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I can't say that a game has ever downright scared me. Sure, there have been creepy games like BioShock, and to a greater extend Left 4 Dead, where you get a little nervous or suddenly surprised, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that those games scared me. So what's the next best thing to playing a scary game? Playing a game that takes place in a horror movie, and that is exactly how I would describe House of the Dead: Overkill. Anyone who says that the Wii is just a "casual" system for kids and old people has clearly never popped in this beauty of a game. If I was to stay home on a dark, cool Halloween night and play a game, then this would be the one.

Overkill successfully plays out exactly like a cheesy horror movie, from the exaggerated gore and violence to the excessive dropping of the F-bomb. There is actually a full and in-depth story behind this game, which can't be said of all rail shooters. There are several stages in the game; all of which are given an awful (but awesome) title such as "Papa's Palace of Pain" or, my personal favorite for the carnival level, "Carny." All the stages are jam-packed with hordes of mutants (or zombies, as I prefer to call them) that attack the two main characters in between cutscenes filled with silly dialogue and tons of gore. If the tons of undead deziens aren't enough to give you even a slight case of the willys, then just wait until you see some of the grotesque bosses that you will need to encoutner as you make your way through the game.

Now who likes to sit home alone and watch horror movies? From my own personal experience, it's always better to watch those flicks with friends, so of course it only makes sense to drag a buddy along for the blood-soaked ride that is Overkill. Rail shooters are basically MADE for co-op, as the only thing that changes with the inclusion of a second player is a second firing recticle and more enemies to kill! I was blown away when I first played through it with a friend, and when I introduced my brother-in-law to this game quite some time ago, and we had a blast. After the lights went out and my wife and sister went to bed, we remained up until the late hours of the morning blasting away at the gangs of stumbling enemies, all the while laughing at the awesome one-liners that the characters in the game throw out there. When you hit the lights and fire up this game in the Wii, you and your friend will definitely feel like you are the main stars of your own horror movie.

So this Halloween, if you're in the mood to play through an interactive horror flick, your best bet is to blow the dust off your Wii and give House of the Dead:Overkill a rent. Just make sure you don't spill the bowl of popcorn on the couch when one of the hideous mutants jumps out of nowhere and attacks.