Adventure Mode/Strategy guide

This page is a guide with tips on how to complete the stages in Adventure Mode.

For a more in depth guide, try here.

Number of flags (first time):

1 flag: 1-1 to 1-6, 1-8, 2-1, 2-3, 2-6, 2-8, 3-1, 4-1, 4-3, 4-6, 4-8, 5-1

2 flags: 1-7, 1-9, 1-10, 2-2, 2-4, 2-7, 2-9, 2-10, 3-2, 3-3, 3-5, 3-6, 3-8, 4-2, 4-4, 4-7, 4-9, 4-10, 5-2, 5-3, 5-5, 5-6, 5-8

3 flags: 3-4, 3-7, 3-9, 3-10, 5-4, 5-7, 5-9

Number of flags (subsequently):

2 flags: 1-1 to 1-6, 1-8, 1-10, 2-1, 2-3, 2-6, 2-8, 2-10, 3-1, 4-1, 4-3, 4-6, 4-8, 5-1

3 flags: 1-7, 1-9, 2-2, 2-4, 2-7, 2-9, 3-2, 3-3, 3-5, 3-6, 3-8, 3-10, 4-2, 4-4, 4-7, 4-9, 4-10, 5-2, 5-3, 5-5, 5-6, 5-8

4 flags: 3-4, 3-7, 3-9, 5-4, 5-7, 5-9

2-5, 4-5 and 5-10 remain the same length.

Stage Layout
The first and third levels are simplistic. The second and fourth levels expand upon this, with the new Zombie and multiple waves, as well as the past Zombies to deal with. The fifth level is always a Bonus Level, most of which later reappear as Mini-games. The sixth through ninth levels work similarly to the first through fourth. The tenth level is the final level in the stage, and is a Conveyor-Belt Level. In these levels, you don't need to worry about sun. The seed packets come on the conveyor belt at the top, and stop once they reach the end. You can grab them off of any part of it and plant them. Make sure to keep at least some space on the conveyor belt clear, though, or there will be no room for new packets to come in.

Overview
The levels here are simple. It is day, so Sun will come from the sky. This is the basic layout. At the beginning of the first few levels, strips of grass will roll out, eventually creating five rows. This acts as a tutorial level, and the first three levels cannot be replayed when completed.

Level 1-1
Here, there's only one strip of grass. So, plant as many Peashooters as possible. There are only five zombies during this level, and there isn't even a "massive" wave of zombies at the end, so two Peashooters are sufficient, although three would be great. This level is, fittingly, the easiest level in the whole game. It's so easy that you can't even lose the level. No zombies will come until you plant your second Peashooter.

Plants earned: Peashooter, Sunflower

New Zombie: Zombie

Note: When you play this level for the first time, it's impossible to fail. Even if you plant two Peashooters on the extreme right side of the lawn, they would get eaten but the zombies are too slow, so by the time the final wave arrives, the zombies wouldn't have reached the Lawnmower, which would kill them all and complete the level.

Level 1-2
Two more strips of grass will roll out here. One on the top, another on the bottom, each above and below the "mid-strip." Plant 3, 6,or 9 Sunflowers in the back, then plant more Peashooters until you get a solid defense. This level is a good canditate for the achievement Sunny Days as no zombies will come until you plant your third Sunflower, making it possible to get maximum sun with only 2 Sunflowers.

Plant earned: Cherry Bomb

New Zombie: Flag Zombie

Level 1-3
Same tactic as Level 2. However, if anything gets bad, use a Cherry Bomb. You may want to use it at the final wave. This level is the first to feature Conehead Zombies, which are tougher than the normal variety. If you don't have enough Peashooters, save some Sun so you can bomb them. Also, note that from this point onward, every single level will contain Coneheads, with the exception of Level 2-1. Their inclusion in the level will be omitted from this guide.

Plant earned: Wall-nut

New Zombies: Conehead Zombie

Level 1-4
Here, you finally get all 5 lanes of grass, so use them well by planting either 5,10 or 15 Sunflowers. Apply the same tactics here from the previous levels. You may want to add a row of Wall-nuts as well. Again, use a Cherry Bomb if things get tough.

Item earned: Shovel

Level 1-5
Wall-nut Bowling time! First, using your trusty new Shovel, dig up the three Peashooters, as told by Crazy Dave. Next, when the first zombie comes, place a Wall-nut in its lane and watch. Repeat as necessary. Attempt to achieve as many ricochets as possible, and keep in mind that the Coneheads take two hits, and Zombies take one. Wall-nuts don't roll off the screen when they reach the end of the conveyer belt. Explode-o-nuts (the red Wall-nuts) are essentially a Cherry Bomb. Save them for emergencies, or use them for groups of zombies.

Plant earned: Potato Mine

Level 1-6
This is the first actual level you'll come up against, featuring the new Pole Vaulting Zombie. Although it's not quite as tough as a Conehead, it does move significantly faster. Stick anything cheap and easily rechargable e.g. a Sunflower in front of it to slow it down, but if you have at least one Peashooter firing at it, it'll go down easily. Other than that, there really isn't anything else remarkable about this level.

Plant earned: Snow Pea

New Zombie: Pole Vaulting Zombie

Level 1-7
This level is the first of many to have multiple waves of zombies (only two), so save some Sun for Cherry Bombs for both waves. You can check your progress at the top of the screen. Use the new Snow Peas to defeat the Coneheads and Pole Vaulters with ease. A single one is enough to stop both. Because of their higher Sun cost, though, you may want to use more Sunflowers than normal. Note that there is no added benefit to using multiple Snow Peas in the same row. Once you have a Snow Pea base, the game basically plays itself.

Plant earned: Chomper

Level 1-8
This level introduces Bucketheads, which are tougher than Coneheads and Vaulters. Fortunately, very few appear. A Snow Pea/Peashooter combo is enough to take them out, but feel free to use Cherry Bombs, Potato Mines, or the new Chompers if conventional methods fail. Note that all levels, starting with this one, will limit the plants you can use. Later on, you can get more seed slots, but for now you're restricted to six.

Plant earned: Repeater

New Zombie: Buckethead Zombie

Level 1-9
Pole Vaulters and a lot more Bucketheads appear frequently in this two-wave stage. Use a Snow Pea/Repeater combo to take them out, and pack your Instant Kill items if you need to take someone out in a pinch. A Wall-nut is also handy if the onslaught gets too unbearable.

Item earned: Note

Level 1-10
This is your second conveyor belt level, the first being Wall-nut bowling. Plant your Peashooters as soon as possible, and try to distribute them evenly between the rows. Set up a Wall-nut shield in a later column, with Potato Mines directly behind it. Try to spread out your Snow Peas so you have at least one in every row. Save your Cherry Bombs for clusters of Bucketheads and during any waves. Plant any plants you don't intend to use and dig them up immediately so you can leave space for new seeds on the conveyor belt. This should be a fairly easy level.

Plant earned: Puff-shroom

Overview
The main difference between day and night is that sun does not fall from the sky. This is reflected in that many mushrooms have low Sun costs to plant, but it is still recommended that you bring both Sunflowers and Sun-shrooms (when they are unlocked), planting a column of each in the back (focusing on the Sun-shrooms first). Overkill is not enough on the night levels. The graves on every level spawn Zombies on the final wave, so pay attention and use Grave Busters (again, when unlocked).

Strategy
One strategy to the night levels is that you can use the Sun-shroom instead of a Sunflower;Other one is that you plant a Puff-shroom anywhere, and collect sun. After you have enough sun you can take the Puff-shroom away with the shovel and plant what you want there.

Level 2-1
Okay, bring your spanking-new Puff-shrooms for no-cost zombie win and some other low cost plants, such as Potato Mines or Peashooters. It takes only one Puff-shroom to bring down a normal Zombie, though it kills it barely before the Zombie is in range. Newspaper Zombies also appear here, but Bucketheads and Pole Vaulters don't. They speed up when you destroy their newspaper, so plant extra Puff-shrooms when you see them come. This isn't difficult in the slightest. It's actually possible to defeat this level with only Puff-shrooms. This is also the first level you get Money.

Plant earned: Sun-shroom

New Zombie: Newspaper Zombie

Present: Versus Mode unlocked (if playing the Xbox Live Arcade, DS, or PS3 versions)

Level 2-2
At this point, Crazy Dave will tell you how much money you have saved. If you have $750, he will attempt to sell you an extra seed slot, which you should definitely accept if you can afford it.

This level, despite being so early in the game, is actually one of the harder levels in the game and could catch you off guard if unprepared. The level itself brings back Bucketheads, so bring Sunflowers and/or Sun-shrooms to rack up the Sun, as well as Wall-nuts,Repeaters, and Snow Peas, and, of course, your Puff-shrooms. Focus on Sun-shrooms in the beginning, planting Sunflowers later on. Snow Peas are very important or else the Bucketheads will plow through your Puff-shrooms. After the first wave, Bucketheads start coming, so make sure you have up Snow Peas,Reapeaters, and Wall-nuts to defend against them. Sun production is not an issue with a combo of 1 row of Sunflowers & Sun-shrooms, but the key is continuing to build your defenses until the final wave or it will catch you off guard.

Plant earned: Fume-shroom

Level 2-3
This level has the new Screen Door Zombies, which carry around screen doors to protect themselves with. These are about as tough as Bucketheads, so use your new Fume-shrooms to pass through the doors. This level is pretty easy. There's only one wave, so don't knock yourself out if you need to use a Lawn Mower.

Plant earned: Grave Buster

New Zombie: Screen Door Zombie

Level 2-4
Nothing too hard about this. Coneheads, Screen Doors, and Pole Vaulters. Nothing you haven't seen before. This level has a lot of graves, so bring Grave Busters to eat them... before they spawn zombies to EAT YOUR BRAINS! Plus, there's a 90% chance to earn a silver coin. There's another wave this time, so beef up your Fume-shrooms and Snow Peas. Um... That's all, I guess.

Item earned: Suburban Almanac

Level 2-5
It's time to play Whack a Zombie! Click/tap whatever the zombies to kill them as soon as they come out of the graves. Coneheads need to be hit twice, Bucketheads three times. Use your Sun to plant Grave Busters on graves that are closer to your house. The zombies move fairly fast, so, uh, click/tap/whatever faster. Yeah. Just like hunting squirbos. .Plant as many Grave-Busters as you can. At the final wave, after all the zombies have emerged from thier graves, plant a Ice-Shroom so you can freeze the zombies and buy you some time.

Plant earned: Hypno-shroom

Level 2-6
This is where it gets tough. Football Zombies are as fast as Pole Vaulters and a bit tougher than Bucketheads, so use your new Hypno-shrooms make them fight for you. Fortunately, there's only one wave and about two Football Zombies.

Plant earned: Scaredy-shroom

New Zombie: Football Zombie

Level 2-7
Many graves here. Many, many graves. Bust them up and count your money. Use Scaredy-shrooms like you would use them like Peashooters. Put them near the back, or the Scaredy-shrooms will duck and get eaten. Very few Football Zombies, but Screen Doors make a return, so double up on the Fume-shrooms. Nothing too spectacular here.

Plant earned: Ice-shroom

Level 2-8
Dancing Zombies appear here. Dancing Zombies aren't so bad themselves, but they summon a foursome of Backup Dancers to back themselves up. Hypno-shroom or Cherry Bomb them as soon as you see them to make them do your bidding. Only one wave here and very few Dancing Zombies.

Plant earned: Doom-shroom

New Zombies: Dancing Zombie

Level 2-9
More graves and Dancing Zombies this time around. Whatever you've been using before should work here, as well. Screen Door Zombies return, so Fume them to death. If you beat the last level, you can beat this one. If neccesary, use your new-found Doom-shroom to end the last wave quickly.

Item earned: Note

Level 2-10
All night-encountered zombies, as well as those encountered on day, appear in this level. You get Ice-shrooms, Doom-shrooms, Puff-shrooms, Fume-shrooms, Hypno-shrooms, Scaredy-shrooms and Grave Busters here, so hypnotize the Football Zombies, use Fume-shrooms for Screen Door Zombies, and use Doom-shrooms for Dancing Zombies. Freeze zombies when huge waves come and use the Doom-shroom to destroy zombies that you can't kill with your projectiles. Spread your Puff-shrooms, Fume-shrooms, and Scaredy-shrooms evenly althroughout. Remember to put Scaredy-shrooms at the back so that they won't be scared. There are a LOT of graves here, so use your Grave Busters wisely.

Plant earned: Lily Pad

Overview
Pool levels have six rows of Zombies to invade, the middle two being the pool. The pool has special plants and zombies that can only be planted/appear there. Your mushrooms from the previous levels will fall asleep here (but that doesn't mean they are pointless - zombies will still stop to eat them, so Puff-shrooms are actually quite helpful at the beginning), but Sun falls from the sky again, and graves don't appear here. Not too different from the Day Levels, overall.

Level 3-1
Aside from the occasional Conehead, nothing remotely smacking of toughness appears here. Ducky Tubers, the pool-only Zombies, appear only during or directly before the wave, giving you plenty of time to prepare. Note that Ducky Tubers pop out of the pool during the final wave, somewhat like graves. This level is so easy, you can try to lose.

Plant earned: Squash

Level 3-2
The zombies here have some variety to them, so apply your skills and strategies from earlier levels. Bring Snow Peas as well as your instants, including the new Squash (which is arguably the best instant in the game). Bucketheads appear frequently after the first wave, and both Coneheads and Bucketheads now appear as Ducky Tubers. A single Football Zombie appears at the very end, and Newspaper Zombies are spread throughout. This level isn't a cakewalk.

Plant earned: Threepeater

Present: Mini-Games unlocked

Level 3-3
This level simplifies things a bit from the previous one, cutting out the Newspaper, Buckethead, and Football Zombies. Instead, this level introduces Snorkel Zombies directly following the first wave. These zombies stay underwater, out of pea's range, surfacing only to eat your plants. Wall-nuts are practically a necessity on this level. Without Wall-nuts guarding them, Snorkel Zombies will likely eat much of your pool defenses. Given their large numbers, relying on instants is not a valid strategy. Other than that major threat, this level shouldn't be much of a hassle.

Plant earned: Tangle Kelp

New Zombie: Snorkel Zombie

Level 3-4
Around this time, if you've been diligent in collecting dropped coins and saving Lawn Mowers, Crazy Dave will ask you if you'd like another seed slot (bringing you up to eight) for $5,000. Take this deal whenever you can - there's nothing else you can spend money on at this point, and seed slots are always helpful. Anyway, Pole Vaulters reappear here early on, and Snorkel varieties crop up past the first wave. Generous amounts of Bucketheads come at you, so prepare accordingly. There are 3 waves in this level, so beware. Also, if you are using the free PC version, this will be the last level.

Item earned: Car Keys

Non-DS Version
Defend your shins! Peashooters, Wall-nuts, Lily Pads, and Cherry Bombs appear through the conveyor belt. Use Wall-nuts against Snorkels and Footballs. Use Cherry Bombs liberally, and spread your Wall-nuts evenly throughout. Peashooters will be of some help, but the mass of zombies that you fight will force dependency on Wall-nuts.

Plant earned: Jalapeno

Level 3-6
This level, aside from simple Coneheads and Ducky Tubers, has only one other variant of Zombie, the new Zomboni. The Zomboni has high health, the ability to instantly crush plants, and it leaves behind an ice trail as it drives. As such, try to destroy them with an instant kill as soon as they appear and prevent a Zombie Bobsled Team from appearing. Two waves here, and a Zomboni will appear directly after the first one and during the second one. The new Jalapenos are notable, as they can destroy ice trails left by the Zomboni, as well as the Zomboni itself.

Plant earned: Spikeweed

New Zombies: Zomboni, Zombie Bobsled Team

Level 3-7
Buckethead Zombies, Snorkel Zombies and the Zomboni come back again. This level has three waves. Zombonis don't appear until during the second wave. Spikeweeds, although they can kill Zombonis when they are run over, are somewhat expensive, and die when run over. As such, it should not be relied upon to kill Zombonis. Snorkel Zombies and Bucketheads are nothing new.

Plant earned: Torchwood

Level 3-8
The new Zombie on this level is the Dolphin Rider Zombie, who carries a dolphin into the water, jumps in, and rides it very quickly. Think of it as an aquatic Pole Vaulting Zombie. These zombies appear frequently after the first wave, so plant a Lily Pad in front of them to make them jump. Tangle Kelp is a useful emergency plant for this, as it cannot be vaulted over, but don't rely entirely on it.

Plant earned: Tall-nut

Level 3-9
Pole Vaulters, Zombonis, Bucketheads, and Dolphin Riders all assault you in this grueling level. The new Tall-nut is a wonderful counter to Pole Vaulters and Dolphin Riders, as they cannot jump over it. The presence of Zombonis necessitates instant kills (or the Spikeweed), and Bucketheads are... Bucketheads. Zombonis don't appear until after the second wave, so stack your Spikeweeds on land and Tall-nuts in the pool, and you'll be set. You may want to use a few more Sunflowers than usual for this.

Item earned: Note

Level 3-10
Conveyor belt time! This level is very Threepeater-centric, and you'll have collected tons of them by the third (and last) wave. Jalapenos, Squashes, Lily Pads, Tall-nuts, Spikeweed, and a few Torchwood also appear to help beat back the Bucketheads, Dolphin Riders, Snorkelers, and Zombonis. Spikeweed is an instant kill to Zombonis and should be stacked at least two deep in each land row, Tall-nuts should be concentrated in the pool to combat Snorkelers and Dolphin Riders, and Torchwood should be set behind Tall-Nuts to make room for your Threepeaters. Easy peasy.

Plant earned: Sea-shroom

Overview
The Fog levels, basically, are what you get when you combine Night with the Pool. Sun does not fall from the sky, and you need to bring Lily Pads so you don't get invaded through the Pool. Graves do not appear, so the final wave "extras" will pop out of the water in a 2 x 4 block nearest the zombies. The new thing, if it wasn't evident by the title of the levels or the fog you see on your screen, is fog. With each level, the Fog gets a little further in. You can kinda see through the Fog to find the zombies, but you may find it a little tricky. Use Scaredy-shrooms in one of the columns closest to you to find the zombies - if the Scaredies are shooting, you've got zombies, though it's a bit tough to tell which kind of zombie it is unless a special sound (such as the sound of a bucket being hit) is present. Good night and good luck - you'll need it.

Note that on the DS and IPhone/IPad versions of the game, a plant dragged onto the lawn will automatically highlight spots where it can be planted, and will remain full color if it cannot be planted on the spot it is dragged over. This works on every level, and will show these highlighted spots over the fog and when it's pitch-black on level 4-10.



the fog line in early iPhone PvZ (it covers one tile less in other versions, as well as later iPhone versions

Level 4-1
Easy intro level. Play with the volume on so you can hear his jingle when he appears. Other than that, just simple Coneheads and Zombies, and, of course, Ducky Tubers. What were you expecting?

Plant earned: Plantern

Level 4-2
Football Zombies join the Jack-in-the-Box Zombies this time around, though neither of them will appear at all except directly before and during the final wave. Two waves here, so bring Hypno-shrooms for the Football Zombies, and, um... that's it? If you beat the last level, you have no excuse if you can't beat this one.

Also, on the DS version, this is the first level that you can beat without using Planterns or Blovers that will allow you to earn the Nebulaphile achievement.

Plant earned: Cactus

Level 4-3
The new Zombie here is the Balloon Zombie, which can only be killed (at this point, anyway) with the new Cactus (or the explosive plants), so take those along. Nothing else noteworthy here. One wave and about two Balloon Zombies, so you can afford to just use a Lawn Mower/Pool Cleaner to take them out (though doing so reduces your money earned).

Plant earned: Blover

New Zombie: Balloon Zombie

Level 4-4
Dolphin Riders show up again, with the Balloon Zombies making a return. Similar to before, although you can now use Blovers instead of Cacti if you wish to take out Balloon Zombies. They also clear the fog, which is always nice. Two waves here, but try to do something about the fog (at least in the Pool lanes) so that you can tell where a Dolphin Rider is.

Item earned: Taco

Level 4-5
Before the level starts, Crazy Dave will appear and buy your Magic Taco for $1000. He'll also update his shop to include Gloom-shroom and Cattails, which are cool plants, but too expensive Sun-wise to be useful right now.

Anywho, Harvey #2, this is Vasebreaker, where breaking vases can yield Plants or Zombies. Do this three times, each time with another column of vases. Green vases always yield Plants. Break vases in rows, planting only the plants you'll need to kill the Zombies in that row, and saving the other plants for other rows. Football Zombies, Buckethead Zombies, and Dancing Zombies appear here. You can get Peashooters, Snow Peas, Squashes, and Hypno-shrooms. Counter the Zombies as best you can.

Plant earned: Split Pea

Level 4-6
No old Zombies (save Zombies and Coneheads) and a single wave, but there is a new Zombie, the Digger Zombie, two of which appear, one directly before and one during the wave. The new Split Pea is one way to beat them, but instant kills can also work if you can build up enough Sun production. Ultimately, not too difficult.

Plant earned: Starfruit

New Zombie: Digger Zombie

Present: Puzzle Mode unlocked

Level 4-7
Bucketheads, Diggers, and Jack-in-the-Boxes appear here in this two-wave stage, and they appear in larger amounts than usual, making this is a very tricky level. Try to conserve your Lawn Mowers and Pool Cleaners, and use instant kills on Diggers and Bucketheads when you can get away with it.

Plant earned: Pumpkin

Level 4-8
Another easy, one-wave level. The new Pogo Zombie is incapable of jumping over a Tall-nut, so you can use those to stall. However, it should fall fairly easily, so it's not really needed. Not much explanation, but there isn't much to explain.

Plant earned: Magnet-shroom

New Zombie: Pogo Zombie

Level 4-9
Pogo Zombies return, alongside Bucketheads and Balloon Zombies. The new Magnet-shroom is a miracle plant - it takes away metal objects, including the Buckets and Pogos of the zombies that you encounter on this level. Bring something for the Balloon Zombies, and you're set. Instant kills can be used if your Magnet-shrooms are overwhelmed, though they shouldn't be.

Item earned: Note

Level 4-10
Yep, another conveyor belt level. Two waves, and it's pitch-black. You get Cactus, Starfruit, Pumpkins, Lily Pads, Blovers, Sea-shrooms, Split Peas, and Magnet-shrooms. Diggers, Bucketheads, and Ballooners appear. Use Magnet-shrooms to deal with the Diggers and Bucketheads, and spread your plants out as evenly as possible, Pumpkining the ones in front. You know the drill by now.

Plant earned: Cabbage-pult

New Zombies: Zombie Yeti (only on second playthrough)

Overview
The Roof is drastically different from any of the levels you've played so far. It consists of five rows, with the five columns closest to your house being sloped. Only plants beyond the three closest columns can fire over the slope. However, lobbed-shot plants can circumvent this. Furthermore, Flower Pots are required to plant anywhere on the roof. Fortunately, some are already planted at the beginning of each level. Lawn Mowers cannot be used at all, and the only Last Line of Defense item usable is the Roof Cleaner. Finally, as it is day, Sun will fall from the sky, and mushrooms will fall asleep.

Stage 5-1
You start with five columns of Flower Pots here, and although it is recommended that you bring Cabbage-pults, they are unecessary if you are planting in the fourth or fifth columns from the house. Try not to let any Flower Pots get eaten, as they are irreplacable at this point. It is possible that the new Bungee Zombie will come from above and attempt to steal a Flower Pot, so plant a Potato Mine or something cheap in that spot to avoid losing it. In the final wave, Bungee Zombies will come from the sky and drop more enemies, and a target will drop on a plant preceding a Bungee Zombie's attempt to steal it. This occurs on every Roof level. Still, only one wave here, so this should be a fairly easy level.

Plant earned: Flower Pot

New Zombie: Bungee Zombie

Stage 5-2
Before the level begins, Crazy Dave will appear with new items in the shop. If you have $3000, buy the Roof Cleaner (the leftmost object at the top on the first page) - it gives you a last line of defense, akin to Lawn Mowers, and will give you money at the end of a level if unused. Anyhow, Bucketheads and Pole Vaulters strike again on this level, with Bungees appearing once more. You'll notice you have one less column of free Flower Pots, so consider bringing extras - there's not much you can do with the seed slot, anyway. Two waves and not much to worry about, and a Snow Pea in the frontmost Potted column with a Cabbage-pult or two behind is enough to deal with the Bucketheads.

This level is also a good way to earn the Grounded achievement. Don't bring any catapults, but instead, focus on using Chompers, Tall-nuts, and Pumpkins. Use Tall-nuts on the front column and plant two lines of Chompers just in case a zombie gets through. Plant Pumpkins on the first line of Chompers and/or the Tall-nuts and you should be all set for the whole level. Use a Cherry Bomb or Jalapeno if things get a little chaotic. Some people struggle to defeat the Buckethead Zombies with the Cabbage-pults so this method is a good alternative.

Plant earned: Kernel-pult

Stage 5-3
Ladder Zombie is this level's new Zombie. It's fast, and carries a ladder to climb over (and let other Zombies climb over) the first defensive plant in the row. You now only have three rows with Flower Pots to work with, so if you've been avoiding using Catapult Plants, you'd better start. It is recommended that you plant Cabbage-pults before Kernel-pults, as the former deals damage more reliably than the latter. Two waves here, but do note that the ladder counts as a shield, so planting an extra Flower Pot and Snow Pea will not let you freeze the Ladder Zombie.

Plant earned: Coffee Bean

New Zombie: Ladder Zombie

Stage 5-4
Football Zombies, Pogo Zombies, and Ladder Zombies appear here. Although you may be tempted to bring both the Coffee Bean and the Magnet-shroom to deal with them, instant kills will work better, as they take up one less seed slot, and all of them (with the exception of the Cherry Bomb) are cheaper to use, Sun-wise. There are three waves to this level, and large amounts of Ladder Zombies come at you after the second, so prepare accordingly. The final wave is a little tricky, but nothing too difficult. Using Chompers as another strategy could also work because of the high number of high-health zombies. Plant two lines of Cabbage-pults and a line of Chompers and then a line of Tall-nuts. The Cabbage-pults could take care of the weaker zombies while the Chompers would take care of the stronger zombies.

Item earned: Watering Can

Stage 5-5
At the start of this level, Crazy Dave appears and yells all about how much he "hates those confounded Bungees!!!" Every Zombie on this level gets lowered onto the stage via Bungee Zombies. Two waves of this, and the only plants you get are Chompers, Flower Pots, Pumpkins, and Cherry Bombs. Ladder Zombies appear, and if unchecked, will let other Zombies climb over your plants with their ladders. Use Cherry Bombs to stop them or destroy the ladder. Protect your Chompers with Pumpkins, starting with the front row and working your way backward. It's easy at first, but more and more Zombies start coming, so back up your front Chompers to minimize the time the Zombies have to eat your Pumpkins, and to have a backup plan in case things go wrong. Save a Cherry Bomb and Flower Pot for the final wave, and replace vulnerable Chompers with fresh ones. A very irritating level, but ultimately not difficult.

Plant earned: Garlic

Stage 5-6
The new Zombie for this level is the Catapult Zombie, which drives a... machine partway onto the roof, stops, and begins slinging basketballs at the furthest plant in the row (from the Zombies). A Jalapeno is a good way to stop it before it destroys your Sunflowers, though other instant kills work as well. Or, you could just let your other plants handle it and replace the Sunflower afterward, as Sunflowers are cheaper than most instant kills (save the Squash and the Potato Mine, the later of which can't be used effectively against the Catapult Zombie). Two waves here, and no other notable Zombies appear, so it's a fairly easy level.

This level is another good opportunity to earn the Grounded achievement by using only Chompers, Pumpkins, and plenty of instant kills.

Plant earned: Umbrella Leaf

New Zombie: Catapult Zombie

Stage 5-7
Bungee Zombies, Catapult Zombies, and Ladder Zombies come at you in this three-wave level. Umbrella Leaves are recommended, as they prevent both Bungee Zombies and Catapult Zombies from killing your plants within a 3 x 3 range. However, they are not necessary to complete the level. Save some Sun and instant kills for the final wave, though, as one of each of the above types of Zombies appears.

Plant earned: Marigold

Stage 5-8
Simple level, real easy, two waves, except for... the Gargantuars! These Zombies have a gargantuan amount of health, requiring two instant kills to kill. Bring your Jalapeno and Squash to take it out, although with a Cabbage-pult, Kernel-pult, and Snow Pea, one Jalapeno will do fine - it has the added bonus of destroying the Imp the Gargantuar throws. Fairly easy level, as there're only two Gargantuars.

Plant earned: Melon-pult

New Zombies: Gargantuar, Imp

Stage 5-9
Bungees, Bucketheads, Jack-in-the-Boxes, Ladders, Catapults, AND Gargantuars appear here, making this the most diverse level you've seen so far. With three waves, you'll get a chance to see all of these. This is by far the most difficult level in the game... so far. Your instants will see lots of use here, so take your Jalapenos and Squashes. If whatever you've been using so far is working, keep it up. Gargantuars only show up around the last wave, so save your Sun and instants for then. You should be able to make it through.

Item earned: Note

Stage 5-10 - Final Boss: Dr. Zomboss
Uh-oh. He's here. Nighttime conveyor belt level, with Cabbage-pults, Kernel-pults, Melon-pults, Flower Pots, Jalapenos, Ice-shrooms on your side, and everything but Flag Zombies, Dancing Zombies (and Backup Dancers), Digger Zombies, Balloon Zombies, Aquatic Zombies, and Zombie Bobsled Teams on his side. Spread your plants out evenly, and keep your Melon-pults in the middle rows - keep them out of Zombie range and Catapult Zombie range. Ice-shroom when he fireballs, and put a Jalapeno in rows with iceballs. Keep spare Flower Pots and plants on hand to counter his camper and Bungee Zombie attacks. Try to avoid planting on the flat part of the roof, as the Zombot will crush any plant planted there. When the Zombot leans its head in, use a chain of Ice-shrooms to give your plants a chance to kill it. Finish it with a Jalapeno or two. You should know how to do a conveyor belt level, and you know how to deal with the Zombies.

New Zombie: Dr. Zomboss with Zombot

Item earned: Silver Sunflower Trophy

New modes: Survival (after completing level), All Mini-games and Puzzle Mode levels (must get trophies to unlock them), Gargantuar in Vs. Mode (if on XBLA, PSN, and DS versions), All Co-op Mode Levels unlocked. (XBLA and PSN versions), and Quick Play Mode unlocked (if on iphone, ipod touch, and ipad versions