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Bookworm Heroes’ New Pet Makes Waves!

Dana — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:57:12 +0000

Bookworm Heroes is not just another fish in the word-game sea. It hooked me from the start, and part of what reeled me in was the variety in the heroes and pets, the way you could tailor the game to your style and adjust it to match up against your opponents’ strengths. Just as you’ve settled into a comfortable strategy, there’s something new to try. Today, that something new is a whale named Herman who will take your score from plankton to puffer fish.

Not just a game change but a sea change!

Herman can turn any letter tile into an ampersand, allowing you to make two words on one play! Imagine the possibilities when you’re playing as Razor, whose megawatt cyber tiles can only be used in words of five or fewer tiles…

Why settle for a single word when you could have two?

Or use Herman on Hack and Spell to add heft to your heist!

To my shame, I failed to steal his Lucky O tile. I could've made WEATHER on my rebound.

But don’t let me hold you up — hurry and hire Herman to help your Heroes! Come back and tell us what combination of Hero and Pet is your favorite!

Caption Contest: The (Uni)Cornier the Better

Dana — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:57:36 +0000

A week ago, something excellent happened at E3–our illustrious leader John Vechey made the leap that echoed ’round the net to announce the coming of Peggle 2. We instantly decided the celebration of this momentous news would be incomplete without a Caption Contest, illustrated by our beloved Stephen Notley (creator of the not-for-all-ages comic Bob the Angry Flower).

What’s Bjorn saying? Is he the least bit troubled by his doppelganger? Submit your caption in the comments below!

Ode to Fathers

Philip — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:45:54 +0000

In celebration of Father’s Day, we asked a few old friends to wax nostalgic about the men who made them who they are. And then this is what happened.

Crazy Dave:

My old man was great! He invented the necktie-sandwich press and the battery-powered battery – it never runs out of energy! I don’t know what I did with the blueprints for that one. I should find ‘em though, I could make, like, 50 bucks.

Zombie:

Zombie raised by Docotr Zomboss. He not biomological dad but he always made sure we had plenty of brains and gave me this swell coat. No pants, though but Zombie not complaining. He not very cuddly, but that okay because his skin is like a lizard’s. Still give Zombie the wibblies. Anyway, he always gave us rides in his giant Zombot. Sometimes he fergot to pick us up, though. Maybe that why zombies so good at shambling.

Bjorn:

Being a mythological creature, it’s hard to really communicate the concept of “father” as I understand it. So, please accept this short poem that captures my thoughts on the matter.

They come in many shapes and sizes.
Some are bums and some are prizes.
But it don’t matter what you say,
Sunday is still Father’s Day.

Lex:

Well, I can’t acknowledge my father without also giving a shout out to my mother. Mostly because I am not sure who was who.

Plants vs. Zombies 2: Transmissions from Crazy Dave

Philip — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:59:04 +0000

Hello again, Internet Friends. In preparation for the launch of Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time, our old pal Crazy Dave has taken off on a reconnaissance mission across the ages. And, lucky for all of us, he has started sending video transmissions of the wonders he finds. In true Crazy Dave fashion the transmissions are a little garbled and confusing but there is much to be learned if one watches closely and repeatedly.

See his latest message below, and be sure to bookmark the official Plants vs. Zombies 2 site for weekly transmissions, official news and other important announcements.

It’s About Time . . . You Got a Plants vs. Zombies 2 T-shirt

A.J. — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:18:29 +0000

That’s right ladies and germs, we’ve just release a brand new ultra swell Plants vs. Zombies 2 t-shirt in our Plants vs. Zombies merch store. This shirt will instantly and utterly make you cooler, hipper and better-looking than your friends, neighbors and school chums. It’ll also let the zombies know, when they come (and believe me, they will – Baba Vanga predicted it), that you are ready for them.

So get your Plants vs. Zombies 2 t-shirt today!

In the News: The Zombies are Coming Edition

guest — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:36:18 +0000

Sparkly PR star Rachel has rounded up a whole firmament of news having to do with your favorite game involving horticulture and the fun-dead.

The past couple of weeks have been all about Plants vs. Zombies! Whether it was Plants vs. Zombies Adventures, Plants vs. Zombies 2, or, as of Monday, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare. Here’s a little compilation of some of the great PvZ coverage for all three games:

Plants vs. Zombies Adventures is described as a workday distraction and a “Facebook game you’ll actually want to play” by The Verge and The Escapist. If you want to become a PvZ Adventures expert, Gamezebo gives readers an awesome walkthrough, equipped with useful gameplay tips!

Last week, we teased some Plants vs. Zombies-themed posters over social media (check them out at IGN and Polygon), and they might make a little more sense now that we’ve announced PvZ Garden Warfare.

To learn more about what you can expect from PvZ Garden Warfare, watch the trailer, and check out these articles from Kotaku, Wired and Polygon.

Last Monday, we released the Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time trailer and launch date, July 2013. Here are just a few of the outlets that got the scoop on PvZ 2:
- @Gamer
- IGN
- EDGE-online
- Gamezebo

Last but not least, check out this funny video created by Pechanga Casino, where the Plants vs. Zombies slot machine is making its California appearance!

Peggle 2 Is Coming. And Lo, There Were Rainbows.

Dana — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:37:32 +0000

Today at E3, many exciting announcements were made, and tons of thrilling game footage was shown. More on that stuff later, because the coolest thing that was shared today can be summed up in this delightful bit of fan art that appeared online within an hour of the moment it captures:

Thanks so much, Wonchop!

That’s right — it’s happening, friends! Can you feel the Joy?!

Don’t forget to Like the official Peggle Fan Page on Facebook for news, updates and tantalizing teases of all kinds!

Bookworm Heroes: Introducing Nenya!

Jeff — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:40:55 +0000

Hi kids! It’s Friday again! Yay! We hope you are having a good one, and are not too worried about things like the government spying on you. They probably are, sure, but there’s nothing any of us can do about it, so we might as well just sit back and enjoy being oppressed.

But anyway, to take our minds off that, we thought we’d share a bit of better news with you. There is a new Bookworm Hero! She’s in the game right now and just ready for you to choose her. Here is what she looks like:

Hi! I'm Nenya!

Who is this new hero, and why should you pick her? We don’t know much about her back story, to be honest. We know that she is an Elven Princess, but that’s it on her genealogy. Did she ever date Legolas? We simply do not know. We do know, however, that she was named after one of the three rings of power forged by the Elves of Eregion, and wielded by none other than Galadriel. So that’s pretty cool.

Anyway, like all the heroes in Bookworm Heroes, Nenya has both a signature tile and an ultimate skill, both of which, when used properly, should leave your opponent quivering in the fetal position in their basement, wishing they’d never been born. Or at least wanting a rematch. Nenya’s signature tile is the Flower Tile, which “grows” over the course of three turns, adding more points to the affected letter with each turn. In other words, the longer you leave it on the board, the more points it accumulates (for up to three turns.) Her ultimate skill is Flower Power, which summons a Treant to do extra damage, based on word length and the number of the Flower Tiles you’ve grown. (We will ignore the fact that Treants are D&D based, and not part of Middle-earth, because that would then call into question whether Nenya was actually a Tolkien elf at all, which would then call into question her name, which is clearly from Tolkien, thus leading us down a potentially dangerous path of nerd rage. So let’s just not go there.)

So Nenya is best used, strategically, with patience. She gets more powerful over time, so don’t go using her power, or the Flower Tiles at all, until they’re at their full strength. But even without any special stuff going on, Nenya still has probably the game’s best animation, firing arrows at your opponent with every turn. It’s totally hot.

Are you sold yet? Yes? No? Go play Bookworm Heroes RIGHT NOW and decide for yourself!

The Wall-nut Has Deep Deep Depths

A.J. — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:03:01 +0000

Once, a long time ago, I was walking around one of the seedier parts of town. I’d had a bad day, and just went walking, not sure where I’d end up. I think it was near the docks. But I was walking, then all of a sudden looked up, realized where I was, and sorta freaked out. So I ducked into this dive bar called, seriously, The Dive Bar, to call a cab to take me far away and out of there. I didn’t want to seem, oh, out of place though, so while waiting I sidled up to the bar and ordered a ginger-beer and milk, trying to look tough. The two guys standing next to me didn’t even glance my way, cause they were having a serious, heads-bent-down, conversation. They looked like the types that would as happily sock you as say hello, lots of un-manicured stubble and a smell like fish and sweat. But focused in only on their conversation – heck, I don’t think they noticed me, cause they kept talking, and I caught a little of their conversation. The first one was saying, “I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true” while the second one nodded his head in disbelief. “What they say is that if you look into the Wall-nut’s eyes and repeat Wall-nut three times, well, then you’re going to get hit in the head with a walnut.” I didn’t believe them – Wall-nut is so cute. And smiley. But then, later, when I was far away from that place, I wasn’t so sure. So I tried it:

Wall-nut

Wall-nut!

And I’ve had the nickname “Patch” ever since.

Ask a Zombie: “I Just Work Here” Edition

Zombie — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:00:45 +0000

Dear Zombie-

Who wins in an underwater knife fight, you or a bear?

Thanks!

Jim Bowie

Dear Jimbo,

Is this some secret plan to get Zombie to talk about your amazing collection of knives? Because Zombie not falling for your gorilla marketing. Why you send gorillas to do your dirty work anyway? And how comes it you not ever use one of them fancy knives to trim those ridicleous sideburns? Don’t tell Zombie it was the style at the time. It never in style to look like a bridge troll. Just look at yourself. LOOK AT YOURSELF!

Okay, sorry, Zombie go’d a skosh off-topic. But seriously, you go out of the house looking like that? Zombie not dress like that to take out the trash. And Zombie not even wearing pants! So, come on dude, shape up.

Okays, one more try. Shake it out, Zombie, shake it out. huh-huh… huh-huh…fffffff huh-huh… fffffff huh-huh…. huh-hummmm-uh… huh hummmm-uh …

Look, lots of weird junk gots to line up to find Zombie and a bear in the water at the same time. It not like Zombie going in there looking for salmon or whatever. Is it relevant to this scenario to understand how Zombie and Bear ended up in water AND holding knives? That going to make Zombie head hurt. Is it fresh water or salt water? River or lake? What is a underwater knife? Zombie need details. But, if Zombie just gonna answer the question as presented, Zombie going to say Zombie win because bear can’t hold a knife. You wanna argue about it? Go to.

yrs,
Zombie

____________________________________________________________

Dear Zombie,

I just read a news article that early humans loved to eat antelope brains. Specifically, the article mentions finding dents inside animal skulls indicate humans “dug in with stones to get at the delicious, juicy brains inside.” Scientists also believe that “nutrient-rich brain tissue may have helped Homo erectus support larger bodies, bigger brains, and travel longer distances.”

I’m stunned by this news and the questions are (almost) endless:
• Did you know about this?
• Do antelope brains taste different than human brains? In what ways?
• Will eating brains really give me a bigger brain? Will this increase my IQ?
• Will eating brains make me taller and run farther?
• Can I get animal skulls with brains from the grocery or do I need to go to a specialty butcher?
• What tools work best for digging brains out of animal skulls? Stones seem kinda primitive.
• How juicy are brains? Like a ripe mango? More like watermelon?
• Are brains more nutrient rich than apples or kale?
• I’ve seen dried apple and kale snacks, do you think a dried brain snack would catch on? Would it still be good, even though the brains are no longer juicy?

Yrs,
Rob

Hey Rob,

Let Zombie answer your questions in order what they were received.

• Nope, but Zombie like the idea.
• Zombie not able to catch a antemelope and attempts at making crude projectiles to fell the beast from afar have, to this point, failed. But if Zombie have to guess (and Zombie do have to guess) Zombie would say antepalope brains probably taste more like nuts.
• FALLACY! Eating brains actually give you bigger butt so you can sit around cogitating (look it up). However brain size and IQ are unrelated. It not the size, it what you do with it. You could have biggest brain in world but if all you fill it with are episodes of “Baywatch Nights” (how that show not catch on?) and Larry the Cable Guy routines (which fill Zombie with blind and righteous anger) your skull going to be receptacle for big mound of pudding.
• Nope. Only thing to make you taller and run farther is to be tall and don’t stop running. Sorry to burst your bubble on that one.
• What am zombie? Home shopper? Maybe you could try the tall running thing by standing up and running to the store to ask the guy yourself. Sheesh. Zombie help thems what help themselves.
• Zombie prefer using hands for brain extraction, but errybody gotta find their own thing. Stones seem to work pretty good so maybe you give them a shot before you pooh-pooh them (yes, that’s right). You not always have to have latest technology to do simple tasks, Rob. Why you gotta be so difficult?
• Brains are juicy like wet mop. Smell kinda like wet mop too. Which is to say, deelishuz!
• Zombie not really pay much attention to nutrition. Zombie just lucky to have body what Zombie have. Do not really need to worry about all that other junk. Zombie just eat whatever Zombie want. Which are brains. Apples are things to kick or step on and Zombie not even accept that kale is a thing so do not bring that nonsense here.
• What horrible kind of place you shop in that sell apple and kale (which is not a thing) as snacks? While Zombie all for idea of sucking the life essence out of plants and hanging their dessicated remains on hooks for all to see, Zombie not know why anybody would want to eat it.

That all Zombie got. Hope it helps (but only a little).

yrs,
Zombie
____________________________________________________________

Dear Zombie-

What is your favorite zombie movie? Zombie play? Zombie style of dance? Zombie sport? Zombie dinosaur?

Very curious about zombies-

B.P.

Dear William,

Favorite zombie movie: Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood greatest living zombie actor! Look at that face!
Favorite zombie play: Hamlet. Little known fact, Hamlet’s father not a ghost. Actually a zombie. Bad transcription and lost pronunciations to blame. Also, Hamlet 2: Ophelia’s Revenge is really good but Shakespearean “scholars” too snooty to admit it into the canon. You got a problem? Call Charles Onions. (You can’t, though, because he died 40 years ago. Zombie just like saying “Charles Onions.”)
Favorite style of dance: Waltz. Zombie can’t count very high so waltz is perfect.
Favorite Zombie sport: It hard when avocation becomes vocation, but Zombie have to say hunting. For brains. That, or Frisbee golf.
Favorite Zombie dinosaur: Is that favorite dinosaur what is also a zombie? Or dinosaur that is favorite of Zombie? Either way, T-Rex. Evrybody make fun of them little arms but while they all pointing and laughing, T-Rex gobble ‘em up like peanuts. Why people so un-smart?

yrs,
Zombie

____________________________________________________________

Zombie bet lots of you have a question. Let Zombie answer it now:
Decision-making power not rest with Zombie. Ask something else.
As for the rest of you, write now or suffer never knowing how your life would be improved.
Find Zombie here: ZombieAdvice@PopCap.com.