Boom Boom
Template:Character-infobox Boom Boom (sometimes stylized as BOOM-BOOM) is a henchman of Bowser. He is an antagonist in the Mario series. Boom Boom first debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3. He is a boss that Mario or Luigi fights in fortresses, before the player fights a Koopaling in an airship. Boom Boom then later made his appearance in Super Mario 3D Land, as one of the game's main antagonist again who often appears in airships, sometime with his partner Pom Pom.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 3
Boom Boom made his first appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, where he helped Bowser and the Koopalings invade the Mushroom World's seven kingdoms. He appeared in the fortresses of each kingdom, fighting Mario and Luigi to prevent them from going any closer to the Koopalings. However, the Mario Bros. prevailed and his fortresses were destroyed thanks to his ? Balls he dropped. After he failed to protect the Koopalings, Boom Boom also appears in many levels in Dark Land. Specifically, he's found in all the battleships, airships, and tanks except for the first tank set, which is instead manned by a Boomerang Bro.
To defeat Boom Boom, Mario had to jump on his head three times to eliminate him, hit him with five fireballs from a Fire Flower, or score five hits with hammers from the Hammer Suit (which he could do with as little as one hammer if his aim was precise enough). Boom Boom could also temporarily crouch down and reveal his spikes, which would hurt Mario if he tried to jump on him.
Boom Boom would begin by simply walking left and right towards Mario. After being hit, he would either start to charge and jump very high or fly with his winged arms (he first did the winged arms in Desert Hill's first fortress). After a second hit, Boom Boom would walk left and right again, but very quickly, possibly as a desperation tactic. After the third hit, he released a ? Ball, which destroyed the fortress Boom Boom was in if Mario or Luigi touches it and opened a lock or made a bridge appear elsewhere on the map.
Whether Boom Boom is a true species or just a recurring single character is unclear, but there are at least two Boom Booms in existence, as a few extra levels in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 will pit two Boom Booms against Mario simultaneously. However, Boom Boom is only one character, with clones of himself. This is possible because the manual refers to Boom Boom as singular in the description: "Boom Boom, the faithful servant of Bowser."
Super Mario 3D Land
After a long hiatus, Boom Boom makes his return in Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS. The game also introduces a pink, female counterpart of Boom Boom named Pom Pom, who wields a Boomerang. She is the partner of Boom Boom.
Boom Boom, Bowser and the Koopa Troop has invaded the Mushroom Kingdom to kidnap Princess Peach and took most of the Super Leaves. He appears in some airships, where he could encounter and fight his old rival Mario. Though he was defeated twice, then Pom Pom replaced him. Sometime later while Boom Boom was absent throughout the next worlds, Princess Peach has attempted to escape from Bowser, then Boom Boom and the Koopa Troop chased after her and captured her back. He returns in World 7 then battles Mario in his airship, along with Pom Pom. After the defeat of Bowser, Luigi was already kidnapped at the time and Mario saved him from Dry Bowser. The two Mario Bros. has ventured through the new worlds fighting the Koopa Troop and Boom Boom to the last level.
Boom Boom here is much larger (especially his arms) than he was in his previous encounter with Mario and Luigi (where he was roughly the same height as Mario). He no longer has spikes on his shell, which is now red, and has new attacks. He spins wildly with his arms and fists to hurt Mario, but if he does this too long, he becomes dizzy and vulnerable. When hit, Boom Boom can also attack by retreating into his large shell and then spinning fast in random directions, in a similar fashion to the Koopalings when they are hit by the Player in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. After taking three hits from Mario's stomps, Boom Boom is defeated and will vanish while releasing many coins. This time around, Boom Boom seems to inhabit airships exclusively; his current appearances are in 2 airship levels; the fifth level of World 2, and the sixth level of World 3.
After his defeat in World 3, Boom Boom will return, now with Pom Pom, and they will fight Mario together in World 7. He also appears in the Special Worlds of the game. In S8-Crown, Mario fights both Boom Boom and Pom Pom at the same time, except when Boom Boom spins, he reveals fire. Also when Pom Pom is defeated, the red floor will go down to the ground shortly.
Boom Boom has now an audible voice in-game for the first time in Super Mario 3D Land, who gives him a much deeper voice. His older age is also supported by his deep voice in the game and how many years it passed since Super Mario Bros. 3.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Boom Boom also appeared in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, where he was nothing more than a silent powerhouse. Much like in the game, whenever he attacked the Mario Bros., he was the only one seen at any given time. He has yellow teeth here. He made four appearances: Misadventures in Babysitting, Do the Koopa, Crimes R Us, and The Venice Menace.
Super Mario Bros. film
In the Super Mario Bros. film, Boom Boom didn't make a physical appearance, but he is referenced: there was a place called the "Boom Boom Bar", which appeared somewhat prominently.
Nintendo Adventure Books
Again, Boom Boom didn't physically appear in the Nintendo Adventure Books, but he was referenced: in Koopa Capers, there was an item called Boom Boom's Socks.
Character Description
Physical Appearance
Boom Boom is a Koopa who has yellow and tan skin and head. He has long flailing arms, large legs and padded feet. He has shaped cheeks, a high nose, a low jaw, and deeply curved lips, similar to that of the Koopalings, and has two large teeth. Although Boom Boom's height is about the same of the Koopalings, he is tall as Mario. Unlike them, he is bald and has no hair. He also has large black eyebrows and black eyes. Boom Boom's shell was originally green with large spikes. However, it is now a larger, red shell without spikes, similar to that of regular red Koopa Troopas' since Super Mario 3D Land, where he has bigger arms, legs and head. His height is times taller than before and his skin is brighter, making him look much like a Koopaling, especially Roy. It would allow him to shake the ground because of his larger size.
Personality and Traits
Boom Boom is potrayed as a bit of a pushover (like Pom Pom in Super Mario 3D Land). Though, he had shown to be as he can always be defeated with three hits. However, Boom Boom overcomes his weakness and acts like a strong Koopa who can actually take on Mario or Luigi. On the manual of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, it describes Boom Boom as "the faithful servant of Bowser", as he never backs down, without giving up on his instinct (to defeat especially Mario, more than Luigi), proving him to be quite stubborn and persistant.
Powers and Abilities
Even though Boom Boom was usually potrayed like the easiest boss, he has unique powers and abilities different from other Koopas. He is capable of jump higher, run fast and transform his arms into wings to fly and battle in mid-air. He could enlarge his spikes on his shell. He also could flail his arms to hurt Mario without stopping. In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Boom Boom was able to clone himself. Due to his mutiple defeats in Super Mario Bros. 3, he lost these abilities and had new ones in Super Mario 3D Land. Boom Boom can spin his big arms and fist (which will make him dizzy), but that ability could also reveals fire. He spins his shell fast in any directions to reach Mario. He could shake his airship just by stomping the floor or hit the wall with his spinning shell. No matter how he gets defeated (like disappearing, or blows off in smoke leaving coins behind), Boom Boom somehow can come back at anytime.
Relationship with other Characters
Koopalings
- Main article: Koopalings
Boom Boom and the Koopalings have an unknown relationship, yet, they make a good team. Boom Boom helps them during their invasion on Mushroom World. To take care of them, Boom Boom stays behind leading the Koopa Troop and reside in his fortresses with a lock behind it. He also handles Mario and Luigi by himself to prevent them from going further to the Koopaling so he wouldn't interrupt their plan, while the Koopaling reside on the airship above the castle. After the Koopalings were defeated from Mushroom World, Boom Boom still fights Mario in Dark Land to protect their father as well. According to the Prima Guide, Boom Boom was a "forgotten Koopaling", could mean that he was probably once the Koopalings' brother or cousin or being considered as being a family.
Pom Pom
- Main article: Pom Pom
Boom Boom's relationship with Pom Pom is unknown at the moment. However, Boom Boom and Pom Pom are known to be great partners. At first, they were seperated before World 7, one has his or her airship where Mario encounters one of them. Since World 7, they are often together, conquering the Mushroom Kingdom with the Koopa Troop. These two fights Mario as two bosses. These two could be either a couple or siblings.
Mario
- Main article: Mario
Mario and Boom Boom are rivals since Super Mario Bros. 3. They share a bad chemistry toward each other. He always cause trouble to Mario. These two also often fights each other. However, the results were always the same; his fortresses being destroyed and the giant lock disappeared. Twenty-three years after being defeated in Dark Land, Boom Boom returns and kidnapped Princess Peach and Luigi with Bowser and for more challenge with Mario with his new abilities he came up to.
Official Profiles and Statistics
Super Mario 3D Land
- Site Bio: "Cruising for a bruising in Bowser's airships, Boom Boom and Pom Pom wait for you in the lower chamber. They may look tough, but they're both a bit of a pushover--three quick stomps to the head will take them out."
Video Game Appearances
| Title | Description | Original Release Date | System/Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | Boss | Japan: October 23, 1988 |
NES |
| Super Mario All-Stars | Boss | Japan: July 14, 1993 |
SNES |
| Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | Boss | USA: December, 1994 |
SNES |
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Boss | Japan: July 21, 2003 |
Game Boy Advance |
| Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary Edition | Boss | Japan: October 21, 2010 |
Wii |
| Super Mario 3D Land | Boss | Japan: November 3, 2011 |
3DS |
Gallery
- BoomBoomSprite.png
Boom Boom's artwork from Super Mario Bros. 3.
- 3DS SuperMario 4 scrn04 E3.png
Mario fighting Boom Boom in World 2-5. 
Boom Boom's game model from Super Mario 3D Land.
Names in Other Languages
Trivia
- In Super Paper Mario, one of the Sammer Guys that can be fought is named Flailing Boom Boom, which is an apparent reference to Boom Boom and how he would flail his arms around in battle.
- In the original NES version of Super Mario Bros. 3, the Boom Boom in Desert Hill's fortress was colored gray.
