Plants vs. Zombies
It’s easy to understand why zombies have long been a gaming staple. For starters, they're overwhelming in packs and exceptionally speedy (post-28 Days Later). However, in recent months, it seems that video game developers have been returning to the undead far too often, with Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil 5 as the only major standouts. Likewise, in the wake of successful, free Flash games like Desktop Tower Defense (DTD), many “tower defense” clones have diluted the sub-genre’s appeal. Thankfully, PopCap’s Plants Vs. Zombies has combined the two genres with enough cartoon silliness to keep things fresh.
Like DTD, PixelJunk Monsters, and so many others, Plants Vs. Zombies asks players to build sentry turrets, minefields, anti-air weaponry, and other defensive structures to defend a base. In this case, said structures are all plant/vegetable-based — pea shooters, cabbage catapults, and nocturnal mushrooms. More than fifty species are at your disposal in order to keep zombies from invading your suburban home and eating your brain.
Of course, there are limits to what you can build. Each plant costs solar power, and so it is up to the player to balance building with resource management. To keep things from getting too unwieldy, players are also forced to choose six to nine species to bring into battle. After a few hours of play, you’ll definitely find a combination that works for you, but there is enough enemy variety to still keep you guessing.
You will encounter the traditional shufflers, some of whom are wearing traffic cones or buckets as makeshift helmets. Soon afterwards, though, the game takes a turn for the wacky. Suddenly, zombies start driving Zambonis (with bobsled zombies following closely behind) and riding zombie dolphins in the backyard pool. These new enemy types not only lend the game variety, but provide big smiles as well.
Despite these many wrinkles, Plants Vs. Zombies is very approachable. Some might argue that it is too much so, as the difficulty doesn’t ramp up until the final few stages. Like PopCap’s other offerings, this choice was deliberate; it’s a tower defense game that even your mom can play. The developers did a brilliant job of easing players into the game. And for those with enough patience to make it through the campaign, the bonus modes may provide the additional challenge.
In addition to the main batch of levels, there are bonus stages with unique parameters to take into account. For instance, one stage makes the zombies invisible and you have to rely on your turrets’ automated fire to pinpoint their locations. Another early stage only awards plants via a slot machine. Not all of these new modes are fun, but the creativity on display never ceases to impress.
While PopCap is currently selling Plants Vs. Zombies at a reasonable $20, I’d recommend logging on to Steam for a 50% discount. It’s the kind of game you’ll be playing long after pop culture’s love affair with the undead has passed.
Most Recent Arts Comments
Karen Vaccaro is a remarkable person as well as a dedicated performer. I couldn’t imagine a better night at theater!
The director should’ve added the wrinkle that the ban on dancing’s the only thing keeping Bomont from attracting the green/tech/jobs of the future!
Now that’s Class!
I have read several of her books and liked them. I guess because I’m not an overweight, lesbian, intersexed Jewish amputee with divorced parents I can’t comment on the offensiveness of some of her jokes.
You forgot to mention fat people. She made fun of obesity. And divorce. Children of divorce were lampooned, too. Jewish people. She hit on a lot of “groups.“ I fit into a number of them. If you didn’t like her speech you won’t like her books. If…
Lesbians: Anecdote about her mom being a lesbian, and getting her mom introduced to Rosie O’Donnell, and mom and Rosie talking about oral sex, and Weiner acting disgusted. She probably meant the disgust in a “don’t wanna hear about my mom’s vag” kind of way, but all…
Oh. Wow. What exactly did she say, Emma? Do you remember?
I went to this. In the first 5 minutes of her talk, she made fun of lesbians, intersexed children, and amputees. I was honestly surprised at how offensve she was—it was like she thought the Champaign Public Library was a venue for Last Comic Standing. I…
Theresa—are you speaking generally about that monologue, or did you attend the Friday night showing at UIUC?
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Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.
Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…
Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…
I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…
These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…
(speaking as a Savoy resident) By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc. This is how library systems work. The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…
I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“
I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?
Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…
Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…
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The main character’s name is actually Lisbeth, in case you want to correct.