No Pain No Brain (XBLIG): "16-Bit Zombie Bashing Goodness"

It is that time of year again (October) when game developers all start pitching in their latest horror genre releases. I'm actually a huge fan of the month of October, because all of the horror movies are shown on TV and the new horror survival games that are introduced. The indie scene is actually no different from the mainstream gaming scene in that they also add their contributions of horror into the mix. I have actually seen quite a few horror related XBLIG titles released this October, and I was lucky enough to get one for review. The game I speak of is titled 'No Pain No Brain'. It is a zombie brawler that pays homage to those classic 16-bit game titles that many of you have likely enjoyed growing up as a gamer. The game's hero is a tough talking truck driver named Jack Preston who is on a mission to rescue survivors. With his female assistant guiding him over his CB radio he drives to different locales in order to whoop some zombie arse, and save the citizens from flesh eating doom.

When the game begins there is a brief dialogue driven intro letting you know a little on the background of Jack Preston's story. It seems, as with most zombie outbreaks that this zombie epidemic was caused by a virus. The year is 20XX, and Jack Preston is on a mission to save the few remaining survivors from brain devouring zombies. He has a tough as John Wayne Toilet Paper attitude that is reminiscent of Duke Nukem. He is constantly expressing himself with one liner phrases that I think the Duke (Nukem) of old would be proud of. There's even a couple of 'bad words' thrown in there to spice things up a bit. Jack Preston also seems to be well trained in hand to hand combat/martial arts as he pulls of some fancy punches like a spinning backfist. His roll maneuver also comes in handy when facing the quicker zombies (Think 28 Weeks Later). Along the way he faces different types of zombified civilians, as well as some boss type characters that test his patience in his quest to save humanity.

The gameplay in 'No Pain No Brain' is fairly simple to pick up on. There are a few basic moves to learn in the game. You can hit zombies with either a light punch (X), or a heavy punch (Y). To jump you press the (A) button, and you can jump kick by pressing (A) then (X). You can also roll around and pass through zombies without getting hurt by simply pressing the (B) button. This comes in handy when facing the bosses at the end of the levels. Movement is simply executed by using the (D.Pad). Controls are definitely easy to learn, and are very user friendly. Movement on the screen does take some getting used to though. When I first watched a video of 'No Pain No Brain' on Youtube I actually thought you'd be able to move more freely around the screen like in the 'Streets of Rage' games, but I was wrong. Jack Preston can only move on a set/straight path which might seem a little intimidating at first, but it is managable.

No Pain No Brain features a good variety of zombie types. Among the undead creatures that you will face you will find zombie dogs, A zombie that looks like Hulk Hogan, a zombie that looks kind of like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and some repeat male/female zombies. Each zombie type has different movements, and attack patterns. The larger, and more muscular types of zombies (and bosses) can move very quickly as well as attack quickly. Learning their patterns is key to survival, and the dodge roll also helps when facing a crowd of them. In the game you have a health/life bar that lets you know how many hits you have left before you die. There isn't a set amount of lives, or a game over though. You will find that your life bar is quite short in length, but the game offers items that can assist you in surviving longer. As you play the game you can pick up health items (Cheeseburgers, Health Kits) that are located in certain areas to heal yourself as well as melee weapons (Baseball Bats, Pipes) to aid you in your zombie bashing spree. There are 4/5 levels (I can't remember???) in this game each with 3 stages (beginning, middle, boss battle). Learning the best way to fight off the zombies is helpful, but the game does go easy on you allowing you to continue from the last wave of zombies that you faced.

In the end I kind of liked this game. It had it's own unique look, and an interesting main character (Jack Preston). To begin with though I actually thought I wasn't going to be able to beat the first boss, but with help from the developer (Monkeyware Studios) I was able to figure out a tactic that worked (jump kick the crates, A + X). After that everything else went smoothly. The only complaint I have is that the game seemed kind of short. The ending was kind of left open though (perhaps for a sequal???). I'm sort of torn about giving this game my stamp of approval or not. It's an ok game, but the shortness of it bothers me a bit. For 80 msp it's not a bad deal though.