When the first Plants VS Zombies game came out, I admit I was a little behind the times. I remember thinking to myself... plants and zombies... how does that even work?

Finally, after much sighing and eye-rolling, I gave in and downloaded PVZ on a quiet Monday night when I had nothing better to do, fully planning on mocking this ridiculous concept and deleting it in 10 minutes.

Sometimes... I'm an idiot.

After the first few levels, I was so enamored with the game, I stayed up way past what I would consider an acceptable time for an adult to stay up playing a video game, especially when I had to get up and go to work in the morning.

By the next morning, I had only a few more levels to go, and I remember thinking to myself if I skip a shower, I could totally have time to finish the game... it was then I realized I had a problem.

And so began my addiction to Plants VS Zombies.

Naturally, when the sequel came out, I didn't wait nearly as long, although I was definitely not happy that the game was not available to purchase, but instead was another parody of a "free" game the industry seems so keen on producing.

But, still I didn't let that stop me from dipping my toe back into a world where armies of plants come to life to face legions of zombies in Plants VS Zombies 2: It's About Time.

And I have to say I wasn't disappointed. I mean sure, there were some things that I missed from the original game, namely not having to wait or find keys or pay money to open up all the levels and worlds. But, all in all, it wasn't so in-your-face-annoying that it stopped me from enjoying the game.

Those of you who played the original PVZ will have no trouble jumping in and getting right to the action. This time, Crazy Dave is in search of a Taco he just ate. It appears he enjoyed the process of consuming said taco so much that he would like to repeat it. Naturally, instead of just finding another taco, his little wee brain would like to travel back in time so he could eat the taco again... has he never watched an episode of Dr. Who??? Time travel is not something to be trifled with!

Anyhow, unsurprisingly, we find ourselves transported, not seconds before in time, but all the way back to Ancient Egypt, where apparently there is also a zombie apocalypse... you'd think the history books would have mentioned such a momentous event... oh well.

Now, you're stuck in time facing hoards of zombies who walk like an Egyptian, searching for keys to open up the other worlds, worlds that include the Pirate Seas, Wild West, Far Future, and some mystery land that you must unlock.

Each world consists of about 25 levels and can be unlocked by finding keys or paying $4.99. I suppose when you think about it, paying $4.99 for 25 levels isn't all that bad. And the levels are challenging so you do get your money's worth. I started having some issues around level 10 in Egypt, so you're definitely not heading into an easy time.

The gameplay of Plants VS Zombies 2 It's About Time is very similar to the original game, although they've thrown in a lot of different game styles in between your normal plant and shoot levels. For example, there is a matching game, where you have to click on zombies who are hiding behind panels in order to get rid of them. There are also some conveyor belt levels where the plants are delivered directly to you without the need for sunflowers.

Another interesting feature of PVZ 2 were the power ups. There were three powerups available for use. A Power Zap that blasted the zombies away, a Power Toss where you picked up the zombies and threw them away, and a Power Snow, which allowed you to throw snowballs at incoming zombies. The boosts certainly help when you find yourself in a jam; just be prepared to pay for them using the game's coin currency.

Coins can be earned during gameplay as well as the game's Zen Garden, where you can plant seedlings that you find as you play. Some seedlings will give you marigolds, who produce coins for you after a certain amount of time.

The Zen Garden wasn't a bad system as long as you could be patient and it seemed like you could easily get away with growing your coins instead of having to purchase them, which makes me extremely happy.

Overall, while I initially thought that perhaps Plants VS Zombies 2 It's About Time wasn't measuring up to the original, I realized that several hours had passed without me realizing it, and I was still playing and enjoying every moment... how do these games do that to me?? Sigh, I wonder how many levels I can get in if I skip a shower again...