[[quoteright:350:http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/plants-vs-zombies.jpg]]
->''"There's a zombie on your lawn,\\
There's a zombie on your lawn,\\
There's a zombie on your lawn,\\
We don't want zombies on the lawn."''
-->Sunflower [[ExpositoryThemeTune sums the game up]]

Plants Vs Zombies is an incredibly addicting TowerDefense game from, believe it or not, PopCapGames. That's right, they actually made a game that's ''not'' a puzzle game. And a damn good one, too. It's about [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin plants fighting against a zombie invasion]].

Zombies have risen from their graves, and seek to eat your brains. However, you find a most unlikely, but trusted ally in your own front lawn as you plant various organic defenses against the undead legions, and are also given advice and supplies by your neighbor Crazy Dave.

The zombies won't go down easily, however, and are constantly thinking up new ways to breach your defenses, including screen-door shields, pylon helmets, pole vaulting, and [[PunnyName zombonis]] that pave the way for an undead bobsledding team.

Yeah, it's [[WidgetSeries that kind of game]].
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!!Plants Vs Zombies contains examples of:
*AbnormalAmmo - The main attack you have is peas. Lots and lots of peas.
**And the butter from the Kernel-pults is abnormal even by the standards of the game...
*ActionBomb - Several of the plants, most notably Potato Mines.
*AffablyEvil - The zombies. They even send you notes, although they turn up [[UnderStatement a little late.]] And when you win, [[spoiler:they decide to make a music video with you instead. And then [[StatusQuoIsGod get back to invading your lawn.]]]]
*ArbitrarySkepticism - The sentient English-speaking puff-shroom had trouble believing in zombies.
*AwesomeButImpractical - Most of the "upgraded" plants in any mode besides Survival, especially Cob Cannons, as the round will in all likelihood be almost over by the time you can afford a few. However, ''in'' Survival mode, many of them are not only useful but vital.
*BerserkButton - DO NOT destroy Newspaper Zombie's newspaper.
*BigNo - Said by the human owners of the house you're defending when the zombies get past your line of defense. The Game Over screen.
*BlackMagic - Plantern isn't gonna say that is the source of his unusual power.
** Then again, how would YOU go about explaining how you take in darkness and create light from it without confusing the person asking?
*BlatantLies - "Any resemblance between [[MichaelJackson Dancing Zombie]] and persons living or dead is purely coincidental"
*BrainwashedAndCrazy - Hypno-shroom does this, though it seems to think of it as being MoreThanMindControl.
** If successful, the [[MookFaceTurn Hypno-zombies]] will move on to [[ImAHumanitarian eat other zombies.]]
*BulletSeed
*[[spoiler:BigfootSasquatchAndYeti]] - The [[spoiler:Yeti Zombie]] that only appears in the NewGamePlus.
*ComesGreatResponsibility - Magnetism is something which scares Magnet-Shroom in its power.
*ClownCarGrave - Averted and played straight. While night levels do have graves, each one only summons one zombie per level. Played straight in "Whack A Zombie".
*CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: A very subtle one in Tall-nut's Almanack entry, where he describes the brotherly bond between him and Wall-nut in an interview.
*DarkIsNotEvil - The appearance of Grave Busters fits with their purpose, devouring tombstones, yet both they and Doom-Shrooms are on your side. Even though Doom-Shroom's warning makes one doubt it.
** The Tangle Kelp is also a little creepy with its [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glowing squinty eyes]]... basically a less-goofy-looking version of [[{{Pokemon}} Tangela]], though its FlavorText in the Suburban Almanac mitigates this with a spot of humor.
* DemonicSpiders - Gargantuars are large, powerful zombies that can instantly kill any plant, and can deploy a small, albeit weaker zombie deep into your defenses.
*EarWorm - [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N1_0SUGlDQ ''There's a zombie on your laaawn...'']]
* EpilepticTrees - Unless WordOfGod states otherwise, the eerie green glow from the drains around the cemetery is coming from whatever toxic substance's causing the zombies to rise from their graves.
*ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - Plants are fighting zombies.
** Also, the Peashooters and Squash.
** And nearly all the zombie names.
*FacingTheBulletsOneLiner - From the Gatling Pea almanac entry:
--> "But honey, (joining the military) is dangerous!"
--> "...Life IS dangerous."
*[[spoiler:FinalExamBoss]] - In the last level, [[spoiler:you have to remember what plants do what kind of damage to fend off the final boss' attacks.]]
*FragileSpeedster: The Imp in the puzzle game [[ShoutOut I, Zombie]]. It can only take three regular pea shots before being defeated, but is the fastest (and cheapest) unit you can deploy against the plants.
*FrozenFace - Perhaps for the pun, Ice-shroom has a non-dramatic version of this. It being the reason he is a PerpetualFrowner.
*FunnyAneurysmMoment: The dancing zombie was designed as a clear ShoutOut to MichaelJackson. About a month and a half after the game came out, he died.
** "Any resemblance between Dancing Zombie and persons living ''or dead'' is purely coincidental". Ouch.
* GameBreaker - In the flash version's survival, the fume shroom and sun shroom combo becomes this at night. Sprinkle the cake with Grave Busters and Wall-nuts for success and profit.
* GameBreakingBug - This troper doesn't know if it still happens, but he and many other players have reported the game corrupting one's save files numerous times in a row. You'll quit the game, load it later to play again, and find that the game forgets you've done ''anything''.
*GatlingGood - The "four at a time" Gatling Pea.
*GiantMook - The [[MightyGlacier Gargantuar]].
*GrievousHarmWithABody: One of the Gargantuar's possible weapons is another zombie.
*GrumpyOldMan - Imitater says that all they had in the Zombie Wars were guts. Guts and a spoon.
*[[spoiler:HumongousMecha]] - The final level has a [[spoiler:giant zombie mecha that shoots fire and ice balls.]] And it's fucking awesome.
*HighlyVisibleNinja - Tangle Kelp thinks of himself as invisible. Not so much.
*HurricaneOfPuns: {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s - And ''plant-y'' of 'em!
*ImprobableWeaponUser - The Gargantuar flattens your plants with a lamppost, a street sign, or [[GrievousHarmWithABody another zombie]]; [[spoiler:Dr Zomboss' HumongousMecha throws vehicles at them.]]
*IronicNurseryTune - The Jack-in-the-Box zombie plods along, cranking a box that's playing ''Pop Goes The Weasel''...[[spoiler:and explodes.]]
*{{Keet}} - Coffee Bean sure does get excited.
*KillItWithFire - Among the methods are blazing peas, chili peppers and exploding mushrooms.
*ManEatingPlant - No men, but Chompers chew up and swallow a fair bit of zombies.
** They look suspiciously like purple piranha plants from SuperMario.
*** Or [[LittleShopOfHorrors Audrey]]
*** Well, at least Chomper tried to audition for the part...
* MetaPowerup - the Twin Sunflower and Coffee Bean
*MindScrew - Flower Pot being a plant in which you plant plants attempts to induce this in you with the flavor text.
*MookMaker - A zombie that [[ShoutOut dances and spawns four others that follow it.]] Also, [[spoiler: the final boss.]]
*MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate - Dr. Zomboss has a doctorate in Thanotonolgy. [[TheMoreYouKnow (That's the study of death. Thanatos is Greek for death.)]]
*NeverHeardThatOneBefore - [[AnIcePerson Snow Pea]] gets a lot of this.
*NewGamePlus - [[spoiler: Once you beat Dr. Zomboss, you can start all over again with the seeds you've gathered so far - only Crazy Dave gets to pick three of them, the second playthrough.]]
*NightmareFuel: (Jack-in-the-box Zombies [[spoiler: They explode too]])
*NightOfTheLivingMooks - EVERY SINGLE ENEMY that your plants fight is a zombie. Period.
** Check your almanack. Zomboni's [[spoiler:an alien that often hangs out with zombies and is frequently confused with them]]
*** Also, [[spoiler:robots aren't zombies]].
*NinjaPirateZombieRobot - The zombies have not only mastered many professions such as deep sea diving, pole vaulting, and football, but [[spoiler:There's an actual giant zombie bot at the end. A zombie *in* a robot. With a doctorate in Thanatology, no less.]]
* NukeEm - Cob Cannons are not in fact cannons but corn-missle launchers. And those missles a VERY destructive. Also Doom-srooms.
*OneHitKill - Some of your plants, namely the Cherry Bomb, Potato Mine, Squash, Doom Shroom, Tangle Kelp, Jalapeno Pepper and Cob Cannon are capable of killing almost all types of enemies in one hit. Some of the enemies, most notably [[spoiler:the HumongousMecha FinalBoss]] are also able to do this to your plants!
*PinataEnemy - The [[spoiler:Zombie Yeti]].
*PortalNetwork - The minigame [[ShoutOut "Portal Combat"]] has you fighting zombies while a somewhat confusing system of portals(Zombies ready to stumble into the gateways are fired upon by plants infront of the corresponding portal, for example) shifts around the field.
*PsychoForHire - "The Doom-Shroom would have no qualms about destroying your house instead. It wouldn't be hard, or so he claims."
*PunnyName - Almost any plant.
*RaisingTheSteaks - "The dolphin is also a zombie."
*RuleOfCool - Sure, most games give you a plot, but in this case you're going "Ah, crap, zombies are attacking my lawn!" too much to notice its absence.
** Actually, the plot's decently defined, although just the game's name sums it up pretty well. The plot is zombies are attacking your lawn and you and your plants have to defend it. Pretty straight forward.
*RuleOfCute - Applies to both the plants and the zombies.
*RuleOfFun - Similarly, who cares where all these genetically modified war-plants came from? (Answer: [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys Bloom & Doom Seed Co.]] If it kills zombies, then all is well and good.)
*ShoutOut - One of the plants is called "{{Torchwood}}"
*SpeakingSimlish - Crazy Dave
** Although, depending on how you look at it, it's less "Simlish" and more "He's crazy enough that he's no longer actually speaking anything but gibberish, but you've known him long enough that you can translate". It does amount to the same thing, though.
*TheStoic - Lily pad is described as this.
*SpikesOfDoom- Spikeweeds/Spikerocks. Partially subverted against normal zombies as it will not kill them instantly but will drain their health over time as long as they step on them. [[OneHitKill Played straight against vehicle enemies]].
*StoneWall - The Wall-nut and Tall-nut serve no purpose other than defending your easily-killed attackers by taking damage for them. And they sure can [[MadeOfIron take LOTS of it.]]
*TwitchyEye - Jack-in-the-box Zombie has quite a strong one and has the chills from his insanity.
**Wall-Nut gets one when he's taken enough damage, [[TheWoobie poor guy]].
*YouRequireMoreVespeneGas: Sun is the form of currency, dropped from the sky on day levels and produced by Sunflowers and Sun-shrooms.
*ZombieApocalypse - Now in Jock, Salaryman and Dolphin flavor!

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