How could you not love a game called Plants vs. Zombies? The new computer game is another fantastic time-waster from PopCap, the folks behind Peggle, Bejeweled and other popular casual games.

In the family-friendly Plants vs. Zombies, you face a horde of cartoon zombies lurching their way across your lawn. All you have to fend them off are some plucky plants with perplexing powers. You plant them on the lawn as your line of defense. Sunflowers create the solar energy needed to power other plants. Pea shooters fire peas at the undead. Cherry bombs take several zombies out at once. Wall-nuts [cq] provide a hard-shell barrier. And my favorite, potato mines, lie in wait until a zombie steps on them and is blown up with a big “SPUDOW!!” There are a few dozen other plants. And then there are all kinds of zombies, including the track-suit-wearing pole-vaulter. And the game play mixes things up occasionally, such as a bowling level in which you roll Wall-nuts to strike the zombies.

As zombies attack in increasing numbers — “Braaains!” — you must continually harvest sun power, place new plants as they become available, dig up plants that aren’t working and do more to zap the zombies. It’s wildly addictive and loads of fun. What’s really fetching is that a fair amount of strategy is involved, because the plants you choose to use and where you place them play a big role in fending off the horde. It’s quite a game — bizarre in concept, brilliant in design.

PopCap sells Plants vs. Zombies for $20 for PCs and Macs, but sites such as Steam have it for $10. A fully playable demo is available for free, but that trial version expires after an hour. You’ll want to play longer.

Oops, almost forgot to add that another freebie related to the game is getting some attention. The Zombatar (click on “Zombatar” on the menu of the game’s website) lets you create your own zombie avatar to use on Facebook or wherever. Here’s mine:

Looks just like me. Braaains!

I loved Andy Reiner’s comments for my column today about Minneapolis teacher Brock Dubbels using video games in the classroom. Reiner (pictured), 33, is the executive editor of Game Informer, a Minneapolis-based publication that is said to be the world’s biggest video-game magazine, so he obviously knows how to write about games. But he also knows how to put together some fantastic comments about what Dubbels is doing: using games as the medium for a modern-style “book report” to teach basic skills, such as writing and reading comprehension. I didn’t have room for all of Reiner’s comments in my column, so here’s his full quote:

“In my schooling, I was spoon-fed a steady diet of book reviews.  In retrospect, you’d think I attended school in the 1800s.  Why not include different mediums in the classroom?  Movies, music, books and games are mediums students go home to and interact with every day. Each one of these mediums provides a different critical analysis.  I’m not saying that Super Mario Galaxy should replace Where the Red Fern Grows, but I can certainly see aspiring writers developing new tools when they review Beautiful Katamari after A Wrinkle in Time.  When you dissect a video game in a review, you’ll see that it demands a different style of writing and critical analysis than a book.  This isn’t just about students having fun with their homework.  By incorporating video games into his teaching, Dubbels is expanding his students’ technical-writing skills.  And why shouldn’t school be fun?  For one student, a fun review might be reading the work of Edgar Allan Poe.  For another it could be playing The Legend of Zelda, watching Star Trek, or listening to Green Day.  We choose our occupation later in life.  Why can’t we choose our homework if our teacher is willing to teach us the skills that go with it?”

Now, where’s that video-game adaptation of Where the Red Fern Grows?

Even with Nintendo’s recent introduction of the DSi, it’s not always easy to find its popular predecessor, the DS Lite, in stores – and for less than its MSRP of $130 when you do. Dealnews points out today that Dell Home is selling the DS Lite in four colors for $110.49 shipped. The secret is a coupon code — 65G7RQ11J?M2LH — that knocks off almost $20 off of the regular price. Dell charges Minnesota sales tax (or, at least, it did when I ordered a laptop last year), but even after adding that, you’ll still pay more than $20 less than if you had bought it in a local store. With summer and long car trips ahead, a new DS Lite might be just the ticket to keep the kids occupied — or yourself.

Defying a globally depressed economy, Nintendo made nearly $3 billion last year, the Japanese company announced this morning. That’s up 8.5 percent from its previous fiscal year, which ends March 31.

The scary part? Nintendo didn’t actually meet projected sales on its blockbuster Wii and DS systems, so it had expected to make even more money.  Nevertheless, the company said it has sold more than 50 million Wiis and more than 100 million DS systems to date. It projects that it will sell 26 million more Wiis in its next fiscal year and 30 million more DS’s. The latter will be driven by sales of the new DSi. And, of course, there are several huge games in the pipeline, including a new “Zelda” for the DS and “Wii Sports Resort.”

By the way, I still haven’t tried the DSi, and it’s unlikely that I will. Nintendo refused to send an evaluation unit. Maybe that’s how it’s padding the bottom line these days.

Sony announced this morning that its venerable PlayStation 2 will cost $100 starting Wednesday, down from $130. Now, you might be thinking, “Who cares about the price of a 9-year-old video-game system?” Apparently, a lot of people.

Just in February, 131,000 PS2 systems were sold in the United States, according to the NPD Group. That’s less than all other systems, but it’s still a major chunk of change – more than $17 million in sales in one, “slow” month. In fact, about 136 million PS2 systems have been sold worldwide to date. There also are nearly 1,900 games available for the system, many of them selling at bargain used prices.

Translation? The PS2 is cheap home entertainment. And starting Wednesday, it will be even cheaper.

Game Daily just came out with its picks for the Top 25 Hardest Video Games of All Time. It’s an interesting compilation, including a good mix of current and classic titles — topped by Ninja Gaiden (pictured). I have to say, though, that any such list that doesn’t include Target Earth for the Sega Genesis is lacking. That was one insanely difficult game, compounded by unintuitive controls. I also think that the list’s inclusion of games on their most difficult setting (Guitar Hero, God of War, etc.) is kind of lame. Most games on their hardest setting are, uh, difficult. Isn’t that the point?

Anyway, Game Daily sent over the top 10 from its list, including their editors’ comments. You can read the rest by clicking on the link above.

10. Contra series (Konami)
Contra is one of those holy grail franchises that poses a challenge for all who approach it. The two NES games were hard to beat, unless you were one of those people that used a code for multiple lives. Then came the sequels Contra III: The Alien Wars on SNES (a monster on the hardest setting) and Contra: Shattered Soldier, a game that’s so frustrating we still haven’t beaten it. (We’ve gotten close, though.)

9. Defender (Williams)
As the last line of defense for Earth, you’ve got an awful lot to tackle in Williams’ arcade classic. Mutants have overtaken the planet, and they’re sucking up innocent people. Not only must you blast these creatures into oblivion, but you also have to rescue falling civilians. Later stages are incredibly demanding, especially with the introduction of the smaller swarm ships. Don’t say we didn’t give you a heads up.

8. Devil May Cry 3 (Capcom)
In Devil May Cry 3, the “hard” difficulty setting from the Japanese version became “normal” in the States, and Capcom then introduced a new difficulty mode called “Dante Must Die.” It was so overwhelming that Capcom had to introduce an easier Special Edition to calm down the gaming community.

7. God of War series (SCEA)
To breeze through God of War games, choose the lightest difficulty and enjoy the cakewalk. For the rest of us, there’s God mode, which punishes players with enemies that don’t hold anything back; just wait until you face the serpents. Oh, and don’t expect God of War III to be any easier.

6. R-Type (Irem)
R-Type leads the pack of nearly impossible shooters. When this game first hit arcades in the late ’80s, people kept slamming quarters down for a chance to take on the Bydo Empire with a small spacecraft. It’s still a pain in the butt, especially the recently released Xbox Live Arcade game R-Type Dimensions. (Unless you’re a wuss and take the easier route.)

5. Ikaruga (Treasure)
Speaking of unbelievably hard shooters, we can’t have this list without this Treasure classic. Ikaruga has a twist to its shooting techniques, as you’ll switch between two colors and absorb enemy bullets to fire charged shots. You’ll need to acquire power-ups, as enemies unleash beautiful, firework-style destruction. Good luck getting past level five – or even level three.

4. Mega Man 9 (Capcom)
Most Mega Man games have their fair share of frustrations, most notably Mega Man 3 on the NES and the Mega Man X games on the PlayStation. Nothing, though, comes close to what you’ll face in Mega Man 9. This downloadable game for Xbox Live, Wii Shop Channel and PlayStation Network hurls everything it’s got at you, from fire-throwing flowers to tricky spiked floors to crazy boss battles. There’s also a list of Challenges to complete, some of which are borderline insane. One even requires you to survive a boss battle for 10 minutes.

3. Battletoads (Tradewest)
The designers at Rare were either mad scientists bent on breaking our spirits or freakin’ geniuses testing our physical limits when they produced Battletoads on the NES. Maybe it’s both. Either way, this wild platforming game has several tasks for you and a friend to complete, including speeder bike chases, snake riding, beating up baddies and surfing. Few have seen the game’s conclusion.

2. Ghouls n’ Ghosts series (Capcom)
Ghosts n’ Goblins is without question one of the most difficult video game series of all time. Its lead character, Arthur, valiantly attempts to save his love, only to die repeatedly at the hands of numerous monsters. Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts for the SNES is a real test, requiring you to go through the game twice before it ends. Many a controller died beating that one.

1. Ninja Gaiden series (Tecmo; pictured)
Finally, we come to the series that will bring you to your knees and make you cry for mercy. Since its debut on the NES, Ninja Gaiden introduced tough enemies and even tougher bosses. Over the years, it’s only gotten harder. Ninja Gaiden Black is ridiculous with its enormous list of challenges to complete and tricky bad guys. Ninja Gaiden II on the Xbox 360 only increased our stress levels, with monsters so vicious we punched holes through walls.

– Game Daily

Interesting to see that Ghouls n’ Ghosts made it all the way to No. 2. My wife, who’s not an avid gamer, and I spent many hours taking turns on the Genesis version of that game in two-player mode in the late ’80s and early ’90s. We had many restarts to get through the various levels — including the infamous “go back to the beginning and try again” after you “beat” it the first time — but even she made it through to the end.   

What is the most difficult video game you’ve ever played?