Boxhead:Zombie Wars Invades IOS

Matt Boiselle

Tired of all of the numerous amounts of mind-numbingly boring games and apps for your iPhone ?? Well look no further, aficionados of the undead, because available for download right now on iTunes is one of the most popular flash games ever to appear online. In Boxhead: Zombie Wars, players assume the role of Jon Bambo, a mercenary dressed in black that you will control as he carves
his way through endless swarms of zombies and demons from hell. The game's creator, Sean T Cooper, saw this as no better time to add a new chapter to the Boxhead gaming story and here are just some of the gameplay details for this addictive shooter.

Players have the ability to either pick up some firearms, C4, or even exploding barrels to battle the flesh eaters. Offense not your game ? Fear not, as defense is another option to choose as well, head out on the run as you can set up barricade and turret mazes, then sit back and watch the zombies try and figure them out. Also with the latest 4.0 update, you can add 3 new maps of gameplay ( Welcome to Hell, Lucifer's Den & The Inner Circle) On top of that you can also add a complete graphics overhaul that will make the newest vampires, mummies, and running zombies look clearer than ever. The latest version is now ready to be played on the iPod Touch & iPhone.

Plants Vs Zombies Updated on iPhone and iPod Touch

David Brown


Since it's initial release on the PC, Plants vs. Zombies has continued to build in popularity and expand to various platforms including the iPhone and iPod Touch. Each release has offered more content and added features while maintaining a core standard of great strategic game play. Today we received news from PopCap Games that an update had been released for Plants vs. Zombies on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The update adds a number of different updates including the following:

Game Modes

• Zen Garden

6 Mini-Games

• Zombiquarium
• It’s Raining Seeds
• Column Like You See
• Slot Machine
• Beghouled Twist
• Portal Combat

Achievements

• Wall-Not-Attack: Complete ZomBotany without using wall-nuts, tall-nuts, or pumpkins
• Lucky Spin: Get 3 diamonds in Slot Machine
• Chilli Free: Complete Column Like You See ‘Em without using jalapenos
• Enlightened: Collect Zen Garden, Mushroom Garden and Aquarium Garden plants
  
• Green Fingers: Grow 10 Zen Garden plants to full size
• Sultan of Spin: Upgrade all of your plants in Beghouled Twist

We have also been told that future updates will include Retina Display support, IZombie, Vasebreaker, and other features to be revealed later. If you haven't gotten into Plants vs. Zombies, now is the perfect time. Do not miss this great game with all of these updated features.

Talking Zombo Twitter Contest

In addition to our currently running contest for a free Talking Zombie app, we will be randomly selecting Twitter followers for a chance to win!

For your chance to win, retweet the following:  retweet to win a Talking Zombo app! Don't forget to check out @tapncap & @zombiesandtoys rules: http://bit.ly/gOaPZd

We will select several winners throughout the weekend!  Remember, you can still enter the montly contest in addition to this Twitter contest.

Find out more about the Zombo app by checking out the official website.

Review: Biofrenzy HD

Todd Jepperson


iPhone and iPod users, gather ‘round. I wanna tell you all about my newest app: Biofrenzy HD.

This simple little side-scroller was just released last month by ZOZO game studios in the iTunes store. I picked it up on sale for $0.99 about two weeks ago, and I’ve been loving it ever since. If you’re like me, you’re terrible at video games. The last game you were even decent at was released in the ‘80s on the NES. Yeah, it’s that bad. As I was saying, if you’re like me, the iPhone has become your console of choice. For less than a buck, you can download an app, and suck at it in secret at your leisure.


Biofrenzy has everything I could ask for. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, automatics, freeze rays, and flame throwers are just the beginning. In each level, you assume control of this angry looking little guy and his arsenal as he battles the endless plague of undead. To make sure there’s a little something for everyone, there are fast zombies, slow zombies, zombie dudes, zombie ladies, and even zombies with buckets on their heads for protection.

Gameplay is really just a three button control system of left to right movement, and firing whichever weapon you have equipped. So far, as I’ve played through, it seems like the object of the game is to race from start to finish of each level as quickly as possible. When your weapons are over heated, you can pull out your time freezing chrono sphere and run past the horde untouched; or, pull a massive hat out and slam it on the head of the nearest carcass monster and he won’t even see you coming. Every now and again, you’ll get lucky enough to come across the mecha-suit of doom (at least that’s what I call it). Hop in and take it for a spin. It can be destroyed; but, if you just keep spraying and praying, you’ll probably do alright.

It’s rated 9+ from the app store, and it’s probably pretty close. You’ll be shredding cartoon Zombies by the dozen; and after the pieces fall off, they pile up and collect at your feet. There’s blood, gore, and all of the squishy and gooey sound effects that come with it. When you get past level 16, you’re better than I am (which will probably take you all of about 20 minutes). Good luck!

Zombie Trailer Park

David Brown

If you have an iPad/iPod and are looking for a Free game to play then look into Zombie Trailer Park. According to the Apple AppStore, Zombie Trailer Park was released on January 04, 2011 by 2010 Ninja Kiwi. 2010 Ninja Kiwi describes the app saying, “Zombies have taken over and destroyed the Metropolis – luckily you were never much for city folk. But now the zombies have turned their sights on your trailer park! Manage your economy and train fighting units to defend your trailer park. Gather “Yee-Haw” power to activate super weapons. Submit and share your best stage times with your friends. Here come the zombies! Go go go!” If you have an iPad or iPod and are looking for a fun diversion, this looks to be a good free one to try out. If you would like to get Zombie Trailer Park from the App Store directly you can do so by clicking here.

Zombo app from iTunes

Todd Jepperson

Have you ever wanted to have a zombie to carry around in your pocket? You know, the kinda pal you can take out and have mindless, one-sided conversations with as you tug and pull his eyes back and forth in their sockets? Meet Zombo. This little guy… or whatever he is, just can’t wait to play. Tickle his feet or nose and he reacts by laughing and sneezing projectile mucous. Bat his dislocated eyeball around just for fun. Open his mouth wide to hear him say AahH! If you place your finger on his mouth, he bites and there’s a splat of red (unless you turn the blood option off).

Zombo just hit the iTunes store in December and we’ve got several codes to give away to Z&T readers, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers. I think that I had about all the fun there is to have from this little guy in about 5 minutes; but, my three year old loves it. Zombo has a talkback feature that he can’t get enough of; speak into the mic and Zombo repeats what you’ve told him in a deep, slow voice. It’s officially rated 9+ in the iTunes store for “Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence” and “Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes”; but, I would think that most people won’t have a problem setting their kids loose on him way earlier than that. I’m sure the rating comes from that eye hanging out of its socket, and the splat of red when he eats; but especially with the blood turned off, it’s a clay looking blob that doesn’t really even resemble real life.


If you'd like to win your chance to poke and prod your own personal little Zombo, send an email to zombo@zombiesandtoys.com.   We will also be offering additional chances to win to Facebook and Twitter followers.  Winners will be selected throughout the month of January.  Remember you can win as many contests as you enter; but normally, if you enter any single contest more than once your entries will be disqualified. However, you can enter the Zombo contest each way giving you several chances to win.  For example, email an entry, follow Facebook instructions, follow Twitter instructions, and you have 3 chances!   Now who wants Zombo!?

Capcom’s Dead Rising Now on IPhone and in Apple’s App Store

David Brown

On December 9, Capcom announced that they would be releasing an iPhone/iPod Touch version of their popular game, Dead Rising, via the Apple App Store. This is just like the original Dead Rising on Xbox 360 in that players take on the role of photographer Frank West as he hunts for the biggest story of his life. He is able to utilize makeshift weapons to stay alive while searching for food to stave off hunger.

There is a new social element that Capcom says has been included here. If a player dies while playing, they are able to send out a distress call via Facebook or Twitter to any friends who are also playing the game. Players who come to their aid will receive a bonus, otherwise the player will be allowed to die and thus will revive as a powerful zombie in their friend’s game. Capcom said that the game is now available in the App Store for a special introductory price of $4.99. If you are a fan of the series this seems like something worth checking out.

Celebrity Zombie Organs?

Sharon Seng

Two horribly fun gift ideas just in time for the zombie fanatic’s holiday shopping season!!


First, feast your brains, I mean eyes, on Zombiewood Weekly: The Celebrity Undead Exposed now out in paperback form!! This hysterical take on the rich and famous and their exploits as the undead will be a treasure!!

Second, there’s an entertaining new iPad app called the Zombie Organ HD app by Applesauce, now this bit of fun is probably best suited for use at your Halloween party or as a holiday treat for your ‘tween! Scroll down for a quick glimpse of game play.  Then, if you want to really check out the app, it is only 99 cents through iTunes. 

Free Zombie Game - TODAY ONLY!

No time to ramble right now, folks.  I just wanted to post this so that you all can take advantage of a free zombie game for your iPod and iPhones.  After all, who needs a review when it's a FREE zombie game?  Go download ZombieKiller Ultimate.

This is good for today only, October 16th.

Freakin' Zombie Heads

Who wants a free iPhone game with zombies?  That's what I thought!  Up for grabs is Freakin' Zombie Heads.

“In Freakin’ Zombie Heads, you need to match up zombie heads as they are tossed into a garbage can. When two heads are matched, they explode, making room for more. The zombie heads fall at an increasing rate of speed, threatening to overflow the trash can.”

Monster Mahem Available Today

"Crazy monsters lurk in the dark of night, trapped behind the rusty iron graveyard gates. As the Gate Keeper, you must keep the monsters behind bars and stop them from escaping by any means necessary."

And, yes, "crazy monsters" includes zombies! This new iPhone/iPod game is from the publisher Chillingo and just became available today in the app store! The game features:

* 20 Unique Monsters and 5 "Bad to the Bone" Bosses
* 30 Challenging Stages + Boss mode + Endless Attack Mode
* 7 Different Weapons to Fight Back the Monsters with 4 Level Upgrades
* A Useful Monster Handbook that Details Each Enemy's Weakness and Your Kill Record
* Fully integrated with Chillingo's Social Gaming Platform, Crystal to Log High Scores and Achievements

I will be downloading this game tomorrow. So expect a review and my high scores to be posted soon. Maybe I'll reward a reader who can be my score some ZT swag!

Email me at monster@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win a free download of the game courtesy of Chillingo. One winner will be selected June 1st.

We're Alive: A Zombie Podcast

Like with most everything else, my wife was right again. She's been telling me to look into podcasts for a year or more but I resisted insisting that music on my iPod was enough. Well, my new job allows me the benefit of using headphones and with a longer commute I decided to give these podcasts a whirl. She turned me on to some of her favorites like Ricky Gervais and The Nerdist but the fun really began when I started searching for zombies.

Introducing "We're Alive", a radio drama zombie podcast. The best way to describe it would be to say it's like listening to an old school radio drama. Think Little Orphan Annie from the movie A Christmas Story or the original broadcast of War of the Worlds. Since it is also narrated by the main character, you can throw in a dash of audio book for good measure. Each podcast is around 20 minutes long and are priced at a very affordable FREE.

Overall, I must say that I have been very pleased with We're Alive. There is not a lot of down time, it's immersive, the acting is good, the situations are mostly believable, and it has some unique twists. Look at it this way: I like it enough to hop on here and tell everyone reading to check it out. I'm maybe eight or so casts in and have only encountered a few moments that made me want to roll my eyes.

We're Alive tells the story of a handful of survivors trying to make their way amongst a zombie apocalypse. It is very reminiscent of The Walking Dead but is definitely not rip off. If the story was a book, I would read it. If it was a movie, I would watch it. Being a podcast whose episodes you can get through in under 20 minutes? It's a no-brainer. From the official We're Alive website:

A small riot in LA has spread past its containment. Three reserve soldiers are called to their deserted duty station. Believed to be the last remaining armed servicemen in the area, Michael, Angel, and Saul witness the true cause of the riot; people are starting to change and attack each other.

Armed with only what they can carry, they set out to secure an apartment building and rescue survivors scattered amongst the shattered remains of civilization.
In a world turned upside down, every day is a struggle, as those who have taken refuge in “the tower” find out that their safe haven is under constant threat. In this place, however, the strengths of those who stand together, might just be enough to live long enough to see things start to change.



Being new to the world of podcasting, I have a few questions of my own for you, the readers. What other podcasts would you recommend? And would you be interested in listening to a Zombies & Toys podcast? I'm talking 10 to 15 minutes every other week or so to sum up recent news and upcoming events. Maybe have a guest, review a book or movie, or air an interview every now and then. I'm stretched thin but think this could be a fun thing to try. I know if I could find a zombie news podcast, I'd subscribe in a heartbeat. But as with this blog, if the interest is there I'll give it a shot. So cast a vote in the margin to tell me what you think. I also welcome all comments, suggestions, ideas, and recommendations of your favorite podcasts either by posting a comment or emailing me at zombiesandtoys@gmail.com.