Forums > Game Forums > The House of the Dead: Overkill > Overthinking it...
BurningStickMan (17916) on 2/18/2011 1:14 AM · Permalink · Report
Anyone know why the game refers to zombies as "mutants" within the game? The back cover does use the term zombies, but within the game itself - even in the menus and dialogue - always "mutants."
-
Is it an attempt to avoid some kind of copyright or legal issue with "zombie"?
-
Is fighting "mutants" a staple of the House of the Dead series?
-
Is it a parody/reference to early zombie movies (like Romero's) that never ever used the term "zombie" within them?
Adzuken (836) on 2/18/2011 3:24 AM · Permalink · Report
Zombie isn't a copyrightable term. I'm pretty sure it was just used to help push the idea that Agent G is a professional. As a professional, he doesn't really believe in super-natural monsters like zombies. These creatures are created by a chemical, so they're not technically undead. Therefore, he uses the proper term.
However, I do believe they were called mutants in earlier entries in the series, which probably was a factor.
Lain Crowley (6629) on 2/18/2011 4:37 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
It always annoyed me how BJ called the undead in Return to Castle Wolfenstein 'Zombies'. It's 1939, you're in an underground tomb, and they're covered in bandages. Those are mummies!
As for HotD's zombies, mutants probably is a better word for them. While they might be contagious (I know Goldman turns into a zombie in the worst ending for HotD2), the vast majority of them are grown in tubes. 3 or 4 handwaved the whole thing as being part of a project to cure Curien's son of a fatal disease, but I have no idea how they went from curing AIDS to growing an army of undead axemen.
BurningStickMan (17916) on 2/18/2011 5:01 AM · Permalink · Report
Thanks, you two. I suspected it might be a series thing. I've only played any of the other HotD games in the arcade, so I haven't really played them, in terms of following story or... well, remembering any of it.
Indra was here (20755) on 2/18/2011 12:11 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Lain Crowley wrote--]It always annoyed me how BJ called the undead in Return to Castle Wolfenstein 'Zombies'. It's 1939, you're in an underground tomb, and they're covered in bandages. Those are mummies. [/Q --end Lain Crowley wrote--] Point.
Not really the first time this happens. As a mythology enthusiast, I was pretty upset with this little tidbit. Why I put this in the collector's edition version is beyond me though (should be moved). Boy, this was a long time ago.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66362) on 2/18/2011 4:07 PM · Permalink · Report
You may be a mythology buff, but you need to surrender your nerd badge if you don't know that HOMM's gorgons are a direct derivation of AD&D's from the Monster Manual back in the late '70s.
Indra was here (20755) on 2/18/2011 4:31 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Pseudo_Intellectual wrote--]You may be a mythology buff, but you need to surrender your nerd badge if you don't know that HOMM's gorgons are a direct derivation of AD&D's from the Monster Manual back in the late '70s. [/Q --end Pseudo_Intellectual wrote--] So, the AD&D fanbois were the original idiots. Not really surprised. Always wondered why AD&D games always called the Gorgon as Medusa/Medusae instead of...er...Gorgon. :p
My trivia entry however, needs to be corrected based on this info.
Havoc Crow (29861) on 2/21/2011 6:46 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start BurningStickMan wrote--]Anyone know why the game refers to zombies as "mutants" within the game? The back cover does use the term zombies, but within the game itself - even in the menus and dialogue - always "mutants."
-
Is it an attempt to avoid some kind of copyright or legal issue with "zombie"?
-
Is fighting "mutants" a staple of the House of the Dead series?
-
Is it a parody/reference to early zombie movies (like Romero's) that never ever used the term "zombie" within them? [/Q --end BurningStickMan wrote--] That's rather common practice, actually.
(TVTropes link)