<s>
is	O
a	O
horror	O
comedy	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
Software	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
D3	O
Publisher	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
was	O
later	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
is	O
a	O
third-person	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
that	O
incorporates	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
gameplay	O
styles	O
,	O
including	O
combat	O
,	O
platforming	O
,	O
and	O
puzzles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
core	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
revolves	O
around	O
Fred	O
's	O
missing	O
head	O
and	O
his	O
ability	O
to	O
"	O
switch	O
"	O
heads	O
by	O
defeating	O
certain	O
enemies	O
,	O
decapitating	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
collecting	O
their	O
heads	O
(	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
headhunting	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
Hope	O
Falls	O
,	O
New	O
Jersey	O
,	O
a	O
once-prosperous	O
area	O
based	O
on	O
American	O
cities	O
in	O
the	O
1940s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zombietown	O
,	O
as	O
its	O
name	O
suggests	O
,	O
is	O
overrun	O
with	O
zombies	B-Application
and	O
most	O
of	O
its	O
residents	O
have	O
fled	O
the	O
neighborhood	O
or	O
barricaded	O
themselves	O
in	O
their	O
homes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
is	O
Fred	O
Neuman	O
(	O
voiced	O
by	O
John	O
C	O
.	O
McGinley	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
private	O
detective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fred	O
has	O
a	O
wisecracking	O
,	O
sarcastic	O
personality	O
and	O
occasionally	O
breaks	O
the	O
fourth	O
wall	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
heckling	O
the	O
player	O
when	O
he	O
dies	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fred	O
's	O
enemies	O
are	O
generally	O
employees	O
of	O
Pitt	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
skeletal	O
"	O
bone	O
thugs	O
"	O
,	O
or	O
creatures	O
created	O
by	O
Hope	O
Falls	O
 '	O
radiation	O
,	O
like	O
zombies	B-Application
and	O
animated	O
scarecrows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fred	O
leaves	O
Steiner	O
's	O
castle	O
and	O
meets	O
a	O
blue-skinned	O
hunchback	B-Application
in	O
the	O
cemetery	O
outside	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
hunchback	B-Application
introduces	O
himself	O
as	O
Sam	O
Spade	O
,	O
a	O
gravedigger	O
and	O
"	O
head	O
merchant	O
"	O
who	O
can	O
help	O
Fred	O
by	O
providing	O
him	O
with	O
quality	O
interchangeable	O
heads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
uses	O
the	O
Vicious	O
Engine	O
,	O
a	O
game	O
engine	O
created	O
and	O
maintained	O
by	O
game	O
design	O
company	O
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
Software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Considered	O
"	O
middleware	B-General_Concept
"	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
,	O
the	O
engine	O
was	O
designed	O
as	O
a	O
simple	O
set	O
of	O
creation	O
tools	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
across	O
multiple	O
consoles	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Geo	O
concept	O
was	O
described	O
by	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
as	O
similar	O
to	O
other	O
platform	O
games	O
like	O
Rayman	B-Application
or	O
Spyro	O
,	O
and	O
skewed	O
towards	O
a	O
younger	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	B-Application
GameCube	I-Application
had	O
been	O
an	O
early	O
choice	O
for	O
hosting	O
the	O
game	O
before	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
was	O
chosen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
presented	O
the	O
new	O
project	O
to	O
Sony	O
,	O
who	O
promptly	O
approved	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
,	O
despite	O
it	O
not	O
having	O
secured	O
a	O
publisher	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
time	O
the	O
art	O
came	O
back	O
darker	O
,	O
with	O
similarities	O
to	O
Dirty	B-Application
Harry	I-Application
and	O
The	O
Matrix	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Evil	I-Application
Dead	I-Application
,	O
and	O
a	O
Norman	O
Rockwell-inspired	O
look	O
that	O
would	O
influence	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
art	O
style	O
towards	O
a	O
more	O
violent	O
theme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
D3	O
also	O
gave	O
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
more	O
time	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
hope	O
of	O
receiving	O
better	O
reviews	O
and	O
potentially	O
turning	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
into	O
a	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
of	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Rod	O
Abernethy	O
and	O
Jason	O
Graves	O
and	O
recorded	O
at	O
Abernethy	O
's	O
studio	O
,	O
Rednote	O
Audio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abernethy	O
and	O
Graves	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
previous	O
games	O
by	O
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
,	O
like	O
Curious	B-Application
George	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
composers	O
were	O
interested	O
in	O
developing	O
a	O
sound	O
for	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
that	O
was	O
retro-futuristic	O
,	O
and	O
borrowed	O
from	O
other	O
death-themed	O
pieces	O
like	O
Stubbs	B-Application
the	I-Application
Zombie	I-Application
and	O
Beetlejuice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ellis	O
referred	O
to	O
several	O
noir	O
films	O
for	O
inspiration	O
,	O
especially	O
Miller	O
's	O
Crossing	O
and	O
Who	B-Application
Framed	I-Application
Roger	I-Application
Rabbit	I-Application
During	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
Eric	O
Peterson	O
cast	O
several	O
voice	O
actors	O
,	O
including	O
John	O
C	O
.	O
McGinley	O
from	O
the	O
TV	O
show	O
Scrubs	O
and	O
Jon	O
Polito	O
from	O
the	O
aforementioned	O
Miller	O
's	O
Crossing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
at	O
the	O
Electronics	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
(	O
E3	O
)	O
video	O
game	O
convention	O
in	O
May	O
2006	O
,	O
where	O
a	O
trailer	O
was	O
shown	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2007	O
,	O
D3	O
reduced	O
the	O
price	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
October	O
2008	O
it	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
download	O
on	O
Sony	O
's	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
by	O
Lakeshore	O
Records	O
on	O
September	O
18	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
specifically	O
for	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
intended	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
their	O
"	O
flagship	O
"	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
designers	O
hinted	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
could	O
potentially	O
be	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
or	O
Xbox	B-Device
Live	I-Device
Arcade	I-Device
with	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
 '	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
(	O
the	O
parent	O
of	O
D3	O
)	O
were	O
impressed	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
publish	O
the	O
sequel	O
because	O
they	O
"	O
wanted	O
"	O
to	O
test	O
out	O
Vicious	O
Cycle	O
's	O
gameplay	O
on	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
writing	O
and	O
dialogue	O
were	O
considered	O
the	O
main	O
strengths	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
with	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
reviewer	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
In	O
the	O
vast	O
sea	O
of	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
titles	O
,	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
stands	O
'	O
head	O
and	O
shoulders	O
 '	O
above	O
the	O
rest.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
supernatural	O
themes	O
elicited	O
comparisons	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Darkness	I-Application
and	O
Grim	B-Application
Fandango	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Editor	O
Jason	O
Fanelli	O
felt	O
that	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
games	O
often	O
lacked	O
creativity	O
and	O
that	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
was	O
the	O
exception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
's	O
graphics	O
were	O
warmly	O
received	O
,	O
with	O
GameSpy	O
noting	O
"	O
The	O
game	O
looks	O
simply	O
phenomenal	O
on	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
screen.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
focal	O
point	O
of	O
reviewers	O
 '	O
criticism	O
was	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
's	O
gameplay	O
,	O
specifically	O
the	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
were	O
also	O
unhappy	O
with	O
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
's	O
loading	O
times	O
;	O
Eurogamer	O
considered	O
them	O
"	O
excessively	O
high	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
IGN	O
said	O
"	O
The	O
only	O
downside	O
that	O
crops	O
up	O
when	O
it	O
comes	O
to	O
the	O
visuals	O
are	O
the	O
continual	O
loading	O
times	O
on	O
just	O
about	O
every	O
single	O
area.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
several	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
Writers	O
Guild	O
of	O
America	O
's	O
first	O
award	O
for	O
video	O
game	O
writing	O
,	O
which	O
it	O
won	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
lost	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
Phantom	I-Application
Hourglass	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
,	O
but	O
was	O
notable	O
for	O
being	O
the	O
only	O
new	O
intellectual	O
property	O
nominated	O
in	O
the	O
handheld	O
category	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dead	B-Application
Head	I-Application
Fred	I-Application
lost	O
to	O
BioShock	B-Application
and	O
Syphon	B-Application
Filter	I-Application
:	I-Application
Logan	I-Application
's	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
