Plants vs Zombies: Tower Defense Done Right
With successful launches of major IP franchises such as Bejeweled 2, Bookworm, and Peggle it’s no wonder why PopCap Games has been successful in creating such a large and loyal fan base on the iPhone and iTouch platforms. With their newest release of Plants vs Zombies it’s safe to say their reputation is well deserved.
While Plants vs Zombies at it’s heart a tower defense game a genre which has flooded the app-store of late, I can assure you that this game isn’t your typical clone. It has a unique charm and cuteness to it to please even the most staunched hater of the genre .
The Game puts you in the role of a simple homeowner who’s lawn is being invaded by hordes of zombies. Being an actually homeowner I can really relate to this game in so many ways. Imagine the money and time spent grooming and maintaining the perfect lawn only to have zombies (the neighborhood kids & dogs in my case) attempt to destroy all your hard work on a daily basis and you will understand why it’s vital to protect your lawn regardless of the costs!
Be ready for anything as zombies will attack from above and below.
To help you defend your home you are eventually presented with upwards of 50 different types of offensive and defensive plant seeds that can be deployed. The game allows you to only to have a limited amount of seed types per round (eight in total) forcing you to mix and match offensive and defensive pairings to each specific level.
To utilize these seeds in the game you will need to collect the proper amount of sun fragments for each seed before they can be placed on the lawn. There are two ways to aid you in collecting sun fragments with the first being natural.
As you play sun will fall from the sky and land on the lawn. You simply tap these to collect them, however relying on natural sunlight alone is a sure fire way to lose. The second method for collecting sunlight is by planting sunflower seeds which in return will produce additional sunlight but will take up one of your defensive positions on the lawn.
Once you have collected enough sun fragments you can place your seed anywhere on the exposed lawn. Placement of these seeds is crucial to your success as the incoming zombies will attempt to destroy everything in their path. Oh and speaking of zombies the game has over 25 different types to contend with and each will require a slightly different strategy to defeat, The game also includes 13 different unlockable achievements.
If the zombies are able to pass your defenses your lawnmower will mow down anyone on that particular row as a last ditch effort to save your property. However if the zombies manage to get past your defenses again the game will end.
PopCap are the masters at keeping the gameplay fresh and compelling with their games, and Plants vs Zombies is no different. The game mixes things up by tossing in some in between level mini games and forcing you to alter your strategies you built up by introducing different types of playing conditions where collecting sun fragments become a real challenge.
Night and fog missions will challenge your strategies for collecting sun.
Graphically the game is clean sharp while the animations and character models are fantastic. Each type of zombie has their own personalities, and animations which add to the games charm. The musical score while calm and whimsical to begin with slowly changes to a more frantic and ominous tune as more zombies enter the playing field.
The Controls are based squarely around touch and actually give you a better feeling when designing a defense than using a mouse would. It’s something hard to explain and has to be felt to understand.
One area of letdown some of you might feel is the fact that the iPhone and iTouch versions of the game currently only offer adventure and (an unlockable) quick play mode compared to the five different modes available on the PC. Im not sure why the entire game wasn’t implemented but I believe that the developers are going to be adding additional content in the coming months.
Seeing that the game is priced at $2.99 at release indicates that they will be micro transactions required to get the additional content. I don’t see it as a real problem as the entire 50 levels of the Adventure mode is well worth the asking price of $2.99 compared to it’s PC counterparts.
Plants vs Zombies is another example of a developer putting time and resources into maximizing a game around the iPhone interface without compromising anything from the original. The game is a testament to PopCap’s philosophy of creating fun, addictive and excellent casual games and we can’t recommend this enough to anyone with a passing interest in the genre. In fact I would go so far as to say it’s the type of game that should be on everyone’s device. Even though the game does not change the basic principals of the genre or offer anything new we are still rewarding this with an Editors Choice Award because it simply does everything in the genre to perfection.
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- Plants vs. Zombies HD Will Have You Soiling Your Pants Once Again
- Bone Bone Review: Tower Defense Gone Spooky
- Kids Vs. Zombies
Category: Editors Choice Awards, Games, Reviews, iPhone
this game looks and feels amazing, i played it on my friend’s ipod and couldn’t put it down. it is the perfect tower defense game and adds new ennemies and plants every round so it keeps you wanting to keep playing. great game!!!
I’ve been playing this since my last comments, and STILL enjoying it! Trying to save enough cash to buy the remaining plants, and find the Yeti zombie, ubt no luck… any hints where it is???
I caved into this, and am so glad I did! This is an awesome game, and is really adapted well to iPhone finger-gaming. The music is catchy (Sadly STILL waiting for the music on Peggle, promised by the devs!), the whole premise is fun, and the gameplay is well tuned. I really love how you have to make a strategic decision on which 6 plants you will choose to battle with.
I’m just having a hard time trying to find out how the landmine thing works… its not like to explodes upon impact. Help, anyone?
The potato mine takes a while to become active after placement. Once active, it will explode on contact. Its chief advantage is its low cost.
SPUD-ow!
Thanks K88dad. Now starting to get the hang of using it now. Been playing this game so much, now got to the levels where it gets damn crazy with the lights all out! You only see the backyard when the lightning flashes for a second!!!! Real test of your memory! hahaha
IMHO, this is PopCap’s magnum opus. I played it to death on the computer and will still buy it from the app store. It doesn’t quite have the replay value of some PopCap titles but it does have the perfect balance of whimsy and gameplay. As a bonus, this interface is clearly superior to one involving a mouse.
Glenn, I agree 99% with your review. I would have stayed away from the words “tower defense”. It will scare away some people and that is a tragedy. Add this to the app store hall of fame.
New genre: HOME DEFENSE.
I agree it isn’t technically a tower defense game, but it is in that genre. That is the reason I wrote it as most people understand what a tower defense game plays like.
Build, collect, and defend..
I love Popcap games and they have done an awesome job with this app! One of my favorites!! So much fun, its not tremediously challenging but gives you just enough so that you want to keep playing and playing and playing. Its a must buy… And yes snow_mani I love those easter eggs in the help section and achievements lol
I gave in to all the hype and purchased this game when it was released. It’s my first time playing Plants vs Zombies and it is a lot of fun. Anyone who buys the game should check out the help section (which is unhelpful) and scroll down through all the achievements. Speaking of achievements, there is a very LARGE section for the achievements so like PopCap’s Peggle I expect I’ll soon be very addicted and wanting them all (I’m now only 11 levels from getting Ultra Extreme Fever on all Peggle levels – not that I’m boasting or anything!
). I recommend this game as it is a lot of fun and has a lot of humour in it. As the game says “The zombies are coming!”