Plants Vs. Zombies – MMOMFG Micro Review

Posted by Jeremy On February - 16 - 2010

Get Ready To Soil Your Plants

Fans of action-strategy/ tower defense style games have a reason to rejoice this week as they head over to the iTunes store to find that Pop Cap’s Plants vs. Zombies (winner of the 2009 casual game of the year award) is finally coming to the small screen. These aren’t your typical maul and brawl type zombies, but the fun-dead can seem just as burdensome at times. Don’t fret boys and girls, the zombies may be a bunch of pole vaulting, zamboni driving, bobsledding freaks, but you have a stockade full of juiced up plants just awaiting your command. You are a master gardener and you will defend everything from your front yard, to your pool, to the very roof over your head, and have one hell of a time doing it.

What’s Good

Routine Surgery - In recent past, PopCap has very successfully converted desktop versions of casual games along the likes of Bejeweled 2 and Peggle to the small screen. P vs. Z is no different. The developers have flawlessly retained the same playability and functionality in the port to the iPhone/iPod touch, all the while maintaining the casual charm, fun, and comedic moments of its desktop counterpart.

Two pointers are better than one - One of my main concerns was how the controls would translate to the iPhone, but once again PopCap delivered in a huge way. In the iPhone version, your seed selection menu has been shifted to the far left of your screen. The positioning allows for quick planting when you are in a bind. Simply select the plant of your choice with your left thumb then quickly place with your right thumb. If you are on a more casual level, you also have the option to drag and drop your juice-head plants after selection, a new feature in the perilous battle between plants and zombies.

What’s Bad

Less is never more - One of the biggest re-playability factors of the desktop version, and one of the most surprising absences from the portable version, is the unlockable mini-games. It’s beyond me why developers would leave out such a fun and hefty portion of the game, but let’s hope it’s part of a greater marketing scheme and that they will release a patch with the missing content soon. There is however a quick play mode that you can unlock upon completion of adventure mode where you can go back and re-play your favorite portions, but is nowhere near as titillating for your fingertips as the mini-games of the yester-version.

And I thought Gear Heads were the only ones with lag problems - The one major flaw in the gameplay of this little gem of a portable game is the lag factor. As you reach the final waves of the levels and your pea pod shooters and corn-apults are on full attack, coupled with the masses of the zombie horde, the system becomes completely bogged down. The lag isn’t so much as to completely distract from the overall experience of the game, but it is enough to where even the most untrained of eyes might throw their hands up in frustration. Here’s to hoping that this too will be fixed in an upcoming patch.

Whether you’re just looking to pass some time or you are putting off that essay until the last minute possible, Plants vs. Zombies is a great game for you; great for those long layovers, car rides, and especially when Mother Nature calls. Some prefer “reading a magazine,” others cannot ignore the call of duty to save their homes from the zombie horde. This game gets the coveted IYGN2, TWY (If you have to go number two, take this with you) award. It’s at least 50% better than “reading a magazine.” I promise, and with a $2.99 price tag, it can’t be beat.