Blowing zombies into bits never gets old. From the advent of computer games, there has always been a surplus of blast-them-zombies games. As for me, I look forward to these games especially if they have a cooperative mode. However, for Plants vs. Zombies, it is not like any of the typical zombie games you would expect. Heard of tower defense before? Any Warcraft III player would. The creators of Plants vs. Zombies took the concept of tower defense and made it into their own game with some differences.

First impression, Plants vs. Zombies do not offer the state of the art 3D graphics but it is done well enough to be pleasing to the eyes. When I saw the game, I immediately thought of the games I played as a child – those educational ones. In short, Plants vs. Zombies gave an impression that it was meant for children. But who cares! It is still a heck lot of fun! The main game mode of Plants vs. Zombie is the adventure mode ( something like story mode ) where you unlock new plants and other game modes.

So you have decided to start your adventure. On the first level, the game will guide you on the basics, so you need not worry. Before the start of each round, you will be able to have a look at the types of zombies that would be attempting to get your brains. It is very important as it will be a deciding factor on which plants you choose as there is a limit to the number you can pick for a level. When you’re satisfied, click “Let’s Rock” to start!

The currency in Plants vs. Zombie is not gold but sunlight. Instead of killing zombies to earn ( a common practise in tower defense games ), you are required to manually click on the sun icons to collect sunlight. In levels where the sun is up, sunlight is randomly spawned and vice versa during the night. To boost the production of sunlight, growing plants such as sunflowers and sun shrooms would be it.

A seasoned tower defense player knows that it is essential to create an effective maze to maximize the damage output from the towers. However, in Plants vs. Zombies, this is not the case. Instead of creating a maze, players are only required to plant plants along each of the five lanes. Zombies do not change the lanes at which they are coming for you. That somewhat makes the game easier too. As seen above, the zombie walks right into the first plant it encounters and starts munching on it. Depending on the plant, some plants can take a greater hit before going down.

As you progress through a level, do not expect the zombies to come at you one by one. There are events in the game ( noted by the flag with a brain logo on it at the progress bar ) that can change the tide in an instant. Make sure you plan ahead so that your yard is well prepared for the wave of zombies!

At the end of each level, you are sure to meet a final wave of zombies. Even though the game looks simple, the game actually takes common sense into its gameplay. For instance, if the peashooter shoots a pea over a torchwood ( it has fire burning perpetually on its top ), the pea will catch fire and cause more damage to the incoming zombies. However, if the snowpea shoots a froze pea over a torchwood, it melts and becomes a normal pea.

After clearing the final wave, an item will pop up on the ground. It would be either a new plant, a note or the almanac ( at the first level I think ). Just click on it and proceed on to the next level!

This game is quite addictive and it should run smoothly on any decent computer. The game file size is only a mere 50 Mb. Besides the adventure mode, there are also other modes to prolong gameplay! If you can get your hands on a copy, try it and you might just plant yourself on the chair!