Tower Defense games seem to be a popular genre in the app store. One of the most popular titles is Plants vs. Zombies by Popcap. The silliness and charm of that game is what fans have enjoyed along with its clever and fun game play. Oreint Maple has decided to go with that success and make a very similar game but with one major change… Skeletons, Ghosts, and Count Dracula! This shift from light hearted fun to dark gloomy game play is what they hope separates this game from the others.
The story goes that long long ago, in order to avenge his families, Mark decides to revive Count Dracula. You are tasked with protecting the villagers and bravely resist the invasion of the Vampire Legion by using various weapons you unlock throughout the game.
To purchase weapons you must earn gold coins. To earn coins you must place crystals on the game field which will earn you 25 gold coins every 5 seconds. Additional you can tap on the flying ghosts for 25 gold coins as well. Once you have gained enough coins you may buy various unlocked weapons.
Build your defenses before the invading minions arrive in force
Your primary weapon is a ballista which costs 100 gold coins and shoots arrows at the approaching enemies. As you progress through the game you are awarded new weapons and objects to aid you in your battle against the Legion. There are 11 items in total including a protective fence to hold off the monsters and a dynamite barrel which can blow up groups of incoming enemies.
If all of this sounds a little familiar it’s probably because Bone Bone seems to borrow alot of the game play mechanics from a little game called Plants Vs Zombies. The old saying goes something like this imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Bone Bone at least picked a great title to mimic.
As you progress through the 18 levels the Vampire Legions minions gain new armor defenses making it harder to defeat them. Sometimes when you kill an enemy their bones are left behind which block open spots on the game field. You must then drag a hammer to remove the bones. The game also starts out with bombs laid out randomly on the board. You can use these to your advantage and quickly place as many crystals as you can before the skeletons approach giving you somewhat of an advantage.
Each stage concludes with a final wave where the difficulty level increases suddenly with many enemies on the screen. If you can successfully defeat this final wave you can move on to the next level.
The interface is laid out nicely and does not distract from your objective
If you are looking for a fun Tower Defense game to play and if you have enjoyed the Plants vs. Zombies game that has been widely popular among the app store users then this game may be a good choice for you. The game while fun overall does lack when compared to its mentor, and while Bone Bone might not have as many levels or weapon combination’s as Plants Vs Zombies, fans of that game will instantly feel familiar with the gameplay mechanics.
The game also incorporates the Open Feint game network where you can earn achievements and compete on the leader boards. The game consists of decent graphics and visuals but lacks the overall polish seen in some of the higher end TD games on the iPhone currently. The audio portion is pretty good. It helps to get you into that spooky mood the game is trying to convey.
The controls are simple and for the most part work great except for trying to bash the bones which at times feels like it’s just not worth the time. Overall this game is not far from being Spooktacular but just doesn’t come close to its competitor. Yes it offers the same type of game play but with fewer weapons, no powerups, and no one last chance weapon to protect your town when the skeletons get past your arsenal which can often lead to frustrating game overs.
That said the game is a solid rival and will be a fun addition to the Tower Defense games many of us already own. If you like beating up skeletons and trying to save your town from the evil of Count Dracula then this choice might just be what the doctor ordered while you are taking a break from gardening and shooting peas at brain hungry zombies.
O and thanks!
No you can’t go back and choose a level you want to play you can only resume from where you left off or start a new game. And in my opinion this game so far has been a lot easier then PvZ or about the same. PvZ by far is better then this game
Good review James! I found Plants vs Zombies to be enjoyable but rather easy. At least that game has some replay value and you can choose to replay selected levels only. Are there similar replay options with this game?