the soundtrack they remember and enjoy is another knockdown.

So, the soundtrack and resolution are somewhat troublesome in this modern port; however, when you start playing you'll end up noticing a significant amount more. The controls have changed from the original and cannot be rebound in any way. If you want a friend to join, you can't play through means of an online server or remote play. There is only a local co-op. This can still be done through programs such as Parsec, but at the very least this game should have included remote play together.

Another gripe with the multiplayer and port/modernization potential is that this game could have easily in the process of development, had a split-screen mode implemented. The original dev mentions in his interview that he would put split-screen in the game in a heartbeat if he could go back and do so. I feel like, with just a little bit of effort, this could have been accomplished.

This section will talk about some of the more nitty-gritty details that may not be as important to everyone else, but these are still cons in my eyes. The achievements are lackluster. One of the things I was looking forward to was seeing what kind of achievements were going to be added into this, even if it was most likely just going to be a port. There was the potential of things like capturing a martian in a martian bubble gun or rescuing Dr. Bug. Instead, we get things like finding weapons, get a score, lose, and rescue all humans....wait...rescue ALL humans? This is something that is pretty much deemed as impossible, and very few have managed to get close to getting 100% human rescue due to RNG. I guess with save states you can do it, but then what's the point? I understand hard achievements exist, I was just not a fan of the thought put into these.

Aside from the previously discussed split-screen potential, there is the huge missed potential in not using any of the creative stuff that has come out in the years since the release of this game. There is a modding community already existing, that uses editors, and there are bonus weapons, stages, themes, and more that could all be messed with; but sadly, there is access to none of that. Again, it feels like these types of things could have been easily implemented through something like a Steam Workshop addition or a Steam Tool, but instead, the game was just lazily thrown out to get nostalgia-tinted glasses cash grab sales.

Lastly, you may notice I seem to focus more on zamn in this review. It is cool that they included the title Ghoul Patrol in this, but it pails in comparison to the first game. It is fun in its regard, but not great. It is a spiritual successor that got deemed a sequel due to some of the likeness. Although it does share similarities, there are enough changes like taking away the map, making you have to jump on tables to rescue people and a much more limited weapon/item selection that make it less enjoyable.


Unfortunately, this ultimately feels like a shameless port to grab money. While I do recommend trying out the game, I can't recommend supporting DotEmu in this particular instance. If changes happen over time, and they listen to the fanbase of this game then it can turn out to be a fantastic title. If you have this on the original consoles still and have the ability to play it, stick with that.

If you don't have it, seek other ways to play, as it has a more adjustable play experience. Despite the fact I enjoy this title, and will probably put time into it on steam, I can't recommend this game in its current state. Hopefully, all the negative feedback will cause some change, if not, then hopefully the upcoming spiritual successor listed below does it right.

𝕀𝕗 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝔼𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕋𝕣𝕪 {when it comes out}
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1372650/Demons_Ate_My_Neighbors/

Dr. Tongue's Castle of Terror is still better than 99% of the game music out there.

ZAMN is one of my favourite games of all time... its a real shame this port sucks giant floppy walrus. Minimal controller support, laggy input, cheap menus with next to no options. Do yourself a favour and play it using some other means. I'll stick with my SNES copy. Embarrassing DotEmu...

The iconic title screen for ZAMN is gone, as is the title theme. Instead, we have the above image of Zeke and Julie on the trampoline. After pressing start, the music from the first level of Ghoul Patrol. If you go to about 0.37 into the Steam trailer, you will essentially see the new menu, minus the Ghoul Patrol logo.
The UI is consistent for each game but doesn't have the minor ragged edge to it for ZAMN. The Konami logo is gone. I have seen some reviews saying there is no controller support, but it works over Bluetooth for me.

The port itself feels fine. I wasn't able to confirm local two player, but it appears to offer the option. This is still a great game, sadly gutted of some minor but memorable elements. If you have no other option, it may be worth it, but the changes weren't necessary and you will never know what you missed. Lucky to have played this at YMCA before and after elementary school.

Great Game (Zombies A.K.A. Zombies Ate My Neighbors).
Great Bonus Content (Interviews, Manuals, etc).
Terrible Options Menu (
- No option to switch between the Super Nintendo or the Genesis Version,
- No option to switch between EU or US Version,
- No option to rebind button controls on either Keyboard or Gamepad,
- No option to change the resolution,
- No option to change the frame rate,
- No option to change the background art in 4:3 mode (I would have liked a black option that is less distracting),
- No option to change the intro music in the main menu).

The absence of Remote Play Together is quite disappointing.

I owned this game for the SNES when I was a child so seeing this available on steam and on sale was like Christmas come early.

It's such a fun and challenging game!

I am disappointed to see this game doesnt allow the use of
a controller. The keyboard controls are not great which makes its tricky to play. It's not as entertaining with a keyboard.

It's also a great shame that this game can't be played online. The multiplayer is 'couch Co-op' which isn't an easy thing to do with a PC and without the use of controllers. Nevermind the fact that this port of the game was released during a global pandemic where we are being asked to distance from people. You'd think giving people the ability to play this with friends online would have been at eye forefront of the DEVs minds?

If you enjoyed the original and really really really want some single player nostalgia (so much so that you'll be fine using poor keyboard controls) then get it but only if it's on sale.
Otherwise I suggest leaving it until the DEVs provide controller usage and online multiplayer.

Shame on the Publishers... you cant even play this game with a Controller ? Why do you Cashgrab so hard and loveless ?
This had so much potential but the greed is killing it as always... I recommend not to buy this game... Its worth to buy a SNES and the game ... but this Version is absolutely awful ...