Hands-on with Plants vs Zombies HD's huge update

While the iPhone version of Plants vs Zombies has been steadily building up a suite of mini-games and extra modes in its back garden, the HD iPad iteration of PopCap's excellent castle defence series has gone rather untended in recent months.

That looks set to change in an update that's hitting the App Store shortly, and which sees Plants vs Zombies HD not only getting a host of extra modes from the iPhone version, but a couple of extra features as well.

The biggest addition for iPad owners is the Zen Garden and all it entails. Acting as a side-game to the main zombie-bashing action, Zen Garden lets you plant and tend to the various different types of plants found in the main game in a harvesting meta-game.

Using coins amassed from dealing out death (undeath?) to the living dead in other modes, you can purchase a range of crazy contraptions and items to aid your plants, direct from Crazy Dave's Twiddydinkies shop (situated in the boot of his car).

Four new mini-games bulk up the features list, including the rather brilliant Slots, which sees you using a slot machine to gain plants while defending against a rapidly encroaching horde of zombies.

Other games available to unlock as part of a pack include Portal Combat (a pun-tastic take on Portal) and Beghouled Twist (which plays exactly how it sounds).

In terms of completely new features for both iOS versions, the Plants vs Zombies update also adds Vasebreaker to the list of game modes.

A mixture of luck and skill, each stage begins with you smashing vases laid out along the garden.

Some contain helpful items like pea shooters or wall nuts, while others - the vast majority, in fact - contain zombies, who run towards your house as soon as you release them.

The update will go live soon, so keep your eyes on the App Store.