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"Stubbs the Zombie in Hero Without a Pulse", the first title by Wideload Games, a then independent studio by Bungie co-founder Alex Seropian and developed on the Halo Engine. Released in 2005 on the Xbox and a year later on the PC and MAC. The game featured a variety of gameplay genres and subverted mix of themes in a retro-futuristic setting. At times the game breaks the 4th wall as Stubbs will turn and acknowledge the gamer.
A separate soundtrack was also released, featuring 1950's-era rock 'n' roll and doo-wop songs covered by more 'contemporary artists' (at the time).
It was 1933, Edward 'Stubbs' Stubblefield was a down-on-his-luck traveling salesman during the Great Depression. When he comes across Knobb Cheese Farm and the family home to the Mondays, Stubbs meets Maggie, daughter of Ottis Monday; a confederate uniform wearing redneck conservative with a double-barrel shotgun and head of the Quaker State Irregulars. Stubbs and Maggie have a short-lived romantic fling, before her father unloads a shotgun into Stubbs and buries him in an unmarked grave in the Pennsylvania countryside.
Awoken 26 years later in 1959, Stubbs finds himself in the 'futuristic utopia' of Punchbowl, Pennsylvania. The brainchild of billionaire playboy industrialist Andrew Monday. Punchbowl is a wonderland of technology; hovering cars, robot servants and biodomes. Stubbs also just happened to be reborn on the inaugural opening to the public. He doesn't know where he is, or remembers who killed him, or why. The only thing that he's certain is his new abilities and appetites. The down-on-his-lucksalesman has now been reborn as a brain-eatting zombie.
Edward 'Stubbs' Stubblefield: a once traveling sales who was murdered and mysteriously turned into a zombie with powerful abilities.
'Andr'ew Monday: son of Maggie, Andrew is the visionary of the technologically advanced city of Punchbowl and head of Monday Industries and "all round good guy" (supposedly).
Maggie Monday: a once poor white trash daughter to glamorous fashion model, Maggie is now the face and voice of Monday Industries.
Dr. Wye: Germany's best scientist and inventor, head of R&D at Monday Industries responsible for bringing Andrew Monday's ideas to fruition. He also has a personal jet pack!
Police Chief T.S. Masters: once a famous crime fighter, Masters now serves as Punchbowl's Chief of Police.
Ottis Monday: the father of Maggie, grandfather to Andrew and murderer of Edward Stubblefield. Ottis is the head of a conservative militia group called the Quaker State Irregulars at loggerheads with the "techno-fascists" of Punchbowl and his grandson.
The majority of the gameplay is a 3rd person action adventure with varied non-conventional organic weapons, simplistic squad management, vehicular transportation and combat. The game also features other genres, such a rhythm based mini game with button prompts.
Stubbs has more unique abilities and powers than any zombie has possessed. Some are passive that occur contextually or automatically such as the ability to run or breaking down doors. While other powers regenerate overtime or are refueled by consuming an ungodly amount of brains.
The game focuses on Stubb's ability to build and command a zombie horde. By eating the brains of his living enemies they will become zombies. The zombie horde can also kill and make more zombies as well. The zombie horde is best used to attack in mass and distract more heavily armed opponents.
Welcome to Punchbowl!
Bleeding Ground
The Slammer
Cop Rock
Painting the Town Red
Punchbowl Maul
Fall of the House of Otis
When the Zombie Breaks
The Sacking of Punchbowl
The Doctor Will See You Now
Paved with Good Intentions
The Ghoul of Your Dreams
- The soundtrack to stubbs the zombie featured modern artists covering songs from the 1950's and 60's , it featured
On July 14, 2008, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse became available on the Xbox 360 (Platform)'s Xbox Originals (Concept) service for 1200 Microsoft Points (Concept).