I thought that I’d be tired of the whole zombie craze by now, but Zombie Apocalypse, Konami’s new arcade download game for the Xbox and PSN is like a shot in the arm. Think of it as a prettier version of the indie hit, I MAED A GAME WITH Z0MBIES INIT, except considerably more expensive. That’s 800 points on Xbox Live, btw…

Basically, ZA’s a twin-stick shooter: you’ve got weapon power-ups (chain guns, machine guns, flame thrower, grenade launcher), environmental damage in a closed-arena settings, chainsaw-wielding melee combat, and four playable characters litigiously reminiscent of the Left 4 Dead crew. There’s the whole ‘save the survivor’ mechanic thrown in for diversity, and even a zombie distraction game play bit where you toss a teddy bear into a horde (think L4D’s pipe bomb), grabbing their attention sufficiently enough to mow them down.

Oddly, it’s the game’s tone that’s a little peculiar. Calling it an arena-based top-down Left 4 Dead wouldn’t be off the mark, with battle-worn urban settings and hordes of horrific undead swarming you like a pimp on payday. It’s all very deadly serious until you toss in a pink teddy bear bomb, or do your little ‘win dance’ once you complete a level.

Whatever. These are minor gripes. Here’s the deal: It’s another ten buck, highly polished, twitch-gaming kill fest that you and a buddy can rip run through over 55 levels. The zombies never stop coming, and bathing the screen in bullets is genuinely refreshing even if this is the 100th twin-stick shooter Xbox Live Arcade.

No buggy cameras, graphically crisp, and undeniably cathartic, blowing away zombies never gets old. Konami’s banking on that, and at ten bucks for the play through, It’s a cheap weekend of thrills.