iPhone app review: Plants Vs Zombies

Up until the iPhone, Popcap pretty much ruled the world of casual gaming with omnipresent puzzlers like Bejewelled and, more recently, this ingenious PC twist on the old Tower Defence game.

As with the original, your job is to repel weaves of zombie attacks on your house by deploying a growing arsenal of plant-based defenses. These can be anything from incendiary (cherry bombs) to projectile (peashooter) to static defences like…er…mushrooms (and yes, they do have a decidedly…’magic’ effect on enemies).

With nearly 50 varieties to choose from (some available as shop items or upgrades) the sheer variety of tactics your can deploy over the game’s 50 levels is impressive. As are the enemies, that improve in variety and ingenuity as the game progresses. Where initially they trudge mindlessly towards you, they soon sport their own protection or equipment to evade your traps.

Special mention goes to the Michael Jackson zombie complete with red leather cat suit and obligatory Thriller dance moves. Combine creature design with levels that includes weather effects and day and night challenges and there’s never a dull moment. One minute you’re in a swimming pool, the next you could be dealing with pole-vaulting zombies on a rooftop.    It’s quick too, with constant clicking required to pull down chosen defences from the holding slots at the top of the screen.

There are quibbles, of course. By squeezing in almost every element from the PC original and so much going on, the frame rate can suffer. It affects the later levels most, and the visible judder that occurs when it does noticeably affects play.

Otherwise, PvZ looks like a classic Gameboy title of yore and plays just as well. Once again, when it comes to casual, few wear the sweater as convincingly as Popcap. Expect many sequels.

Web: iTunes App Store
Price: £1.79

Verdict: 8/10

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