How Does Stinky the Snail Work in Plants vs. Zombies?
Stinky the Snail is a unique and valuable character in the popular game Plants vs. Zombies, primarily known for his role in the Zen Garden. He serves as a passive coin generator, providing players with a steady income stream. When awake, Stinky slowly collects coins scattered throughout the Zen Garden. However, he doesn’t stay active indefinitely; Stinky stays awake for three minutes before falling into a deep sleep, requiring a manual prod from the player to reawaken him. His activity is fueled by his love for chocolate, which, when consumed, significantly boosts his productivity. Specifically, feeding him chocolate will cause him to accelerate coin collection and stay awake for a full hour. This creates a system where consistent prodding and occasional chocolate treats are key to maximizing Stinky’s coin-generating potential.
Understanding Stinky’s Role in the Zen Garden
Acquiring Stinky and His Activation
Stinky isn’t available from the start of the game. Players must first purchase him from Crazy Dave’s Twiddydinkies before he can appear in the Zen Garden. Once purchased, he will appear, always ready for action (or a nap). Unlike plants, Stinky doesn’t require planting or tending to; he simply occupies a space and waits for activation.
The Coin Collection Process
When Stinky is awake, he will slowly move around the main area of the Zen Garden and collect coins that have spawned in the area. These coins appear randomly and are generated over time. This is a key way that the Zen Garden helps the player get free money, especially when all Zen Garden slots are filled with fully grown, coin-generating plants. Stinky will simply move over them to collect these coins. The rate at which Stinky collects coins is relatively slow, which is why chocolate is so valuable.
The Sleep Cycle and Awakening
After three minutes of activity, Stinky will fall asleep. He won’t collect any more coins until you interact with him. To reawaken him, the player simply needs to tap or click on Stinky within the Zen Garden. This will start another three-minute cycle of coin collection. This makes his presence not entirely passive, and requires the player to remember to check in on him from time to time.
The Power of Chocolate
Chocolate is a special item that serves as a powerful stimulant for Stinky. When fed a piece of chocolate, Stinky’s behavior changes dramatically:
- Extended Awake Time: Instead of the usual three minutes, he will stay awake for a full hour.
- Accelerated Coin Collection: He will move much faster, resulting in a significantly increased rate of coin collection.
Chocolate is a crucial resource to maximize your free money from the Zen Garden. Strategic use of chocolate can dramatically boost the Zen Garden’s money making potential.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Stinky the Snail
How do I get chocolate for Stinky?
Chocolate for Stinky can be obtained through several methods:
- Completing a streak of 3 in I, Zombie Endless.
- Completing a streak of 10 in Vasebreaker Endless.
- Rarely, from a Grave Buster eating a grave during a Night level.
These puzzle game modes are the most reliable methods for obtaining chocolate and rare plants, compared to simply killing zombies in story mode.
How long does a piece of chocolate last for Stinky?
When fed to Stinky, a piece of chocolate will keep him awake and collecting coins at an accelerated rate for one hour.
How much money can Stinky make?
The amount of money Stinky makes depends on how often he is awake and whether he has been given chocolate. With a fully utilized Zen Garden and regular chocolate use, Stinky can generate a significant amount of free coins over time.
Do coins in the Zen Garden disappear?
Yes, coins in the Zen Garden will disappear after one minute if not collected by Stinky. This is longer than in normal levels, so there’s a little more time to collect.
What is the point of the Zen Garden?
The Zen Garden is your primary source of free money in Plants vs. Zombies. Once plants are fully grown, they will produce silver and gold coins over time. When used together, Zen Garden plants and Stinky create a great passive income source.
Is there any connection between Stinky and any of the zombies in the game?
Although he has an affinity for chocolate, a substance dropped by zombies, there’s no direct connection between Stinky and specific zombies within the core gameplay. His purpose is within the Zen Garden rather than in battle.
Can Stinky get hurt by any hazards in the Zen Garden?
No, Stinky is invulnerable within the Zen Garden. He will never get hurt, attacked, or otherwise negatively impacted by anything other than falling asleep.
Does Stinky need to be purchased to use the Zen Garden?
No, Stinky is not required to use the Zen Garden itself, but he significantly improves its output, and he is needed to collect coins from the garden. The Zen Garden can be used even without Stinky, but for those who want to maximize their income and gain coins, he is an important purchase.
What happens if Stinky is sleeping when the Zen Garden is loaded?
When the Zen Garden is loaded, Stinky will be in whatever state he was left in previously. If he was asleep, he will remain asleep until prodded.
Is it better to use chocolate on Stinky or save it for rare plants?
The best use of chocolate is subjective. If you are using the Zen Garden as your main source of coins, then using it on Stinky is the most efficient choice. Otherwise, there may be some arguments for using chocolate on other plants.
Does the Tree of Wisdom affect Stinky in any way?
The Tree of Wisdom does not directly affect Stinky. It provides tips and insights, but it does not have an impact on Stinky’s coin collection or sleeping patterns.
Can you speed up Stinky’s animation?
Outside of feeding him chocolate, you cannot directly speed up Stinky’s movement. He always moves at his standard pace unless he’s boosted by chocolate.
Does Stinky’s coin collection affect the normal gameplay?
Stinky’s coin collection in the Zen Garden is completely separate from normal gameplay. The coins collected by Stinky can be used to purchase items from Crazy Dave and other in-game resources, but his actions have no impact on the gameplay of survival or battle modes.
Does Stinky use his senses to find the coins?
Snails use their tentacles as olfactory sensors for smell, and it could be inferred that the same method applies in game, although there is no explicit information provided.
What happens if Stinky is not reawakened?
If Stinky is not reawakened after falling asleep, he simply won’t collect any more coins, so it is important to reawaken him when available to maximize the coin output.