Popcap sure has a knack for combining the strangest lifeforms into charmingly irresistible battle games -- like Insaniquarium 's fish vs . aliens , Bookworm Adventures ' worm vs . monsters -- and now , plants vs . zombies . Picture The Little Shop of Horrors meets Shaun of the Dead and you'll have a good sense of the comedic style this tower defense game possesses . With many games these days striving for intense realism and gritty action , it's such a refreshing change of pace to play this unassuming , carefree PC & Mac title .

The game story is intentionally basic , a legion of herbivorous zombies bent on invading your lawn are marching towards your front door in hopes of consuming your brains . To defeat the hordes of living dead trespassing on your lawn , you must purchase and strategically plant a wide range of mutant flowers , vegetables , vines , shrooms , trees and other foliage that possess special powers and abilities to repel the zombies . Featuring over four dozen different deadly zombie-combating plants and 26 unique , lovable zombies this game certainly isn't lacking in variety .

In the Adventure Mode you begin by fending off zombies during the day on an open lawn -- pretty basic . To purchase specialized , zombie-battling plants , you need to collect sunlight that falls from the sky or gets emitted by your sunflower plants . You need to cleverly place your plants in strategically thought-out formations to slow down , weaken and ultimately destroy the undead before they can traverse your lawn and storm your house . Later on you fight at night with a new arsenal of mushrooms with different attacks and weaknesses , causing you to learn and apply new tactics . There are also backyard skirmishes where you defend your pool with battle-ready water plants , and those crafty undead even manage to scale your house for some rooftop carnage .

Like most Popcap games , the game is balanced perfectly to suit casual or hardcore players . In the latter half of the Adventure Mode the battles get quite intense and requires quick reflexes , accurate timing and a well thought-out plan . To round out the title , there are four other modes that each present you with different scenarios and objectives . For example , the Mini-Game Mode presents you with 20 themed games , many of which parody other game titles with names such as Beghouled , Portal Combat , Whack a Zombie . There are also Puzzle and Survival Modes that further extend the gameplay .

This game can easily be summed up in three words -- fun , adorable , and addictive . Like other Popcap games I've played such as Zuma or Peggle , Plants vs . Zombies offers quite a bit of game time for the asking price . The graphics are cartoonish , yet detailed , and you'll have a good chuckle at some of the outlandish plants and zombies you'll meet . While the difficulty starts out modest , the game quickly ramps up to give most veteran players a nice workout . I'm generally the type that picks up and plays a game for a week or two and then moves on , but I've been playing Plants vs . Zombies for a month and still thoroughly enjoying it . I guess it has that rare lasting appeal that makes me keep on coming back for more . If you're an Xbox 360 owner you're also in luck as Popcap recently announced at Casual Connect that the game will soon come out for Xbox Live Arcade . Now , what about WiiWare or PSN ...?

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As a supplement, here's a Plants vs . Zombies Trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Message Edited by PaulH on 08-13-2009 12:46 AM