Squash

Squash is a single-use plant in Plants vs. Zombies and also a premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time. When a zombie comes in its range, it jumps up high and squashes the zombie and other zombies if perfectly stacked. The Squash appears to be slightly 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: It's About Time
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.

Upgrades

 * Note: This is only for Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time.

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

Level upgrade (Chinese version only)
Level 2: Squash has a 20% chance of staying in the lawn and can attack zombies in longer distances. Its attack power and health will increase by 50%.

Level 3: Squash has a 50% chance of staying in the lawn, making it more usable. Its attack power and health will increase again by 50%, having twice the attack power and health than in Level 1.

Costumed (Chinese version only)
Plant Food ability allows Squash to kill three zombies instead of two.

Usage
When planted, the 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. The Squash will then pounce, crushing the zombies in that square.

Because it can pounce to its left, the Squash can also pounce on Vaulting Zombies who have vaulted over it. However, the Squash will sometimes fail to smash a Pogo Zombie. This usually happens on the slanted part of the roof.

Like most instant kills, the 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 early setup against one zombie or tight groups of zombies which are too strong for the current defense or that 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.

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, 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
On higher levels in Endless Zones, after one Zombie, another might appear. Make it two or three of them and sometimes one of them can be in the same row with the other zombie. Place the Squash not close to those zombies, but somehow, five spaces away from them. That way, you can use its sluggish re-charge to your advantage, making other zombies wait for the right turn to appear. This and Potato Mine are excellent partners-in-crime. Just remember to place it four or five squares away from the zombie that will appear on a certain row. Squash is also useful in the higher levels of endless zone already especially in levels where hordes of Gargantuars will attack.

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. 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, the 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.
 * If the player correctly activates the Pea Pod glitch, a flock of Zombie Chickens will rush on the lawn. The Squash will not squash any chickens and it will be eaten like a regular plant.
 * Projectiles thrown by Peashooter Zombie, Gatling Pea Zombie, and Catapult Zombie can kill Squash.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies

 * The 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 the 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, 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 the Coffee Bean.
 * In the free PC version, the player cannot use the Squash, Threepeater, or Twin Sunflower.
 * The Squash was bigger than usual in the Nintendo DS trailer.
 * If the Squash looks left, it will squash at the right, and vice versa. It is unknown if this is a glitch or not.
 * 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.
 * The Squash is one of the two plants that can verbally speak. The other one is the 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: It's About Time

 * In the Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time trailer, the milk carton in the fridge Crazy Dave opened said that the 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.
 * No zombie can kill Squash. However, a stage element from Kung-Fu World will kill it instantly if it is placed on a wrong square.
 * There is a glitch where Pianist Zombie can kill Squash.
 * Zombies will now lose their head and an arm when they get squashed.
 * It jumps forward, instead of sideways.
 * If the zombie that the Squash is targeting switches lanes due to a Pianist Zombie, the Squash will still crush the zombie in the zombie's new lane.
 * Squash opens its mouth after it jumps.
 * It is now darker in coloration.
 * Squash now stares at the zombies.
 * In Chinese version, Squash's costume changes it Plant Food effect, instead of squashing the two strongest zombies on screen, it will squash the three strongest zombies on screen. But if the player has three Squashes, its Plant Food effect will create a giant Squash on screen killing all zombies on screen, making the Nuclear Cucumber useless.
 * Note: The player can only use a giant Squash once per level, balancing the usage of Nuclear Cucumber and a Level 3 Squash Plant Food effect.