Way back in 2006, when the Xbox 360 was still brand new, a little game called “Dead Rising” came out of nowhere to become one of the console’s best sleeper hits. Four years after the original, its sequel, debuting in a about a month, will terrorize the 360, PS3 and PC.

To prepare gamers for the new zombie killing massacre, Capcom has released a sequel of sorts on Xbox Live Arcade, “Dead Rising: Case Zero.” It’s definitely not a full game, but more of a glorified demo, “Case Zero” is gory, and satisfies zombie killing for those on a budget. It is virtually impossible to find another game with more reckless murder of innocent-civilians-turned-bloodthirsty-monsters for $5.

“Case Zero” puts players in the hands of Chuck Greene, a motocross champion and father. His daughter Katey has been infected, and he must find her medicine to fight the disease. While stranded in a small Nevada town, Chuck must survive thousands of zombies and a few crazy townsfolk to survive.

The point of the Dead Rising franchise is to messily and humorously kill as many zombies as you need to (or want to). “Case Zero” knows what its users want and answers the call beautifully. Everything from cardboard boxes to chainsaws can be found, and each of these causes a different bloody death for some unfortunate zombie. The over-the-top nature of the killing disarms any real fear in the game: the further the player goes, the more ridiculous (and hilarious) Chuck’s weapons get. Combination weapons such as a spiked bat can eventually be attained, and the best players will even find a double chainsaw.

While the game is short and the story can be confusing, the low price point and great replay value (upon completing the game, you can restart the story with all the upgrades you’ve already earned) make it more than a worthy purchase. For fans of the first game, Case Zero is more of a sample of what to expect in the second game, due for release the last week of September as a bonus (any experience points and money earned in Case Zero carries over to Dead Rising 2, in case you need an extra reason to buy it). For those who haven’t played the first, download the trial, and once you kill your first zombie, you’ll be hooked.