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Plants vs. Zombies

If there’s anything that scares me more that the Conservative government, it’s zombies.  Vampires, werewolves, poltergeists, Brian Mulroney – those things I can deal with.  But zombies?  Man, I can watch zombie movies in the middle of the day, with the sun shining and children laughing and playing outside, and I’m still going to be up until the very wee hours planning my escape route and how I’m going to survive if/when the zombies come.

That wouldn’t be the case if they were all as easy to kill as the zombies in PopCap Games’ popular iPod game, Plants vs. Zombies.  In fact, they’re so easy to take out, you can do it with nothing more than a well-stocked garden.

Imagine you’re under attack from a shambling zombie hoard.  They attack you in the daytime.  They attack you at night, in your pool, in the fog and on your roof.  Each of these situations are unlocked as you complete the levels within, plus a bonus fun-round at the end.  As you complete each level, you are given new plants to use in your arsenal.  Additionally, you are introduced to new zombies, whose swift and painful end it is your duty to bring about.

Lest you forget what each plant can be used for (or where you saw that zombie in the traffic cone before), there is also an almanac to keep track of it all.  While it gives you all of the necessary information about each plant and zombie (such as recharge rate, strength, damage and cost), it also gives you a helpful little bio about each helpful herb and evil entity.  Take, for instance, the Grave Buster, a plant who breaks down and eats the graves in the night levels: “Despite Grave Buster’s fearsome appearance, he wants everyone to know that he loves kittens and spends his off hours volunteering at a local zombie rehabilitation centre.”  See that?  HE LOVES KITTENS!  Or how about the Ducky Tube Zombie: “It takes a certain kind of zombie to be a Ducky Tuber.  Not every zombie can handle it.  Some crack.  They can’t take it.  They walk away and give up on brains forever.”  Did you know that it was that hard being a Ducky Tube Zombie?  NOT ME!

Once you’ve unlocked all the levels, you can engage in quick play games, collect awards for achievements, and buy stuff from your neighbour Crazy Dave (who also shows up during the game to give you stuff, like advice or tacos.)  It’s a cute game that doesn’t overdo the cuetsy, and one that’s not too challenging while giving you enough challenge to stay engaged.

Plants vs. Zombies is available from PopCap games for the iPhone, iPod, Mac, PC and XBox 360.

Posted in iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac, PC, Reviews, Xbox 360 |