Instead it’s a mastery of the craft, with Headstrong’s ability to recognise the arcade/home audience divide and act on it accordingly particularly praiseworthy. Anyone buying into a light gun shooter knows to expect a simple but fun point and shoot experience, but Headstrong has pushed Overkill further than most. Besides the standard Story mode (which differentiates itself from other light gun shooters by featuring an infinite continue structure), the developer has also implemented an alternative Director’s Cut mode that unlocks after the game’s completion. As the name implies, Director’s Cut offers slightly extended levels as well as a life system typical to that of an arcade cabinet. Series fans looking for an arcade experience will still find it in Overkill, should they want it.

The option to buy and upgrade weapons also adds an increased sense of depth to an otherwise intrinsically basic title (a fully-upgraded automatic shotgun brings new meaning to the word bloodbath), while other little touches like the supplementary Dual Wield mode or receiving cash bonuses for shooting zombies ‘Gangsta Style’ (i.e. turning the Wii-mote on its side) all add up to create a package that is not only insanely fun, but also incredibly well-conceived.

Special mention also must go to Overkill’s Hand Cannon peripheral which, in the words of the developers, certainly has a lot more “bollocks” than any other Wii accessory on the market. Shaped like a revolver and packing a fair bit of weight, the Wii-mote shell vastly improves the Overkill experience.

Of course, any game of Overkill’s ilk will never be free of shortcomings, with Headstrong’s dismissal of online leaderboards likely to be the biggest frustration for score chasers. The game’s two to three hour campaign is also disappointingly short for a game designed exclusively for a home console, but perhaps to be expected given its genre-ties. Instead, Overkill’s main attraction comes in its sheer replay factor and multiplayer options. Play Overkill side-by-side with a friend and you’ll have some of the best fun you’ll have had in gaming since say, Street Fighter IV, but indisputably the most you’ll have ever had from a light gun shooter.

After the disappointment of Umbrella Chronicles and the non-stop arcade ports and Wii-makes, there was a part of us that thought that the on-rails light-gun genre was destined for the grave. Thankfully the brilliance of Overkill proves otherwise. Headstrong has delivered an inspired resurrection of both SEGA’s decaying franchise and the genre as a whole. Maybe that Halo Wars girl does exist after all…

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