Plants vs. Zombies (iPhone)

Rarely can I give a wholehearted recommendation, without any caveats. Such is the case, however, with Plants vs. Zombies for the iPhone. The game is simple, it’s fun, it’s bite sized, it controls perfectly on the device, and it’s really inexpensive.

I always roll my eyes when a friend of mine shows off their new download of “Super Mario World” for the iPhone. Sure, it’s cool to see a game you loved on a handheld, but without a real D-pad and buttons, who wants to play it? It’s a stupid novelty. Though Plants vs. Zombies originally came out for the PC, it’s a game that requires pointing – that’s it. It is a seamless transition to the iPhone scheme.

The premise of the game is that you are in a house and zombies are coming across the lawn to get you. You set up plants to combat these zombies, which, after each level, start coming up with amusing ways to get to you. It’s all very silly and tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time, genuinely funny and charming. The art style is cartoony, making this game okay for even young children. The zombies wear traffic cones as helmets, football pads, ride zambonis and dolphins, and even dance their way across the grass until you take them down.

As you progress, you get new plants, specialized for these different types of undead creeping toward you. The plants, like the zombies, are silly – starting with shooting peas, then to cobs of corn that shoot butter to slow the enemies down.

While it’s a basic tower defense game, it’s one that, for the price, anyone will enjoy.

That’s the thing. I bought it for $1.99, yet it feels like a real game. It controls well, it looks great, and it’s bite sized – perfect or the platform. It’s a must have for any iPhone user.