Pico VS Zombies DoD
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Pico Battles Zombies - Newgrounds Description
Pico vs Zombies: Dusk of the Dead (shortened to Pico VS Zombies DoD) is an Adobe Flash animation created by SickDeathFiend and released on March 2, 2004. Originally created for the Newgrounds Jam 2[1], the Flash movie stars Pico, who is pitted against a horde of flesh-eating zombies. Taking inspiration from Braindead, Evil Dead II & George A. Romero's Living Dead film series, Pico here uses his resourcefulness and killer instinct against the undead instead of simply relying on firearms.
Plot
On one sunny afternoon, we find Pico lounging around in the city with a drink in hand. Suddenly, a huge explosion occurs from across the city block, catching him by surprise. Immediately after, he is accosted by a hysterical Wade Fulp, frantically driving a bloodied SUV and yelling at him to run away. As the car drives off, Pico then comes face-to-face with what he was warned about: a monstrous number of flesh-eating zombies, all seeking to turn him into one of them. He narrowly escapes the horde and bursts into the window of the building behind him, which is revealed to be a hardware store. Finding a way to defend himself, Pico arms himself and exits with one of the lawnmowers, with which he proceeds to mow through the undead.
After some time is spent blending said zombies into severed body parts, he quickly abandons the lawnmower and pulls out a chainsaw. As he tries to turn it on, Pico is attacked by the lead zombie; however, he is still resolute, and successfully starts up the chainsaw. With a battle cry, he proceeds to kill the remaining undead before finally facing off against the lead zombie. In one swift movement, he throws the running chainsaw which strikes the zombie in the chest, then picks up the gun of a dead cop to shoot its fuel tank, causing an explosion that disembodies the corpse. In the ensuing inferno, the zombie's severed head lands on Pico's arm, biting him; just as quickly, he kicks the head away from a distance.
As night begins to fall, a military vehicle suddenly enters the scene after the chaos has already died down. One soldier exits the vehicle and approaches a battered Pico, still covered in blood, stating they came to help take care of any remaining zombies. However, Pico tells him that there is "just one more" left, revealing he had succumbed to the bite and turned into a zombie himself. The infected Pico immediately rushes toward the soldier, and eats him alive as he lets out a blood-curdling scream.
Characters
Reception
Upon its release, Pico VS Zombies DoD received mostly positive reception on Newgrounds, praising its impressive animation and extreme graphic violence. Some even regarded it as the goriest Pico Flash of all time. Since then, the Flash movie received up to 1.6 million views, and currently holds an average rating score of 4.47/5.00. It would also receive accolades in the form of the Weekly Users' Choice, Review Crew Pick, and Daily Feature Awards.
Additionally, it is featured in both the Pico and Zombie Movies collections.
Gallery
Title card.
Pico relaxing, when suddenly...
...the apocalypse begins!
A horde of zombies approach.
"Join us!"
Pico leaps into action...
...and finds salvation.
He prepares to mow them down.
Now confronted by the leader of the undead...
Pico goes BeRzErKeR!
He's now full of bloodlust.
A solemn Pico, carrying a green chainsaw in hand.
Trivia
- The creator of this Flash, SickDeathFiend, has built a reputation of creating incredibly gory Flash animations, many of which also happen to involve the undead. These include Newgrounds Jam #1, Don't Feed the Zombies! and Road of the Dead.
- In the Flash's main menu screen, there is a featured sneak peek for the then-upcoming sixth episode of his zombie web series, Dead Rain, which was later cancelled.
- Pico's use of both a lawnmower and chainsaw against the zombies are direct references to Peter Jackson's Braindead and Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise, respectively.
- The subtitle Dusk of the Dead is a shout-out to the Living Dead film series (i.e. Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead), which was originally co-created by the late George A. Romero and John A. Russo.
- The lead zombie yells out to Pico, "Join us!", which is also a direct reference to The Evil Dead.
- Much like The Perfect Murder and Pico's Unloaded, Pico vs Zombies DoD was originally created for the second Newgrounds Jam. Once the collab was cancelled, it would be released on Newgrounds as a standalone submission.[1]