The fact that I can't succinctly explain what the Michael Jackson zombie in pseudo-tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies looks like without using the words "Michael" and "Jackson" does a pretty good job in explaining why the zombie--officially dubbed "Dancing Zombie"--has been removed in the iPhone version of the game, and will also be removed in others as well.
MTV Multiplayer reports that that the Michael Jackson estate has objected to the use of the moon-walking zombie in the casual title. As a result, creator PopCap Games is removing the zombie and replacing it with a disco-themed variant. The Apple handheld version is the first to feel the pain.
In a statement given to the publication, a PopCap representative is calling the move "a business decision" based on the estate's objection. All subsequent "future builds" of the title, including the forthcoming Xbox Live Arcade version that boasts versus and co-op elements, won't have the Michael Jackson zombie.
Just FYI: the zombie, which was created in tribute to Jackson's "Thriller," was in the game before the man's death. So, while the estate certainly has the right to bring up an issue, it's not like PopCap tossed the dude in the game as some sort of malicious spoof.