Bob-omb

"AY-O! What're you doing bringing hazardous materials aboard?! You just better make sure he stays calm! I don't want an angry Bob-omb on this ship!"

- Lubba

Bob-ombs are living, moving mechanical bombs with eyes, feet, and a wind-up key in the back. They are generic enemies who first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, and have appeared in nearly every Mario game since then. Their appearance, intelligence, and status in relation to Mario differ widely from game to game. They are usually either a blue or black color, but some variations are pink or red. They will also flash red and sometimes make beeping sounds if they are about to explode. A common misreading of their name is "Bomb-omb", but they are not called this in any official Mario game.

Super Mario Bros. 2
Bob-ombs first appeared in the Mario series in the game Super Mario Bros. 2, where they are a semi-common enemy that worked for the tyrannical frog Wart. They are often dropped from the sky by the vulture-like Albatosses. After landing, they would walk around for a while before exploding, doing damage to anyone nearby. However, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach were also able to pick up, carry and throw the Bob-ombs (however the Bob-omb will explode after a short time of being held). Some Bob-ombs could be found (instead of Vegetables or Coins) when a red tuft of grass was pulled up. If this happens, the player must throw the Bob-omb away before it explodes in their hands. An interesting feature of these Bob-ombs is the fact that they have arms, which are useless.

In the Japanese version, Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, these Bob-ombs are known as "Bobs," meaning they are slightly different from the Bomhei (Bob-ombs) of later games.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Bob-ombs appeared again in Super Mario Bros. 3. Here, if Mario stomped on one, it would become stationary and capable of being carried. However, it would explode in a few seconds, even if Mario was carrying it. Also, they lack the arms of the prequel. Some are found walking, while others are shot from cannons. Unlike the walking Bob-ombs, the ones that are shot from cannons lack wind up keys, are purple instead of blue in remakes, and can explode without being stomped first. They also walk slightly faster. Originally, Bob-ombs were black in this game, but remakes changed them to blue.

Super Mario World
Bob-ombs can once again be seen working for Bowser in Super Mario World. In this game, Bob-ombs walk quickly back and forth before they flash pink and then explode. Like Goombas and Green Koopas, they fall off edges instead of changing direction before they fall off, as Red Koopas do. If Mario or Luigi jump on the Bob-omb before it explodes, it will become stationary and lifeless, and can even be picked up with no danger until it explodes in the user's hands. The same thing also happens if one of them hits it with a Cape. Some Bob-ombs will also appear floating in bubbles. These bombs will resume their normal activities if the bubble is popped by a touch from the player. The bubble-encased Bob-ombs only appear in one level; Forest of Illusion 3.

When Yoshi eats a Bob-omb in this game, he will simply swallow it, like most other enemies. If stomped on, it will instantly be destroyed, and cannot be used as a weapon. Yoshi is also able to eat the bubble-covered Bob-ombs.

Mario and Luigi can also enter a Warp Pipe while carrying a Bob-omb. However, once this has been done, the Bob-omb will not detonate for the remainder of the level.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
Bob-ombs are common enemies in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. They first appear in Bob-omb Battlefield. Bob-omb attack patterns in this game are different and more aggressive than before. When a Bob-omb spots Mario, Luigi, Wario, or Yoshi, the Bob-omb will light their fuse and then rush towards the hero from behind, so that when it explodes it will damage the character. If the Bob-omb gives chase and the hero can run from it for a while, it will explode and no harm would be done to the character. The Bob-ombs can be beaten simply by circling behind them, picking them up, and throwing them. Kicking the bombs are equally effective. When they hit the ground they will promptly explode, away from the hero. Then, they would leave behind a coin for the player to get. A pink sub-species of Bob-ombs called Bob-omb Buddies also appear in the game. Unlike other Bob-ombs, they are on Mario's side. They open cannons and, exclusively in DS, can detect red coins. A strange purple species of Bob-ombs named Chuckyas also appear. In the DS version only, Bob-ombs also appear when a character hits a red ? Block without his cap on. They would also appear in a ? Block if the Power Flower would help him get the star (such as in Snowman's Land, where if Mario hits the ? Block closest to the snowman, a Bob-omb will fall). Explosions caused by the bombs can also damage enemies within its blast. Lastly, the boss of Bob-omb Battlefield is a giant Bob-omb, appropriately named Big Bob-omb. In DS, he can throw normal Bob-ombs. Bob-ombs are one of the only enemies in these two games to reappear sometime after they got defeated.

Super Mario Sunshine
Bob-ombs also appear in Super Mario Sunshine, but much differently than in any other game. They are black orbs with a digital interface. After a certain amount of time, the "eyes" will start a countdown from three, exploding at zero. But, if Mario sprays them with F.L.U.D.D. they will turn blue and freeze, and can then be picked up and thrown by Mario. They will, however, still explode in this form.

They appear in three areas: first in Pinna Park and later in Noki Bay. Both times, they are under the control of Monty Mole, who throws the bombs from his tank once Mario gets too close for the mole to shoot Bullet Bills. To defeat the Monty, the player must spray water on the Bob-ombs and then pick them up and throw them at the tank. The player must do this three times, and the Monty Mole will be defeated. The third time they appear is in "Episode 5: King Boo Down Below" of Sirena Beach. They would sometimes appear when King Boo spins the slots to the enemy pictures.

New Super Mario Bros.
Bob-ombs reappear in New Super Mario Bros.. They act as they do in Super Mario Bros. 3 by walking back and forth, and if Mario stomps them, they will become stationary and explode after a few seconds. Before they explode, Mario can pick them up and throw them. Their explosions are able to destroy almost all types of blocks, even able to access Star Coins. They appear in Worlds 4-5 and 7-5, and in the battle with Monty Tank in World 6-Castle.

Super Mario Galaxy
Bob-ombs later appear in Super Mario Galaxy. Here, they come out of the Bob-omb Dispensers in the ground. They appear in two different varieties: ones that have legs and can walk around, which are less common, and ones that do not have legs and do not move on their own. If the ones that walk see Mario, they will start chasing him and then soon explode, similar to the ones in Super Mario 64. Mario can pick the stationary Bob-ombs up by simply touching them; however, the ones that walk have to be hit with a spin first. When picked up, the Bob-ombs will start to light up and flash, and must be thrown with another shake of the Wii Remote before they explode. They can be used to destroy many things, including cages and Chomps. However, the explosions Bob-ombs make can still hurt Mario. The fuse on the Bob-omb only lasts for ten seconds.

The Bob-ombs are used prominently in two Bob-omb Blasting mini-games: one in the Battlerock Galaxy and one in the Dreadnought Galaxy. They are used when a Gearmo asks Mario to get rid of a bunch of trash piles for him. It must be done within a time limit of thirty seconds, however, and the prize for winning is a Power Star.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Bob-ombs once again make an appearance as generic enemies in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In this game, they usually endlessly spawn from warp pipes, and walk around aimlessly, until they explode. They make their first appearance in the World 3 Castle. In this game, their fuse would be lit if they were hit by a fireball coming from either Fire Mario or a Venus Fire Trap, and they instantly explode if they hit lava or a flame from a Rocket Engine.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Bob-ombs re-appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where they act the same way as they did in Super Mario Galaxy. However, only the ones with legs appear in this game. The Bob-omb Buddies also make an appearance in the Throwback Galaxy, where they continued to be allies of Mario.

Super Mario 3D Land
Bob-ombs appear in Super Mario 3D Land. Like in most 3D Mario games, contact with Bob-ombs won't harm Mario. Stomping on one makes it stop chasing Mario and hides it's legs, and then it will explode. Shooting a Bob-omb with a fireball will make it explode immediately. Due to the Super Leaves being blown all across the Mushroom Kingdom, a new kind of Bob-omb called a Tail Bob-omb appears in this game. Rocky Wrenches may sometimes throw Bob-ombs instead of wrenches in some of the levels.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Bob-ombs reappear again in New Super Mario Bros. 2, where they will act the same way as in previous games. Para Bob-ombs also appear in various levels.

Super Mario Bros. film
In the live action movie Super Mario Bros., a Bob-omb appears after Mario and Luigi escape the de-evolution chamber. As they are fleeing from Koopa's Goombas, Luigi notices that some fungus appears to be offering them the explosive, but Mario drags him away before he can accept it. Later, after they leave the Boom Boom Bar, the fungus again offers them the Bob-omb.

While facing Koopa on the catwalk, Mario pulls out the Bob-omb, which causes mass amounts of panic amongst the city's inhabitants. Realizing the power the object possesses, he winds up the key and places it on the ground, but before it can get to Koopa, it falls through a crack in the ground. However, unbeknownst to the both of them, the Bob-omb continues its journey after it falls. It walks through the lower section of the city, up a wall, and along the underside of the catwalk, detonating right underneath Koopa as Mario and Luigi are blasting him with Devolution Guns.

The appearance of the Bob-omb is similar to that in the games, though there are some differences. For instance, the wind-up key appears on the side rather than on its back, and its eyes are smaller and more circular than their in-game appearances. Additionally, when Mario places the bomb on the ground, it walks like a wind-up toy. Additionally, it should be noted that, before the Bob-omb explodes from underneath Koopa, the Reebok brand name can be seen on the underside of its feet.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Bob-ombs also appeared in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, where they first appeared in Moleville Mines. Here, they are mere enemies roaming around Moleville's local mining mountain, although they are featured quite prominently in the battle with Punchinello. In said battle, Punchinello would summon three Bob-omb-type enemies (including the new subspecies Micro Bombs and Mezzo Bombs) for every three defeated, each getting larger and more powerful every "stage" or Punchinello's remaining health. Towards the end of his battle, a seemingly insane Punchinello tried his Bob-omb-summoning act one more time by creating a huge Bob-omb, although this piece of ammunition only ended up squishing him and allowing Mario and his party to collect the Star Piece he was guarding and save Dyna and Mite Mole. In battle, Bob-ombs had average stats and no special attacks, however, when threatened, they could explode in a kamikaze attempt to cause one ally a lot of damage. Later in Super Mario RPG, a stronger, purple shoe-clad variety of Bob-omb appeared in Booster Tower.

Yoshi's Story
Bob-ombs first appearance chronologically was Yoshi's Story. Bob-ombs appear during level 5-4: Shy Guy's Ship where they are fired by Pirate Guy ships' cannons. They also appear during Yoshi's battle with Baby Bowser at the end of the game, where Baby Bowser would attack the hero by throwing Bob-ombs at him from the back of his large green "pet". Yoshi could actually use these Bob-ombs against him, by licking them up and throwing them at the ceiling of the room, causing large stalactites from the ceiling to fall onto Baby Bowser, eventually knocking him off the back of his pet so that Yoshi could battle him hand-to-hand.

In this game, Bob-ombs are treated more like items than actual enemies.

Game & Watch series
Bob-ombs have made a decent number of appearances in the Game & Watch Gallery titles. The way they operated, however, differs between titles.

A Bob-omb may pop out of an egg in Game & Watch Gallery ' s remake of Fire. If a Bob-omb makes it to the carriage, it explodes inside it, and causes the Mario Bros. and the patients to flee; this results in a miss.

In Game & Watch Gallery 2 ' s version of Parachute, a Bob-omb may be fired from the cannon. Mario has to avoid getting it, or else he is forced into the water, where a Boss Bass is lurking. The player gets a miss if this occurs.

They also appear in the remake of Ball. In this game, getting a Bob-omb results in an instant Game Over.

A Bob-omb also appears in Game & Watch Gallery 3 ' s Egg. If Yoshi eats one, the player gets a miss, regardless of whether Mario is present or not.

In Game & Watch Gallery 4, Bob-ombs once again appear in Fire, retaining their role from the remake in the first game. They also appear in Fire Attack, where they attempt to destroy Wario's statue.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Bob-ombs appeared in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. They appear out of small cannon-like objects, then walk away from Mario. When they notice him, they start flashing and will eventually stop walking and explode. They can be picked up to destroy a certain type of block, and are the only means of attacking Donkey Kong in the Twilight City DK battle.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Mechanical versions of Bob-ombs, Mini Bob-ombs, made small appearances in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. They only appeared in the mini-games. When building with the Special Kit 3, fish-like Mini Bob-ombs can be used as enemies. They swim in water, and when they detect Mini Donkey Kong, they float upside down above the water and explode after a while.

Super Smash Bros. series
Bob-ombs are common items found in the Super Smash Bros. series, being a dangerous and destructive weapon, able to blow up everything on its reach. They can be picked up and thrown at other characters to create an explosion, thus, inflicting great damage on the player, or also knocking them out instantly. However, if they stay on the ground long enough, they will stand and walk around the stage by themselves and eventually stop and remain in their current spot to explode after. During Sudden Death, Bob-ombs will appear and fall on the stage, blowing anyone randomly in case the event takes a long time.

Paper Mario
Bob-ombs appear both as allies and enemies in Paper Mario. A few can first be found in Koopa Village. These Bob-ombs explained to Mario and his partners that they had been kidnapped and enslaved by the Koopa Bros.. When Mario reaches the Koopa Bros. Fortress he finds (and is attacked by) several Bob-ombs employed by Bowser. These Bob-ombs have two basic attacks: the first is simply to ram themselves into Mario, and the other is to light themselves, walk up to Mario, and explode right next to him. It appears that Bob-ombs can explode at will and as many times as they want outside of battle.

Mario later falls into a prison full of Bob-omb rebels. Mario manages to free the remainder of the enslaved Bob-ombs, one of which is a pink female Bob-omb named Bombette who joins his party. Some Bob-ombs in this game are shown to be able to explode, and then simply regenerate themselves. Also notable, only Bob-ombs that are allies of Mario can do this.

It is also notable that during the credit roll, four Bob-ombs show out a hand, indicating that Bob-ombs do have arms, only visible when used. Also it shows that Bob-ombs can be different colors other than the normal black(enemy) and pink (See Bob-omb Buddy). Such colors are the red and green bombs which are both friendly and can be talked to in Koopa Village. It also shows that only colored Bob-ombs are nice whereas black ones are all enemies.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Bob-ombs were rare enemies in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. A group of them called the Bob-omb Squad (led by Master Crash) can first be encountered in Glitzville. Later on Bob-ombs may be fought in the Pit of 100 Trials. Their battle tactics in this game are completely unchanged from their Paper Mario strategies.

Although Bob-ombs, as enemies, are rare in this game, Bob-ombs are commonly found in Rogueport, most of them sailors. A large group of peaceful Bob-ombs live in the Fahr Outpost, where they are the main inhabitants of the region. Most of these Bob-ombs are actually allies of Mario. In fact, again, a Bob-omb becomes one of Mario's partners. The Bob-omb is also used during Mario's ride to the Moon with the Giant Cannon. When they all explode, the cannon fires.

The Bob-omb sub-species Bulky Bob-omb and Bob-ulk is introduced in this game.

Super Paper Mario
This is the only game in the Paper Mario series where Bob-ombs make little to no appearances. In fact, the only Bob-ombs that are featured in the game at all are Bombette and Bobbery from the previous titles, which appear as Catch Cards. They also appear very briefly at the beginning of the game, where they, along with the other partners from the previous games, are in photographs at Mario's house.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Bob-ombs are semi-common enemies in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Their attack pattern is similar to that of the Paper Mario Bob-ombs; however, they also have the power to defuse themselves at will. If a Bob-omb spots Mario or Luigi, it will light its fuse and begin to run around frantically, initiating battle if touched. When defeated, the Bob-ombs in this game occasionally drop a Red Pepper.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Bob-ombs next chronological appearance is in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Here they are found in Gritzy Desert. They would do a simple ram to attack the Mario Bros. but may sometimes trick them by running toward one Bro. then looking the other way and attacking the opposite bro. After they got hit at least 23 damage, they would do a suicidal attack by either trying to ram a hero by exploding or one where it goes to both bros. and they have to be hammered away before it exploded on one of them. A new sub-species of Bob-omb is in this game, called Lethal Bob-omb. Also, a large Shroob version, called Shroob-omb, was used by Commander Shroob in the fight against him.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Bob-ombs make a reappearance in the game Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Bowser first discovers Bob-ombs in his castle. They appeared to be rounded up in a cage by Fawful and were abandoned. When Bowser frees the Bob-ombs, he gains a new attack called Bob-omb Blitz. Also, in Bowser's Castle, Bob-ombs are found inside of the Jailgoon suits aside from Goombas in others. Bob-ombs also make a second appearance when Mario and Luigi fight Junker. Bob-ombs are one of the enemies that may appear when Junker empties out a Junker Can. Also, after turning thin again, Bowser starts literally burning fat, and the fire lights several bins filled with Bob-ombs, and the explosion blasts Bowser all the way into the Underground Tunnel. They are also present in the underground of Bowser's Castle and near the roof of Peach's Castle, being obstacles that the brothers and Bowser must pass by leaping over them. Bob-ombs also appear out of the rocks held by Pendrils when they are smashed with a hammer as Mario and Luigi. In addition, during the Blizzard Midbus battle, there is a lone Bob-omb sticking out of the massive snowball he uses to attack. Bowser must punch this so as to avoid having the snowball rolled into him, as well as damaging Blizzard Midbus once done. When his health is halved, he occasionally covers it. Bob-ombs are also among the enemies used by Dark Bowser after being healed by Fawful; they must be deflected by punching them, causing them to explode and defeat any enemies within the blast radius.

Three new species of Bob-ombs are also introduced: Fawful Bob-ombs when fighting the Tower of Yikk in Blubble Lake as giant Bowser, Alarm Bob-omb fought in Fawful's castle, and Dark Fawful Bombs as rare enemies that are held by Dark Fawful Guys in Fawful's castle.

Super Princess Peach
Bob-ombs also appear in Super Princess Peach. Here, they acted exactly as they are supposed to. If Peach jumped on one of them or grabbed one with Perry, it would start their fuse and explode after a period of time. Bob-ombs are needed to defeat Bowser in his giant form (by using Perry to pick them up and hit them in Bowser's face). Other species of the Bob-omb under the Vibe Scepter's spell are the Glad Bob-omb and Glad Parabomb.

Mario Baseball series
Bob-ombs appear in Mario Superstar Baseball. Where they only appear in the mini-games Bob-omb Derby, where the player must hit the Bob-ombs into the air for various points, and in Piranha Panic, the player can throw one at a Piranha Plant to earn three points.

In Mario Super Sluggers, they are used as items on the outfields in the game. They also return in the mini-games Bob-omb Derby and Piranha Panic as well as the new ones, Ghost K and Bowser Pinball. In addition, Wario's Star Swing involves him pulling out a Bob-omb and hitting it towards the field. In the ending movie, Bob-ombs are blasted out of a batting cage in Mario Stadium where Mario and Donkey Kong blast them into the air and they explode into fireworks.

Mario Kart series
Bob-omb (sometimes referred to as simply Bomb) is a special item used in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. They belong exclusively to Wario and Waluigi, as well as Petey Piranha and King Boo (the two having access to all special items). If this item is thrown backwards, it explodes after three seconds. When thrown forwards, the Bob-omb waits until another driver veers near it and explodes by them. In Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7, the Bob-omb is a regular item. In Mario Kart 7, once the Bob-omb is thrown, it will follow the nearest character and explode under a limited time.

In Mario Kart 64, there are Mini Bomb Karts which resemble Bob-ombs. Additionally, both Mario Kart Wii and Double Dash!! have some courses that include Bomb-Cars, which are similar to Mini Bomb Karts and very similar to Bob-ombs.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! also includes a battle mode called "Bob-omb Blast". Characters acquire nothing but Bob-ombs from the Item Boxes, and can carry up to five Bob-ombs at a time. Once thrown, the Bob-ombs explode as soon as they hit the ground and damage anyone in the blast radius except for the person who threw the Bob-omb (the Bob-ombs and their explosions are colour-coded to match the players).

Mario Party series
Bob-ombs are featured throughout the Mario Party games, mostly being featured in mini-games.

Mario Party
On the original Mario Party's board Wario's Battle Canyon, the Bob-ombs and Bob-omb Buddies are fighting; it is the players' goal to collect stars and end the struggle. The two Bob-omb species also serve as the players' method of transportation between each area; in one part of every area (minus the center) on the board, there are Bob-ombs and Bob-omb Buddies manning cannons. They launch the players to another part of the board for ten coins. At the end of each game on the board, it shows the Bob-ombs and Bob-omb Buddies have made peace.

The four-player minigame Hot Bob-omb has the players tossing a Bob-omb amongst each other until it explodes; the player with the Bob-omb at that moment loses. The players also use a Bob-omb as the ball in the minigame Bombsketball.

Mario Party 2
Mario Party 2 features Bob-ombs in Mystery Land. By paying ten coins at one of the Bob-omb-shaped shrines, a Bob-omb UFO takes the player to another section of the board. Additionally, at the end of the board, the treasure turns out to be a Bob-omb Buddy, who is warped aboard a spaceship with other Bob-omb Buddies.

A Bob-omb is also one of the four racers in Day at the Races. It runs fast, but occasionally trips and falls over. Hot Bob-omb from the first game is also present in Mario Party 2.

Mario Party 3
In Mario Party 3, Bob-ombs appear as one of the partners in Duel Mode, as well as being Wario's default partner. Its health and attack are both one, and its salary is three coins. When attacking, they bypass the opponent's partners and attack them directly, but they can only attack once.

Bob-ombs are also featured in the minigame Crowd Control, in which the picture can be of a Bob-omb, meaning that the crowd on the picture is composed of them. When they leave over time and when the minigame is over, they detonate one by one.

Mario Party 4
Bob-ombs are only present in three minigames in Mario Party 4. The first is Reverse-a-Bomb, in which the players must attempt to reverse the flow of the conveyer belts so that the Bob-ombs on them travel to the other team. The second is Bob-omb X-ing, in which the player must dodge the Bob-ombs walking into the intersection for as long as possible. Finally, they appear in Bob-omb Breakers, in which they occasionally appear. Surrounding a Bob-omb by other blocks results in it exploding and destroying all the blocks around it, giving the player points.

Mario Party 5
The Bob-omb Capsule is among the capsules the player can obtain in Mario Party 5. It must be landed on or passed three times to activate it, and the opponent does so loses twenty coins. Additionally, in Super Duel Mode, two of the possible vehicle parts are Bob-omb Cannon and Bob-omb Wall.

In Dodge Bomb, the player's objective toss Bob-ombs at the other players while avoiding ones tossed by them. They are also present watching the players play Defuse or Lose.

Mario Party 6
The Bob-omb Orb reappears for Mario Party 6. However, its effect changes from the previous game. It is now a roadblock orb; whenever an opponent passes by one, it detonates and reduces the number of spaces they have left to travel in half.

Some of the possible cards in the minigame Odd Card Out are of Bob-ombs. They may also be found in the minigame Treasure Trawlers. If a player pulls up a Bob-omb, it explodes and temporarily stuns them. Bob-ombs can also be found in the boxes in Money Belt; opening a box with one results in the player being stunned. The player may also send Bob-ombs after the other three in the minigame Shoot Yer Mouth Off.

Mario Party 7
The Bob-omb Orb once again appears in Mario Party 7, though exclusive to the board Pagoda Peak and having its effect changed again. This time, whenever a player lands on it, the Bob-omb explodes, sending them to a lower space. On the board Neon Heights, a Bob-omb is in one of the chests that the player can open. Picking the chest containing it sends the player back to the start. One of the possible Bowser Time events on Grand Canal also involves Bob-ombs; they are used to destroy the bridges, which are replaced with new ones that have only Bowser Spaces.

The minigame La Bomba involves the single player trying to drop Bob-ombs down onto the ground to eliminate the other three when they detonate. They are also among the cards present in Cardinal Rule. The eight-player minigame Bob-ombic Plague features the players throwing a Bob-omb back and forth until it detonates on three of them, similar to Hot Bob-omb from Mario Party 2.

Mario Party Advance
In Mario Party Advance, many Bob-ombs, led by the Big Bob-omb, have the job of protecting Shroom City as the Bob-omb Mafia, their base being in the basement of the Mushroom Condo. Two individual Bob-ombs also appear: A Bob-omb Buddy named Bob-omba, and a regular Bob-omb that goes by its species name.

Bob-omb appears at Bob-omb Avenue in Shroom City's Town Area. He is a member of the Bob-omb Mafia. His quest involves the player trying to guess the password for their gang by heading to Junk, the item shop, and getting the password from Paratroopa by buying a Bob-omb action figure. Once the password is obtained and recited to Bob-omb, he rewards the player with the Gaddget Shroom Slide. The ending states that he became the leader of the Bob-omb Mafia after Big Bob-omb retires.

They also appear in the minigame Bob-OOOM!, which involves using Bob-ombs to destroy Bowser statues.

Mario Party 8
Bob-ombs only appear in minigames in Mario Party 8. In Cardiators, a Bob-omb is one of the possible cards the player can select; it falls into the opponent's hands and explodes, dealing five damage. The minigame Bob-ombs Away involves three players attempting to drop Bob-ombs down onto the single player. A Bob-omb is also among the racers in the extra minigame Moped Mayhem.

Mario Party DS
In Mario Party DS, Bob-ombs appear in the minigame Goomba Wrangler. Collecting one results in the player losing several of the Goombas he or she has collected. Additionally, they also appear in the minigame Bob-omb Breakers, being a port of the minigame from Mario Party 4.

Mario Party 9
Bob-ombs once again return in Mario Party 9. They are featured in Bob-omb Factory, where a Bob-omb occasionally lands on the player's vehicle and detonates after traveling ten spaces. The captain at the time of the explosion loses half of their Mini Stars.

Bob-ombs are also featured in the minigames Bomb Barge and Bombard King Bob-omb. In the former, Bob-ombs continuously fall onto the player's raft. Players must avoid them or be stunned temporarily. In the latter, players must choose a Bob-omb to lob at King Bob-omb. In Logger Heads, the Whittle ocasionally puts Bob-ombs onto the tree stump, and they explodes when hit, stunning the players who aren't protected.

Mario Sports Mix
In Mario Sports Mix, Bob-ombs make a return as an item from the ? Panel. Also, the party game Bob-omb Dodge involves players trying to avoid the explosions that the Bob-ombs made from the cannons. They tend to vary in size.

The Legend of Zelda series
Bob-ombs have even appeared in various Legend of Zelda games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. If Link strikes them with his sword once, they will run frantically around the room in a diagonal pattern, ricocheting off of walls and objects until they explode. If Link manages to strike them again, they will stop moving and explode.

Appearance
Bob-ombs have always resembled bombs with a few differences. The main difference is that they have white eyes, feet, and (usually unseen) arms. They are traditionally colored black, but they can also be seen in red, blue, or even green. In most games, they feature wind-up keys on their backs and fuses, though these are lacking in a few old games. Curiously, in Super Mario Bros. 2 and during the Paper Mario ending parade, Bob-ombs are shown to have arms. In some games Bob-ombs are seen to have yellowy-orange feet and legs but others in Super Mario Sunshine have feet resembling that of a windup toy.

Allegiance and Culture
Bob-ombs are usually affiliated with the Koopa Troop and it is assumed that they take orders from Big Bob-omb, one of Bowser's high ranking minions. Whether Big Bob-omb is the true king of all Bob-ombs is never explained. In recent years, the games have introduced peaceful Bob-omb communities that have no affiliation with Bowser what-so-ever, and their homeland in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is known as Fahr Outpost, an isolated town located in a far-off icy land. The town is ruled by a Mayor, and all Bob-ombs take orders from him or General White. These Bob-ombs are generally peaceful, but seem to dislike outsiders and prefer to keep to themselves. However, by the end of the game they become more welcoming. It is to be noted that the Fahr Outpost Bob-ombs' culture seems to resemble that of Russia, from the clothing right down to the accents.

Also, in more than a few instances, Bob-ombs were often depicted warring each other, with it often being split between Bob-omb Buddies and Black Bob-ombs.

Roles
Bob-ombs served multiple roles in various games. In their most common appearances, they are enemies who explode upon being irritated, although they sometimes chase after Mario upon seeing him, exploding in a few seconds. Bob-ombs can also be used as weapons, particularly in the Mario Kart series and Super Smash Bros. series. Bob-ombs are also involved in several Mini-games in the Mario Party series.

The first time a Bob-omb is friendly is in Super Mario 64 (DS), when Pink Bob-ombs help Mario by opening cannons. They later appear as friendly (though some are also enemies) in the Paper Mario series. Although they are not actually Bob-ombs, but Bob-omb Buddies.

Bob-ombs also have been used as items in several Mario sports titles. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! they were Wario and Waluigi's signature item. When thrown, they would stand still for a moment before exploding, throwing any nearby drivers into the air. If the radius is fading, it is a spinout. In Mushroom City and Mushroom Bridge, Bob-omb cars could be seen and if a player accidentally drives into it, it will explode like the Bob-ombs that Wario and Waluigi use as Special Items. In Mario Kart DS, Bob-ombs return in a similar fashion as they did in Double Dash!!, but this time it can be used by any character, instead of being a special one. Curiously, in the remake version of Mushroom Bridge, Bob-omb cars do not appear. The Bob-ombs also return in Mario Kart Wii as a regular item and an obstacle in Moonview Highway as a Bob-omb Car.

In Super Mario Strikers and its sequel, Mario Strikers Charged, Bob-ombs are items, and they do almost the same as they did in the Mario Kart series. Here, Bob-ombs can be obtained alone or in a set of three. Also, a larger form of a Bob-omb, called a Giant Bob-omb, sometimes appears, acting like a normal Bob-omb, but its explosion radius is roughly four times larger, plus it sends out a shockwave, harming anyone near it. In Mario Power Tennis, the Bob-ombs appear as an item in the minigame Chain-Chomp Challenge, and are also part of the audience in the Wario Factory Court.

Sub-Species

 * Bulky Bob-omb: A much stronger Bob-omb. After four turns it will explode. Appears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
 * Bob-ulk: The strongest Bob-omb. After four turns it will explode. Also appears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
 * Bob-omb Buddy: A friendly type of bob-omb that will open cannons for Mario in Super Mario 64.
 * Kab-omb: A Bob-omb that can be ignited, exploding into fireworks. Appears in New Super Mario Bros.
 * King Bomb: A large Bob-omb summoned by Punchinello and Magikoopa in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
 * Para-bomb: Parachuting Bob-ombs first appearing in Super Mario World.
 * Glad Parabomb: Very happy parachuting Bob-ombs appearing in Super Princess Peach.
 * Glad Bob-omb: Bob-ombs under the spell of the Vibe Scepter from Super Princess Peach.
 * Rob-omb A Bob-omb with purple shoes from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
 * Lethal Bob-omb: A highly volatile and dangerous variety of Bob-omb from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
 * Shroob-omb: A very large Bob-omb utilized by Commander Shroob in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
 * Dark Fawful Bomb: A giant, dark star-influenced Bob-omb that appears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
 * Alarm Bob-omb: A Bob-omb in an armored suit that will explode if you breathe fire on it. Appears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

Notable Bob-ombs

 * Admiral Bobbery - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Big Bob-omb - ''Super Mario 64
 * Bombette - ''Paper Mario
 * Bomberto - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Bruce - ''Paper Mario
 * Fahr Outpost Mayor - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * General White - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Goldbob - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Jerry - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Lucky - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Master Crash - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Pa-Patch - ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door