A strange game, and Ubisoft‘s first ever video game release;  the Amstrad original coming out in 1986 and this conversion in 1990.

Zombi is a clear appropriation [ie. lift] of George A. Romero‘s classic 1979 zombie film, Dawn of the Dead, although I don’t think Ubisoft actually bought an official license for it. They just changed all the names of the characters…

A tiny view window gives you control over four individual characters – each controllable – trying to occupy and survive in a shopping mall.

Mouse clicks shoot zombies in the head (when you’ve found weapons), and you have to get used to the arcane weapon loading system, otherwise the zombies attack you and reduce your health when you think you’re firing but are actually not. Having to click the spanner icon to reload after every shot is not at all intuitive…

Zombi I think is overrated. It’s not a bad game, but it is fiddly and not particularly scary or playable. It’s just a novelty, I think. Although an interesting one.

More: Zombi on Wikipedia