Brain Busters

"I've named them Brain Busters."

- Penny

"Brain busting? Very dangerous. You go first."

- Crazy Dave

Brain Busters are puzzle levels of Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time in which the player gets more challenged than usual. In the story, they appear on the main path and are marked with striped icons rather than the solid colored regular levels. Some of them return from the old game, but most of them are new. They are somewhat similar to the mini-games of the original Plants vs. Zombies.

Save Our Seeds
Key needed (versions 1.6 and under): four (three in Ancient Egypt)

In this Brain Buster, the player has to stop the zombies from killing the endangered plants on the yellow and black striped tiles

Locked and Loaded
Keys needed (versions 1.6 and under): four (five in Wild West)

In this Brain Buster, the player has to use the plants pre-selected by Crazy Dave.

Last Stand
Keys needed (versions 1.6 and under): five (four in Wild West)

This Brain Buster is similar to the original Last Stand from Plants vs. Zombies.

The player has to plan a defense to survive the incoming onslaught.

Special Delivery
Keys needed (versions 1.6 and under): one

In this Brain Buster, the player must use plants given from a conveyor belt.

Mummy Memory
Keys needed (versions 1.6 and under): four

Also played on Ancient Egypt Day 8.(pre-1.7)

In this Brain Buster, the player has to match various symbols by flipping the Camel Zombies' boards to kill them.

Cannons Away
Keys needed (versions 1.6 and under): three

Also played on Pirate Seas Day 5.(pre-1.7)

Here, the player has to blast as many Seagull Zombies using the Coconut Cannons to beat the target score.

Not OK Corral
Keys need (versions 1.6 and under): three

Also played on Wild West Day 5.(pre-1.7)

Here, the player has to put the plants in the mine carts strategically to destroy the zombies coming out from the corrals. There are no lawnmowers in this Brain Buster.

Sun Bombs
Played on Far Future Days 4, 19 and 24.

Here, Sunflowers and Twin Sunflowers cannot be used. Sun falling from the sky is purple before reaching the ground, and explode taking out plants and zombies only if the player touches them before they reach the ground. However, suns are significantly more common.

Special Delivery
Played on Far Future Day 16.

In this Brain Buster, the player must use plants given from a conveyor belt.

Powder Keg
Here, the player has to avoid the flames from destroying the kegs. If all the kegs explodes, the player loses. Iceberg Lettuce can extinguish the flames.

Trivia

 * The music during the Brain Busters is Braniac Maniac (Dr. Zomboss's theme) from the first game played in the theme of the world that the player is playing in.
 * None of the Last Stand levels except one (Ancient Egypt - III before the 1.7 update and Day 24 afterward) let the player use free plants (Iceberg Lettuce).
 * The Brain Busters were previously separate from the main level progression before the 1.7 update; afterwards, the Brain Busters have been integrated into the main level progression.