| BOMB GEM | |
| Information | |
| Appearance(s): | Bejeweled Twist Bejeweled 3 |
|---|---|
Not to be confused with the Bombs that appear in Bejeweled 2.
- "Match this Gem before the counter reaches zero!"
- — "Bejeweled 3", mouseover description
- "Watch out! If this Bomb Gem ticks down to zero it will explode, ending your game!"
- — Bejeweled Twist, mouseover description
Bomb Gems are a type of gem that appears throughout the Bejeweled series.
First appearing in Bejeweled Twist, it is a basic type of gem that has a dull, metallic outer casing with bolts and spikes on it. It resembles an underwater mine. Unlike the other gems, Bomb Gems have a negative impact on gameplay, which can end a game if the counter of any Bomb Gem reaches zero.
Overview[]
The notification that appears when a Bomb Gem is seen for the first time in Bejeweled Twist.
Displayed on the front of the Bomb Gem is a large number. When a move is performed, the number will decrease by 1. The player must match and destroy it before the counter ticks down to zero.
Bejeweled Twist[]
First appearing in Bejeweled Twist, Bomb Gems feature a digit-like number appearence. Bomb Gems appear in Classic (starting with Level 2), Challenge (in the Survivor challenge) and Blitz.
The Bomb Gem's counter can be extended by 10 moves if a Fruit Gem is detonated unless it is the same color as the Fruit Gem; in this case, it would be destroyed. Should the player fail to remove the Bomb Gem from the board before it ticks down to zero, they will be given one last chance to destroy it. This is done using the Disarm Spinner. If the player manages to land on a pair of gems, the Bomb will be disarmed and removed from the game. In addition, any other Bomb Gems' (and Doom Gem's) counters will be increased by 6. However, if the player lands on a pair of skulls, the Bomb Gem will explode, ending the game. The probability of continuing the game from the Disarm Spinner will drop 25 percent with each encounter; however, the player will always be given a one in four chance of survival.
The Disarm Spinner only appears in Classic mode; thus, if a Bomb Gem ticks down to zero in Blitz or Survivor mode, the bomb instantly explodes and ends the game.
Bejeweled 3[]
In Bejeweled 3, the counter uses a more royal-ish like appearence for it's counter, but remains largely unchanged in appearence. Bomb Gems only appear in the Time Bomb mini-quests in Quest, and in the Chinese re-release, in the Match Bomb/Time Bomb modes.
Alongside that, the counter can count down either in moves or seconds. Bomb Gems can be set up to 20 moves or 60 seconds. The Disarm Spinner does not appear in this game, so once a Bomb Gem reaches zero, it explodes and ends the game.
Strategies and tips[]
- Matching Bomb Gems in Bejeweled Twist's Classic and Blitz mode, will not only score points, but also adds a notch to the score multiplier, even if this happens during a cascade. Because this is still a normal Gem, the player can alternate between a matchless move and a matching move to keep their multiplier high while positioning the bomb into a spot where it can be matched before it ticks down to 0. This is used more often in Blitz, as the game will end instantly if a Bomb Gem ticks down to 0.
- The counter of a Bomb Gem will always count down with each move, regardless if the move was matchless or not. In Classic Mode, as the Bomb Gems' starting counters decrease by 1 with each level cleared (being at 19 on level 3, 18 on level 4 etc. until it reaches a starting count of 7 starting at level 15), Bomb Gems become more threatening as the player reaches higher levels.
- Players should try to have Fruit Gems ready, as they can save the game when the player finds themselves in a tough spot. Fruits Gems, when matched or detonated by another special gem, increases the counter to every Bomb and Doom Gem on the board by 10. The exception to this is when the color of the Bomb Gem matches the color of the fruit gem. If this is the case, the Bomb gem is destroyed; however, the player will not receive an extra notch to their multiplier.
- If the player completes a level at the same time a bomb gem ticks down to 0, the game Will NOT activate the Disarm Spinner and will instead move the player onto the next level.
- Flame, Lightning (Star in Bejeweled 3) and Supernova gems can destroy Bomb Gems, just like how you match gems normally.
- Avoid making matches whenever possible in Survivor Eclipse (but keep the count of the Doom gem in mind), as Bomb Gems will spawn with a count as low as 5. Always get rid of one when you see them.
Trivia[]
- If 3D Acceleration is enabled, Bombs will glimmer with a black glow. This effect is easier to notice on the bomb spinner.
- The behavior and concept of Bomb Gems were most likely inspired by the Bombs that appear in Bejeweled 2, as they both have similar appearances and characteristics.
- The steam emitted from the four corners of a Bomb Gem causes molecular distortion. This graphical effect is first observed when the bomb ticks down to 8 moves, becoming more noticeable as the Bomb Gem approaches zero. At this point, the number on the Bomb Gem will start flashing red.
- The sound of a Bomb Gem exploding is slightly different from that of a Doom Gem.
- In Bejeweled 3, Bomb Gems are also known as Time Bombs.
- According to evidence found inside the game files of Bejeweled Twist, it seems that Bomb Gems were originally known as Counter Gems.
- In Bejeweled Twist, the Bomb Gems were slightly smaller than the Bomb Gems in Bejeweled 3, but the text displayed on them was larger in proportion to their size.
- Whatever the color the Bomb Gem is, its perimeter will glow in the same color.
- If you use a Fruit Gem to extend a Bomb Gem by 10 moves, it is possible for the number of moves on it to go over 20.
- Despite its counterpart in Bejeweled 2's Puzzle mode doing the same deed after a few moves, Bomb Gems do NOT destroy gems in a 3x3 grid when disarmed.
- It is possible to modify one of the XML's to change the default number of moves on the bomb gem, and/or not make it count down one move when starting the next level. One instance where it will be achieved is by changing the number of moves to 35.
- The highest possible number of moves that can be on a bomb gem, if extended by hacking, is 2,147,483,647; if extended by a Fruit Gem, the counter turns negative, and the number on the bomb will just flash red (as it does when the bomb ticks down to 8 moves) and it will not count down any further with any move.
- In the mobile version of Bejeweled Twist, if a Bomb reaches five for the first time, a Twist Tip notification will appear to warn the player to destroy it as quick as possible before it reaches zero.
- In the event where two Bomb Gems simultaneously tick down to 0, the Bomb Gem that is closest to the top left corner takes priority and will be the bomb that explodes and ends the game.
- In Classic Mode, the Bomb Gem closest to the top left corner will instead trigger the Disarm Spinner.
- If both a Bomb and Doom Gems tick down to 0 simultaneously, the Doom Gem takes priority and will explode, instantly ending the game without the Disarm Spinner activating. This is also the case even if the Bomb Gem is closer to the top left corner than the Doom Gem.
- In the Match Bomb mode in the Chinese re-release of Bejeweled 3, when the player gets 1,000,000 points, the game spawns a Bomb Gem with 0 ticks, which instantly explodes and forcing a Game Over.
- In the discontinued WorldWinner cash game version of Bejeweled Twist, when a Bomb Gem reaches zero, it won't end the game immediately. Instead, the bomb will defuse itself, letting the player drops one multiplier on the Score Multiplier and also converts all Special Gems back into normal gems.
Names in other languages[]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 爆弾ジェム Bakudan Jemu |
Bomb Gem |
| Spanish | Joya bomba | Bomb Jewel |
| French | Gemme bombe | Bomb Gem |
| German | Bombe | Bomb |
| Italian | Gemma Bomba | Bomb Gem |
| Portuguese | Bomba | Bomb |
| Chinese | 定时炸弹 Dìngshí Zhàdàn |
Time Bomb |
Gallery[]
Sprites[]
PC and Mac OS X versions[]
Nintendo DS version
Mobile version[]
Audio[]
Bejeweled Twist[]
| Sound | Description |
|---|---|
| Bomb Gem destroyed | |
| Bomb Gem is about to explode when the Disarm Spinner land on a pair of skulls | |
| Bomb Gem explodes, ending the game | |
| Bomb Gem disarmed when the Disarm Spinner land on a pair of gems | |
| Bomb Gem ticked down to zero with alarm | |
| Bomb Gem with 5 countdown | |
| Bomb Gem with 4 countdown. Also the sound can still be heard when appear | |
| Bomb Gem with 3 countdown | |
| Bomb Gem with 2 countdown | |
| Bomb Gem with 1 countdown | |
| Bomb Gem with 0 countdown |
Bejeweled 3[]
| Sound | Description |
|---|---|
| Bomb Gem explodes, ending the game. Same as Twist | |
| Bomb Gem destroyed. Same as Twist | |
| Bomb Gem appears. The sound of the Bomb Gem appear is the same as the sound heard in Bejeweled Twist when a Doom Gem countdown. |
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