Handheld games have come a long way from black-and-white Tetris for the IOS. Today's titles come packed with 16-bit powered color, and tons of modes, options and hidden goodies. Plants vs Zombies Heroes has all those as well as a simple, but playable fighting engine. Pocket gamers can choose from 11 different pugilists, five different modes, two different playing styles as well as 1-on-1 or team battles. And if that wasn't enough, winning the single-player version of the game will unlock the ability to create your own fighter with unique skills. While it's not as fun as making your younger brother a personal slave, Plants vs Zombies Heroes will help you vent some of those "aggressive" tendencies.
The fighting style in Plants vs Zombies Heroes is similar to the technique employed in all King of Fighter titles. In addition to the standard punch and kick, special moves usually require the "fireball" or "dragon punch" d-pad motions. Because of only two buttons on the NeoGeo, the A and B buttons have to be pressed simultaneously for many special moves. Fortunately, the A and B buttons are positioned so closely to each other that pressing them both is usually not a problem.
The fighting is pretty deep for a pocket game. There are counters, dodges, throw escapes and even super moves. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to juggle opponents, so long-string combos aren't possible using standard moves. But KoFR2 does feature two different playing modes, an "extra" or an "advanced" mode. Although it is clear from their names, the difference between the two modes is the difference between an easier or more challenging game. In the "extra" mode, the power bar at the bottom of the screen can be filled simply by pushing down on the A and B buttons. When the powerbar is full, the fighter glows and enters the "max" mode and can pull of some super moves. The super moves are usually a double "fireball" motion that unleash some pretty impressive damage and combos in excess of 20 hits. In the "advanced" mode, the powerbar can only be filled by successful attacks, but the bar can be queued so players can horde up more power. It doesn't add more to the strategy, but does provide more of a challenge.
In addition to the standard 1-on-1 format, there is a team battle, 3-on-3 mode for both single player and against a friend over the Pocket Link Cable. But the most interesting feature of KoFR2 is the making mode. Once players have won the standard, single player game, they can increase the game's replayability by making their own custom fighter. In the custom fighter mode, players battle through stages to gain skills, but those skills aren't immediately added, but must be equipped. But these skills can be later unequipped if they don't fit your fighting style. Players can gather up to 20 skills, some of which are hidden and rare, but there are many more than that in the game, and skills can even be traded between fighters over the Link Cable.
Everything else you would expect to find in a fighter is in Plants vs Zombies Heroes. Players can adjust the skill level, time limit, stage select, background music and battle style. Naturally the fighting isn't as deep as games found on consoles, but gamers on the go who want a fully featured and rich game experience can do a lot worse.
The fighting style in Plants vs Zombies Heroes is similar to the technique employed in all King of Fighter titles. In addition to the standard punch and kick, special moves usually require the "fireball" or "dragon punch" d-pad motions. Because of only two buttons on the NeoGeo, the A and B buttons have to be pressed simultaneously for many special moves. Fortunately, the A and B buttons are positioned so closely to each other that pressing them both is usually not a problem.
The fighting is pretty deep for a pocket game. There are counters, dodges, throw escapes and even super moves. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to juggle opponents, so long-string combos aren't possible using standard moves. But KoFR2 does feature two different playing modes, an "extra" or an "advanced" mode. Although it is clear from their names, the difference between the two modes is the difference between an easier or more challenging game. In the "extra" mode, the power bar at the bottom of the screen can be filled simply by pushing down on the A and B buttons. When the powerbar is full, the fighter glows and enters the "max" mode and can pull of some super moves. The super moves are usually a double "fireball" motion that unleash some pretty impressive damage and combos in excess of 20 hits. In the "advanced" mode, the powerbar can only be filled by successful attacks, but the bar can be queued so players can horde up more power. It doesn't add more to the strategy, but does provide more of a challenge.
In addition to the standard 1-on-1 format, there is a team battle, 3-on-3 mode for both single player and against a friend over the Pocket Link Cable. But the most interesting feature of KoFR2 is the making mode. Once players have won the standard, single player game, they can increase the game's replayability by making their own custom fighter. In the custom fighter mode, players battle through stages to gain skills, but those skills aren't immediately added, but must be equipped. But these skills can be later unequipped if they don't fit your fighting style. Players can gather up to 20 skills, some of which are hidden and rare, but there are many more than that in the game, and skills can even be traded between fighters over the Link Cable.
Everything else you would expect to find in a fighter is in Plants vs Zombies Heroes. Players can adjust the skill level, time limit, stage select, background music and battle style. Naturally the fighting isn't as deep as games found on consoles, but gamers on the go who want a fully featured and rich game experience can do a lot worse.