Newspaper Zombie


 * For the version in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, see Newspaper Zombie (PvZ: GW).

Newspaper Zombie is a low health zombie reading an upside-down newspaper and the sixth zombie encountered in Adventure Mode. The newspaper acts as a shield for this zombie. When it loses its newspaper, it gets angry and faster. It appears to be an elderly person with glasses and heart-patterned boxers. When the player's plants destroy the newspaper, it pauses, a question mark appears above his head, and then it will make an angry sound and then it quickly charges forward at the player's plants in a rage. Melon-pults, Winter Melons, Fume-shrooms, Gloom-shrooms, and flaming peas damage both the zombie and the newspaper at the same time.

It returns again in the sequel, as the first new zombie encountered in Modern Day. Its abilities remain the same, but now it has higher health and speed, and when enraged he can eat almost every plant instantly.

Plants vs. Zombies
 NEWSPAPER ZOMBIE 

His newspaper provides limited defense.

Toughness: low

Newspaper Toughness: low

Speed: normal, then fast (after losing newspaper)

Newspaper Zombie was *this* close to finishing his Sudoku puzzle. No wonder he's freaking out.

Plants vs. Zombies 2
TOUGHNESS: Hardened

SPEED: Basic, then Flighty after newspaper breaks.

Newspaper protects zombie, who is then enraged when it is destroyed

You can't really blame him for getting so upset; he was THIS close to finishing the crossword (23 down was "Brains").

Overview
The Newspaper Zombie absorbs 17 normal damage shots and its appearance changes upon absorbing 3, 6, 8 (when the newspaper is destroyed), and 13 before dying at 17 normal damage shots. When the newspaper is destroyed, this zombie will start to run faster due to his destroyed newspaper.

Plants vs. Zombies​

 * Adventure Mode: 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-4, 3-5 (DS, DSi), 5-10
 * Mini-games: Wall-nut Bowling, It's Raining Seeds, Beghouled, Beghouled Twist, Last Stand, Wall-nut Bowling 2, Dr. Zomboss's Revenge, Buttered Popcorn, BOMB All Together!
 * Puzzle Mode: Last Stand: Night, Last Stand: Fog, Last Stand Endless
 * Survival Mode: all levels
 * Co-op Mode: all levels except Co-op Day and Co-op Bowling
 * Others: Versus Mode

Plants vs. Zombies 2

 * Modern Day: 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13

Plants vs. Zombies​
The newspaper is useless against the lobbed-shot plants, instant kills, Fume-shroom, and Gloom-shroom because they can bypass his newspaper. Spikeweed and Spikerock also makes his newspaper useless by attacking below him. The behind of Split Pea can also be used as it hits the behind of the zombie itself. In Wall-nut Bowling and Wall-nut Bowling 2, the zombie loses the newspaper after being hit by one Wall-nut, and dies after a second hit, like the Conehead Zombie. The Newspaper Zombie pauses and charges very quickly towards the end of the row after the player's plants destroy the newspaper, the player will need to be fast in order to kill it. Snow Pea, Winter Melon, or Ice-shroom are effective against this, as they can slow its movement, leaving plenty of time to kill it. If the player is facing multiple Newspaper Zombies, Ice-shrooms can be used effectively to paralyze and kill them, or the player could just use lobbed-shot plants (preferably Melon-pult or Winter Melon).

Plants vs. Zombies 2
Watch out for this zombie since he is a much bigger threat. Do not destroy his newspaper unless you think you have a good strategy to deal with him while enraged. Also forget the use of lobbed-shot plants and area of effect plants, as they still destroy the newspaper first. Effective plants are Shadow-shroom and Chili Bean, as they can kill him ignoring the newspaper. On large groups explosive plants are a must. Up to two attacks from Magnifying Grass can also kill one of them without it being enraged.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies

 * Newspaper Zombie has the second lowest physical health out of all the zombies in the first game (only the Imps in I, Zombie are weaker, since they only take three normal damage shots). He himself has nine health points and his newspaper also has eight health points, making his total amount of hit points seventeen.
 * Newspaper Zombie glasses are available in the Xbox Live Marketplace for 80 Microsoft Points.
 * When Newspaper Zombie's head falls off, it is a regular zombie's, not his own. It shares this with Jack-in-the-Box Zombie. However his glasses will still appear falling off.
 * If Newspaper Zombie bites a Garlic and loses its newspaper right after, it will bite the Garlic a second time before switching lanes.
 * If Newspaper Zombie bites a Garlic after losing its newspaper, it will not make his angry expression and it will instead move fast with a normal face.
 * When you enter somewhere else and Plants vs. Zombies is still running, when you come back Newspaper Zombie will appear above the "Resume Game" tab.
 * It is holding the newspaper upside down.
 * If a Newspaper Zombie gets hit by a Lawn Mower or a Giant Wall-nut, a question mark will appear for a brief moment, as the newspaper gets destroyed before the zombie itself.
 * The title of the newspaper is "ZOMBIE," and there is also a picture of a head on it.
 * There is a glitch on the DS version that sometimes when the Newspaper Zombie loses its newspaper, it will suddenly run on a spot instead of looking down with a question mark.
 * There is also a glitch on the online version that even if it has not lost its newspaper, it will still have angry eyes when eating.
 * Newspaper Zombie is officially and technically considered a shield zombie because it holds the newspaper up in front of him, it protects him from damage, and it has all the traits of a standard shield. However, there is one small exception to his shield capabilities. His newspaper will protect him from frozen peas, but will not cancel the splash effect of flaming peas. This is understandable because it is made of paper and will burn.
 * In Plants vs. Zombies Adventures, the Barrel Zombie is identical in movement characteristics to the Newspaper Zombie, in the sense both move faster after their shield object is destroyed, except the Barrel Zombie runs out of embarrassment, and Newspaper Zombie runs out of anger.

Specific to Plants vs. Zombies 2

 * Newspaper Zombie's newspaper now takes significantly more hits than it did in the first game. When he is enraged, he eats plants extremely fast, and also runs as fast as a Zombie Weasel.
 * Newspaper Zombie's newspaper lights on fire when hit by a fire-based plant such as Snapdragon. However, this appears to be purely cosmetic, and Newspaper Zombie does not become enraged due to the fire.
 * The newspaper also does not take a shorter time to destroy.
 * This is probably intended for use of the achievement Hot Off the Presses.
 * On his Almanac Entry, his newspaper is always on fire.
 * Grumbling noises can be heard from Newspaper Zombie when he is reading his newspaper.
 * If you listen closely, he actually speaks and says things like "23 down is brains".
 * The Newspaper Zombie is voiced by Chris Sampson.
 * His almanac entry description is a nod to the first game.