Following up on its Wii re-release of The House of the Dead 2 & 3, publisher Sega has announced that a new entry in the light gun zombie-shooting series is in the works.

Titled The House of the Dead: Overkill and set as a prequel to the first HotD, the game will debut early next year as a Wii exclusive. Development is being handled by external studio and Battalion Wars 2 (Wii) veterans Headstrong Games, formerly Kuju London.

Sporting cooperative shooting for two players, Overkill is said to deliver "relentless, gore-drenched, over-the-top action" and "non-stop light-gun style action," along with the ability to slow time and line up the "perfect head-popping shot" with "Slow-Mofo Time."

Noted Sega: "They've come for brains, you'll give them bullets!"

"This is the hardcore Wii title you've been waiting for," added Sega Europe marketing director Gary Knight.