From iPhone to iPad: Plants vs Zombies
How do old favorites hold up on the iPad? In our "From iPhone to iPad" series, TUAW revisits iPhone applications that have transitioned to the iPad. We look at their latest incarnation and see how the new measures up to the old. Today, TUAW looks at Plants vs Zombies HD.
An action-strategy game published by PopCap (they're the people who brought you Bejeweled, Peggle and Bookworm, among other popular titles), Plants vs Zombies forces you to defend your house from the zombie hordes with plant-based protection like pea shooters and cherry bombs. It's a castle defense game but one with a great twist and clever features.
First ported from desktop systems to the iPhone, PvZ was an instant hit, receiving accolades and a fanatical user base. It has now been expanded to the iPad in an upgraded "High Definition" format. The iPad version includes enhanced graphics (as you would expect), an iPad-only mini game ("Buttered Popcorn!"), and exclusive iPad-only achievements for more fun during game play.
So how does the upgraded version compare to the original? It's marvelous. The expanded room fits the game dynamics. Every element of the game from help screens to the game board to the size of the pieces really matches the iPad proportions. It plays so well on an iPad that you'll wonder why it ever was a hit on a tiny little iPhone screen. Fellow blogger Dave Caolo puts it this way: if Twitter clients could be said to define mobile handsets as a platform, then Plants vs Zombies was meant for the iPad.
Like the original version, Plants vs Zombies remains a delightful family-friendly game that's playable by and accessible to a wide range of ages and skill sets. As far as TUAW is concerned, the iPad version is a must buy.
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