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Bomb rock

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Artwork of the bomb rock.
Artwork of a bomb rock, from New Play Control! Pikmin.

To do: Point down how long the bombs take to explode, in all games. (Keep in mind EU Pikmin is slower, and that it is possible for bombs to have a different timer.)
Care to do so?

Bomb rocks (バクダン岩?, lit.: "Bomb rock"; formatted as bomb-rocks prior to Pikmin 3 and as Bomb Rocks in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4) are explosive rocks in the Pikmin games. Upon being activated, a bomb rock's fuse starts going down (represented by a colored wheel in the first two games), and when it reaches zero, the bomb causes a violent explosion, capable of damaging enemies, leaders, some obstacles, and knocking back and subsequently killing any Pikmin.

How they work has changed, in some fashion, in every entry. In the first and third games, they can be carried by Pikmin, but only by Yellow Pikmin in the former. In Pikmin 2, they are much larger and serve as obstacles instead of tools, with the exception being on the 2-Player Battle stage Hostile Territory, where they can be picked up and thrown by leaders. They can also appear as items in 2-Player Battle and Bingo Battle. In Pikmin 4 they're instead an item used by leaders and can be either found in the field or bought from Russ for 8 raw materials per bomb rock after accumulating a total of 3000 Sparklium. In the side story Olimar's Shipwreck Tale, bomb rocks are similarly found scattered around the four areas, and Olimar gains additional bomb rocks as bonuses for recovering 2 and then 13 ship parts.

Visually, they look like round rocks with cracks in them, where a yellow and red energy-based flow can be seen. Their sizes span from being a bit smaller than a Pikmin (Pikmin) to being larger than a leader (Pikmin 2); Pikmin 3's size is an in-between of the two other games' sizes. Bomb rocks in the New Play Control version are bigger than the ones in the GameCube version (the latter are the size of a Pikmin).

The explosions can trigger a chain reaction if they hit other bomb rocks. In Pikmin, a bomb-rock explosion will instantly make all bomb-rocks in the vicinity explode. In Pikmin 2, a bomb-rock that gets hit from another's explosion will initiate its countdown, so the chain reaction is rather slow. In Pikmin 3, an explosion triggers a neighboring bomb's explosion in around half a second, resulting in quite a fast chain of explosions.

Uses[edit]

A bomb rock exploding in Pikmin 2.
A bomb-rock exploding in Pikmin 2.

Bomb rocks can be used in a number of beneficial ways.

Destroying obstacles[edit]

In Pikmin, Pikmin 3, and Pikmin 4, there are some reinforced walls that cannot be destroyed with Pikmin attacks like other types of gate. Instead, bomb rocks must be placed, activated, and detonated near them in order to slowly destroy them. Bomb rocks can also be used to destroy other gates, though, although some types are immune. Finally, they can be used to destroy certain other obstacles and objects:

Harming enemies[edit]

To do: Finish the list for Pikmin and Pikmin 2.
Care to do so?

If a bomb rock explodes near an enemy, it will damage it, depending on the creature's vulnerabilities. Some enemies can also swallow bomb rocks, to suffer even greater damage once they explode inside. To swallow one, an enemy either has to be coaxed into eating a bomb rock lying on the ground, or chomp a bomb rock-carrying Pikmin, depending on the enemy. In Pikmin, the carrier Pikmin will also be eaten and killed, but in Pikmin 3, it merely gets tossed aside while the enemy swallows the isolated bomb rock instead. Similarly, in Pikmin 4, if the player's character holds a bomb rock applicable enemies will eat it without affecting the character at all.

The following enemies can eat bomb rocks:

The Emperor Bulblax reacts to bomb rocks in a different way, in that if they explode on its tongue or inside of it, they will stun it for some time.

Other uses[edit]

  • Bomb rocks in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4 can be used to instantly unearth buried fruit, treasure and Onions.
  • Candypop Buds that take in Pikmin carrying bomb rocks in Pikmin 3 will shrivel and die right afterwards. This is not the case in Pikmin 4 as they will spew it out; this also happens with Ice Blasts and Trackonators.

As obstacles[edit]

In Pikmin 2, bomb rocks cannot be carried by Pikmin, but can be set off by attacking them. They can also spontaneously fall from the ceiling and instantly activate, and are also produced by Careening Dirigibugs. Volatile Dweevils carry bomb rocks on their backs, presumably for protection, even though they themselves are killed in the blast. Throwing a Purple Pikmin onto a bomb rock will cause a near-instant detonation, which will likely kill the Pikmin.

Bomb rocks can even be petrified to pause their timer, so one should do that if in peril, but they will not release nectar or spray like many beasts do if destroyed in that state. Petrifying an inactive bomb rock will also activate it once it breaks free. When petrified, one can be safely destroyed with five leader punches or a few Pikmin smacks. Finally, petrifying a bomb rock in the same moment it is going to blow up will make it disappear without harm.[1]

Despite being obstacles and hard to control, bomb rocks in Pikmin 2 can also be used to one's advantage, with the aforementioned uses. Fixed-location bomb rocks are less exploitable, but enemies that can generate bomb rock explosions can be abused more easily. For instance, one can have a Careening Dirigibug destroy an electrical wire without Pikmin having to be involved.

In Pikmin 4 bomb rocks are usually a tool but are rarely used as obstacles, mainly with Skutterchucks and Venom Dweevils in the Engulfed Castle, though any type of Dweevil can weild bomb rocks. In case of Dweevils they are spawned on top of them and function like Volatile Dweevils, but in the case of Skutterchucks bomb rocks are spawned around the enemy for them to pick up, but if you're quick about it you can take the bomb rock before the Skutterchuck picks it up.

In Hey! Pikmin[edit]

Bomb rocks can be found in several areas and function like in the main games. The timer starts ticking when a thrown bomb rock Pikmin hits the ground, and explodes after five seconds. A Pikmin holding a bomb rock can't climb up vines and will start running around in disarray if Olimar does; the bomb rock is also removed as a standby Pikmin option. However, if Olimar climbs down a vine, the Pikmin will remain on the same spot and remain an option until Olimar gets off the vine. Bomb rocks can clear harder material that Rock Pikmin can't, and are used in the fight against the Fiery Blowhog in Blazing Winds.

Controlling[edit]

Pikmin[edit]

A Yellow Pikmin holds a bomb rock.
Artwork of a Yellow Pikmin holding a bomb rock.

The controls when dealing with bomb-rock yielding Yellow Pikmin are a bit complex, and varies slightly depending on the console.

GameCube[edit]

In the GameCube version of the game, throwing a Pikmin with a bomb-rock will make it stay on the spot, but primed to use the bomb. It is possible to see that the Pikmin is not idle because its stem doesn't glow and its color doesn't become paler. If an enemy is close, the Pikmin will step back and throw the bomb rock at it. In this state, when called back using the whistle, they'll drop and activate the bomb, and run towards Olimar. If, however, the player wants the Pikmin to join the party without dropping and activating the bomb, they must have Olimar touch the Pikmin directly. Dismissing will cause these Pikmin to go to their own group, but will actually become idle, as seen by their color and stem. In this state, they will no longer activate their bomb when whistled.

Wii and Switch[edit]

In the New Play Control! version and Nintendo Switch version, switching to a different Pikmin while holding one (i.e. pressing the B Button on the Wii Remote when holding the A Button on the Wii Remote) will treat Yellow Pikmin as being different from bomb rock-holding Yellow Pikmin. In addition, Pikmin no longer use the bomb when called to the group, regardless of scenario.

All versions[edit]

Pikmin holding bomb-rocks will not interact with objects when swarming, and when called to the yellow Onion, Pikmin yielding bomb rocks will drop the explosives on the ground without igniting them.

Curiously, when a Yellow Pikmin actively uses a bomb-rock on something (i.e. dropping it near a reinforced wall or throwing it at an enemy), nearby idle Pikmin will rejoin Olimar in order to avoid the blast. However, if a Yellow Pikmin drops its bomb-rock via Olimar's whistle, idle Pikmin near the bomb-rock will not rejoin Olimar.

Pikmin 2[edit]

In the 2-Player Battle stage Hostile Territory, bomb-rocks can be picked up and thrown by a leader, which can be used to defeat enemies, or deal a serious blow to the opponent's Pikmin count. To perform this, one merely needs to run into a bomb rock for around one second, at which point it'll be picked up. Players can then press the A Button on the GameCube controller / the A Button on the Wii Remote to throw it (the distance is around twice as far as the reach of the GameCube game's cursor), or the B Button on the GameCube controller / the B Button on the Wii Remote to drop it in place. In both cases, the bomb-rock will be activated. In every other point in the game where bomb-rocks are found, they can be activated by being attacked, provoked (in the case of Volatile Dweevils), or dropped (in the case of Careening Dirigibugs).

Pikmin 3[edit]

Controlling the way Pikmin behave with bomb rocks is much simpler in this game compared to Pikmin – a Pikmin will always keep hold of its bomb until said Pikmin is thrown, in which case it will drop the rock exactly where it landed, and run back to the group with a cry. When dismissed, any bomb rock-wielding Pikmin will separate from the group of their type, making it easier to get only the bombers. Pikmin with bomb rocks still cannot interact with other objects, not even by charging. In order to coax an enemy into eating a bomb rock, there should be a Pikmin idling with one nearby. When the enemy tries to eat that Pikmin, the Pikmin will be knocked back and the beast will eat the explosive instead. Despite appearances, bomb rocks are also unaffected by water.

Pikmin 4[edit]

In Pikmin 4, bomb rocks are a pack item carried by the player. The player character and Oatchi can throw bomb rocks like how they would throw a Pikmin. Thus, they do not require Pikmin to operate like in previous games, but Pikmin can be thrown at bomb rocks found on the floor to get them to bring the object back to the player. Pikmin 4 also introduces an ice variant, the Ice Blast, which freezes instead of dealing damage. In this game, if certain enemies bite a leader when they are holding either type of bomb rock, the enemy will swallow the bomb rock and be stunned instead of damaging the leader. Bomb rocks can also be thrown at enemies in the Piklopedia.

Hey! Pikmin[edit]

When a Pikmin picks up a bomb rock, it will join Olimar's squad and be treated as a separate type of Pikmin from the other types. If bomb rock Pikmin are the selected type, throwing one will make it drop the bomb where it lands, and it will then walk back to Olimar during the bomb's countdown timer. There is no other way for a bomb rock Pikmin to drop its bomb, apart from dying, which will make the bomb explode.

Locations[edit]

Pikmin[edit]

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin.
Particularly: Put in the rest of the bomb rock totals for each place that they are found.

Bomb rocks are usually found inside tin cans, pipes, or large animal skulls.

Story mode
Challenge Mode

Pikmin 2[edit]

Story mode
Challenge Mode
2-Player Battle
  • Hostile Territory: Many bomb rocks are littered here. Interestingly, leaders can pick up bomb rocks and use them.

Note: a Volatile Dweevil can appear in any 2-player stage as a roulette item.

Pikmin 3[edit]

Story Mode
  • Tropical Wilds: Bomb rocks are common here. They are found in the following locations:
    • 2 are found directly west of the landing site, inside of a dirt mound.
    • 2 are found near the waterfall to the east of the landing site, inside of a dirt mound, and 1 is found exposed next to them.
    • 3 are found in the northern section of the Shaggy Long Legs arena, inside of a dirt mound.
    • 3 are found in the cave containing a Medusal Slurker that holds a Juicy Gaggle, inside of various eggs.
  • Garden of Hope: There are no bomb rocks in the area.
  • Distant Tundra: A pile of 10 bomb rocks is found within a cave filled with Dwarf Bulbears, Fiery Blowhogs, and one Spotty Bulbear. They are intended to help defeat the Bulbear, but can cause a devastating explosion due to the amount of bomb rocks in the pile.
  • Twilight River: Four are found on top of a can near the Puffy Blowhog, but they require either Yellow Pikmin or Winged Pikmin to reach them due to their height.
  • Formidable Oak: Three are found in a dirt mound enclosed by a crystal wall near the start of the cave complex. Another three are located in another dirt mound, this one behind a dirt wall in the portion of the first room that contains the fragments.
Collect Treasures!
Battle Enemies!

Pikmin 4[edit]

Hey! Pikmin[edit]

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin.
Particularly: Add all locations where bomb rocks can be found.

Badges[edit]

In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, there is a badge the player can gain from using a bomb rock:

  • Blast Radius: Defeat three creatures with a bomb rock.

Glitches[edit]

To do: Elaborate and add to the glitches article.
Care to do so?

In places where a bomb rock falls near Mitites, such as sublevel 6 of Bulblax Kingdom, there is a chance of it being launched back into the air if it lands on one, landing somewhere else on the level.

In Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin will sometimes fail to pick up bomb rocks, and will instead perform their "picking up" animation repeatedly. Whistling them and having them try it again is usually enough to fix the issue.

In Pikmin 3, bomb rocks immediately explode if crushed by a Yellow Wollywog. If a Yellow Wollywog lands on a bomb rock that has been thrown but has not yet exploded, the bomb rock will prematurely explode, but the light effects of the about-to-explode bomb rock will continue to play as usual. This is a purely visual bug and does not affect gameplay in any way.

Technical information[edit]

In Pikmin 2, bomb rocks cause 500 points of damage. While the values for Pikmin are not exactly known, observation indicates that the bombs are just as strong. In Pikmin 3, each enemy has data that specifies how much damage the bomb explosions cause – specifically, each enemy has data on how many bomb rock explosions are required to kill it, as well as how many bomb rock ingestions.

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name bomb
Global properties (List)
ID Japanese comment Property Value
s000 friction(not used) Friction 0.5
s001 wallReflection Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?) 0.5
s002 faceDirAdjust Unknown 0.25
s003 accel Acceleration 0.1
s004 bounceFactor Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) 0.3
fp00 ライフ HP 4.5
fp01 マップとの当り Unknown (related to slopes) 25
fp02 ダメージスケールXZ Horizontal damage scale 0.2
fp03 ダメージスケールY Vertical damage scale 0.25
fp04 ダメージフレーム Damage scale duration 0.35
fp05 質量 Unknown (weight?) 0.5
fp06 速度 Move speed 30
fp08 回転速度率 Rotation acceleration 0.1
fp09 テリトリー Territory radius 300
fp10 ホーム範囲 "Home" radius 30
fp11 プライベート距離 "Private" radius 30
fp12 視界距離 Sight radius 700
fp13 視界角度 FOV 180
fp14 探索距離 Unknown (exploration radius?) 0
fp15 探索角度 Unknown (exploration angle?) 0
fp16 振り払い率 Successful shake rate 1
fp17 振り払い力 Shake knockback 0
fp18 振り払いダメージ Shake damage 0
fp19 振り払い範囲 Shake range 0
fp20 攻撃可能範囲 Unknown (shock attack max range?) 30
fp21 攻撃可能角度 Unknown (shock attack max angle?) 15
fp22 攻撃ヒット範囲 Unknown (attack hit range?) 90
fp23 攻撃ヒット角度 Unknown (attack hit angle?) 15
fp24 攻撃力 Attack damage 10
fp25 視界高 Unknown (height visibility?) 50
fp26 探索高 Unknown (exploration height?) 0
fp27 ライフの高さ HP wheel height 35
fp28 回転最大速度 Rotation speed 10
fp29 警戒時間 Unknown (warning time?) 0
fp30 警戒ライフ Unknown 0
fp31 ライフ回復率 Regeneration rate 0
fp32 LOD半径 Off-camera radius 25
fp33 マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 Collision processing radius 25
fp34 ピクミンとのあたり Pikmin damage radius 25
fp35 石化時間 Petrification duration 1
fp36 ヒップドロップダメージ Purple Pikmin drop damage 10
fp37 地震気絶確立 Purple Pikmin stun chance 0 (0%)
fp38 地震気絶時間 Purple Pikmin stun time 10
ip01 振り払い打撃A Shake mode 1 – hit count 1
ip02 振り払い張付1 Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement 1
ip03 振り払い打撃B Shake mode 2 – hit count 2
ip04 振り払い張付2 Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement 2
ip05 振り払い打撃C Shake mode 3 – hit count 5
ip06 振り払い張付3 Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement 3
ip07 振り払い打撃D Shake mode 4 – hit count 10
Specific properties
ID Japanese comment Property Value
fp01 敵へのダメージ Enemy damage 500
fp02 爆風範囲高さ+- Unknown (vertical explosion radius?) 50
ip01 ダメージリミット Unknown (max damage multiplier?) 1
ip02 誘爆リミット Unknown 15

Gallery[edit]

Pikmin[edit]

Pikmin 2[edit]

Pikmin 3[edit]

Pikmin 4[edit]

Hey! Pikmin[edit]

Other[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • It is suggested that Red and Blue Pikmin could once carry bomb rocks along with the Yellow Pikmin in the original Pikmin, as seen in some unused files. All Pikmin gained this ability in Pikmin 3.
  • If a Pikmin is holding a bomb rock when it is called to the Onion, it will leave it beneath the Onion's pillar of light.
  • Bomb rocks in Pikmin shrink and disappear if they touch the water. This can be seen on The Forest Navel where, on the southernmost point of the map, there is a tube with bomb rocks. If Olimar lies down next to the one outside the tube, closest to the water, he will begin sliding towards the lake and drag the bomb rock with him.
  • In Pikmin 2, if a bomb rock in a cluster of bomb rocks explodes off-screen, it will not activate the others. This is because off-camera objects have special behaviors.
  • Bomb rocks' visually resemble real-life cypress cones.
  • Pikmin holding bomb rocks in Pikmin 3 will not roll when dodging, but will walk faster to keep up with the dodge.
  • In Pikmin 3, if a Pikmin is already under the effect of another hazard (such as electricity), it can't get killed by an explosion.
  • Bomb rocks are larger in size in the New Play Control! Pikmin release of the first game, compared to the GameCube original.
  • In Pikmin 3, if a bomb rock spawns on a sloped surface, such as in Layout B of Sandbox Kingdom, it will normally remain stationary until picked up. However, if another bomb rock explosion occurs anywhere in the vicinity, the bomb rock on the slope will mysteriously become affected by gravity and will roll down the slope.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Flag of Japan Japanese バクダン岩?
Bakudan iwa
Bomb rock
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
炸彈岩
Zhàdàn yán
Bomb rock
Flag of China Chinese
(simplified)
炸弹岩
Zhàdàn yán
Bomb rock
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Bomrots Bomb rock
Flag of France French Bombe-roc Rock-bomb
Flag of Germany German Steinbombe Stone bomb
Flag of Italy Italian Roccia bomba Bomb rock
Flag of South Korea Korean 폭탄바위
pogtanbawi
Bomb rock
Flag of Brazil Portuguese (NoA) Pedra-bomba Bomb-stone
Flag of Portugal Portuguese (NoE) Pedra bomba
Rocha-bomba
Bomb stone
Bomb-rock
Name taken from the New Play Control! Pikmin website.
Name taken from the Pikmin instruction manual
Flag of Spain Spanish Roca-bomba (Pikmin)
Roca bomba (Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4)
Bomb-rock
Bomb rock
Flag of Russia Russian взрывающихся камень
vzryvayushchikhsya kamen'
Exploding stone Name taken from the New Play Control! Pikmin website.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ YouTube video demonstrating how a bomb rock can disappear if sprayed just as it is going to blow up