Rock of the Dead for Wii-You kill zombies with guitars

Couscous

What is it: Typing of the Dead except with guitars instead of keyboards. It has the same quality look to it. And by quality, I mean QUALITY!

http://wii.ign.com/articles/106/1068000p1.html

February 9, 2010 - When Epicenter, developer of the sleeper first-person shooter Real Heroes: Firefighter visited the IGN offices earlier today, the guys pulled no punches in describing its next game. "Picture Typing of the Dead but with Guitar Hero guitars instead of a QWERTY keyboard," they told me. And what unfolded up on the big screen was exactly that: a Typing of the Dead-inspired action game where you take out zombies and other undead critters by strumming on the Activision (or Harmonix Rock Band) guitars to "shoot" them into submission.

Chalk this one up for the "Why didn't anyone think of this before?" department. There are several million Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars out in active use on the Nintendo Wii, and Rock of the Dead targets those peripheral owners with something that's not just a music game.

It's deceptively challenging. When the guys at Epicenter started the demo I watched them rock out and take down the zombie invasion with relative ease on the Normal difficulty level. When the guitar was handed off to me, my experience was a bit less than skilled – I'm not the most talented Guitar Hero/Rock Band guitarist around, for starters, but the "new" way of using the peripheral was definitely a learning process. My mind was having a tough time wrapping itself around the horizontal layout of the fret buttons, but after about 10 minutes and taking a few deep breaths to concentrate, I managed to hold my own.

It's a solid looking Wii title with a tight framerate and a decent art style. Epicenter is going after the "cheesy/campy" look for Rock of the Dead instead of approaching a realistic appearance as it did with Real Heroes: Firefighter. It definitely plays to the Wii's strengths sticking with something a bit more unrealistic and cartoony, though the team's pulling off some slick texture tricks like normal mapping and lighting effects. But you'll probably be too busy focusing on the advancing baddies and their guitar licks to notice.

Rock of the Dead features jump-in/jump-out, two-player cooperative/competitive gameplay: players share lives and continues but work independently to beat each other's scores. One player's blue, the other purple, and the first one to hit the enemies' fret combo gets the kill and the points. It gets pretty aggressive trying to get your strumming speed higher just so you can beat the other player. The developers anticipate a five-hour run-through with encouragement for multiple plays through thanks to its high score focus as well as its branching path towards the end of the game.

The game doesn't feature licensed music in the same vein as Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but it's definitely music-focused. The team commissioned bands to create "rock" versions of classical music (Public domain, anyone?) and they sound pretty good as a backdrop to the action. According to Epicenter, the team has licensed Rob Zombie/White Zombie tracks for appropriate parts of the action. And I can't forget to mention that the team commissioned the assistance of Neil Patrick Harris himself for the character lead in Rock of the Dead, who provides the cheesy outer-monologue and one-liners. Felicia Day's the love interest here (Neil's partner in crime in Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long), and the game's script was handled by the writer of The Witcher.

Like Epicenter's last game on Wii, the final product will be a "budget" release on the system, targeting a pricepoint between $30 and $40 when it ships. The game's got about another month to go in development and then it's up to Conspiracy to get it out on shelves. Expect a release in the late spring or early summer.

Video:
http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/61206/rock-of-the-dead/videos/rockofthedead_4_gmp_020910.html
It is a spider... with four legs, but I am going to call it a spider anyway.

The developer's previous game actually got OK reviews.
http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/941519-real-heroes-firefighter/index.html

Cantido

I wanted Typing of the Dead.

This is pretty awesome.

cj iwakura

What made Typing nasty is that it scaled based on how fast you type.

95 WPM? You'll be typing medical journals when you fight Magician.

slash000

Watched the video. It's definitely a budget game. Hopefully it is as fun as the premise sounds. I just wish they didn't put so many fucking one-liners in from Neil P. Harris. I mean shit. Watching that video was almost like watching a Let's Play, because he never stopped jibber jabbering the whole time. I get that NPH is a "star" and so it's cool to take advantage of his popularity to help push your game, but come on.

Jagged Waffles

Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and killing zombies while playing guitar? This is practically a day one purchase for me, unless it causes cancer. Then it's a day two purchase.

Shadowfire

Jagged Waffles wrote: »

Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and killing zombies while playing guitar? This is practically a day one purchase for me, unless it causes cancer. Then it's a day two purchase.

Even with the cancer, I think I'd be there day one.

Though I don't have a guitar for the Wii... I'd like to see this come out on 360, but just for my own interests. :P

BTP

I swear I thought of a game like this before Guitar Hero Metallica came out: A sort of light-gun game using the guitar. Imagine having a crosshair in the center of the "fretboard" where it's just green on one side, orange on the other, and a blending of the two in between (in case the GRYBO color set couldn't be used), and then with the orientation of the Wii remote calibrated, you could aim your guitar's on-screen crosshair/fretboard combo, and aim at whatever needs shreding with your awesome riffs.

....though I admit, I wasn't sure how to use the Rock Band guitars with my idea.

Gosh-frickin'-dang! I have to get this!

slash000

BTP wrote: »

I swear I thought of a game like this before Guitar Hero Metallica came out: A sort of light-gun game using the guitar. Imagine having a crosshair in the center of the "fretboard" where it's just green on one side, orange on the other, and a blending of the two in between (in case the GRYBO color set couldn't be used), and then with the orientation of the Wii remote calibrated, you could aim your guitar's on-screen crosshair/fretboard combo, and aim at whatever needs shreding with your awesome riffs.

....though I admit, I wasn't sure how to use the Rock Band guitars with my idea.

Gosh-frickin'-dang! I have to get this!

I found some posts from years ago talking about this same concept, though I can't find the one you mentioned.

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showpost.php?p=7726078&postcount=180

Awesome! I didn't know they made a cross-genre Zombie / rhythm game! Sweet! Do you get to destroy zombies with the power of rocK?

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showpost.php?p=2460240&postcount=14

UnbreakableVow wrote: »

Guitar Hero + Typing of the Dead

Rock the zombies' heads off.

AbsoluteZero

I was waiting for someone to make a game that used the guitars for something other than regurgitating crappy music endlessly.

cooljammer00

But TotD taught typing. This game might as well be any other sort of rhythm game.

BTP

slash000 wrote: »

BTP wrote: »

I swear I thought of a game like this before Guitar Hero Metallica came out: A sort of light-gun game using the guitar. Imagine having a crosshair in the center of the "fretboard" where it's just green on one side, orange on the other, and a blending of the two in between (in case the GRYBO color set couldn't be used), and then with the orientation of the Wii remote calibrated, you could aim your guitar's on-screen crosshair/fretboard combo, and aim at whatever needs shreding with your awesome riffs.

....though I admit, I wasn't sure how to use the Rock Band guitars with my idea.

Gosh-frickin'-dang! I have to get this!

I found some posts from years ago talking about this same concept, though I can't find the one you mentioned.

You won't because it's the first time I've ever said this. When UnbreakableVow said that, it was the starting point of my thinking process of "Okay, now how would that work?". And what I said is what I came up with. :P

Edit: Vow said that in 2007?! Cripes, is there somewhere in the industry for "game ideas guy"? We could've had this on Wii a long time ago!

AbsoluteZero

cooljammer00 wrote: »

But TotD taught typing. This game might as well be any other sort of rhythm game.

Too bad it doesn't use a real guitar.

Nimble Cat

Neil Patrick Harris! Zombies!
I have to find a cheap guitar controller for my Wii.

cooljammer00

AbsoluteZero wrote: »

cooljammer00 wrote: »

But TotD taught typing. This game might as well be any other sort of rhythm game.

Too bad it doesn't use a real guitar.

They should have done that, though. Like that Guitar game that used real guitar to teach you how to play.

Yellow Ranger

Shit! All my plastic instruments are for the 360!

I don't care, I'm still buying this. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Xenogears of Bore

cooljammer00 wrote: »

But TotD taught typing. This game might as well be any other sort of rhythm game.

Indeed.

No keyboard, no sale. Despite looking awesome.

UncleSporky

wait, what now

is this game serious

sir_pinch-a-loaf

damn, this is going to make me get a guitar for Wii, isn't it? my pile of 360 instruments will get jealous.

Capt Howdy

I do believe this is a solid rental, and a possible buy. Zombies, Rob Zombie, NPH, and Guitars? :^:

thepizzaelemental

BTP wrote: »

I swear I thought of a game like this before Guitar Hero Metallica came out: A sort of light-gun game using the guitar. Imagine having a crosshair in the center of the "fretboard" where it's just green on one side, orange on the other, and a blending of the two in between (in case the GRYBO color set couldn't be used), and then with the orientation of the Wii remote calibrated, you could aim your guitar's on-screen crosshair/fretboard combo, and aim at whatever needs shreding with your awesome riffs.

....though I admit, I wasn't sure how to use the Rock Band guitars with my idea.

Gosh-frickin'-dang! I have to get this!

That sounds a whole lot like Guitaroo Man.

Count me in.

cloudeagle

The only thing that would make this better is if they had Neil Patrick Harris sing at one point.

Capt Howdy

How do you know he doesn't?

Elimination

Why do they have purple things sprouting out of them? And why would they put this on the Wii Only when most zombie shooters and such come out on the 360, and that would be where most of the installed base of this type of game is.

Also i seem to recall a different thread for this same game...i could be just imagining things.

Capt Howdy

It's a quirky niche game that uses odd controls and had to be made on the cheap; how does that NOT sound like a game that should be designed for the Wii?

Can't resist urge..... It's not a FPS, so it won't sell! ( I swear I don't actually mean that, but I had to be the first to say it. Sorry)

Xagarath

Elimination wrote: »

Why do they have purple things sprouting out of them? And why would they put this on the Wii Only when most zombie shooters and such come out on the 360, and that would be where most of the installed base of this type of game is.

Because the various House of the deads, the Resident Evil Lightgun games and the Dead Space spin-off are all on the 360, clearly.

Capt Howdy

Before we come off sounding like the massive N-Fanboys we are, I'm 99% sure it was a monetary decision. Plus, they can always bring it up to the HD twins if it sells well on the Wii. Which it probably won't.

This game is seriously too niche to be a barn burner, but it has a decent chance of being a long term contender.

UncleSporky

Elimination wrote: »

And why would they put this on the Wii Only when most zombie shooters and such come out on the 360, and that would be where most of the installed base of this type of game is.

The Wii has:

RE4
RE1 remake
Umbrella Chronicles
Darkside Chronicles
House of the Dead 2&3 Return
House of the Dead Overkill
Dead Rising
Silent Hill Cursed Memories
Dead Space Extraction
Cursed Mountain

and more if you want to include Wiiware/VC and the entire back catalog of RE on the Cube. It's like the primary zombie/horror console.

Additionally, band games have sold the best on the Wii this generation, ensuring that more people will already own guitars for this game.

Sweeney Tom

Couscous you are my enemy 4 lyfe for making this before I did

Xenogears of Bore

There are actually way more zombie/horror games on the Wii than the two HD systems combined.

El Extremo

This game seemed really cool until I got to the part about NPH. Then it got fucking awesome.