Overview
The App Store is bursting at the seams with zombie games, and most of them are pretty lackluster. Gamedoctors tries their hand at a zombie castle defense game with ragdoll physics for each zombie, and a deluxe blood splattering engine. True to its name you have to smash those zombies to kill them, as a typical flick in the air might not be strong enough.
You play as Joey who has barricaded himself in his house, and is trying to ward off waves of varying types of zombies. You need to survive a month, with increasing numbers and strength of zombies, but also as you progress you unlock weapons. It’s not just flicking as you gain access to rocks, wrecking balls, guns, and even asteroids. We gave you a sneak peek, and now it’s time for the full review.
Features
The core of the game is the campaign mode which is a calendar of 31 days trying to survive. Also included is a survival mode called endless siege where you try to last as long as you can. Finally there is a sandbox which lets you just pound zombies into submission, and play around with the ragdoll physics, and blood splatter engine.
In the game when you kill a zombie it releases stars which you can chose to tap on to collect. You use the stars to buy weapon upgrades from the shop which you’ll need to survive later in the month. There are 20 weapons in total that you unlock as you progress through the calendar. Some of the weapons have the ability to be upgraded once or multiple times.
Chillingo’s Crystal is included with three online leaderboards including the total number of zombie kills, the longest survivor, and the most stars. Also 15 achievements are included that provide unique challenges you won’t get from regular play.
The Good
The biggest thing to note is that despite it being a zombie game it’s much more comedic and closer to Plants vs Zombies, than anything else. The game first and foremost is castle defense, and it simply outshines all the other games on any platform ever. The biggest thing is that you have the entire area to play with, no part of the screen space is taken up by a stationary castle. Instead the house is recessed into the background so the zombies move the entire vertical distance.
On top of that, the game switches perspective from left to right side of the house, and then even has you defending both sides of the house at once. The gameplay continues building as there are multiple types of zombies that have different attributes with standard zombie, fast zombie, zombie that resists flicking, shooting zombie, and bomb carrying zombie. As you progress the zombies have hard hats which takes extra flips to rip it off, and then be able to flick them.
The game is set up so that zombies may keep coming at you until you actually smash them on the ground, and to pick a zombie up and smash it on the ground takes longer than mad flicking. With tons of zombies on screen you will have to decide if you can take the time to really crush the zombies to make sure they’re dead, but be careful as they may rise up and keep coming and even start crawling to your house.
Another risk reward option is whether or not to go for the star that pops out of dead zombies. Stars will help you later on, but in the present that requires extra taps that take you away from killing zombies. The reason timing is so important is because your house’s health degrades so rapidly which really keeps you on your toes. You can upgrade the house barriers, but by the time you’re able to, the zombies will have increased in strength and numbers so it’s practically the same ratio of house health depletion.
What really sets the game is apart is the number, variation, and power of all the weapons. There’s noting like dropping a wrecking ball on zombies as your house becomes overwhelmed. You won’t be able to complete many levels without the help of the weapons, and once you reach the last two weeks you’ll be begging for more.
There are even levels that don’t let you flick zombies, and you’ll have to use a gun for the whole level for example. The upgrade system for weapons is essential, and the entire arsenal makes this game much more than mad flicking on screen which the castle defense genre sometime falls for.
The ragdoll physics engine is one of the best I’ve seen, and right on par with strictly ragdoll apps. Every single zombie will be killed in a different way from the engine, and the amount of force you exert. Plus the blood splatter engine is gorgeous to see it spew out severed limbs, and sprinkle the ground with blood.
To play through the entire campaign will be one of the most enjoyable experiences you’ve ever had on your iPhone. That will make it easily worth $1.99, but that’s not all, as there is a survival mode which has an ingenious feature of optional checkpoints so you can return to the madness rather than starting over from the beginning. In addition, there is the sandbox which is a great stress reliever or just to witness the brilliant ragdoll physics and blood splatter engine. You’ve never been able to deal this much damage to zombies before.
Crystal is also included for fans of online high scores and achievements, and with three different tables, and 15 out of the way achievements, it adds even more to replayability. The entire experience of crushing zombies by actually picking them up and slamming them on the ground is only possible on the iPhone/iPod Touch, and it works so well.
Zombie Smash is one of the finest designed games in the App Store in every single aspect. Every single zombie you see is oozing with detail, as are the seemingly mundane backgrounds. The actual animations are second to none as the zombies smash into the ground breaking into pieces, or bending in various ways with blood squirting out. All of the weapons are spectacularly visual from the cinder blocks crushing zombies to them being incinerated in the chimney fire or blown up from various bombs.
The included soundtrack is deluxe to say the least which mixes a horror theme with a little action to get you in the mood to do the zombie smash. Then there are the various zombie groans, and of course the bone cracking of each smashed zombie that sounds oh so painful.
The Bad
This may be the only game where I couldn’t find a fault with the game. The only thing to consider is whether or not you like zombies, and these zombies are like the ones from Plants vs Zombies so how could you not? If you’ve never tried castle defense this is the first one that truly makes it a brand new experience with all of the included weaponry.
May be one thing would be a little back story to explain why and how Jake ended up locked in his house trying to survive waves of zombies. This by no means affects the game, but would have been neat none the less.
The Verdict
Zombie Smash isn’t just the best castle defense game, zombie game, ragdoll game, horror game, action game, but also one of the very best games ever made for the iPhone, and the best thus far in 2010. You will no doubt enjoy every minute of crushing these cartoonish zombies, and especially using all of the weaponry at your disposal as you progress through an intricate campaign. The game is brilliantly designed in every way with the zombies, ragdoll physics, splatter engine, weapon animations, wonderful soundtrack & sound effects, and superb controls.
Zombie Smash gives you all this greatness for only $1.99, that’s right $1.99 which should be considered stealing. If you ever buy one game for the iPhone make it Zombie Smash which is an absolute must if there ever was one.
***To win a copy of Zombie Smash simply leave any comment below and/or retweet this post. The contest ends tomorrow 3/18 at 11:59 PM PST. A valid e-mail address is required if leaving a comment, and/or you need to follow us on twitter so we can send you the code. US itunes only, and good luck, though really it’s only a $1.99.
Our Rating
Zombie Smash
- Developer: gamedoctors
- Category: Games
- Released: March 17th, 2010
(currently 1.05)
(currently 1.99)
This is going to be a must buy. Would be nice to win it though…
This game sounds awesome, I can’t wait to buy it. The screen shots and video was fantastic! Hope it’s as good as your review says it is!
Looks interesting.
“I smell your brains!” (and I’d also like to smell a free copy of ZS!
Glad the game got such a great review. I can’t wait to try it out.
Thanks! Would love to win a copy
The game looks fantastic … Would love to grab that …
Thanks appadvice and the developer gamedoctors for hosting this promo
Looks great! I love Crystal (even though it’s a little slow…).
This game looks great, like a combination of Last Stand with Castle Defense =)
It looks interesting!
I read the review, but I am still wobbly in deciding whether to buy because my previous experience with crushing games is not that great. However, a free game to try might not be a bad idea.
Sorry, my email was incorrect in my last comment. should be snowman63mn, not snowan63mn
Love these zombie games
I’m really starting to love zombie games more and more after all these great ones keep coming out.
Great review! I hope I win!
Awesome Review! This game looks great.
This looks great! Might get it, thanks for the review!!
If I don’t win then I’ll buy this game for sure.
the game looks great
The game is GODLY.
This game looks awesome! Can’t wait to check it out.
I’ve only had my iphone for one month and your website is the best for reviews and how to’s…..I’ve spent so much already in the app store would be GREAT to have a free app. Keep up the good work appadvice!
WOOHOO!
IF there was a zombie apocolypse and I could only have 1 app, I would choose Zombie Smash.
Zombie Smash Pwns everything!!!!!
Hope to win! thanks!
This looks like an awesome game. I hope I win!
Now this looks like it would be a very fun-filled, non- stop action game with very cool graphics! The review of the game was also outstanding! Keep ‘em coming!
Already bought it within first hour but my friend wants it extremely bad. Best game on my iPod and I have over 50 paid apps. Great job
I just love zombies(and free promos too)
Looks great!
looks amazing! i would love a copy
Not a huge fan of zombie games, but I loved Plants vs. Zombies, so sign me up!
Zombies are the best. I want a copy too
This game looks hotter than hell. I would make you guys a pizza if you give me a code
I Dying to Test this!!! >.<
This game looks sweet
Thanks so much for the review. You all at app advice put so much work into what you do. Keep up the good work and I’ll keep telling my friends about your website. Looks like a great game! I’ll definetly consider buying it!
Looks interesting and I loved knights onrush, so…make my day!
Actually bought the game before I saw the review and I can’t but agree.
Would love being able to give it as a gift to a friend though!
hook it up!!!
looks freakin’ beast, hope I win…
Can I just say WOW for all these great comments. Very happy that people like to play ZS…We will keep on adding content and take all feedback VERY serious.
…from the devs of ZS!
Zombie smashing FTW!
ZS looks very, very interesting.. makes me want to re-visit Knights On Rush, which lost my attention around level 10 the first time around.
Rectifying that right now….
Physics based games are everywhere, but when you pair that up with zombies = must get.
Liked the review! If I don’t win I’m definately buying.
Looks like a great game!
This looks fun! I loved Plants v. Zombies and I absolutely love TD games, so the mixture of the two should be great!!
why are zombie games so much fun. hope i win. if not, i may just have to buy this…
This games looks insane!!
WOW! Great giveaway! I have been dying to get my hands on this game. I only have .71 in my itunes account so a code would help me out enormously. THank you for the chance to win this game!
Great review. Keep ‘em coming Appadvice!
I was so excited to see this contest because I want this game so bad!!!!! Pick me!
Looking forward to trying this – gimme some zombie love please
It looks really fun!!!
I’d like to win a code
Awesome looking game. Zombies ftw =)
Would like to win a code
The game looks really great. But there are some app store comments that complain about the difficulty of the game starting with level 9. Anyone how got that far and can comment on this?
Love Tower Defense games, and this looks sweet………hope I get a code!!
This game looks great! I really would love the code since I don’t have any money! Thanks for the giveaway!
This review makes this game a must!
Kudos to the developer on this one – great job!
The flicking really remind me of knights onrush, but maybe the pvz-like nature of the game as you described will keep my attention longer than onrush did.
Looks great!
This game looks like a ton of fun. Problem is, I may not get my iPhone back from my kids if the find it on there.
Beautiful artwork and congrats on releasing the game. I remember seeing a preview video of this game over 6 months ago on the cocos2d forums and I was excited for it back then.
Looks great, I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the review.
Really great game, hope to win
Congrats to our Zombie Smash promo code winner:
Surakshith
For everyone else, just a little reminder, it’s an absolute must for only $1.99
-Trevor
Shame on you. How does it feel being a sellout? Based on your over-the-top glowing review, I purchased this app. Clearly you are part of the developers snow job. From this silly lie to the dozens of fake reviews on the App store, this app might be part of the biggest fraud to ever hit the iTunes store. To actually call it “it’s an absolute must for only $1.99″ is irresponsible and a discredit to your website. Clearly you didnt play the game. To claim there is no fault with the game is a flat out lie. I seriously hope they offered you a stack of cash because your credibility has been creamed. If you were actually smart, you would have figured out a way to praise the app without completely lying. Check out what pocket gamer said about it. IGN wireless said the music was really good. There is no shame in getting paid to review an app. However, lying about the app and completely misleading the reader is downright criminal. There are dozens of issues with this game. Had you even touched on one or two, you could have saved your soul. Sadly your greed and tiny little brain prevented you from actually remaining professional. You are not alone, the developers are also greedy little trolls. They paid you for the fake review then proceeded to fill the app store with similar fake reviews. The game reviews all said the same thing you did – perfect game – well worth the price of $1.99. Every game can be made better. Every game has something wrong with it. Pretending that this game is flawless was not even close. I seriously hope you don’t own this website and that the owners can fire you. You don’t deserve the job.
So who knows this one:
A ghost driver heading the wrong way on the highway turns on the radio. “Be careful,” the voice from the speaker says, “there’s a ghost driver on the highway.” “A ghost driver?”, the ghost driver says, stupefied. “No, there a hundreds, thousands!”
@Nathan
Dude get off the crack pipe. I’ve played this game a hundred times and I’ve found nothing wrong with it. If you simply don’t like this game then say so but don’t run around being such an attention whore
hey dude
Great stuff! i got a lot of inspiration from this post
it is very interesting ….
i went through this page two times
am learning for social work
Thanks
I am such a sucker for any and all things zombie. Whether its movies or silly games like this, if it has zombies, I am in. This game, while just mindless fun, is still fun. So, I would definitely recommend this to zombie fans and fans of mindless action games. If you like both, this is the perfect game for you.