History Main / SmartBomb

%% Needs Context * ''Wolf of the Battlefield: VideoGame/{{Commando}} 3'' has the M-Crash weapon.

* The arcade version of both, ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' and ''Shadow Dancer'', gives player Ninjutsu techniques that could only be used once per life on each stage (usually). While each of the Ninjutsu techniques has a different visual effect (such as summoning lightning bolts or tornadoes), they all serve the same function in wiping all on-screen enemies. Although, the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem port of ''Shinobi'' did add a few new Ninjutsu techniques that had other purposes besides killing enemies. The Genesis sequels, ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi'' and ''Shinobi III'', has the [[TakingYouWithMe Mijin no Jutsu]], which allows the player to damage all on-screen enemies at the expense of one life. This technique can even be used when the player is already on the verge of death, allowing him to revive with a full heath gauge in the same exact spot where he died instead of restarting from the last checkpoint, and unlike other Jutsu, it also resets your Jutsu usage, allowing you to use Mijin for as many times during a single life as you have extra lives available. However, when the player uses the Mijin no Jutsu on his last life, it will result in an instant GameOver.

** The UsefulNotes/{{DS}} [[VersionExclusiveContent version]] of ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' has an exclusive Red Wisp that gives Sonic the power to turn into a fireball, which can charge up energy to launch around all enemies.

* In Creator/{{Konami}}'s UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} game ''Pippols'', picking up a cross will instantly defeat all enemies on screen.

Ubiquitous in {{Shoot Em Up}}s although it appears in other genres too, this is the screen-clearing attack that gives you a moment of respite from relentless alien attacks and prolific {{Mook Maker}}s. However, these are extremely rare, making them for emergency use only; in many games, you get two or three per life or per game. Some give you one [[EveryTenThousandPoints every so many points]]. Some are available as a PowerUp.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' has the three medallions, Ether, Bombos, and Quake, which froze all enemies on the screen, lit them on fire, or affected them the same way as [[ForcedTransformation the Magic Powder]].

* The ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games have them and call them spellcards, though they're often just called bombs. They also have counterbombs, which allow you to save yourself from the brink of death by bombing right after getting hit. The eighth game, ''Imperishable Night'', steps it up with "Last Spells" (also known as "deathbombs"), basically giving you an extremely powerful, very long lasting attack at the expense of two bomb units in a sort of BigDamnHeroes moment (though normal counterbombing is still present).
** Of note is that, with the exception of ''Mountain of Faith'', they tend to be very, very different depending on the chosen shottype. ''Imperishable Night'', for example, has ''eight'' different bomb types, ranging from orbs that wipe everything in the screen, a narrow WaveMotionGun that lasts for a good five seconds, a series of screen-wide slashes that instantly destroy everything, or lots of knives thrown at every single enemy in the screen.

* ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' has Serious Bombs which kills all enemies within a large radius [[ContractualBossImmunity except bosses]]. In multiplayer in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam II'', when unlimited ammo option is on, [[GameBreaker beating the game can become extremely easy]].

* The Rosary pickup in ''VideoGame/VampireSurvivors'' instantly kills on-screen enemies when collected. Only a select few are immune to it. The Pentagram weapon also does the same with a long cooldown, and [[DisadvantageousDisintegration targeting on-screen pickups as well]; it takes some leveling to make this "bomb" smarter and start sparing the stuff you actually want, and when evolved into the GorgeousMoon it actually ''converts'' enemies into Experience Gems then pulls them over to you.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' has the three medallions, Ether, Bombos, and Quake, which froze all enemies on the screen, lit them on fire, or affected them the same way as [[BalefulPolymorph the Magic Powder]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Injustice}}'': Captain Cold's Cryogenic Blast attack creates a wave of intense cold that almost instantly covers the entire screen and freezes the opponent in place, opening them to a full combo followup if they aren't blocking.

* ''Pinball/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2017'' downplays this with the Hadron Enforcer, which can be activated with the center button and will automatically collect the highest-scoring lit shot on the playfield.
* ''Pinball/{{Deadpool}}'' also downplays this with the Boom button, located on the center apron of the game. Ordinarily, it will only collect the highest-scoring shot that's available on the playfield (like in ''Guardians of the Galaxy''); however, lighting it four times without using it upgrades it to a Big Boom that plays it straight and collects ''every'' lit shot at once.

* The Rosary pickup in ''VideoGame/VampireSurvivors'' instantly kills on-screen enemies when collected. Only a select few are immune to it.

* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries'': Copen's Shred Storm commands his bits to rapidly fly around the screen, creating a storm of slashes that draws the "claw" kanji. This attack kills all onscreen enemies and significantly damages bosses.

* ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' has Smart Missiles, which are homing missiles that detonate into a group of homing plasma bolts. This has the net effect of wiping out most enemies around you regardless of where you fire them. Of course, one of the bosses will use them against ''you''. The Earthshaker missile in the second game is basically a Smart Missile turned UpToEleven, and yes, the FinalBoss uses them against you.

* ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'''s blue capsules activate as soon as you pick them up.
** Other games have the "Mega Crush", when you pick up enough power ups.

* Smart Bombs also exist in ''VideoGame/StarFox'', although the name varies. They were called Nova Bombs in the original (and did not home in on a target, but instead simply destroy [[PhlebotinumBomb near-]]everything around them by sheer explosive force), Smart Bombs in ''VideoGame/StarFox 64'', and simply Bombs in the most recent games.

** The Model A form of ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'' has the successor to the Giga Attack, the Giga Crush. There is actually a use for it, in the sense that killing certain bosses with it alone is required for HundredPercentCompletion.

** In the last Darius game, ''G-Darius'', the smart bombs that you need have been replaced by Capture Balls. These balls capture your average MechaMooks and use them to assist you in battle until they're destroyed. The best part? There are two further uses of these mooks: They can either be blown apart like your standard SmartBomb (with larger enemies having bigger explosions), or cooler yet, absorbed so you can ''perform a WaveMotionGun all by yourself''! It gets better; bosses can perform their WMG too, in which you can ButtonMash against it (or use the rapid fire button) so your WMG can grow larger, inflicting more damage. A boss spams this attack, only to die beautifully seconds later, in fact.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fury3}}'' had the FFF in weapons slot 7. You could only have one at a time, but it destroyed (or heavily damaged) everything onscreen and in the immediate area (including stuff you would prefer to not destroy), and would also refill your ship's health to full.

* ''Wolf of the Battlefield: VideoGame/{{Commando}} 3'' has the M-Crash weapon.

* The games of the ''VideoGame/AeroFighters'' franchise, as well as its relatives such as ''VideoGame/{{Strikers 1945}}'', have this. Each plane has its own type of SmartBomb, that range from [[DeathFromAbove summoning several bombers to carpet-bomb the screen]] (for example the Harrier in ''Aero Fighters'' 1 or the P-51 in ''Strikers 1945'') to [[TimeStandsStill stopping everything for a few seconds]] (the F-15 in both ''Aero Fighters'' 1 and 2.)

!!Video game examples:

!!Non-video game examples:

[[quoteright:304:[[VideoGame/StarFox64 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_fox_64_smart_bomb_0.png]]]]

Compare InvincibilityPowerUp, the usual PlatformGame counterpart. Not to be confused with LogicBomb, which is completely different.

** The Model A form of ''VideoGame/MegaManZXAdvent'' has the successor to the Giga Attack, the Giga Crush. There is actually a use for it, in the sense that killing certain bosses with it alone is required for HundredPercentCompletion.