Plants vs. Zombies
How much fun is there in this game?
Let me count the ways: 45 different plants, 25 different zombies, 20 mini-games
and 50 levels plus a survival and a puzzle mode.
The game is so enjoyable that players will end up licking up every crumb - even the Help file.
The format is tower defense, in this case, plant and sun defense.
Instead of playing the aggressor, you strategize at defending your turf - in
this case your brain residing in your house.
You are defending against zombies in their burial suits and power red ties, marching across your lawn.
At first they are easy to down, but soon they protect themselves with traffic cones, bucket hats,
football suits, screen doors.
Other types of zombies attack - pole vaulters, snorkeling zombie, a red suited dancer
doing space walk who spawns back-up dancers, and that's just 5 of the 25.
Your defense against these zombies are plants propagated by the amount of sun you
collect - some shoot, some devour, some explode, some squash, some make sunshine.
Your job is to place your defenders in the optimum positions.
The plants that become available, are well matched for the increasing strengths of the zombies.
All this action takes place on your front lawn - a 3X5 lawn of rolled out turf.
As the game progresses this area gets perilous embellishments - a lap pool, tombstones, vision obliterating fog and day turns into night.
The tinkley piano accompaniment fits as the wry touch for a zombie saga.
There is a commendable attention to detail which you will notice as you spend hours in the
game - all the plants have eyes, munching plants have to finish off the arm before they are ready
for another zombie, and all the plants are boppin' in their own way to the music.
Plants fighting zombies is so absurd but that's crux of the humor.
Not only is it graphically funny, there are irreverent jokes about our cultural
icons - Scary Potter, Dead Zeppelin - enough! Just go and play it.
It can be downloaded for a one hour free trial from PopCap.com.
Trust me, one hour just isn't enough.
Reviewed by: Editor - 08/09
Ages: Everybody
Fun Factor: Don't be the only one on your block who hasn't played it
Female Factor: No female zombies
Player Friendly: Saves upon exiting. Good manual in "Read Me" file.