While I’ve enjoyed seeing many games return to prominence on the Switch, whether through a reboot or remaster, there are other titles out there that were already great as they were, and really need little to no modification. There’s no doubt that for games that feature intense action, so much has changed over the years technologically, that playing them now without modification can be truly painful. But for genres and titles that weren’t so much about pushing the technology, and instead just about pretty brilliant gameplay design, it’s wild to see how even a decade or two later they can still hold up very well. While Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted may have added a little here and there, and gotten some touching up to look great playing at modern resolutions, for better or worse, it’s still the incredible game that so many are probably already familiar with.

For the uninitiated, PvZ is a variation on the classic tower defense game. Rather than trying to set up your defenses along a winding route or large space, here you’ll be defending specific lanes, each with a string of various zombies shambling towards your house. It turns out that your best defense against this onslaught is an ever-growing roster of vegetation, with you needing to familiarize yourself with each type so that you’ll be able to arrange them in a way to continue to bring in the sunlight you use as a resource, offensive force for slowly chipping away at or simply knocking out incoming undead threats, defensive might for trying to hold off or delay them, and more. The further you go along you’ll need to start carefully choosing which plants you’ll want to have at your disposal, taking into consideration the time of day, zombies you’ll be dealing with, and your preferred style of play. Whether that involves using cold to slow them down, layers of defenses to help ensure nothing can get very far once they cross through your perimeter, or any number of other tactics, one of the game’s greatest strengths is that there isn’t only one pathway to victory.

Depending on which versions you may have encountered over the years, some features like local multiplayer, or even some mini games, may either be old hat or feel brand new. Regardless of the mode you choose though, the flexibility the Switch 2 specifically brings to the table is tough to beat. It plays well enough with a controller, but the option to use the touchscreen is a good one to have, and then the choice of using the right JoyCon as a mouse really gives you the flexibility to enjoy it whichever way is most comfortable and convenient for you. Throw in an option to play it with permadeath to raise the stakes, or to add a component of changing weather to further complicate how you manage your resources, and even veterans will have something to look forward to checking out, even if you’ve played previous versions into the ground. If you’re a fan who’d love to be reunited with a classic, it absolutely has withstood the test of time, and if you’re new to the game this is a revered classic for very good reason, and it’s absolutely worth picking up if you enjoy smart strategic play.