Bomb (obstacle)


 * This article is about obstacles. For mass produced badniks, see Bomb (Badnik) and the Knuckles' Chaotix character of the same name, see Bomb (Knuckles' Chaotix).

Bombs (爆弾), also called Mines or Obstacles (障害物), are hazardous, mid-air floating obstacles, which are seen in numerous games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Touching these obstacles with a playable character will cause them to explode instantly and inflicting damage on the player, resulting in the loss of a shield, Rings or a life if not protected, and/or slow the player's movements down.

The bombs are first seen in the original Sonic the Hedgehog and have made numerous appearances in almost every game in the series since then. While the appearance of these obstacles has been different in almost each game, their purpose is similar to the spikes and spiked balls, which is to inflict environmental damage to the reckless player. While having similarities comparing to spiked balls, they do share small differences.

Description
The bombs are usually found in the games' playable levels where serve the purpose of complicating the player's progress. They are located in numerous places where they can either be blocking the player's path or be hidden from the player's view until they can hit him/her. They can be set on numerous pathways of the different zones or even Special Stages, where they have been place in specific formations that makes it more difficult for the player to pass through without touching them. Many bosses and different enemies from several games are seen using bombs as their weapons too.

The bombs' appearance and size have varied between the different games. In some games, bombs and spiked balls are closely similar in appearance to each other and share numerous features; both obstacles are known to be spiky, black or dark grey colored, and floating in groups. In most cases however, bombs are small or medium-sized, where spiked balls can be large and spinning in one place. In recent games, both obstacles have been separated more clearly.

In several different games, most of them being spin-offs, the bombs have also been useful items. These bombs are not exploding, until the playable character has been dropped then or thrown them into enemy target.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
THe bombs made their first appearance in the original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog,where they had a completely identical look to the spiked balls on the seesaws in Star Light Zone. During the boss battle in this zone,  Doctor Robotnik will drop bombs on seesaws from his Eggmobile that has small pipe attachment. These bombs will start flashing for several seconds after being dropped down, before exploding and releasing small red projectiles that will fly everywhere, similar to badnik with same name. The player can use these bombs to either send them flying back into the Eggmoblie by using seesaws, or to send Sonic up into the air to reach the Eggmobile by using to shift the seesaw.

In the 8-bit version of the game with same name, Robotnik is seen dropping exploding balls during the encounter at Jungle Zone Act 3. These balls keep moving around the vine until it explodes and Robotnik drops another one. In 8-bit variation of Scrap Brain Zone, Ball Hog badniks are also dropping exploding balls to the player's face.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, bombs are featured most of the time in Special Stages, where the player has to avoid them. In these stages, the bombs are black spheres with white spikes around them and red center lines and orb on the middle of it. Touching one will cause them to explode, which will make the player lose 10 Rings and cause Sonic/Tails to fishtail for a second. Bombs in these stages are usually arranged in strings, but they can also be arranged as large Rings in midair, which the player has to jump through without touching them.

In the boss encounter at Casino Night Zone Act 2, Robotnik will drop small spiky bombs from his Eggmobile if the player run past him below, which will then explode and release two small projectiles. During the boss battle with the Death Egg Robot, if the player goes behind the large robot, it will launch small Robotnik-looking robot bombs, which will explode after standing for while.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD
In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, bombs have been different in each of boss encounters of the game. Robotnik's pinball attachment at Collision Chaos can drop flashing blue bombs from the bottom hatch, which apparently don't hurt Sonic while exploding his face, but can annoyingly change the flying course of him while trying to reach the machine on pinball arena. When Sonic gets stuck to Robotnik's conveyor belt trap in Quartz Quadrant, the doctor himself on safe place starts dropping mines to on the player, which after crashing to the ground will separate to four smaller spiked balls. The player has to stay on the right place and run below the ceiling attachment, that drops the mine.

Sonic Drift games
In both Sonic Drift games, Doctor Eggman has the special ability to toss mines while racing on his Egg Typhoon after getting two rings from the race track. If these mines are touched by racing opponents, they will lose ring and rotate around the racing track for while. In Sonic Drift 2, Fang the Sniper is known to drop yellow oil ball from his Marvelous Queen, that only make opponents spin around for while. Sonic Drift 2 also has separated black item box called Kirai Box, that contains one mine. By pressing up on D-pad will drop the mine, which has similar effect like Eggman's own mines.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and it's add-on continuation Sonic & Knuckles, bombs are more less featured. The large battleship (which can be Flying Battery) at the end of Angel Island Zone Act 2 will drop flat bomb missiles from ship's bottom tubes into running playable character, as the player has to keep running straight forward without getting hurt. Egg Robo is seen dropping two different kinds of bombs during the Knuckles' storyline in the end of Launch Base Zone and one at the beginning cutsecne, that is only seen in Sonic & Knuckles alone. Both of these bombs are seen to have Eggman's face on it.

At the boss encounter for Sonic and Tails in Lava Reef Zone Act 2, Hot Mobile can blow out magma-resistant mines to the high air and will drop down in near distance. These spiked mines however, will transported through the lava flow towards mobile, while the player has to keep avoiding them while jumping from platform to another. In the end, all mines will crash to Hot Mobile, which after eight hits gets defeated.