If you have an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, I won't be offended if you go straight to download the game instead of reading the rest of this post. If you don't have any of those devices, there's never been a better reason to buy one! Not exaggerating. Or overstating. Or engaging in hyperbole.

As you may imagine, the hard part about working at a magic rainbow and unicorn factory like PopCap is knowing something awesome and not being allowed to talk about it. For months, I’ve been sitting on this one, giddy about the fun that was about to spill forth into the world, counting the days until its release. So now, let me tell you how you’re about to spend April 18th (and beyond!).

So, fair to say, there are other word games out there. You probably play a few of them, as do I.  And one of the commonalities, I find, is how much they limit you. Sure, sure, there’s benefit to that.  There’s beauty in simplicity, and there’s a challenge inherent in doing your best within restrained conditions.

And then there's the glory of being able to spell the best word you can find, spreading your linguistic wings and scoring!

Bookworm Heroes is all about you. Choose the Hero whose power best suits your play style and personality. Are you an offensive player who likes to come out swinging? Maybe you’ll enjoy playing with the power of Polyphemus, smashing your opponents’ letter tiles to lower their value. Do you kind of enjoy rubbing your foes’ noses in your victory? Hamlet’s power actually includes adding insult to injury when you know your word is better than the one they just played!

Or are you more like me, the defensive player who just wants to make beautiful words? Razor the Cyberpunk (shown above using her Hack and Spell power) allows you to pilfer choice letter tiles from your opponent, so you can build the biggest, most perfect word you can imagine!

And don’t forget Lex, whose smile never fades as he does what he loves most — Eat Your Words. His power helps keep you going in a tough spot, regaining health through syllabic snacking.

Bookworm Heroes also has special tiles that take the game to a whole new level:

The sapphire tile offers you a coin flip chance at spelling a second word using the letters from your original word. This is a very satisfying way to lay the proverbial smackdown.

You can choose to share your proudest plays on Facebook as you go:

I enjoy going the spelling bee route, using my word in a sentence.

And if you aren’t getting enough of a challenge from your friends, try starting a game with a random opponent! Anyone out there playing Bookworm Heroes may answer your call, and you will see how you measure up in the wide world of wordsmiths.

Finally, don’t forget to “like” the fan page on Facebook and learn how you might find fame as the Word of the Day!

Yep, that's me again. But like I said, I've had a head start. Now, I am competing with the whole world...so bring it on!

For iPad or iPhone: Plants vs. Zombies and Bookworm are just 99 cents each! And Vacation Quest – The Hawaiian Islands is just $2.99 for your iPad.  Now through January 3 at the iTunes store.

For Android: Plants vs. Zombies for less than one dollar — now through January 2 at Google Play.

For Kindle:  PvZ for 99 cents! Sale starts December 26 and goes through January 2 at Amazon.com.

Available right now, the brand new Plants vs. Zombies iOS update is a great one, especially if you have one of those fancy new iPads. Yes, we heard you, and it is finally here: Retina display support for the new iPad! (We can’t call it the iPad 3, but you can.) Huzzah!

If you don’t have a new iPad, fear not! There is other new stuff for you, too! Here is the complete rundown of what’s in the update:

• The Last Stand Game Pack (100,000 in-game coins or $.99 purchase) features 5 new levels, plus a Last Stand Endless mode.
• 3 new achievements: Hammer Time, Still Standing, The Stuff of Legends.
• Brand new Mallet Pack to help whack zombies in Survival and Last Stand Endless modes. Available in Crazy Dave’s Shop!
• A link from the main game menu to our brand new PvZ Store, where you can buy all sorts of cool PvZ merchandise for your friends and loved ones (and yourself!).

Pretty sweet, huh?  We certainly think so.  And sure, we’re paid to say that. But we still think so anyway! We rebel by not rebelling! Now go get the update! Bye!

In the meantime, watch this video.

The graphics are gorgeous, and as a Zuma fanatic, I am thrilled with this new way to carry the game with me everywhere I go. I even feel a little bit extra skilled on the iOS version of the game, because I can play with both hands interchangeably! (Not so ambidextrous with a mouse.)

As of this morning, you can all head over to iTunes and get busy blasting on iPhone/iPod touch and iPad! Check out the trailer on the way!

Rather than waste valuable brain cells that we could otherwise be devoting to Solitaire Blitz this morning by writing our own take on what this update includes, we’ll just resort to ye olde Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V and let the Bejeweled team tell you themselves:

New game update — Bejeweled now has Butterflies!

No, the game isn’t nervous. It has a fascinating new game mode! Butterfly gems appear at the bottom of the board and move up a space every turn. The hungry spider at the top of the board is waiting to catch any butterfly it can — so you’ll need to match butterflies or use special gems to free them. How many butterflies can you save?

Butterflies mode tips:
• Don’t waste moves matching butterflies that are already aligned to match up.
• Try to match as many butterflies as possible in one match for a super score combo!
• Take your time and think it through, Butterflies will test your powers of forethought to the maximum of your ability.

Share the fun
There’s now a simple way for you to gift Bejeweled to a friend — right from inside the App.

New Badges
We just added two new achievement badges. Can you earn them?

That’s it for this update. As always, we’re constantly looking for ways to bring you more Bejeweled fun. We hope you enjoy the game!

Woot–there it is! So go get the update, because it’s free! Because we love you! (And we were just kidding about Solitaire Blitz, by the way. We’d never play games during the work day, because that would be totally irresponsible and bad overall for the world economy.)

Yep, you’ll soon be able to blast Zuma balls on your portable device. We’re secretly hoping the touch-screen mechanic (or tapping with the stylus on the DS) will help boost our scores! Watch the trailer below for a sneak peek at the Nintendo DS version:

Diamond Mine mode for iOS is getting glowing reviews and we want to hear from you too. So write in and tell us your favorite gem-blasting, dirt-digging strategies. Do you focus on speed or do you wait for all the gems to stop falling? What’s your power gem strategy? How do you deal with tricky corner gems? Do you ever use the Hint button? What do you do when you can’t match any gems at the bottom of the board?

Share your tips and maybe we can all boost our scores and dig deeper in the game. I’m not promising that will end my obsession but perhaps I’ll get a little more sleep (hah!).

And if you still haven’t played Diamond Mine, go to iTunes now and download Bejeweled. At 99₵ it costs less than a bag of bubble gum and is packed with more explosive fun without all the cavities. Then come back here and check out everyone’s tips.

The holidays are just around the corner, and even our undead friends are getting in the spirit! We just released a holiday update for Plants vs. Zombies iPhone/iPod touch and you’ll notice immediately that our zombies are decked out in holiday gear. Yes, you can now battle zombies dressed up in Santa hats.

Version 1.9 also includes some sweet new features that I’m sure will make many of you jolly and happy.

First, Game Center leaderboards! Now, you can log into Game Center while playing PvZ and compete against your friends and family. Take advantage of this brand new capability to show off your PvZ skills.

Second, “I, Zombie” mode has been added. This mode lets you switch sides and play as the zombies. So now, instead of protecting your home, you get to practice invading houses! Yay!

And third, the holiday update comes with four new achievements: Better Off Dead, I Win, Where the Sun Don’t Shine and Undead Space.

We hope you’ve already started updating your game!

Buy Bejeweled 2 + Blitz for zero dollars.

It took me a while, but now I understand: you didn’t buy it because you don’t know all the wonderful places you can play Bejeweled on your iPhone!

So, allow me to clear the final hurdle standing between you and a months-long mobile gem-matching marathon. Here’s a list of the Top 10 Places You Can (and Should) Play Bejeweled:

1. Mall parking lot, before the stores open

2. Standing on George Washington’s head (you choose: stand on the dollar you’ll save because you got the game on sale, or stand atop Mount Rushmore*)

3. Gravy boat

4. Dog park (while walking someone else’s dog, so it’s not as sad if you lose the dog because you were playing your game)

5. Texas hoedown

6. Super-fancy restaurant with checkered tablecloths

7. Your neighbor’s flower garden

8. Atop the Empire State Building/Eiffel Tower/Space Needle/that toothpick-looking building in Dubai

9. On the beach

10. Your subconscious

So now that you know all the places you can play, don’t wait a second longer to get Bejeweled 2 + Bejeweled Blitz on iPhone and iPod touch. Did I mention it’s free? For this weekend only, through August 28, it’s free. So, that’s another good reason. Go get the game!

*Summiting Mt. Rushmore is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s dangerous. Please don’t.