Back when I owned a second-generation iPod Touch (remember those?), Plants vs. Zombies was one of my most-played games. It was also my first ever tower defense game, and I have fond memories of playing it later on iPad as well. That original game was never really topped by EA or PopCap, and I was very disappointed at the updates that made Plants vs. Zombies itself much worse on mobile over time.
I never ended up playing much of it until the Xbox 360 and PC versions, which I dabbled in here and there. I thought it played best with touch controls and just gave up on ever being able to experience a version of the original game that didn’t frustrate me in some way or the other. That brings us to Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted for Nintendo Switch 2. It is unfortunately not the remaster this classic deserved, but there’s a solid base here to build on through fixes and updates.
If you’re new to Plants vs. Zombies, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is an HD remaster that includes the original Plants vs. Zombies experience, where you take on waves of zombies with the help of quite an eclectic set of plants. These range from the piranha plant-like chompers to the walnut-based Wall-nut that literally acts like a wall, and many more.
Plants vs. Zombies’ campaign (Adventure) is split up into sets of levels that focus on different parts of the house, weather conditions, and times of day. These include the normal day mode, night mode, fog, the pool (instead of your backyard), and even the roof. Every few levels sees more gimmicks added and new plants and zombies unlocked. The progression system is still fantastic, with players even unlocking mini-games and other modes.
I still remember some of the tricks I used back then to play specific levels, and ended up using the faster game speed option to add a layer of challenge until realizing it speeds up the music. That was that. As for new features, beyond some cosmetics, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted has a co-op mode, which was new to me, and two other game modes I haven’t spent time with because I wanted to focus on the core experience and test out the Switch 2-specific features for this review.
On Switch 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted includes traditional button controls using Joy-Con 2 controllers or the Switch 2 Pro Controller in addition to touchscreen controls that felt just like they did back when I played the iOS version many years ago. Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted on Switch 2 also supports mouse controls, and they work quite well. Beyond input options, the Switch 2 version supports GameShare for the local co-op and PvP modes. I tested this with a colleague in another country, and it worked well even for him, aside from input lag, but that was expected given the distance between us.
Revisiting Plants vs. Zombies after so many years has only reminded me of how amazing the core game was, and it is what also makes me more disappointed in how Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted has been handled. While the visuals range from fine to good, there are too many assets that have either been upscaled weirdly or images left in a lower resolution. Performance is mostly fine, but I noticed some animations, like the peas, seem to have some hitching.
On the audio side, most things sound fine, but there are two major issues present right now: music speed being tied to game speed and the soundtrack not being as dynamic as the original. This means the music will also speed up if you use the new fast forward speed options during gameplay, and that the levels start with all the instruments immediately instead of building over the course of a level. I’ve been told the speed up issue will be addressed and that the team is looking into the dynamic music.
I also want to highlight a few accessibility and control issues in Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted. You can’t disable screen shake or flashes during specific attacks or explosions right now. You also cannot use the trigger button to draw sun towards the cursor during gameplay like you could in the Xbox 360 version. I verified this by replaying that version via backward compatibility on Xbox Series X. You need to move the cursor over the collectibles manually in Replanted. Speaking of the Xbox 360 version, I’ve included a comparison of the Xbox 360 version on my Xbox Series X via backward compatibility and Replanted on Switch 2 docked below, captured via 4K capture card.
I think it is possible for the developer to update Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted to be something amazing, but I’m surprised to see the audio issues present right now. Not to excuse the inconsistent visuals, but many remasters of games I love have disappointed me visually to some degree, so I guess I expected a bit of that here, but I cannot get over the music issues. Plants vs. Zombies has a legendary soundtrack both in and outside the game. It deserves better.
Once Electronic Arts can address the music and accessibility issues, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted on Nintendo Switch 2 will be essential. Right now, it feels like a great but flawed version of a classic. I appreciate the work that went into implementing Game Share and mouse controls on Switch 2 though.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy provided by Electronic Arts
