The Curious Case of Bacon in Plants vs. Zombies: Why Can You Buy It?
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You’ve battled hordes of zombies, meticulously planted your defenses, and perhaps even indulged in a bit of lawnmower mayhem. But then you see it, amidst the upgrades and quirky tools in Crazy Dave’s Twiddydinkies: bacon. Why, in a game about battling the undead with sentient flora, can you purchase bacon? The answer, like many elements of Plants vs. Zombies, is both simple and delightfully absurd: bacon is a pointless, in-game novelty item that serves as an economic sink and a nod to the game’s quirky humor. In essence, you can buy bacon because Plants vs. Zombies doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the inclusion of a purchasable, essentially useless, and increasingly expensive piece of pork is part of that charm.
The Role of Bacon in Plants vs. Zombies: Gone Rogue
Specifically in Plants vs. Zombies: Gone Rogue, bacon is available at a shop after the third level in a world, purchased with coins. However, unlike other items, it has no effect on the actual gameplay. It doesn’t boost plant power, provide extra sun, or even distract zombies – it simply exists. You can, however, sell this bacon back to Crazy Dave later for a profit, although this profit typically isn’t substantial. Its increasing price with each purchase also adds a strange element of inflation to the silly game. It’s an in-game economy anomaly – an item you can repeatedly buy and sell purely for the novelty of it.
An Intentional Waste of Resources
The intentional pointlessness of bacon underscores the game’s overall design. Plants vs. Zombies is filled with humorous elements, from the goofy zombie designs to Crazy Dave’s nonsensical ramblings. The bacon is a tongue-in-cheek addition that emphasizes the lighthearted nature of the game. It’s a reminder that not everything has to have a practical purpose; some things are just there for the sake of being silly and, perhaps, a bit of a time sink for the most hardcore players. This “wasted” money can be a fun, slightly self-deprecating way to use your in-game funds after you have acquired all the critical power-ups.
A Unique Shop Item
In the original Plants vs. Zombies, bacon’s primary purpose in Crazy Dave’s shop is similar. It is one of the few items that can be bought repeatedly, and its price rises each time you do so. It’s also one of the few items that doesn’t affect gameplay, setting it apart from the upgrades and utility tools. The fact that it has a purely economic purpose (buying and selling), as opposed to a tactical one, highlights its role as an in-game quirk. It also stands out as a unique purchase available on the console and PC versions, while mobile versions usually have another system in place for access to mini-games.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bacon and Beyond
1. How do you unlock Crazy Dave’s shop?
In the original Plants vs. Zombies, Crazy Dave’s Twiddydinkies, the shop, becomes accessible after finding his Car Key at the end of Level 3-4. On Android and iOS versions, the car key is given after unlocking “More Ways to Play” on Level 2-2.
2. What currency does Crazy Dave’s Shop accept?
The store in Plants vs. Zombies 2 uses various currencies, such as coins, gems, and mints to buy items like plants, costumes, piñatas, upgrades, and bundles. The original PvZ game mainly uses in-game money earned from gameplay.
3. What does the Butter Beacon do in PvZ?
The Butter Beacon is designed to reveal nearby enemies before engaging in battle. It lets you know what’s coming when you are about to capture a zone or objective. It’s a reconnaissance tool, not an offensive one.
4. What are the most useful plants in PvZ?
In the original PvZ, some of the most useful plants are the Sunflower (for sun production), Gloom Shroom (for area damage), and Cattail (for its high damage output and balloon-popping abilities).
5. What is considered the most useless plant in PvZ2?
The Chomper is often considered one of the worst plants due to its high cost, propensity to eat the wrong zombie, and general uselessness without wall plants.
6. What is considered the most useless plant in PvZ1?
The Cactus is often regarded as one of the most useless plants in PvZ1, primarily used only against balloon zombies but bettered by the Blover and Cattail.
7. Does buying bacon from Crazy Dave do anything to affect the gameplay?
No. Buying bacon does not affect gameplay. It is a purely cosmetic or economic option that can be bought and sold back to Crazy Dave for a very small profit. It is the only shop item other than house blueprints (in console versions) that increases in price with each purchase.
8. How do you use cheat codes in Plants vs. Zombies?
Enter these codes during gameplay: future (futuristic sunglasses for zombies), mustache (zombies with mustaches), pinata (candy shower when a zombie dies), trickedout (alternate lawn mower appearance), and sukhbir (toggles the zombie’s brain call sound).
9. What does the Sunbeam plant do in PvZ?
The Sunbeam plant places a Sunflower down and then shoots a powerful sun laser that deals both impact and critical damage to the zombies in front.
10. What items can you buy in Crazy Dave’s shop?
The shop sells upgrade plants, as well as the Garden Rake, Pool Cleaner, bacon, Wall-nut First Aid, Imitater, and various Zen Garden items. On mobile versions, access to mini-games replaces the car key, and bacon is often the first unique item they have access to.
11. How do you get the Gatling Pea in PvZ?
The Gatling Pea is an upgrade plant that is purchasable from Crazy Dave’s Twiddydinkies for $5000 after beating Level 3-4.
12. What are “Seediums” in PvZ2?
Seediums are plants that require seed packets to unlock or that can be unlocked through holiday quests.
13. How do you unlock the Imitater?
The Imitater can be bought from Crazy Dave’s Twiddydinkies for $30,000. It allows the player to use any other plant multiple times per level.
14. Did Crazy Dave create the plants in PvZ?
While he is not credited with the scientific creation of the plants, Crazy Dave is depicted as having sufficient intelligence to build complicated machines, and many players believe he harnessed the plants for their abilities against zombies.
15. What is the maximum money you can get in Plants vs. Zombies?
Through cheating, you can get up to $2,147,483,640, but this will be reduced to $999,990 when you make a purchase or pick up coins.
Ultimately, the bacon in Plants vs. Zombies serves as a reminder that not all game elements need to have a deep strategic purpose. Sometimes, they are just there to be funny, quirky, and, well, just a little bit bacon-y. It’s a testament to the game’s humor and lighthearted spirit, offering a unique way to interact with the in-game economy, even if that way is ultimately pointless. And, really, isn’t that part of the charm?