Before you run to the clinic for that T-Virus immunity injection or start experimenting with those red, green, and yellow herbs in your garden, understand that Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is not the next chapter in the classic story-driven, puzzle-solving, zombie-killin' survival horror series. Instead, this light-gun-style shooter offers an appetizer to the flesh-eating main course Resident Evil 5 promises to serve in 2008.

This isn't to say Umbrella Chronicles doesn't deserve your attention and a coveted spot in your Wii library. On the contrary, it's a gloriously gory, zombie head-poppin' blast that, while not perfect, delivers a must-own entry for fans of the series as well as anyone tiring of the Wii's saccharine mini-game fair; this ain't no Cooking Mama, and you certainly won't be training your brain, but you can count on splattering plenty of gray matter all over Umbrella Chronicles' many macabre missions.

It's not entirely fair to categorize UC as merely a light-gun game or House of the Dead ripoff, as it offers much more than your typical point-and-shoot arcade-style entry. While on-rails gunning is definitely the meat of this package, there's also tons of grisly goodies that raise the bar high above that of other titles in the genre--including the series' own previous entries, RE:Survivor and RE:Dead Aim. The story, re-telling the events of previous Resident Evil entries 0, 1, and 3, offers much more narrative substance than other such games in this action-focused category. We're not suggesting the RE canon is ripe with high-brow storytelling, but reliving some of the fleshy franchise's most memorable moments will be a must-buy draw for faithful fans. Whether you're creeping up on that very first zombie encountered in the original RE's mansion--the one crouched on the floor, feasting on a corpse, who slowly turns to greet you with his decayed face--or taking on leather-clad monstrosity Nemesis, you'll experience a nostalgic twinge of undead-eliminating joy. Furthermore, some never-before-seen chapters, shedding light on the back-story of the mysterious Albert Wesker, as well as a visit to Umbrella Corporation's Russian-based virus-producing stronghold, ooze with fan service extras. And the story yields many alternate pathways--unlocking tons of bonus chapters--that'll get most fans queuing up for multiple play-throughs in order to experience every last drop of gory goodness.

On top of the story and its branching playable paths, UC separates itself from the generic light-gun pack with nicely detailed levels littered with destructible items. While your sites will usually be beaded between the eyes of your shuffling foes, you'll also want to plug a few rounds into the breakable vases and light fixtures, splintering crates and furniture, and just about anything else you can break with a barrage of bullets. Doing so will unleash some slick shrapnel-flying effects, as well as plenty of secret-filled stashes. Some, such as life-restoring herbs, weapons and ammo, provide immediate--and usually desperately needed--gratification. But others, like detail-crammed documents, bleed with franchise facts; what Resident Evil fan--worth their weight in decomposing corpses--wouldn't want to know the origins of the series' most famous characters and creatures.

The Wii-specific aspects of UC also elevate it beyond the usual on-rails, light-gun fair, as using the Wii-mote to point and shoot is incredibly immersive. Hitting enemies' too-tiny weak spots for one-shot kills occasionally poses some hit-or-miss frustration, but filling foes full of lead is generally a blast, and small touches, like shaking the control to reload, really ratchet up the adrenaline-stoked sense of urgency. The Wii-mote also affords some minor analog stick camera control, offering zombie hunters a bit of freedom from the usually set-path of other such games. Additionally, the motion-sensing tech is used to execute maneuvers somewhat reminiscent of the peripheral-shaking done in RE4: Wii Edition; as you frantically shake the controller to free yourself of too-close-for-comfort brain-eaters you'll instantly recall Wii-waggling memories from Leon Kennedy's quest on the Wii. While the Wii-specific bells and whistles certainly enhance the lock-and-load action, the bare bones, shoot-anything-that-moves formula works quite well on its own. Who can argue that just shooting zombies in and of itself isn't one of the greatest pleasures in life? Whether you're frantically unloading you're unlimited-ammo pistol on a single target or taking out a crowd of flesh-craving clones with a single, well-place grenade, RE fan or not, you'll continually feel warm and fuzzy over the carnage you're creating