by Sean Kelly

Created on: July 01, 2009   Last Updated: July 02, 2009

A timeless war rages on in the survival horror genre, and the enthusiastic community that follows it. Which is better, slow or fast zombies? It's an opinion based question, much like the preference between the Empire Strikes Back or the Return of the Jedi. Many refuse the notion that zombies can be fast, I think they should, and I will attempt to get you on my playing field.

I'll start with the abnormally slow type of the zombie. I was presented with this version of the ghoul while I was growing up, and becoming a fan of the flesh eaters. Even undead literature seems to favor the slow moving uncoordinated version - the shuffling of dragged feet. Watching George Romero's cult classics in Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead can easily make you a fan of the horror sub-genre. Romero portrays his villains as patient, and tireless soul devourers. Being trapped with no exits, and the knowledge that one little bite will result in your death is terrifying. But are the slow methodical zombies of the late 60's and 70's relevant today? No, like everything else, zombies had to find a way to be re-invented.

What's scarier than a normal zombie? A zombie that can run is. Having a zombie run is a great idea, not only because it further encapsulates their distinct advantage over the living, and it adds a certain realm of realism that is lacking in the undead universe.

Most people who know anything about the undead know a few basic common traits they possess. Pain is not registered, is completely ignored, this happens because the body is dead, thus the nerves do not transmit the sensation to the brain. A zombie bite is always fatal, don't buy into the antidote thing, and a bite is always communicable. The only way to kill a zombie is to either remove the brain, or destroy it. I'm particularly glad zombies' weaknesses have stayed the same over time, unlike their more popular undead counterparts in vampires. Many of the zombies' advantages over the living are exploited and shown as much as possible, I do think that one very important godly trait is not. The one advantage that hasn't is their infinite amount of stamina and endurance. Human beings can only run so fast, and only for so long before their body stops them and requires them to catch their breath. A zombie doesn't breath, so it can run for as long as it wishes when in pursuit of its next meal. Even well conditioned athletes and Olympians have limits, they require rest eventually as well. Imagine being

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