"Red Bob-omb" redirects here. For the character from Super Mario-kun, see Red Bob-omb (character).
Bob-omb Buddy
Artwork of a Bob-omb Buddy from Super Mario Galaxy 2
Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy 2
First appearance Super Mario 64 (1996)
Latest appearance Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)
Variant of Bob-omb
Notable members
“We're peace-loving Bob-ombs, so we don't use cannons. But if you'd like to blast off, we don't mind. Help yourself. We'll prepare all of the cannons in this course for you to use. Bon Voyage!”
A Bob-omb Buddy in Bob-omb Battlefield, Super Mario 64

Bob-omb Buddies (sometimes called Red Bob-ombs, Pink Bob-ombs,[1] or Buddy Bob-ombs)[2] are recurring allies to Mario of the Bob-omb species, introduced in Super Mario 64. They can be differentiated from the foes by their distinct pink or red color, their silver-colored caps on their tops, instead of the usual fuse, and their silver windup keys, signifying their pacifist and peaceful nature. Similar red or pink Bob-ombs appear among others colors in certain games, such as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Mario vs. Donkey Kong, but are not treated specifically as Bob-omb Buddies.

HistoryEdit

Super Mario seriesEdit

Super Mario 64Edit

“Hi! I'll prepare the cannon for you!”
Bob-omb Buddy, Super Mario 64
 
A Bob-omb Buddy, as seen in Super Mario 64

In Super Mario 64, the Bob-omb Buddies help Mario by opening cannons for him, and they are shown to have a longstanding rivalry with the Bob-ombs, as this was the first time both groups were at war.

Image Description
  Bob-omb Battlefield ×2, at the starting point
  Whomp's Fortress, at the edge of the shallow pool
  Jolly Roger Bay, on the platforms to the right
  Cool, Cool Mountain, on a platform near the gondola
  Shifting Sand Land, in the far corner near the oasis
  Snowman's Land, inside the igloo
  Wet-Dry World, on the orange platform at the top*
  Tall, Tall Mountain, under a cliff
  Tiny-Huge Island, at the edge of a Bubba pool (only on the tiny island)
  Rainbow Ride, at the top of the maze
  Wing Mario Over the Rainbow, on the large pink platform

*This Bob-omb Buddy was relocated in the DS version, close to the highest Crystal Tap. Instead, the Star Sphere of this course is now located on this platform.

Super Mario 64 DSEdit

 
Model of a Bob-omb Buddy in Super Mario 64 DS

Bob-omb Buddies reappear in Super Mario 64 DS, serving the same role that they had in the original game. However, additional Bob-omb Buddies have been placed in the courses that can either help Mario and his allies by giving the locations of the eight Red Coins in whatever level they are in, or detect the three caps that the player can use to transform into other players. Bob-omb Buddies have updated designs in this game. They wear shoes, unlike the Bob-omb Buddies in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. They also have little fuses that are hard to see on their caps. In addition, Bob-omb Buddies appear in several minigames in this game.

New Super Mario Bros.Edit

In New Super Mario Bros., Bob-omb Buddies appear in a number of minigames, including Sort or 'Splode and Danger, Bob-omb! Danger!, some of which were carried over from Super Mario 64 DS. They are also known in this game as red Bob-ombs.

Super Mario Galaxy 2Edit

 
Mario near a Bob-omb Buddy in Super Mario Galaxy 2

Bob-omb Buddies reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Their only appearance in a galaxy is in the Throwback Galaxy, where they give Mario information. In the first mission, Return of the Whomp King, they ask Mario to defeat the Whomp King for them. Later on in the second and third missions, Silver Stars in the Whomp Fortress and Whomp Silver Star Speed Run, respectively, one Bob-omb Buddy hides five Silver Stars around the fortress, and Mario has to go find them. One of the Bob-omb Buddies mentions that Mario looks familiar, referencing Super Mario 64 and its remake. This happens even with Luigi.

One Bob-omb Buddy makes an additional appearance on Starship Mario, standing on a stump after Mario completes the first mission in the Throwback Galaxy. He asks if Mario has ever been to a Secret World, which is later revealed to be World S.

Super Mario-kunEdit

Main article: Red Bob-omb (character)
 
Red Bob-omb in Super Mario-kun.

In the Super Mario 64 arc in Super Mario-kun, which extends between Volume 15 and Volume 19, Mario is accompanied by a Bob-omb Buddy simply named Red Bob-omb. Unlike in the game, he has a mouth, arms, and can explode on command, like the Bob-omb companions from the Paper Mario series.

Mario Party seriesEdit

Mario PartyEdit

Bob-omb Buddies (known in-game as Red Bob-ombs) appear in the Wario's Battle Canyon board in Mario Party. Like Black Bob-ombs, they blast the player off in a cannon. If the player lands on a Happening Space, they will move the cannons to a different direction. In this game, they are colored red instead of pink.

Mario Party 2Edit

Bob-omb Buddies (known simply as Aliens) appear in Mystery Land in Mario Party 2. In this game, they are extraterrestrials. They warp the player to another location. They are also seen in the end, where one is turned back from a statue to an alien by the Superstar.

Mario Party 3Edit

Bob-omb Buddies appear as background characters in the second course of Dizzy Dinghies in Mario Party 3.

Mario Party AdvanceEdit

Main article: Bob-omba

In Mario Party Advance, a Bob-omb Buddy localized in English as "Bob-omba" appears.

Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)Edit

In the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf, a Bob-omb Buddy operates a cannon that launches the player to Peach's Castle.

Mario TennisEdit

 
A Bob-omb Buddy in the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis

Several Bob-omb Buddies can be found along the ends of certain courts in the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis, along with the standard Bob-ombs, and will explode if a tennis ball goes through them. In the Game Boy Color version, a Bob-omb Buddy can be seen inside the castle in Mario World during the story mode of the Mario Tour, standing at the entrance to Peach's Castle and telling the player which way to go to return to the world below.

Super Smash Bros. UltimateEdit

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a Bob-omb Buddy is part of the spirit for Starship Mario.

GalleryEdit

Names in other languagesEdit

The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media they are associated with in the "notes" column.

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese あかいボムへい[3]
Akai Bomuhei
Red Bob-omb
あかいボムへい[4][5]
Akai Bomuhei
あかボムへい[6][7]:158
Aka Bomuhei
赤ボムへい[8][7]:85
Aka Bomuhei
Chinese (simplified) 红色炸弹兵[9]
Hóngsè Zhàdànbīng
Red Bob-omb
Chinese (traditional) 红炸弹兵[10]
Hóng Zhàdànbīng
Red Bob-omb
French Bob-omb rose[11][12] Pink Bob-omb
Gentil Bob-omb[13] Friendly Bob-omb Super Mario 64
Bob-Omb rose[14] Pink Bob-Omb
German Bob-omb Buddy[15] -
Buddy[16][17] Super Mario 64
Italian Buon-omba[18][19] Portmanteau of buono ("good") and Bob-omba ("Bob-omb")
Bob-omb Buddy[20] - Mario Party
Korean 빨간 폭탄병[21]
Ppalgan Pogtanbyeong
Red Bob-omb
Spanish (NOA) Bomba rosa[22] Pink bomb
Spanish (NOE) Bob-omb rojo[23] Red Bob-omb
Bomba rosa[24] Pink bomb Super Mario 64

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Course 2 - Star 3: Shoot in the Wild Blue. Nintendo: Super Mario 64 Strategy. Archived June 10, 1998, 06:42:56 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  2. ^ February 2005. Nintendo Power Volume 188. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 77.
  3. ^ 『え』のなかのせかいにはクッパが ぬすんだパワースターがある。まずは、あかいボムへいにはなしかけてみるといい!」("In the world inside the "picture," there is a Power Star that Bowser stole. First, try talking to the red-colored Bob-omb!") – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (23 Jun. 1996). Super Mario 64 by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese).
  4. ^ Motoyama, Kazuki (6 Nov. 1996). Super Mario 64 1, Super Mario, vol. 36. Kodansha (Japanese). Page 7.
  5. ^ 1997. 『スーパーマリオ64 振動パック対応バージョン 取扱説明書』 (PDF). Kyoto: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 18.
  6. ^ Naoto, Yamamoto, Takashima Toshihiro, Sone Takeshi, Murata Norio, and Yamada Masahiko, editors (12 Jul. 1996). 『スーパーマリオ64ファンタスティックこうりゃくブック』. Tokuma Shoten (Japanese). Page 4. (Archived 20 Jul. 2023 via Gaming Alexandria.) Supplemental for Famimaga 64, no. 1.
  7. ^ a b Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8.
  8. ^ Takashi, Watanabe, Noriko Oketani, Yugo Nagasawa, and Junichiro Okubo, editors (1996). 『任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオ64』(Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario 64). Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-102554-4. Page 5.
  9. ^ 2003. 神游马力欧. iQue (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 22 May 2024. (Archived October 14, 2023, 22:33:42 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  10. ^ 红炸弹兵⋯不会爆炸吧?!我可不想跟那家伙一起爆炸!」("Bob-omb Buddies... won't explode?! I don't want to explode with that guy!") – Lubba after "Return of the Whomp King" (4 Dec. 2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 by Nintendo EAD Tokyo. Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd.Games (Traditional Chinese). (Archived 19 Feb. 2025 via Bilibili by Chill_Leung.)
  11. ^ "Mais où est Mario ? Parle d'abord au gentil Bob-omb rose." – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (11 Mar. 2005). Super Mario 64 DS by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French).
  12. ^ "Pas de Bob-omb rose colérique sur ce rafiot!" – Lubba after "Return of the Whomp King" (11 Jun. 2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 by Nintendo EAD Tokyo. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French). (Archived 20 Aug. 2023 via YouTube by Xivra_7.)
  13. ^ "Vous trouverez dans les mondes au milieu des tableaux les étoiles que Bowser a dérobées... Tout d'abord, parlez au gentil Bob-omb (appuyez sur [B] pour parler)." – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (1 Mar. 1997). Super Mario 64 by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French).
  14. ^ Huyghues-Lacour, Alain, and Jean-Pierre Labro, editors (1997). "Super Mario 64" in le Nintendo Magazine officiel, no. 1. Emap-Alpha (French). Page 83.
  15. ^ "Wo ist Mario? Sprich als Erstes den Bob-omb Buddy an." – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (11 Mar. 2005). Super Mario 64 DS by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German).
  16. ^ "Die von Bowser erbeuteten Power-Sterne findest Du in den Wandgemälden. Sprich zuerst mit Buddy, der rosa Bombe." – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (1 Mar. 1997). Super Mario 64 by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German).
  17. ^ Kraft, John D., Thomas Görg, and Marko Hein, editors (1997). Der offizielle Nintendo 64 Spieleberater "Super Mario 64". Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 6.
  18. ^ "Dov'è Mario? Parla con una Buon-omba." – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (11 Mar. 2005). Super Mario 64 DS by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian).
  19. ^ "Non vogliamo Buon-ombe arrabbiate su quest'astronave!" – Lubba after "Return of the Whomp King" (11 Jun. 2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 by Nintendo EAD Tokyo. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). (Archived 23 May 2017 via YouTube by Axios00.)
  20. ^ 1998. Mario Party Instruction Booklet / Spielanleitung / mode d'emploi / Handleiding / Manual de Instrucciones / Libretto di Istruzioni. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian). Page 133.
  21. ^ "마리오는 어디있지?우선 빨간 폭탄병에게 말을 걸어보자!!" ("Where is Mario? First, let's talk to the Red Bob-omb!!") – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (26 Jul. 2007). Super Mario 64 DS by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Korea Co., Ltd. (Korean).
  22. ^ Rodriguez, Gustavo, and José Sierra, editorial directors (1997). "Super Mario 64" in Club Nintendo, yr. 6, no. 1. Productos y Equipos Internacionales, Editorial Samra (Mexican Spanish). Page 65.
  23. ^ "¿Y dónde está Mario? Antes de nada, habla con el Bob-omb rojo." – Lakitu Bros. during "Big Bob-omb on the Summit" (11 Mar. 2005). Super Mario 64 DS by Nintendo EAD. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish).
  24. ^ Guías Nintendo (2007). Shoot into the wild blue (Lanzado hacia el cielo). Guía Super Mario 64 (European Spanish). (Archived April 18, 2024, 11:54:05 UTC via Wayback Machine.)