Item of the Week #9

Dark Seraphim · 01-16-2010, 01:34 PM

Bob-omb

First Appearance: Super Mario Bros 2 (NES, 1988)
Latest Appearance: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii, 2009)

Another half-character/half-item to showcase, this week with the explosive and temperamental Bob-ombs, featured first in the standard Mario Franchise storyline, but have since appeared in nearly every Mario game since, whether it be main storyline or spin-off.

In accordance with normal items, or even intelligent items, Bob-ombs have a varying degree of their actual intellectual capacity, their motivations, their alliances, and even their invulnerability. Having first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, Bob-ombs are in fact one of the "black sheep" enemies, much like Birdo and Shyguy, that started as an enemy on another franchise only to be adopted over due to that translation. Bob-ombs normally share the same design, a black spherical body, with little white eyes, feet with no arms, with a fuse at the top of their head and (usually) a wind-up key on their back, their design basically an anthropomorphic generic bomb with possible robotic/wind-up toy tendencies. However in some games their design is altered, sometimes slightly, such in Super Mario 64 when their normal fuse is replaced with a bolt, or in Super Mario Sunshine where the Bomb-ombs get a major overhaul in concept, now showing digital faces and wind-up toy legs, their key now on the top of their heads.

As items their uses range from an projectile weapon against enemy, normally by stomping on their heads to disable their feet and then lobbing them at whatever target you choose before they explode, to simple demolitions, giving Mario and Luigi the chance to knock down weak walls to help them progress in whatever adventure their currently in. As enemies Bob-ombs show show very aggressive actions, once they spot a target they will light their fuse and rush after their enemy, chasing them until they finally self-destruct, hoping to take the unfortunate opponent with them.

Strangely, when acting as allies, its not uncommon to see Bob-ombs refrain from exploding at all, such as in Super Mario 64 with the pink Bob-ombs, or even having the ability to explode and simply come back out of no where, as in Paper Mario with Bombette, who appears to explode upwards, and then drop back down again, meaning this species of Bob-ombs may explode more like rocket engines, able to launch themselves in a flash of flames, as opposed to the typical self-destruct fashion from normal, enemy Bob-ombs.

FUN FACT: Bob-ombs have not only appeared in the Mario Franchise, but have shown up a few times in the Legend of Zelda series as well, specifically in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.

In general, despite the risk, Bob-ombs have shown themselves to be useful as enemies, items, or allies, and with their constant appearances in the Mario franchise, its pretty safe to say we'll be seeing more of them in the future.

Item of the week #1: Hammer
Item of the week #2: Boo Mushroom
Item of the week #3: Metal Cap
Item of the week #4: Tanooki Suit
Item of the week #5: Ice Flower
Item of the week #6: Thunderbolt
Item of the week #7: Coconut Gun
Item of the week #8: F.L.U.D.D.

01-16-2010, 01:34 PM	#1
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	Item of the Week #9 Bob-omb First Appearance: Super Mario Bros 2 (NES, 1988) Latest Appearance: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii, 2009) Another half-character/half-item to showcase, this week with the explosive and temperamental Bob-ombs, featured first in the standard Mario Franchise storyline, but have since appeared in nearly every Mario game since, whether it be main storyline or spin-off. In accordance with normal items, or even intelligent items, Bob-ombs have a varying degree of their actual intellectual capacity, their motivations, their alliances, and even their invulnerability. Having first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, Bob-ombs are in fact one of the "black sheep" enemies, much like Birdo and Shyguy, that started as an enemy on another franchise only to be adopted over due to that translation. Bob-ombs normally share the same design, a black spherical body, with little white eyes, feet with no arms, with a fuse at the top of their head and (usually) a wind-up key on their back, their design basically an anthropomorphic generic bomb with possible robotic/wind-up toy tendencies. However in some games their design is altered, sometimes slightly, such in Super Mario 64 when their normal fuse is replaced with a bolt, or in Super Mario Sunshine where the Bomb-ombs get a major overhaul in concept, now showing digital faces and wind-up toy legs, their key now on the top of their heads. As items their uses range from an projectile weapon against enemy, normally by stomping on their heads to disable their feet and then lobbing them at whatever target you choose before they explode, to simple demolitions, giving Mario and Luigi the chance to knock down weak walls to help them progress in whatever adventure their currently in. As enemies Bob-ombs show show very aggressive actions, once they spot a target they will light their fuse and rush after their enemy, chasing them until they finally self-destruct, hoping to take the unfortunate opponent with them. Strangely, when acting as allies, its not uncommon to see Bob-ombs refrain from exploding at all, such as in Super Mario 64 with the pink Bob-ombs, or even having the ability to explode and simply come back out of no where, as in Paper Mario with Bombette, who appears to explode upwards, and then drop back down again, meaning this species of Bob-ombs may explode more like rocket engines, able to launch themselves in a flash of flames, as opposed to the typical self-destruct fashion from normal, enemy Bob-ombs. FUN FACT: Bob-ombs have not only appeared in the Mario Franchise, but have shown up a few times in the Legend of Zelda series as well, specifically in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. In general, despite the risk, Bob-ombs have shown themselves to be useful as enemies, items, or allies, and with their constant appearances in the Mario franchise, its pretty safe to say we'll be seeing more of them in the future. Item of the week #1: Hammer Item of the week #2: Boo Mushroom Item of the week #3: Metal Cap Item of the week #4: Tanooki Suit Item of the week #5: Ice Flower Item of the week #6: Thunderbolt Item of the week #7: Coconut Gun Item of the week #8: F.L.U.D.D. Last edited by Dark Seraphim; 01-16-2010 at 03:01 PM.