Bob-omb



A Bob-omb is a species of living bomb, featured in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. Bob-ombs are mostly black, but in some games they will flash red when about to explode. Some Bob-ombs have wind-up keys on their backs, while others don't. The Bob-ombs are used as weapons in Mario Kart, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and Super Mario Strikers, and are Waluigi's weapon of choice. Their appearance, intelligence, and ally/enemy status differs widely from game-to-game. (For example, in Super Mario Bros. 3 they were mindless explosives, but in Paper Mario and Paper Mario 2, some were sentient and civilized.

Appearances
Bob-ombs were first introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2, where its general habits (walk around for a while, then explode) were made clear. Some were also hidden in the ground, and would explode roughly 2 seconds after being pulled out. Super Mario Bros. 2 was the only game in which Bob-ombs had arms.

Bob-omb was the only enemy from Super Mario Bros. 2 to be featured in Super Mario Bros. 3. In this game, the Bob-ombs had wind-up keys on their backs. If the key was attacked, they would explode after a few seconds. If not, they would wander peacefully back and forth. Like Koopa Troopas, they could also be carried and tossed when knocked out. In later worlds, cannons on tanks and ships continuously spawned them in great quanities.

Bob-ombs, and their more powerful counterparts, Rob-ombs, also appeared in Super Mario RPG, and were the subject of many mini-games in the Mario Party series, such as Bob-omb Barrage, Bob-omb Breakers, Reverse-a-Bomb, and Hot Bob-omb.

In Super Mario 64, the pink Bob-omb Buddies were introduced in painting world Bob-omb Battlefield. The Bob-omb Buddies were at war with the normal, black Bob-ombs, and instantly allied themselves with Mario when he appeared. Bob-omb buddies were capable of speech and helped Mario by providing cannons for him. The evil black Bob-ombs either tried to chase Mario down and explode when they saw him, or they manned cannons and shot water balls at him. Mario could pick the Bob-ombs up and throw them, but they would explode if they are held too long. The game's first boss was the Big Bob-omb, also known as the King Bob-omb, who sported a golden crown and an enormous moustache. He appeared again in Super Mario 64 DS. The black Bob-ombs had no wind-up keys in the original Super Mario 64, but that was changed once Super Mario 64 DS was made.

In Paper Mario, a pink Bob-omb named Bombette joined Mario and assisted him by blowing up cracks in walls. The sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, also featured a Bob-omb partner, named Admiral Bobbery. The other Bob-ombs helped Mario reach the X-Nauts' moon base by launching him out of a giant cannon. The game also introduced a large enemy Bob-omb known as Bulky Bob-omb (and the more powerful counterpart, Bob-ulk). If not defeated quickly, they would explode and deal a lot of damage (obviously at the expense of their own HP).

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Bob-omb could be fought on the seashore of the Beanbean Kingdom, and in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Bob-omb reappears along with Lethal Bob-omb, a more powerful version. On Star Hill, in the boss battle against Commander Shroob, his fellow Support Shroobs tote around a giant purple Bob-omb with Shroob eyes called Shroob-omb. If the Mario Bros. get struck by it when the Shroobs toss it at them, or if it rolls at them if the middle or back Support Shroob is left, another one is brought in.

In Super Mario World, some Bob-Ombs parachute from the sky or float around inside bubbles.

Bob-ombs have also appeared in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where golf balls impacting on a Bob-omb cause it to explode, sending the ball out in the opposite direction. They also have appeared in Super Smash Bros., Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS, Super Mario Strikers, and the Mario Party series as items. In Super Mario Sunshine, the Bob-omb returns for a few episodes as a weapon of Monty Mole, receiving a tune-up with a more mechanical look, including the wind-up key and simplistic feet. Their traditional face is replaced by a digital display, which will do a countdown from three when it is about to explode.

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 you strike them with your sword once, they will run frantically around the room in a diagonal pattern, ricocheting off of walls and objects until they explode. If you manage to strike them again, they stop moving and explode.

The Bob-omb also appeared in the Super Mario Bros film. Unlike its gaming counterpart, it was not sentient and would only move if wound up. It could also walk up walls and was immensely more powerful than in the games (so much so that the mere sight of a Bob-omb caused mass panic and even made King Koopa duck and cover). In an obvious display of product placement, Bob-omb's feet were festooned with Reebok shoes, visible for a split second before he exploded.

Big Bob-omb
"The baron of all blasting matter, the king of ka-booms the world over" as he describes himself, Big Bob-omb, or King Bob-omb as he is also known, appeared in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, both times as a boss. He resembles a normal Bob-omb, but he had arms, a golden crown and an enormous white moustache. He fights by grabbing Mario and throwing him off the mountain top they fight on. Mario (or Luigi or Wario in SM64DS) must use this tactic against him, and grab him from behind and throw him on the mountain, but throw him off and he will acuse you of cheating. When Yoshi first challenges him, he can't be thrown so he instead throws Bob-ombs at the dinosaur, which have to be spat back. He made cameo appearances in the nuemerous Mario Party games, notably in Mario Party Advance, where he reveals himself to be the leader of a Bob-omb mafia, which defends Shroom City. He also is the boss of a set of missions in Mario Kart DS, where you must hurl Bob-ombs from a kart at him. He also made a cameo appearance in the minigame "Bob-omb Derby" in Mario Superstar Baseball as a Bob-omb you have to hit for points. Hitting him will earn you several extra bonus points.

Pink Bob-omb
The pink bob-omb was first introduced in Super Mario 64. They are sometimes referred to as Bob-omb Buddy, as they did not harm Mario in anyway, but instead helped him open up cannons to reach high places. In Super Mario 64 DS, some may also show you the location of the red coins in the lower touchscreen. They also appear in a mini game called Sort or â€˜Splode. These pink bob-ombs are always at war with the common black bob-ombs. Paper Mario features a pink bob-omb named Bombette who joins Mario in his quest for the Seven Star Spirits.

Sub-Species

 * Bulky Bob-omb: A much stronger Bob-Omb. After 4 turns it will explode. The power of their bomb attack is 8.


 * Bob-ulk: The strongest Bob-Omb. After 4 turns it will explode. The power of their bomb attack is 16!


 * 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.


 * Para-bomb: Parachuting Bob-ombs


 * Bubble Bob-omb: A Bob-omb trapped in a bubble


 * Rob-omb A Bob-omb with purple shoes from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Mario Party
In Mario Party, Bob-ombs play a large role on the Wario's Battlefield Board by firing characters in cannons. They return in Mario Party 3 continuing to assist Wario as his partner.

Bob-omb's allegience to Wario may be more or less a reference to one of Wario's games, which featured Bomberman. Bomberman is Hudson's mascot. Hudson was a company that assisted with the Mario Party series.

Notable Bob-Ombs

 * Admiral Bobbery - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Big Bob-omb - Super Mario 64
 * Bombette - Paper Mario
 * 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

Paper Mario Stats and Tattle Information

 * HP: 3
 * Attack: 1
 * Defense: 0
 * Location: Koopa Bros. Fortress
 * Tattle: Bob-ombs are pretty temperamental, and they get steaming mad when you attack 'em. You'd better not Jump on 'em when they're angry or they'll blow up in your face. In fact, stay away entirely. Attack 'em from a distance with items like Hammers. Or you could send in other things, like shells. If they attack when angry, they'll charge in and explode. So you'd better take care of them before they blow!

Regular Bob-Omb

 * HP: 4
 * Attack: 2
 * Defense: 1
 * Locations: Glitzville, Pit of 100 Trials (Levels 21-29)
 * Tattle Number: 86
 * Tattle Log: A round bomb soldier that gets furious when damaged and attacks by charging and then exploding.
 * Tattle: That's a Bob-omb. It attacks by blowing itself up.  Yeah.  Reeeeeeeal smart. A Bob-omb will get totally mad if you damage it.  They have like, super-short fuses. When it gets mad, it'll charge and explode on its next turn.  THAT attack... really hurts. Oh, and if it's mad, it'll blow up at the slightest contact.  So don't attack directly! Attack it from a step away with a hammer or hit it with something hard, like a shell.

Bulky Bob-omb

 * HP: 6
 * Attack: 2
 * Defense: 1
 * Locations: Pirate's Grotto, Pit of 100 Trials (Levels 31-39)
 * Tattle Number: 87
 * Tattle Log: A big pink Bob-omb that explodes after 4 turns. That explosion is big, so take it out before then.
 * Tattle: That's a Bulky Bob-omb. I think it's like other Bob-ombs... but it's huge! It's weird... It never attacks, but once its fuse is lit, it'll blow up on its own eventually. I don't mind it taking itself out of the battle, but that explosion hurts us, too! Oh, and when it powers up, that Attack power is 8, so watch out! Fire and explosions light its fuse, so I guess setting it off early is one strategy... You can run, too, but if you're gonna fight, beat it before it goes off!

Bob-ulk

 * HP: 10
 * Attack: 4
 * Defense: 2
 * Locations: Pit of 100 Trials (Levels 91-99)
 * Tattle Number: 88
 * Tattle Log: A really, really big Bob-omb that explodes after 4 turns. Take it out before then or you'll be peeling your lips off the ceiling!
 * Tattle: That's a Bob-ulk. That's... easily the biggest Bob-omb I've ever seen! It won't attack, but once its fuse is lit, it'll explode after a while. So the problem is... how to beat it before it goes off. I mean, its bomb attack has a power of 16!  That's no joke.  Seriously, watch out for that. Just go all out to beat it.  Pull out all the stops. Or you could just set it off early with fire or explosions. Your call.