The aim of Cowboys Vs. Zombies is to protect your fledgling town against waves of zombies coming in across the desert. Cowboys take the place of ‘towers’ in traditional TD games and, while they can be placed anywhere along the path the zombies are coming down, putting them in specific places on buildings offers added protection from the zombie hordes.

Each zombie killed is worth a $1 bounty and cash can be used to promote cowboys to Deputies and Sheriffs, increasing their range and rate of fire. As you progress through each of the 6 levels shotguns, snipers and dynamite are all opened up to help in the zombie killing and you’ll have to balance retreating to save money for more cowboys versus repairing buildings.

CvZ differs slightly from usual tower defence games in a few ways but in general these aren’t improvements. The first change is the view. There is no traditional top down (or almost top down) view, unstead the view is almost 3rd person, not much higher than head height. Turning the screen pulls back and up but it’s still not far enough to be able to accurately grab and place your units.

Which leads us on to the second issue, the layout. Sacrifices have been made in order to fit onto the small iPhone screen, but with both sides and the top of the screen filled with icons it’s all to easy to grab one of them instead of a cowboy or vice versa. This happened far too often and almost made me give up half way through. Being able to move the camera a bit more may have helped but you’ll fail more often due to this than the actual zombies being a problem.

The whole game actually disregarded conventional wisdom when it comes to these kinds of games, there’s no indication of: damage to buildings/cowboys/zombies, where cowboys can be places, range of units, cost of units, type of damage, cost of units or cost to upgrade, when the next wave’s coming or what it consists of. While it eventually becomes reasonably clear it makes the whole affair far less strategical. Not helped by the fact that the zombies only ever come in a straight line towards you so you are always only guarding on one front.

It’s also a very short game, the 6 levels aren’t very difficult (control issues aside) and once you’ve completed the main game there’s little reason to go back with no endless mode or scores. This may change in future updates as the game does have space for x00 waves but never goes above 30.

For all it’s issues Cowboys Vs. Zombies isn’t without it’s charms, lots of zombies on screen with good looking cartoony characters and I imagine that future updates will go a long way to improving the experience and longevity. Until then if you’re the kind of person who likes to gamble then CvZ is available today only for $0.99 before going up to the normal price of $2.99.

You can keep track of future updates on the official site.

Undead The Last Refuge is a first-person zombie shooter (FPZS?) for the iPhone which pits you against unrelenting waves of the Undead in an abandoned building armed with only a pistol for company.

The game is from BulkyPix who are alse responsible for Nun vs Zombie hack and slash Twin Blades, as well as an abundance of other games in a lot of genres for the iPhone.

Undead The Last Refuge plays almost identically to Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies. Players start in a run down room with only a pistol as zombies approach from various sides through the window. The windows have shutters which players can run up to and close to help slow down the zombie entry, which comes at the trade off of not being able to cover the other entrances.

As zombies are killed the score increases as does the amount of money the player has. Once enough has been saved up the next room and next weapon are unlockable for a cost which present the zombies with more ways to try and attack the player. It’s the same scenario in the next room apart from more money is needed to unlock the subsequent room.

Players can move using their left thumb on a control and aim by dragging their right finger around the screen to narrow the sights. The shoot button however is inconveniently place above the move area meaning that it’s almost impossible to move and shoot at the same time which, as I’m sure Resident Evil 5 finally proved, is not a great idea.

Visually Undead The Last Refuge is a nice looking game. Shooting zombies in the face and seeing the blasted off mess left behind is about as realistic as you could expect on the iPhone. The rooms are obviously part of a whole house, with each is shaded in it’s own colour and atmosphere and the zombies are pleasantly detailed though lacking in variety.

Unfortunately though, the game itself is somewhat flawed. The aiming, while feeling more natural than CoDWaWZ, was a much more variable affair; often zombies that I clearly missed would give me headshots and those that I nailed in the head wouldn’t even register being shot, combined with hitting the window edges far too often and unfavourably it was a hugely frustrating affair.

I also initially couldn’t find my way out of the first room as the door wouldn’t appear with the unlock sign and only after emailing the developer and being assured I only needed $30k to leave the first room (I was often over $100k) I wandered to the far side of the damaged wall which eventually allowed me to leave. I may have been being stupid but I walked as far as the middle of the wall without getting a message and the instructions show a picture of the door when telling you how to progress.

Undead The Last Refuge also doesn’t have the same multiplayer features that CoDWaWZ has and while the game is fun for couple of hours the too often random nature prevents me from rushing back to it in order to try and beat my high score.

That said, it is a lot cheaper than Activision’s offering at only $2.99/£1.79 and if you’re looking to make your last stand it’s available in the iTunes store now.

Pro Zombie Soccer is the first game from Super Awesome Hyper-Dimensional Mega Team (SAHDMT) and published by Chillingo games.

The game tells the story of Jax, a soccer football player who is bitten by zombies when the uprising begins but then finds out that, before he turns, he has the power to destroy zombies by kicking a football at them. Aided by special ball power-ups, he races across town to try and save his friends and find the cause of the zombies, but will he make it in time or will his hunger for brains be too much.

The gameplay of Pro Zombie Soccer hasn’t changed much since our first hands on a few months ago. Players aim with their left thumb behind Jax, hold to build power and then release to kick the ball in the direction aimed. It’s a simple control scheme where players have to balance rapid fire kicks with more controlled aiming, resulting in some tense gameplay as your never sure what zombies are coming next.

The zombies themselves are hugely varied: normal weak zombies can be killed simply by hitting them, some need you to hit their head, some their bodies, some have bits that fall off, some only have specific areas that do damage, some zig zag, some come direct, some burrow towards you and some require trick shots or the use of environmental special moves. Over all the game moves quickly with new mechanics introduced almost every level to make Pro Zombie Soccer impossible to get bored of. The only problem with it is that there’s not quite enough time to get used to each before you’re on to the next. I could have quite happily played an extra 5 levels of the basic zombies or had more levels interspersed between the new types of enemies.

There are almost 20 levels in Pro Zombie Soccer with 2 difficulty levels and an extra zombie odyssey mode which plays like a survival stage. It won’t take too long to complete, though plenty of levels are challenging. Learning when to use which of your special ball powers can take a few tries.

The story in PZS is equal parts clever, purile and terrible. Distancing myself from the writing, the story crams a fairly epic confrontation into the hour and a half it takes to complete; it’s original, tries to fit in some jokes only gamers will get and only takes itself as seriously as a team named Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team could. The problem is that while kicking zombies in the nuts is fairly funny, the toilet humour and terrible writing are, at times, not.

To be fair the team aren’t native English speakers, some of the humour may have been lost in translation, but I winced every time I read a cut scene. Setting up the evil company as Black Pesa (geddit, like Black Mesa… Halflife… no?) just isn’t clever (something more subtle like White Plateau would have given real gamers a much bigger nod). The writing for the rest of the game isn’t any better, indeed it’s painful to read, it’s like it was run through a bad Google joke translator and just pasted in.

Ultimately you’re not going to buy the game for the writing though and after the first play through you’d almost certainly skip these scenes anyway. The graphics and music are fantastic, the game is fun for short bursts even after completing it and getting through the hardcore difficulty is more than challenging enough for a couple of weeks on the bus. Pro Zombie Soccer is only 59p/99¢ just now and is more than worth it, joining Zombie Smash and Plants Vs. Zombies as my top zombie game apps.

The app is currently available in the Apple store or for more information visit the official site.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has now made it’s way onto the iPhone as a game, further cementing it’s multi-media dominance among all things zombie.

The game is made by Freeverse, who are no strangers to zombie games having already made Zombie Cannon Carnage, but PPZ The Game is an entirely different style to their previous zombie app. The game gives you control of Jane Austin’s heroine Lizzy and admirably tells the story of the book while focusing on the zombie action the Seth Grahame-Smith re-imagining throws in.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the game (PPZG) is a side scrolling beat-em-up similar to other iPhone (and now Xbox) game, Twin Blades, featuring a similar system of upgrades and special moves. Zombies are killed and scenery smashed to reveal coins which can then be used to buy upgrades to health and techniques. There are 12 levels in total and a variety of zombies, ninjas and ninja-zombies to kill along the way.

The game both looks and sounds amazing. The graphics are muted pastels with a style that suggests they’ve been lovingly painted into the small 320 x 480 screen and perfectly suit both the subject and period. The menu music is soothing and the drum beats sound like there’s an army marching at your back when slicing up zombies in the game.

PPZ the game also manages to tell the story beautifully through a series of 16 bit RPG style cut scenes, with the characters talking to each other. I’ve never read the book (:O) but can tell exactly what was added to it from playing the game. Since most games struggle to really tell any sort of story one that fits in both Austin’s classic tale and extra zombies is to be commended.

It’s just a shame the game isn’t actually much fun.

Players move by using their left thumb to control the character and right thumb to attack. A quick tap slashes ahead of you and more complex strokes cause the character to attack either behind, a jump, a spin or a kick. It seems initially to be a complex system allowing interesting and complex battles.

What it actually evolves into is rapidly smashing your finger on the right hand side of the screen and moving around to position yourself appropriately for this tappy attack. Having quickly maxed out the spin move, zombies from behind also proved no problem and bosses could be juggled to their death almost without worry.

Earning the rest of the upgrades seemed superfluous and despite gorgeously drawn backgrounds every level was basically the same. Despite lasting only about an hour it seemed to drag on for far too long. It would take a few replays to max Lizzie out but there’s very little reason to go back and play it again.

You’ll probably get your $3 out of PPZG, but only get it if you’ve already got all the other good zombie apps.

The “Nazi zombies” mode in Call of Duty: World at War was so widely successful, it was given its own game for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Well, Activision has released a sequel to the game, and so far, it’s even better than the original.

If features a brand new map, Shi No Numa (Zombie Swamp), where you’re pitted against zombies from Imperial Japan. Much like the first version, you’ll have access to weapons, receive points for kills and be able to play with friends and strangers in Co-Op mode over a Wi-Fi connection or Bluetooth.

The controls seem to be a bit more solid and easy to use this time around, plus aiming seems to be a tad easier. There are a few new weapon additions, but I haven’t really gotten the chance to really use every weapon because I’ve been killed quite a bit around the third or fourth wave of zombies.

Here’s a list of what is new:

• The Zombie Swamp (“Shi No Numa”) is a hauntingly beautiful, massive new environment filled with terrifying zombies, weapons, and zombie traps.
• New weapons featuring the Wunderwaffe DG-2. Fry hordes of zombies with a single blast from this shockingly powerful new weapon.
• Survive the Hellhounds! Ferocious and fast, the Hellhounds will test your reflexes and your team’s ability to work together.
• New playable characters! Play as Tank Dempsey (US), Takeo Masaki (Japan), Nikolai Belinski (USSR), and the infamous Dr. Richtofen (Germany).
• New Zombie traps including the Flogger for massive Zombie destruction and the Zipline for quick getaways.
• 20 Brand new Achievements for Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies II.

As for the price tag, Activision is standing firm by its price of $9.99 (£5.99), showing their ten bucks-a-pop model is still working for their most popular franchise. Owners of the original application can upgrade inside their original application for a reduced price of $5(£2.99), but even then, it’s too expensive when all you’re getting is a new map and a few changes. This is really an expansion pack and not a new game.

Still, I encourage those that are fans of the original minigame or first application to pick it up if you have the cash, and remember to upgrade via an in-app purchase if you have the first Call of Duty application.

You can download the game here (iTunes link)

In Zombie Infection, you’re a reporter headed to South America to discover the origin of yet another zombie outbreak. Over the course of 12 heart-stopping levels, you’ll switch between two characters, ex-soldier Damien Sharpe and reporter Alex Rayne, as you try and uncover the plot behind the outbreak – and use every ounce of your survival skills to overcome these guys.

You’ll be facing many infected enemies on your way to uncover the truth, from mutated humans to infected animals, each with unique skills and abilities designed to stop you in your tracks.

In addition to this, there’s a survival mode in which you simply face an onslaught of zombies trying to kill you. You’ll be armed with a pretty sweet arsenal of weapons but trust me, these guys go from slithering on the floor to charging at you in a matter of seconds, so you always have to watch your back.

Still, the game does have its flaws. The lack of multiplayer support right now makes this game less fun than it could potentially be (because let’s face it, who WOULDN’T want to annihilate zombies with their friends?).However, the biggest flaws in this game are by far the camera angles and control system.

When trying to run or walk, it’s like you’re just dragging that character’s feet around, much like dragging sand through a stick. Additionally, the camera angles don’t offer a lot of options and unique views. If you’ve ever played Resident Evil 4 on the GameCube or PlayStation 2, you’ll remember how hard it was to shoot an enemy with such a thin aiming light and, unfortunately, it seems like this game has implemented the same shooting control scheme. A poor targeting system coupled with poor camera angles and controls add extra and highly unnecessary difficulty to the game. Still, the game prevents you from shooting enemies that are too far off, so you won’t deplete your ammunition supply as quickly.

All in all, this is still definitely one of Gameloft’s most ambitious and accomplished releases. The 3D graphics, cut scenes and voice work is stunning and clear, making you feel like you’re actually playing a console-style game. The difficulty level was also somewhat surprising, considering all you have to do is get a few head shots in. I have yet to clear the game and have actually died quite a few times in the process, but I’m almost there.

The bottom line: If you own an iDevice and are a fan of zombies, you must purchase this game. It’s worth the $6.99/£3.99 without question, and I hope future updates will add multiplayer over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and improve on the controls, making this game one of the best on the app store.

The main campaign takes place across 31 days with each night providing a different challenge than the one before. A variety of zombies and weapon drops make each level varied and often frantic as you launch zombies into the air with a flick of a finger or thumb.

The levels themselves are all the same, with zombies only able to attack from the left or right, but the level itself is just a backdrop to the action and clever use of the camera adds more depth than might be expected of a single level.

There are also power ups for most weapons to be earned by collecting stars from downed zombies, as well as bonuses to your defences and all of which can be tested out in a sandbox and will come in handy during the endless seige.

The game looks like a cartoon, playing into classic Warner Bros slapstick with some fantastic ragdoll physics when zombie body parts come flying off and is among the best 2D graphics on the iPhone. The sound is also great with with every action sounding suitably sharp and atmospheric background music setting the tone.

I had the pleasure of Beta testing Zombie Smash for about 3 iterations before it’s release. As a result I’ve played it through about 8 times and can say that this is undoubtably one of the best zombie games on the iPhone and certainly the best use of the touch screen interface so far.

You can find out more over on the official site, on Facebook, Twitter or download the app (opens in iTunes).

There is a plethora of zombie related iPhone apps for sale on the iTunes store from entertainment apps to apps that let you zombiefy your own photos but most of the zombie related apps are games. While many of these are easily forgettable and not as much fun as a game with zombies in racing karts or a game where zombies become bowling pins for you to launch you ball at, there are a few gems in there, and one of them is Zombieville USA.

Zombieville USA is a very simple game in both design and premise, but these are what make it such fun and one of the best and most addictive games I have on my iPhone. You play as a single character who side scrolls across a zombie infected street jumping into houses as you pass them to collect money or ammo. The characters range from a S.W.A.T. team member to a clown and have many varying characters in-between, including both a ninja and a doctor. As well as the aesthetic difference between the characters they each cleverly have their own advantages and disadvantages, e.g. the clown collects a lot of money but uses up a lot of ammo quickly.

The game itself is very simple kill the zombies you come across, collect money to buy new weapons and ammo at the end of each level and try and survive for as long as you can killing as many zombies as you can. As you progress, as well as new weapons being introduced, new zombie enemies are also introduced, these include a light blue zombie (the average zombie is a sickly green colour) that is faster than the usual slow paced green zombies but their bite is not as strong and they are weaker so are killed easier. The other kind is a dark green zombie that is the opposite of the light blue zombie, slow and strong.

While the game is very simple, this is what makes it so enjoyable. When you complete a level and have enough money to buy new weaponry you feel excited and when you die at the teeth of the zombie hoard you feel disappointment that you weren’t able to survive. And while many games today are trying to take the zombie genre in new directions by adding bowling balls or racing karts, Zombieville USA keeps true to the one thing all zombie fans have in common, the many, many ways a zombie can be killed and how each time a zombie falls under your Tommy gun or chainsaw it never feels repetitive.

And all for £1.19/$2, who can argue with that.

It’s fundamentally a twin stick shooter but adds in close combat weapons for a bit of variety. Move with your left thumb and attack with your right by tapping the screen.

Controls take a little bit of getting used to as you don’t aim where you’re facing. Unlike other shooters that I’ve played on the iPhone, Dawn of the Dead uses a 360 degree second stick as well, meaning that you can move in any direction while swinging or shooting in another. This is actually a necessity as you’ll usually be backing up hitting the zombies that are chasing after you.

Missions take the form of find an item, get to a location, survival, eradicate all zombies or any combination of those. There is only 5 levels though and you’ll blast through it in about half an hour. The harder difficulty setting is marginally tougher but it won’t take you much longer than that.

Each level you complete earns you a new melee and gun weapon but I completed the game twice without even firing a gun. While the weapons all also have their own attributes these can all pretty much be ignored apart from speed, with the difference between each level of power and range almost negligible.

Graphically it’s pleasing enough, with the zombies leaving a decent blood trail, but overall they’re more functional than special and while the character models may be in 3D you don’t really notice and some of the animations when the zombies run at you are comical as their over-sized legs drag out behind them.

Although the main game won’t take long there are also a number of challenges for you to complete in the form of condensed versions of the levels. Again these are pretty simple even on the hard difficulty setting but at least offers a reason to keep coming back.

Overall it’s not bad for £1.19/$1.99 but it’s far from great and seems to just be a way of getting you to buy the movie which is plasters all over the title screen. You’d be better off with the much more fun Alive 4 Ever.

Dawn of the Dead is available on the iPhone now.

After each stage you are rewarded with the usual money and XP points that allow you to buy weapons or upgrade your character to deal with the new range of zombies that arrive as you progress through the game.

The top down angle conjures up feelings of playing GTA: London on the Playstation 1. The controls are pretty easy and although the difficulty does spike from time to time I never found it too challenging, or too easy either. It may be a simple game in design but it is complex enough for any iPhone gamer to be easily amused on a long or shot zombie killing spree.

And at only £1.79 this is definitely a must buy for any iPhone owning zombie fan.