The concept of a zombie-shooting game on the Nintendo DS sounds a bit farfetched, especially since the gaming genre usually relies on a light-gun peripheral, but that didn't stop Dream On from trying its luck with Touch the Dead, an alternate take on Sega's gory House of the Dead series. Players control a convict trapped within a prison with zombies roaming about. Instead of bolting for the exit and saving his neck, the guy decides to fend them off.

This adventure runs "on-rails", meaning that the player simply relies on having a quick trigger hand. Zombies pop up and players "shoot" them by rapidly touching the screen. The game works incredibly well, as the stylus offers precision; with practice, the headshot count can go into the hundreds. However, the reloading mechanic throws unnecessary strain onto the formula. Players must use the stylus to drag a full clip into their gun to reload it -- not an easy thing to do with three or four zombies closing in. Other weapons can be picked up, such as a crowbar or a machine gun.

While the presentation doesn't completely amaze, the 3-D graphics look good. The music repeats, but the chilling sound effects work extremely well. Touch the Dead also lasts longer than expected, thanks to increasing challenge levels and exigent boss battles. Players can also access a cool art gallery and try their luck with the gimmicky (yet fun) two-player mode.

While Touch the Dead sticks to the basics -- shoot zombies, reload and then shoot more. However, it works, so feel free to touch their freakin' heads off.

Final Score: 7 (out of 10)

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Touch the Dead Game Guide

Touch the Dead

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