Zombieville (1997)/Oddities

This is a sub-page of Zombieville (1997).

Given the game's very rough development, a lot of details were not polished or play-tested (for special / unusual conditions) before release.

Alpha Version Mention

If one inspects the LVL.ZOM file with NotePad++ (or a hex editor), there is a mention of "Alpha 1.4". It is heavily speculated that due to Zombieville being released with bugs and unhandled conditions, it was released in an alpha state and this was the 'smoking gun' proof. However, according to several developers [who wished to remain anonymous], stated that Zombieville was NOT released in an alpha state, hence the game could be completed from start to finish. The game did not have enough resources at the time to iron out all the potential flaws and consequences towards certain player's actions, such as: Shooting down an NPC that still has interactions left for the player. Shooting a friendly NPC and then Killing all recently spawned zombies that was intended to kill the player as a consequence. What this "Alpha Version 1.4" is intended for is potentially for the custom save file system. NOTE: Opening this file in https://filext.com/file-extension/ZOM reveals different information but the Alpha Version isn't mentioned there. When inspecting the LVL.ZOM file with said website, it'll show plenty of .ANM file references, such as items, characters, world environments, etc. What is odd is that in this file it contains references to: FORR_N45.ANM (Referenced multiple times along with "Verifies that new" comment) PACMAN.ANM SAUCER.ANM SPIDER.ANM The last three entities are not seen through out the long play of the game. Either these entities were part of testing purposes or Easter eggs that are unclear to find.

Rachel Moving Towards You

If you traverse past the drunkard, there's a succubus named Rachel that will kill you if you don't have the blessed musket balls. However, if you shoot down the drunkard, Rachel will come after you. In this situation, weapons either don't deal damage to her, or she has a ton of health. If she catches you, she instantly zombifies Matt Black and the game's over.

Unusual Game Over Arrest

There's an unusual game over that involves getting willingly arrested by Buckmaster. It is unclear why they want to arrest Matt, despite Buckmaster not being written to be zombified at this very moment. When conversing with the Sheriff inside his office, you can also get the same jail cutscene if you choose certain speech options that result in the Sheriff saying: "Newspaper man, are you? I ain't got the time to fool around with you. Move back into the cell -- now! Move!" It is implied that the Sheriff kills Matt by the way they throw Matt in the cell and his head moves after impact.

Forests Are Fading

Agnes' brother Clyde is in the "2nd" floor of the Bedlam Base. When you speak with him, he has several dialogue options that brings more questions than answers. For example, he mentions Sgt. Joe Yamatsu, which is an unused character that is intended to be seen in the graveyard. His unused voice lines can be heard here: Unused Matt & Joe Voice Lines When talking with Clyde, you will get a mention of "Know Forests are Fading". It is not made clear to the play of what this truly unlocks and the only way to find out is to stumble by the cathedral's pew with an odd face. If you never talked to Clyde and get the said mention, and click on the said pew, the cursor will disappear as if you're starting a cutscene, but quickly return. Overall, the "Green Man" conversation was possibly intended to add to the ZombieVille lore, but falls flat, which results in adding nothing to the gameplay and serves to waste time.

Gas Station Cutscene

The Gas Station contains an unusual cutscene. For a conventional playthrough, the player may never stumble upon this cutscene because there were no clues nor incentives given to the player to blow up the Gas Station throughout the game. In fact, the player has no real reason to go to the Gas Station after visiting the Farmhouse other than to shoot down zombified Dean if one chooses to do so, which has no consequences afterwards. It was possibly intended for the player to blow up the Gas Station with the Jerry Can & Lighter originally, but the Missile Launcher was given this option instead. Note: Dean on the video thumbnail is actually from a pre-release version of ZombieVille.

Unusual Game Behaviors

• Music may play a "twang" audio file when saving and reloading at certain MIDI notes.
• Music may cut out when saving and reloading in quick successions. To restore music, exit and relaunch the game.
• Music may randomly sustain on a note if you're using some zombie antidote until Matt's face has finished consuming an antidote.

Unusual In-Game Behaviors

• When returning to the Bedlam Base after getting Rusty's pass, Colonel Martinez, Sgt. Price, and PFC Janise will disappear without a trace.
• When Colonel Martinez asks Matt if he's able to go get help from the security office, you are presented with two options: "Lie" and "Tell the truth". Either option will make Matt agree. Similar with "Yes" and "Sure" options.
• If you choose to wait at the Bedlam's cage at the first character dialogue, Colonel Martinez will speak with Sgt. Price's voice instead of her own voice. After this part of the dialogue is over, Colonel Martinez will speak with her proper voice.
• You can increase some of your weapons' max carrying ammo by picking up the same weapon, but this is not told to the player.
• The General dual-wields two m16s. When he is killed, he drops the two m16s and an m60.

• This odd weapon drop scenario can be seen in this YouTube video at the 2:27:43 mark.

• When you receive Ms. Agne's shed key, she'll walk towards the farmhouse's door and step inside. She doesn't close the farmhouse door and can be seen by the player. If the door is right-clicked, the game will tell the player that the door is locked, despite being open.
• When arriving at the city, Deputy Buckmaster tells you that he will impound your Humvee. However, after you receive Rusty's pass and head back to the Humvee, Buckmaster is nowhere to be seen and you can leave with the Humvee like nothing happened.
  • Not only that, but even when you arrive to Buckmaster for the first time after visiting the farmhouse, you can leave right away despite being told that your Humvee was impounded!
• Unlike most characters that are meant to be zombified, you are given no option to give an antidote to the Sheriff.
• If you talk to Richard inside the city diner, he'll eventually tell you that the zombies are not inside the diner, which causes zombies to suddenly appear and the waitress to become hostile. The fight is unwinnable even when quick healing.
• If you grab the water pistol from the general store and tell the priest to give holy water for the water pistol, he will become hostile and spawn zombies.
  • The water pistol serves no other purpose other than as a comedic speech option.
• In the game's files, there's no English text for the Dairy; only German, Spanish, French, and Italian.
• You can shoot zombies when they're spawning and show that they're getting hurt, but in reality they're invincible when spawning.
• If you choose "Give weapon" to the general, it's implied that one of your guns will be given up, but no weapon is actually taken away from you.
• Killing Margie will make her give up an m16, m16 ammo, and an mp5. This character's death is the only way to get the Mp5, although it seems to perform similarly to the m16.
  • If you select to walk on foot instead of taking her truck to ram into the pump house, Margie will die after speaking to Matt.
    • Why she was designed to die when speaking with you when she doesn't show any suicide tendencies is unknown...
• When you return to the Gas Station after visiting the city's general store, the gas attendant is zombified with no explanation.
  • How Matt knows that the serum is in the city's water supply at this point without visiting the garage is never explained.
• If you talk to Margie before visiting the warehouse, choose the speech options to go on foot, head to the warehouse, choose to threaten Rusty, and then shoot down Rusty, Margie won't turn into a zombie and go after you.
  • (Choosing to save and reload at this point will make her shoot you once for no reason.)
  • You can head back to the garage and she'll spawn there, unchanged, and still has the conversation from when you first met her.