By Chase Burgess

 With the lack of zombie game releases over the past couple weeks I’ve decided to take a look at a couple of free mobile games that have only recently made their way to the Google Play store; Minigore 2: Zombies and Zombie Tsunami. Ever since these highly praised games were released they have been confined to the Apple App store, now Android users can finally have their turn with these free titles.

Minigore 2: Zombies

 Minigore 2: Zombies is developer Mountain Sheep’s follow up to their 2009 hit Minigore that was released on the Apple App store and the PSP. Minigore 2 puts you once again in the role of hero John Gore as you fight your way through hundreds of zombies each level.

John Gore resembles a typical 1980s action star with his love for violence, his quick one-liners, and his all black garb. John is the face of the series thus far, but he’s not alone in facing this undead army. Other characters include Jenny Gore (John’s daughter), Jerry Gore, and a few “special guests” from Mountain Sheep’s other games. If you’re a big fan of Mountain Sheep, you’re in for a treat. These characters can be unlocked with money collected during the levels.

Your weapon selection is pretty standard but it gets the job done. You can choose between a machine gun, a shotgun, a grenade launcher, a sword, and an axe. While the axe never runs out of stamina, the sword and guns all have limited use. Ammo and fresh swords can be picked up throughout the level and are plentiful. Upgrades for these weapons are cheap and the money come very easily.

The environments are gorgeous and spacious. Having enough space to roam around while you mow down legions of undead enemies is definitely not an issue. The controls are very simple; two buttons appear on screen, one shoots and the other moves you around. Sadly, there’s just not much that makes this game stand out.

In my time with this game I encountered a bug over and over where my character would not move or shoot. This led to a quick death as I was surrounded by dozens of zombified enemies. Many other bugs have been reported for this game including one where your enemies turn invisible. You would think that since this game has been out for a while they would have fixed these issues.

Minigore 2: Zombies is fun for a while, but what makes a mobile game fun is the length it takes to accomplish something. A 10 minute level is great for a console game or a PC game, but not for a mobile game. It’s just too buggy to keep you entertained for the length of the levels. However, the great graphics and large area of the levels saves this game from receiving a lower score. Minigore 2: Zombies gets a 3/5.

Zombie Tsunami

The first word that comes to mind while playing Zombie Tsunami is “addicting.” However, the word addicting does not do justice to what this game will do to you. “One more game” quickly turns into a few hours and a dead phone if you’re not careful.

Zombie Tsunami, developed by Mobigame S.A.R.L., uses the same popular endless running gameplay model that games such as Temple Run and Jetpack Joyride use. However, the game adds an interesting spin on the concept. Instead of playing as an individual, you play as the entire zombie horde.

You begin your rampage with one zombie and increase the size your horde by eating humans. If you get enough zombies in your horde you can overturn cars, busses, tanks, and even airplanes and eat the humans inside. Along the way you can find upgrades that grant your zombie horde bonuses by turning them into a group of football players or turning them all solid gold. My personal favorite is the bonus that turns your zombies into ninjas; because let’s be honest, who hasn’t ever wanted an army of zombie-ninjas to control?

Upgrades are available for your horde in the form of better bonuses and more zombies to start your horde with. Silly hats are also available for purchase and add to the comical aspect of the game.

The graphics and audio are both amazing and the frame rate keeps up with large amounts of zombies on screen. The little details make the game a visual joy as the backgrounds constantly change as you move from the city, to the mountains, to the snowy arctic.

My only complaint with the game is that it doesn’t keep track of your distance. Virtually every other game that uses this model keeps track of how far your travel during levels, however this aspect is left out of the game. This is something small that could easily have been added to enhance the game and give players a feeling of accomplishment.

As far as mobile games go, you’re not going to get any better than this. It’s pretty, it’s simple, it’s very addicting, and it’s free. Zombie Tsunami is a must have and gets a 5/5.