- For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, see Banana Launcher (PvZH).
Banana Launcher is the fifth and the last plant obtained in Big Wave Beach of Plants vs. Zombies 2. The player can tap on it to arm it, then aim at any tile on the lawn to fire an explosive banana that deals 1200 damage per shot to all zombies in a 1x3 area. After firing, Banana Launcher will be disabled for 20 seconds before he can fire again.
Origins
Banana Launcher is based on the banana, a fruit produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. More specifically, Banana Launcher is based on a Dessert banana.
Banana Launcher's almanac flavor text references the idiom "Totally bananas", meaning "very crazy".
Almanac entry
Note: The stats shown below only apply to Level 1.
Banana Launcher
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Banana Launcher |
Banana Launchers can fire explosive bananas at any tile on the lawn. It's important to avoid stereotyping as much as possible. Stereotypes are often flat-out wrong. And also hurtful. But honestly ... Banana Launcher is TOTALLY bananas. |
Upgrades
Plant Food effect
When given Plant Food, he will launch four explosive bananas at random targets on the lawn. In the Chinese version, he will fire five bananas.
Arma-mint effect
When boosted by Arma-mint, Banana Launcher will do an additional 2000 DPS with its bananas, and its reload time will be decreased to two seconds.
Level upgrade
Level | Seed Packets | Coins | Upgrades | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sun Cost | Recharge (Fast) |
Toughness (Typical) |
Damage* (Massive) |
Firing Rate (Slow) |
Area | |||
1 | 0 | 0 | 500 | 5 seconds | 300 damage | 1200 damage | 20 seconds | Tile |
2 | 10 | 1,000 | 475 | 5 seconds | 350 damage | 1250 damage | 19 seconds | |
3 | 75 | 5,000 | 475 | 4.5 seconds | 400 damage | 1300 damage | 18 seconds | |
4 | 200 | 10,000 | 450 | 4.5 seconds | 450 damage | 1400 damage | 17 seconds | |
5 | 400 | 20,000 | 450 | 4 seconds | 550 damage | 1500 damage | 16 seconds | |
6 | 750 | 30,000 | 425 | 4 seconds | 600 damage | 1600 damage | 15 seconds | |
7 | 1,000 | 40,000 | 425 | 3.5 seconds | 650 damage | 1700 damage | 14 seconds | |
8 | 1,250 | 50,000 | 400 | 3.5 seconds | 700 damage | 1800 damage | 13 seconds | |
9 | 1,500 | 60,000 | 375 | 3 seconds | 800 damage | 1900 damage | 13 seconds | |
10 | 2,000 | 75,000 | 350 | 3 seconds | 900 damage | 2000 damage | 12 seconds |
*Applies to both normal and Plant Food states.
Level upgrade (China only)
Costumed (China only)
He now launches five normal bananas and a flaming banana which creates an explosion that deals more damage.
Strategies
Compared to other controllable plants, Banana Launcher is special in that the player is given the freedom to launch his payload on any tile on the screen, regardless of any possible obstruction between the plant and the designated position, similar to Missile Toe and Holly Barrier. This makes Banana Launcher excellent for eliminating high threat targets such as Zombie Kings, Fisherman Zombies, and Imp Cannons that would normally be heavily protected. His main weaknesses are his massive 500 sun cost and his cooldown time between firing, which makes him an impractical choice in normal levels.
In Big Wave Beach, Banana Launcher can be used as an improvised countermeasure against Octo Zombies. Not only is it capable of neutralizing them before they can throw their octopi, if the player is fast enough, he can also destroy thrown octopi from anywhere and free the trapped plant. The latter is not recommended, however, as Banana Launcher takes much longer to recharge than the time taken for the Octo Zombie to throw another octopus, even when the zombie is slowed.
Banana Launcher's high damage capability makes him a powerful artillery weapon: Most high health zombies such as Knight Zombies, Blockhead Zombies, Mecha-Football Zombies, and Cavalry Zombies can only survive up to two bananas, while certain Gargantuars can take up to three. His projectile can not be deflected by any means, so Banana Launcher is effective against Jester Zombies and Parasol Zombies.
Another strategy is to use Banana Launcher with plants that can clump zombies together: Sweet Potato, Garlic, Chard Guard, Hurrikale and Thyme Warp are all capable of funneling or clumping the horde together, which allows Banana Launcher to hit more enemies. It's also a good idea to use blocking plants such as Tall-nuts and Primal Wall-nuts to give Banana Launcher time to recharge.
Arma-mint can be used to allow the Banana Launcher to reload every two seconds.
Related achievement
Gallery
Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Banana Launcher.
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Trivia
- He cannot be planted on minecarts, due to issues associated with a tap either moving the mine cart, or activating the target of Banana Launcher. If the player tries to plant him on a minecart, the game will say "Bananas are too slippery for minecarts." Additionally, since he can target anything at anywhere, a minecart with him is a waste of space.
- This is also true with Missile Toe and Holly Barrier.
- However, he can be planted on minecarts in the Chinese version.
- In Big Wave Beach - Day 23, the player can launch a banana from the Banana Launcher while viewing the lawn from the seed selection screen. However, he will still look like he does when he is loaded.
- Banana Launcher is one of the few plants that talk, saying "Banana" when firing normally and saying "ba-ba-ba Banana" when using Plant Food.
- The player used to be able to destroy graves using Banana Launcher on any Last Stand level before tapping "Let's Rock". However, it is no longer possible after the 3.1.1 update.
- The player was also able to fire bananas after the level has ended and the reward has dropped. This was also fixed in the 3.1.1 update.
- His eyes are red and straight in the bingo card while his in-game appearance has brown eyes and they are crossed. His smile in the bingo card is also different from the one he has in-game.
- His costume has the same design as the pajamas on the characters in Bananas in Pyjamas, despite being a beach towel.
- If he launches a banana at the very second that the level is completed, he will continue to smile.
- In the Chinese version, when fed with Plant Food, he will make firework noises when it launches its bananas.
- He also dealt damage in a 3x3 area in the Chinese version, but this was fixed in the 1.4.2 update.
See also
View · Edit | L · G |
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Plants vs. Zombies | |
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Day | Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Snow Pea · Chomper · Repeater |
Night | Puff-shroom · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Hypno-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Ice-shroom · Doom-shroom |
Pool | Lily Pad · Squash · Threepeater · Tangle Kelp · Jalapeno · Spikeweed · Torchwood · Tall-nut |
Fog | Sea-shroom · Plantern · Cactus · Blover · Split Pea · Starfruit · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom |
Roof | Cabbage-pult · Flower Pot · Kernel-pult · Coffee Bean · Garlic · Umbrella Leaf · Marigold · Melon-pult |
Upgrades | Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Cattail · Winter Melon · Gold Magnet · Spikerock · Cob Cannon |
Others | Imitater · Explode-o-nut · Giant Wall-nut · Reverse Repeater · Giant Sunflower · Giant Marigold · Sprout · Tree of Wisdom |
Plants vs. Zombies: Social Edition | |
---|---|
Normal | Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Chomper · Repeater · Puff-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Snow Pea · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Lily Pad · Squash · Spikeweed · Tangle Kelp · Torchwood · Sea-shroom · Jalapeno · Coffee Bean · Tall-nut · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom · Blover · Melon-pult · Cactus |
Premium | Pickled Pepper · Icy Fume-shroom · Fire-shroom · Flamewood · Vine-nut · Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Winter Melon · Super Chomper · Future Star · Calm Chuck |
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures | |
---|---|
>Normal | Peashooter · Sunflower · Aspearagus · Wall-nut · Cherry Bomb · Popcorn · Beet · Snow Pea · Jalapeño · Magnet Plant · Flaming Pea · Shamrock · Bamboo Shoot · Repeater · Chilly Pepper · Twin Sunflower |
VIPs | Sweet Pea · Beeshooter · Hard-nut · Acespearagus · Power Flower · Beetboxer · Ice Queen Pea · Shamrockstar · Bamboom |
Others | Trees |
Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Chinese version) | |
---|---|
Ancient Egypt | Peashooter · Sunflower · Wall-nut · Cabbage-pult · Bloomerang · Iceberg Lettuce · Grave Buster · Bonk Choy · Repeater · Twin Sunflower · Snow Pea · Cherry Bomb · Torchwood |
Pirate Seas | Kernel-pult · Snapdragon · Power Lily · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Coconut Cannon · Spikerock · Lightning Reed · Tall-nut |
Wild West | Threepeater · Squash · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Jalapeno · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Winter Melon · Imitater |
Kongfu World | Resistant Radish · Fire Gourd · Heavenly Peach · Bamboo Shoot |
Far Future | Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass · Tile Turnip · Starfruit |
Dark Ages | Hypno-shroom · Sun-shroom · Puff-shroom · Fume-shroom · Sun Bean · Pea-nut · Magnet-shroom · Oak Archer · Coffee Bean · Plantern |
Big Wave Beach | Acid Lemon · Lotus Pod · Lily Pad · Bowling Bulb · Banana Launcher · Guacodile · Tangle Kelp · Homing Thistle |
Frostbite Caves | Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rafflesia · Whirlwind Acorn |
Sky City | Rotobaga · Loquat · Asparagus · Saucer · Horsebean · Groundcherry · Anthurium · Pineapple |
Lost City | Lava Guava · Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Stallia · Gold Leaf · Toadstool · Jackfruit |
Neon Mixtape Tour | Morning Glory · Phat Beet · Thyme Warp · Celery Stalker · Spore-shroom · Garlic · Intensive Carrot · Cactus |
Jurassic Marsh | Primal Peashooter · Primal Wall-nut · Perfume-shroom · Primal Sunflower · Primal Potato Mine · Primal Rafflesia · Dino-Roar Grass · Timid Thorns · Sugarcane Master |
Modern Day | Shadow-shroom · Caulipower · Moonflower · Grimrose · Nightshade · Dusk Lobber · Blooming Heart |
Steam Age | Gold Bloom · Flat-shroom · Maypop Mechanic · Lotus Shooter · Wind-Blowing Vanilla · Lily of Pharmacy · Mulberry Blaster |
Renaissance Age |
Aloe · Bearberry Mortar · Wax Gourd Guard · Oily Olive · Jeweler Pomegranate · Dartichoke |
Heian Age | Dripping Diphylleia · Stephania · Tupistra Stalker · Dendrobium Windbreak · Chef Cypripedium · Boophone Geigi |
Fairytale Forest | Ents · Heath Seeker · Hat Mushroom · Hocus Crocus · Princess Spring Grass · Bamboo Trooper |
Monthly special | Pyro-shroom · Carrotillery · Cryo-shroom · Dandelion · Strong Broccoli · Machine Gun Pomegranate · Chomper · Sweet Potato · Landlord Bamboo · Sap-fling · Ghost Pepper · Chestnut Squad · Bamboo Bro · Rose Swordfighter · Magic-shroom · Electric Blueberry · Mischief Radish · Endurian · Pumpkin Witch · Sunflower Singer · Snow Cotton · Agave · Kiwifruit · Pretty Plum · Dragonfruit · Angel Starfruit · Gatling Pea · Banksia Boxer · Flame Flower Queen · Cattail · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Shrinking Violet · Cob Cannon · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Escape Root · Electric Currant · White Melon Sumo Wrestler · Wasabi Whip · Explode-O-Nut · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Kiwibeast · Electric Peashooter · Hot Date · Icy Currant · Tulip Trumpeter · Eggplant Ninja · Banana Dancer · Dual Pistol Pinecone · Narcissus Shooter · Alarm Explosive Arrowhead · Holly Barrier · Shadow Peashooter · Snap Pea · Crystal Orchid · Sling Pea · Thunder Snapdragon · Electrici-tea · Imp Pear · Strawburst · Egret Flower Plane · Goo Peashooter · Elaeocarpus-pult · Water Chestnut Brothers · Pokra · Dollarweed Drummer · Ultomato · Shadow Vanilla · Splendens Blade · Stickybomb Rice · Gumnut · Olive Pit · Earthstar Nuclear Silo · Headbutter Lettuce · Dazey Chain · Boom Balloon Flower · Celebration Soda Palm · Claw Gloriosa · Impatiens Shooter · Turkey-pult · Hammer Flower · Fishhook Grass · Mangosteen · Inferno · Tigerstool · Gardener Grass · Draftodil · Buttercup · Byttneria Meteor Hammer · Laser Crown Flower · Zoybean Pod · Orchid Mage · Jack O' Lantern · Twin Year of the Rabbits · Pea Pharmacist · Pike Hoya · Vamporcini · Burdock Batter · Pumpkin · Capaci-cone · Cranesbill Fencer · Meteor Flower · Gorgon Pitcher · Power Vine · Parkour Mandrake · Abyss Anemone · Abyss Devil's Claw · Hoya Heart · Pea Vine · MayBee · Oilseed-pult · Leaf-Blade Dracaena · Bamboo Spartan · Shine Vine · Sunshine Leek · Nightcap · Pyre Vine · Gluttonous Snapdragon · Bun Chi · Heliconia Gunner |
Others | Potato Mine · Flower Pot · 8-Bit Peashooter · Tactical Cuke |
Hero Plants | P-Mech Assembler - Flamestar |
Removed | Rotten Red |
Plants vs. Zombies Online | |
---|---|
Player's House | Sunflower · Peashooter · Wall-nut · Potato Mine |
Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum | Bruce Bamboo · Carrot Rocket · Pomegranate · Dandelion · Venus Flytrap · Wax Gourd · Sod |
Ancient Egypt | Bloomerang · Bonk Choy · Grave Buster · Iceberg Lettuce · Cabbage-pult |
Pirate Seas | Snapdragon · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Kernel-pult · Coconut Cannon · Narcissus · Endurian · Spikerock · Pineapple-pult · Threepeater |
Far Future | Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Tile Turnip · Ganoderma · Banana Tree · Nitro-shroom · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass |
East Sea Dragon Palace | Oxygen Algae · Garlic · Bubble Flower · Electric Sea Pine |
Upgrades | Twin Sunflower · Repeater |
VIPs | Winter Melon |
Power Ups | Cherry Bomb · Jalapeno |
Premium | Squash · Snow Pea · Tall-nut |
Adventure Mode only | Magic Vine · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Lightning Reed · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Starfruit · Chomper · Fire Peashooter · Cattail · Rose Swordfighter · Clivia · Sap-fling · Acid Lemon · Magic-shroom · Ghost Pepper · Guacodile · Hurrikale · Plantern · Oak Archer · Homing Thistle · Pepper-pult · Resistant Radish · Toadstool · Blooming Heart · Red Stinger · Electric Blueberry · A.K.E.E. · Moonflower · Agave · Asparagus · Pumpkin Witch · Mine Fruit · Sea Anemone · Lychee Drill · Sea Starfruit |
Plants vs. Zombies 3 | |
---|---|
Neighborville | Sunflower · Wall-Nut · Bamboo Shoots · Peashooter · Bonk Choy |
Lost Keys Lake | Lily Pad · Tangle Kelp · Squash |
Mt. Quesogrande | Chili Bean · Silversword · Cabbage-Pult |
Power-Ups | Grapes of Wrath · Chilly Pepper · Jalapeño · Cherry Bomb · Blover |
Pre-2021 | Puff-Shroom · Buttercup · Garlic · Potato Mine · Pushywillow · Chard Guard · Spikeweed · Kernel-Pult · Caramel Popcorn · Lightning Reed · Melon-Pult · Shuffle Truffle · Blockbuster · Butternut Squash · Ragweed · Sawgrass · Fire Peashooter · Pine Needler · Snow Pea · Night Cap · Aloe Vera · Sweet Potato · Hydrangea · Dogwood · Chomper · Flak Seed · Gravitree · Gloom-Shroom · Lemon-Aid · Starfruit · Snapdragon · Fairy Ring Mushroom · Kalestorm · Star Tree · Magic Beans |