Turnip Boy Robs a Bank Review

The last time we saw Turnip Boy, he was committing tax evasion and getting evicted from his house while trying to tear down the corrupt vegetable-themed government. He is now back, but instead of refusing to pay his taxes, he has taken to robbing banks. Well, more specifically, the Botanical Bank repeatedly. How did he become a bank robber? It all started with a call from Dillitini, the Dill Pickle leader of the Pickled Gang.

In Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, we learn that Turnip’s father is the don of the Turnipchinos, the turnip mob. For years, they have been fighting with the members of the Pickled Gang. Since Turnip Boy defeated Mayor Onion, the residents of Veggieville have been infighting and at war with each other. With everyone preoccupied, this is the perfect time to make money. Since Turnip Boy’s past history involves killing a god and committing tax evasion, he is the perfect turnip for the job. The Pickled Gang is going to rob the Botanical Bank, managed by the evil garlic clove named Stinky, who claims to have the fuzz wrapped around his garlic chin hairs. He has been constructing mysterious rooms on the original bank building, and to find out what he is hiding, they will need Turnip Boy’s fighting skills to discover what Stinky is trying to build.

Turnip Boy agrees to work with them, but he is warned that Dillitini runs a tight ship and incompetence is not tolerated. To prepare Turnip Boy for the job, you are taken through a tutorial that shows you the different actions that can be performed and how to do them. Walking around is done with the left thumbstick. A button is used to talk with someone, or if you are in the bank on a run, it will shake someone down so that you can steal their money. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank plays like a twin-stick shooter, so the right thumbstick is used to aim, and the RT button is used to fire. You can carry two weapons at a time, so to switch between them, you use the X button. While in the bank, to get past lasers, use the LT button to make Turnip Boy trip and fall face forward to slide underneath the obstacle. Then, finally, in the pause menu is Turnip Boy’s cellphone with a variety of apps installed that you can use, like the map, tasks, fashion (you can wear hats!), inventory, or the music app that lets you control which song is currently playing. Some of the songs, like Fondue Streets, Break a Sweat, or Super Cute Vegetable Adventure, are incredibly catchy and upbeat, perfect for your run.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is essentially a roguelike, twin-stick shooter. The loop is simple: go to the warehouse to equip yourself with weapons and power-ups, then go to the bank. Spend three minutes exploring as much of the building as you can while collecting money. When the time is up, and the police sirens start blaring, get back to the vehicle and escape back to the warehouse. Every run in the bank earns you money that you can spend on power-ups and your arsenal of weapons.

Some of the upgrades that you can purchase from Robo-Rafael are incredibly useful, like the jammer that adds an extra minute to your time while in the bank. This can be upgraded three times, but each one will cost a lot more than the last. You can also increase the amount of health that Turnip Boy has or use steroids that are injected into the bullets you shoot to deal more damage. If you run out of health on your run or if you are captured by the peach police (aka. The Fuzz), half of the money you earned that round is taken away, and you will start back at the Weapon Warehouse.

Your run starts as soon as you are done at the warehouse and jump into the truck. The truck smashes into the Lackluster Lobby of the bank. This is the same spot you will always start at, so you will be spending a lot of time in this room, the Fancy Foyer, and the Centre Courtyard. I feel bad for the poor veggie bank tellers who are working because every time I show up at the bank, they are getting the shakedown — and I get some quick cash. I did appreciate that the characters working always changed, so I was always excited to see who would appear at my next visit.

The base floors are always the same, but the rooms that branch off the main bank building are completely different and unique. One room houses the headquarters of the Shroominanti, while another is home to DJ Sizzle (a flame with a face attached to a sword), who wants you to collect the souls of all The Fuzz you have defeated. You can exchange these for “sick beats” and the chance to open the mystery box to get a new crazy weapon or pay for a soul-harvesting tool like a sickle.

After multiple runs to the bank and acquiring money to upgrade your weapons and Turnip Boy, you will discover which things in the bank are worth spending your time on. Or, instead, you are better off exploring the bank to find all the secret areas. This becomes easier the longer you play and when you learn the spots where you can make the most money in the shortest amount of time. Some rooms require key cards to access, so you will need to find the corresponding plastic to open up that area. However, I will warn you that it is a challenging task to find all the keys that you need!

When you resume your game, you have the option to begin play from either the Weapon Warehouse or the Botanical Bank. I usually head to the warehouse to get armed and ready for battle. Twin #1 is an orange that will equip you with two weapons that you have unlocked. His brother, Twin #2, will create brand new weapons from the junky ones dropped by defeated enemies in the bank. Who would have guessed a big fish, a large crayon, or a cactus could be useful weapons?

You may think that this sounds like it could get very repetitive, but instead, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank becomes an addictive experience. Fun cartoony visuals give the characters you interact with eclectic and unique personalities whose look is based on a type of vegetable or a type of food. Most of them have a special task for you to complete during your time at the bank; once fulfilled, you will be rewarded. If you have had a chance to play Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, you will recognise a few of the characters from that title.

The other thing that I enjoyed was discovering all the new hidden rooms, especially if you found them by going through an elevator that takes you to a random room every time you enter. It was always a surprise to see where you would end up. However, it made it tricky to return to a specific room you once found! Sometimes, it would take a few trips to the bank to find your way back to an area that you were hoping to return to.

Even when you spend all the money to upgrade your jammer to its maximum, the six minutes you have inside the bank go by incredibly fast! It feels like in no time, you are trying to make your way back through the bank to get to the truck, fighting off the fuzz, peppers, and bacon slices shooting at you, trying to stop you from escaping. This is not a game you will finish in a few hours! This is the type of title that will keep you playing for hours, but luckily, it is perfect for the gamer who only has a small window of time to play a run, at its max, will only last about six minutes. So, if you don’t have much time, you can at least get a run or two in to make some money and help progress the game; this is why I loved playing the game on my Steam Deck!

I've had a great time playing Turnip Boy Robs a Bank. It is a charming and humorous game full of personality and is incredibly addictive, though it can get quite challenging at times. If you are a fan of twin-stick shooters and don't mind roguelike titles, you are sure to enjoy this game. The fun characters and ridiculous weapons make it a blast to play. Who would have guessed that cute little Turnip Boy would turn out to have such a large criminal record?