Mobile Game Monday: PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES
Electronic Arts has been in the news a lot this year after several rounds of layoffs, the most recent being the closure of Cliffhanger Games. According to IGN, this means that the Black Panther game announced in 2023 will not see the light of day. Additionally, layoffs will be made to the mobile team although EA president Laura Miele says the developer will maintain their mobile business.
With this dark cloud hanging over Electronic Arts right now, I thought we would look at one of EA's brighter moves–acquiring PopCap Games in 2011. This brought EA into the mobile gaming sphere and ported one of my favorite games to the platform. With Spring winding down and Summer hot on our heels, let's do yardwork like our life depends on it in Plants vs. Zombies.
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Plants vs. Zombies (2011) is a tower defense game where the player plants various vegetation in their yard to defend their home against waves of zombie invaders. Your yard takes up most of the screen and has a grid layout. Zombies will wander in from the right and you must take them out before they reach your front door on the far left. Image courtesy of the Play Store.
Place plants one at a time using energy or sunlight that occasionally comes from the sky or can be produced by planting sunflowers. Each plant costs a designated amount of energy to be planted. Choose from 49 different species, each with a unique ability.
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For example, the Snow Pea shoots frozen peas that damage and slow the enemy. These are great for those fast-moving athlete zombies. Before each battle, build an arsenal of only a handful of plants. Choose wisely because some plants are more effective against certain types of zombies. Creating a well-balanced arsenal is your first step to success. Image courtesy of Cassie Holguin.
There are over 20 different types of zombies in Plants vs. Zombies . Some are tied to balloons to float above danger while others use pogo sticks to jump over obstacles. From the dancing disco crew to ghoulish athletes, there is no denying that these undead goofballs are a lot of fun. Screenshot courtesy of Cassie Holguin.
Canonically, zombies aren't the best swimmers but they have figured out ways around that, too, like riding dolphins or using pool floaties. Imagine a real-life zombie apocalypse with these types of zombies.
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Adventure is the main mode and includes 50 levels that take place in your yard, pool, rooftop, and more. There is even a mode that tests your green thumb at night. Gardening is a little more difficult in the dark but zombies never sleep. Luckily, a variety of mushrooms can be planted at night to keep the undead at bay. Once you have completed your adventure, check out the zen garden where you can care for all of the plants you have collected. Screenshot courtesy of Cassie Holguin.
Unlock new games and puzzles using the coins you collect while standing your ground. More ways to play include puzzle modes like i, Zombie where you get to play as the zombies. Or try Vase Breaker where you smash vases that contain either plants or zombies then deal accordingly on the fly.
There are over a dozen different minigames to master like Beghouled which is a spooky-themed Bejeweled knockoff. Kudos to the developers at PopCap for coming up with so many creative ways to play the same game. This is the kind of quality content that keeps players interested in a game for so many years.
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I first played Plants vs. Zombies on the Xbox 360 around the time of its original release. I immediately became hooked and was ecstatic when it was ported to mobile. It was a great version of the game that played exactly like the original. However, that was many years ago, and was surprised to see how much the game has changed since then. Screenshot courtesy of Cassie Holguin.
The most obvious and annoying change is the addition of ads, ads, and more ads. I suspect this is due to the involvement of EA. There is an ad before and after each level as well as ads to get helpful items. Of course, you can pay to remove them but many players reported paying and still seeing them, so buyer beware.
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On a more positive note, there is now way more game content, including several new game modes. As an OG player, it was a fun surprise to play some new content. Overall, the game itself is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who favors tower defense-style games. It will definitely have you saying, 'one more level.'
Collecting new plants and trying new strategies is like fertilizer for your brain. Everything about this game is quirky and cute from the cheeky humor to the dozens of goofy zombies. Even the simple but silly soundtrack adds a certain charm and it will get stuck in your head.
Take it easy, and play it safe, gamers!
Plants vs. Zombies is free in the Play Store and the App Store.
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