The Bomb Launcher itself consists of a half-pipe that holds the bombs and a separate ink tank. The half-pipe is light blue and wraps around to the user's back from their right arm. There is a launching mechanism with black compartments at the back end of the half-pipe. The separate ink tank is attached below the half-pipe's back end and is similar in appearance to a normal ink tank. However, the Bomb Launcher's ink tank has red caps instead of black ones. Before being thrown, the bombs are inside gashapon capsules. The top of each capsule is transparent while the bottom changes color to match the user's ink.
The Bomb Launcher allows the player to throw an unlimited amount of bombs during the special's duration without using up any ink. The bombs thrown depend on the type of launcher used, and are as follows:
Players using Bomb Launcher can still attack normally with their main weapon. The remaining bombs thrown during the special do not fill the special gauge after time is up.
Differences from Bomb Rush
While this special weapon is very similar in function to the Bomb Rush from Splatoon, there are some key differences between the two.
Whereas Bomb Rush was locked to the loadout's current sub weapon in Splatoon, any weapon in Splatoon 2 can potentially have any type of Bomb Launcher. This means that kits with a sub weapon that is not a bomb, like Sprinklers, can have the Bomb Launcher.
Unlike in Splatoon where Bomb Range Up affected the range of the bombs thrown, Splatoon 2's equivalent ability, Sub Power Up, does not affect the Bomb Launcher.
Bombs from the Bomb Launcher can be charged up to allow them to be thrown further. An uncharged bomb has the same distance as a thrown sub weapon with no Sub Power Up, while a fully charged bomb is thrown at the same distance as a sub weapon with the maximum amount of Sub Power Up.
When a Bomb Launcher special ends, there is a one-second period where the game does not accept any input from . This is to prevent the player from accidentally launching a sub weapon when the special ends to avoid wasting ink.
Data
Without the aid of Special Power Up, the Splat-Bomb Launcher, Suction-Bomb Launcher, and Autobomb Launcher can launch eleven uncharged bombs within the duration, or seven if they are all fully charged. The Curling-Bomb Launcher can launch twelve uncharged, or eight fully charged. The Burst-Bomb Launcher can launch seventeen uncharged, or ten fully charged.
With the maximum amount of Special Power Up, the duration of most Bomb Launchers increases to eight seconds, allowing the Splat-Bomb Launcher, Suction-Bomb Launcher, and Autobomb Launcher to launch fifteen uncharged bombs within the duration, or nine if they are all fully charged. The Burst-Bomb Launcher can launch 23 uncharged, or fourteen fully charged. The duration of the Curling-Bomb Launcher increases to 8.66 seconds and can launch sixteen uncharged, or ten fully charged.
The Burst-Bomb Launcher provides a 50% increase to throwing rate compared to throwing Burst Bombs normally, taking twenty frames instead of thirty.
Most bombs take twenty frames to fully charge, though Burst Bombs take fifteen frames instead.
Unlike other launchers, Curling Bombs launched behave differently from its sub weapon version. Charging up the Curling-Bomb Launcher only increases the speed of its bombs, where charging up the sub weapon version shortens the travel distance and increases the size of the explosion.
▲ Decreased trajectory variance of first shot while also increasing time required to reach maximum shot variance when firing continuously.
As a sub weapon, the size of Curling Bombs will now change depending on how long is held, but Curling Bombs generated by the Curling Bomb Launcher will always be the same size, regardless of button press duration.
▲ Due to this change, area of ink coverage while Curling Bombs are traveling has been increased slightly.
▼ Due to this change, area of ink coverage and damage dealt by Curling Bomb explosions has been decreased slightly.
None of the sub weapons on any Bomb Launcher sets match the bombs thrown from the Launcher.
The Bomb Launcher is designed after the Ultra Machine, a batting toy made by Nintendo in 1967. This is likely referenced in their Japanese name, Bomb Pitchers.
While on the Bomb Launcher's rail, the bombs are inside gashapon capsules, and the two halves of the capsule can be seen being discarded as each bomb is thrown
Although clams are not sub weapons and are thrown using or , the one-second period after a Bomb Launcher ends still prevents the user from throwing clams during Clam Blitz.
As visible in the promotional image, the Bomb Launcher has its own ink reservoir, explaining why throwing bombs during the special does not drain the player's ink.
Although difficult to hear, while active, the Bomb Launcher plays a chiptune version of Bomb Rush Blush, despite how the song is named after its predecessor, the Bomb Rush.
Before the release of the Bamboozler 14 Mk II, data mining had already revealed in-game data for the Burst-Bomb Launcher, including images for its weapon icon.
Burst-Bomb Launchers also appeared in the Octo Expansion as a canned special before the release of the Bamboozler 14 Mk II.
There were meant to be three weapons with Autobomb Launcher as their special, not two. However, the Tri-Slosher Nouveau ended up getting released with the Ink Storm due to fudged datamining.
Unlike any other weapon in the Splatoon series, the Bomb Launcher's bombs are thrown from the left side of the player and not from the right side.
The Bomb Launcher's icon was used as a placeholder icon for the Triple Inkstrike.
Names in other languages
Bomb Launcher
Splat-Bomb Launcher
Language
Name
Meaning
Japanese
ボムピッチャー Bomu Pitchā
Bomb Pitcher
Dutch
Bomkanon
Bomb Cannon
French
Lanceur de bombes
Bomb Launcher ("launcher of bombs")
German
Bomber
Bomber
Italian
Lanciabombe
Bomb launcher
Russian
Бомбомет Bombomet
From бомба bomba (bomb), мет myot (a root of a word метать metat' (to launch)) Bomb Launcher
Spanish (NOA)
Bombardeos
Bombardments
Spanish (NOE)
Ráfaga
Burst
Language
Name
Meaning
Japanese
スプラッシュボムピッチャー Supurasshu Bomu Pitchā
Splash Bomb Pitcher
Dutch
Klodderbomkanon
Blob bomb cannon
French
Lance-bombes splash
Splash bomb launcher
German
Klecks-Bomber
Splodge [bomb] Bomber
Italian
Lanciabombe splash
Splash bomb launcher
Russian
Бомбомет (брызгающие) Bombomet (bryzgayushchiye)
From бомба bomba (bomb), мет myot (a root of a word метать metat' (to launch)), and брызгающие bryzgayuschiye (splashing) Bomb Launcher (splashing), Splash Bomb Launcher
Spanish (NOA)
Plasbombardeo
Plasma [bomb] bombardment
Spanish (NOE)
Ráfaga básica
Basic [bomb] burst
Suction-Bomb Launcher
Curling-Bomb Launcher
Language
Name
Meaning
Japanese
キューバンボムピッチャー Kyūban Bomu Pitchā
Suction Cup Bomb Pitcher
Dutch
Kleefbomkanon
Sticky bomb cannon
French
Lance-bombes gluantes
Sticky Bomb Launcher
German
Haftbomber
Sticky [bomb] Bomber
Italian
Lanciappiccibombe
Sticky Bomb Launcher
Russian
Бомбомет (присоски) Bombomet (prisoski)
From бомба bomba (bomb), мет myot (a root of a word метать metat' (to launch)), and присоски prisoski (suction cups) Bomb Launcher (suction cups), Suction Bomb Launcher
Spanish (NOA)
Bombardeo pegajoso
Sticky [bomb] bombardment
Spanish (NOE)
Ráfaga ventosa
Suction [bomb] burst
Language
Name
Meaning
Japanese
カーリングボムピッチャー Kāringu Bomu Pitchā
Curling Bomb Pitcher
Dutch
Curlingbomkanon
Curling bomb cannon
French
Lance-bombes curling
Curling bomb launcher
German
Curling-Bomber
Curling [bomb] Bomber
Italian
Lanciabombe curling
Curling bomb launcher
Russian
Бомбомет (керлинг) Bombomet (kerling)
From бомба bomba (bomb), мет myot (a root of a word метать metat' (to launch)), and керлинг kyorling (curling) Bomb Launcher (curling), Curling Bomb Launcher
Spanish (NOA)
Bombardeo deslizante
Sliding [bomb] bombardment
Spanish (NOE)
Ráfaga deslizante
Sliding [bomb] burst
Autobomb Launcher
Burst-Bomb Launcher
Language
Name
Meaning
Japanese
ロボボムピッチャー Robo Bomu Pitchā
Robot Bomb Pitcher
Dutch
Robobomkanon
Robot bomb cannon
French
Lance-bombes robots
Launch robot bombs
German
Robo-Bomber
Robot [bomb] Bomber
Italian
Lanciarobo-bombe
Robo Bomb Launcher
Russian
Бомбомет (робобомбы) Bombomet (robobomby)
From бомба bomba (bomb), мет myot (a root of a word метать metat' (to launch)), and робобомбы robobomby (robot bombs) Bomb Launcher (robot bombs), Robobomb Launcher
Spanish (NOA)
robobombardeo
Robot [bomb] bombardment
Spanish (NOE)
Roborráfaga
Robot burst
Language
Name
Meaning
Japanese
クイックボムピッチャー Kuikku bomu pitchā
Quick Bomb Pitcher
Dutch
Ballonbomkanon
Balloon bomb cannon
French
Lance-bombes ballons
Balloon Bomb Launcher
German
Insta-Bomber
Instant [bomb] Bomber
Italian
Lanciagranate
Grenade Thrower
Russian
Бомбомет (разрывные) Bombomet (razryvnyye)
From бомба bomba (bomb), мет myot (a root of a word метать metat' (to launch)), and разрывные razryvnyye (burst) Bomb Launcher (burst), Burst Bomb Launcher