Squash

Squash is a single-use plant in Plants vs. Zombies and returns as a premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2. When a zombie comes in its range, it jumps up high and squashes the zombie and other zombies if they are perfectly stacked.

The plant appears to be based on the Chayote squash.

Plants vs. Zombies
Squash

Squashes will squash the first zombie that gets close to it.

Damage: massive Range: short range, hits all zombies that it lands on  Usage:  single use

"I'm ready!" yells Squash. "Let's do it! Put me in! There's nobody better! I'm your guy! C'mon! Whaddya waiting for? I need this!"

Cost: 50

Recharge: slow

Plants vs. Zombies 2
DAMAGE: Massive RANGE: close RECHARGE: Sluggish

Squashes will smash the first zombie that gets close.

Usage: single use

Area: all zombies around target

Squash is actually his stage name. His birth name was Tracy.

Plant Food
When given Plant Food, Squash smashes any two of the strongest zombies on screen, then returns back to its tile, crushing every zombie on the tile as well.

Costumed
Squash kills the three strongest zombies on the screen instead of two.

Usage
When planted, Squash waits until it sees a zombie in an adjacent square to the left or right, at which point the Squash's eyes will turn around to the zombie and make a "Hmm?" sound as if disapproving. It will then pounce, crushing the zombies in that square.

Because it can pounce to its left, Squash can also pounce on vaulting zombies who have vaulted over it. However, Squash will sometimes fail to smash a Pogo Zombie. This usually happens on the slanted part of the roof, while the Squash is just planted by the player or transformed by Imitater.

Like most instant kills, Squash is non-reusable (vanishing after pouncing on a zombie) and has a slow recharge speed.

Standard levels
The Squash is an excellent plant to use in an early setup against one zombie or tight groups of zombies which are too strong for the current defense or that have managed to sneak through. However, plant slots are generally too valuable for this plant to be of frequent use in earlier levels, although they are good against Gargantuars and Zombonis, and are excellent for Survival: Endless after you finish your setup. The Bobsled Bonanza mini-game is one level that the Squash really shines on (although some setups need no instant kills at all) because of its relatively cheap cost and ability to destroy a Zomboni (without being crushed), but it only squashes one or two of the Zombie Bobsled Team in one hit, so use a Wall-nut or Tall-nut to make the zombies stack up. It is also helpful in the Column Like You See 'Em and Pogo Party mini-games. One thing to remember is not to stack Squashes in one lane. For example, in the Roof levels, if a Bungee Zombie drops a zombie in the middle of the Squashes, two or three Squashes will squash only one zombie, wasting sun. If the player puts it right after the Potato Mine, it could use itself on the zombie that would have been killed anyway.

Vasebreaker
The Vasebreaker levels Vasebreaker Endless and Ace of Vase almost absolutely require that you use the Squash, due to the presence of Gargantuars. Whenever you see a Gargantuar, hit it with two Squashes as quick as you can. Don't forget you can even plant the Squashes directly under the Gargantuar, and it will hit it before it has a chance to react. You may also use extra Squashes for the Buckethead Zombies. Squashes also appear on other Vasebreaker levels, but they are unnecessary.

I, Zombie
There are several I, Zombie levels with Squash. Make sure you use cheap zombies whenever you can, and remember that the Gargantuar can be easily taken down by two of them in the same lane.

Monster Mash Achievement


The achievement Monster Mash is earned by crushing five zombies of any kind with one Squash. For Survival levels, this achievement can be earned quickly, but if your version does not have Survival Mode, then plant a Wall-nut or Tall-nut during the final wave and wait for a mob of zombies to pile up. Then, squash them all. Last Stand: Endless is also a good candidate for obtaining this achievement.

Endless Zone
In Endless Zones, the amount of zombies increases very rapidly in levels farther on. The best way to make use of squash here is to combine it with a defensive plant like Tall-nut to group these zombies together on a single tile and then place a squash to deal with them all.

Squash with Hurrikale is a deadly combo since Squash now will always hit the zombie no matter where the target zombie is relocated. Using Hurrikale will push all the zombies into the furthest column and plant a Squash to crush all the zombies in that particular lane.

Piñata Party
In some Piñata Parties that Squash is present, feed it with Plant Food to crush the two strongest zombies on the lawn before returning to its original spot (though you cannot feed Plant Food on a Squash if it is about to squash zombies). It is also good if more zombies are in a same square, for example, behind a Wall-nut; therefore they will get squashed together.

General

 * Technically, Squash cannot be eaten or smashed, as it jumps on the attacker and kills it before it can be done more damage than a couple of bites.
 * However, projectiles thrown by Peashooter Zombie, Gatling Pea Zombie, Catapult Zombie, Jack-in-the-Box Zombie's, and Jalapeno Zombie's explosions can kill the Squash.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies

 * Squash can be destroyed by Peashooter Zombies, Gatling Pea Zombies, Jalapeno Zombies, basketballs, and Jack-in-the-Box Zombie explosions.
 * On PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade versions of Plants vs. Zombies, any controllers connected to the console will rumble when a Squash jumps and lands on a Zombie.
 * In the online version of the game, the player gets Squash instead of the Potato Mine after Level 1-5.
 * Squash, Wall-nut, Explode-o-nut, and Giant Wall-nut are the only plants that can move to different tiles. However, the Explode-o-nut always moves, due to only appearing in Wall-nut Bowling; the other plants move only in specific occasions.
 * If Squash kills a zombie in the Pool, the Squash creates a small splash. Also, if the player plants a Squash on the edge of the Pool and it squashes a zombie, instead of hitting the floor and making a thud, it makes a splash instead.
 * Squash is the only plant that can jump.
 * Squash, Chomper, and Potato Mine are the only instant kills that can miss.
 * The whole screen will shake whenever it squashes a zombie.
 * In the online version of Plants vs. Zombies, the Squash jumps higher than usual when squashing zombies.
 * It is also the plant that talks the most according to the Almanac; the second-most talkative plant is Coffee Bean.
 * In the free PC version, the player cannot use Squash, Threepeater, or Twin Sunflower.
 * Squash was bigger than usual in the Nintendo DS trailer.
 * If Squash looks left, it will squash at the right, and vice versa.
 * In the Nintendo DS version, the Squash's "Hmmm?" is barely audible; however, it can still be heard when wearing headphones or putting the player's ears near the DS speakers.
 * A Squash can kill a Squash Zombie before it gets squashed.
 * Squash is one of the two plants that can verbally speak. The other one is Sunflower.
 * If a Pole Vaulting Zombie vaults over a Squash and the Squash does not kill it, it will not squash the zombie behind it.
 * If a Squash squashes a zombie on the slope of the Roof, it will appear to levitate above the roof after it has squashed the zombie.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies 2

 * In the Plants vs. Zombies 2 trailer, the milk carton in the fridge Crazy Dave opened said that Squash was missing, indicating it now as a premium plant.
 * When it crushes a zombie, Squash makes a different sound than it does in the first game.
 * There is a glitch where Pianist Zombie can kill Squash.
 * Zombies lose their head and an arm when they get squashed.
 * It jumps forward instead of sideways.
 * The zombie that Squash is targeting will always be hit, even if the zombie switches lanes, or is blown back to the 9th column. The only time Squash misses is when the zombie dies.
 * Squash opens its mouth after it jumps.
 * It is lighter in color than in the first game.
 * As a part of its idling animation, Squash stares at the zombies.
 * If the player correctly activates the Pea Pod glitch, a flock of Zombie Chickens will rush on the lawn. Squash will not squash any chickens and it will be eaten like a regular plant.
 * In a trailer, Bonk Choy uses the sounds of Squash.
 * From August 13 to August 18 of 2015, Squash competed against Imitater for which plant should be a gem premium plant for a limited time. Ultimately, Imitater won.
 * However, both plants were sold at 159 gems in the 3.9 update, turning back into premiums as of September 1 of 2015, replaced by Torchwood.
 * If the player has bought the Squash, its costume will be available for gems as well.
 * In the Almanac description, it is revealed that Squash's real name is Tracy.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies Online

 * It can only be used in a special Daily Event mode.
 * It costs 125 sun in this game.