Review: Plants vs. Zombies (iPhone)
Written by Giang Cao   
Monday, 15 February 2010 10:45
alt

When I first played Plants vs. Zombies, I knew it would be a perfect fit for the iPhone. I mean, we all did - right? I can't help but think that this game was made with the iPhone in mind first, and the PC version was just to whet our appetites. Conspiracy theory aside, PvZ has finally made its way to the iPhone. Thankfully, nothing is lost in translation.

The majority of the game has been preserved in the port; the deadly flora, the campy zombies, even Crazy Dave (it wouldn't be PvZ without him). Obviously, this is an incredibly high-production game where everything is very well thought out and nothing seems too out of place. The bright and cheerful art looks great and individual animations of plants and zombies are expressed with great detail. The transition is a natural fit for the iPhone, and in some cases better suited to the smaller screen. Some actions feel very much at home on a touchscreen device; tapping sunlight to gather resources is a lot more natural than feverishly clicking around a monitor. Overall, the compacted UI requires a lot less work to get things done and the controls feel more satisfying.

The game performs well on the iPhone, only slowing down when things get hectic. It's still impressive, considering the amount of animations occurring at once. It's difficult to find else much wrong with the port. I mean, it has the same drawbacks as the original PC version and in that sense, nothing new is introduced into the iPhone version. It obviously won't be as challenging for those who did beat it the first time, but that doesn't detract on how fun and engaging the levels are. For newcomers, for which will be the eventual majority, the game will be an exciting introduction to the tower defense genre.

Despite its transition to the small screen, PvZ is absolutely brimming with personality. It offers an absorbing and fully featured adventure, as well as an unlockable quickplay mode, minigames, bonus items and achievements. With its unbeatable charm and ultimate accessibility, I consider the human race well prepared for the zombiepocalypse (zombocalypse?).

Comments (4)
onionsaregross
...
written by Russ Crandall, February 15, 2010
bought it. the combination of your kind words and the $2.99 price point was just too much.
markhill66
...
written by markhill66, February 16, 2010
I was really surprised that it was just $2.99. Still, though, I feel it will be $.99 soon enough.
0
I absolutley love this game and will buy all pop-cap games day one from this day forward.
written by Tyler W Miller, March 12, 2010
They're basically the Valve of charming, little games. So good.
0
Check
written by Tyler Miller - Editor, March 12, 2010
1....2....

Write comment
smaller | bigger

busy
< Prev   Next >
 


Disagree with us? Got an idea? Want to put up your own post with full credit?

Click here to send it to us and we'll post it...as long as it doesn't suck.

About Bloguin

Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics.

Advertisers

The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.

Bloggers Wanted

The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.

The Bloguin Login

The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!