Mobile fun in the sun

It should come as no surprise that PopCap's recently released Plants vs Zombies for the iPhone/iPod touch was bought from the app store more than 300,000 times in nine days.

It has already earned the company more than $US1 million.

And the move from PC to i-device has lost little in the translation. I think it actually works better on the i-devices than it does on PC as the touch screen is perfectly suited to the style of game play that Plants vs Zombies entails - and at just $4.19 it's brilliant value.

The portable version captures the same visual style of the PC classic, and offers players 49 varieties of plants to use against the advancing zombie masses over 50 levels which include night time missions, a boss battle and levels coated in fog. There are also achievements for those gamers who love motivation.

A Tower Defence style game, Plants vs Zombies tasks players with planting attacking and defensive plants that can withstand the onslaught of a variety of zombies, including ones wearing buckets for helmets, pole-vaulting zombies and even a Michael Jackson Thriller-style zombie. 

Plants include peashooters, exploding potato bombs, a ravenous zombie-eating venus fly trap and exploding cherries. The currency in the game is sunshine, which you generate by planting sunflowers, and the more sunshine you have the quicker your funds grow and the more plants you can purchase. 

PopCap has shown again, as it did with games like Bejewelled 2 and Peggle, that it is the master of accessible casual games that have lasting appeal that will constantly leave a smile on your face. Plants vs Zombies is easily the most played game on my iPod Touch at the moment.

It's sunny in Christchurch again today, so I'm reviewing some games with the lounge door open so I can make the most of the fine weather but portable devices are just perfect for days like today, letting you game and be outside at the same time. The best of both worlds, I reckon.

So are there any other casual style games that you think would be perfect ported to a mobile platform so that you could game, socialise and soak up the sunshine at the same time? No-one could complain about us being anti-social then, right?

Have a great weekend.

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