Buzz Bomber

Buzz Bombers are a recurring wasp-like Badnik enemy in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They first appear in the Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog. Buzz Bombers are capable of flight using their small wings and rockets. They are also equipped with stingers that can fire a rail detonator blast, which appears as a concentrated orb of laser energy, at their target.

Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
In Sonic the Hedgehog, Buzz Bombers are the most common enemies, being featured specifically in the Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone and Spring Yard Zone.

In gameplay, Buzz Bombers fly either alone or in a group from the side of the screen. When a Buzz Bomber targets Sonic, it stops moving in mid-air, retracts its stinger, and fires a rail detonator blast diagonally downward before flying away, although only to reappear from the opposite direction soon after. If Sonic is hit by a Buzz Bomber's blast, he takes damage. Sonic can use either the Spin Jump or Spin Attack to defeat a Buzz Bomber while it is unguarded. Defeating a Buzz Bomber yields 100 points, and it also releases an Animal.

Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)
In Sonic the Hedgehog, Buzz Bombers are featured as enemies in Green Hill Zone and Bridge Zone. In gameplay, the have the same attack pattern as their 16-bit counterparts; they fly above Sonic, only to stop in mid-air when they spot him and and fire a projectile diagonally downward, before flying off-screen (only to re-enter the screen from the opposite direction). Like many other Badniks in the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System titles, Buzz Bombers do not have an Animal inside them as an organic battery. Regardless, upon their destruction, they reward the player with 100 points.

Sonic Chaos
In Sonic Chaos, the Buzz Bombers were redesigned with plain stingers replacing their usual rail detonator projectiles. These variations appear as enemies in Turquoise Hill Zone, Gigalopolis Zone and Electric Egg Zone: These variations include black flying Buzz Bombers in Turquoise Hill Zone, similar gray flying Buzz Bombers found in Gigalopolis Zone, and stationary gray Buzz Bombers found in Electric Egg Zone. Their only attack patterns are touching the playable character, as they do not shoot projectiles like the common Buzz Bomber.

In the English manual for the Sega Game Gear version, these enemies are generically referred to as "bugs". However, the Japanese version identifies them as "Beetons", which is the Buzz Bombers' Japanese name. Other sources simply refer to these enemies as "Buzzes", presumably due to their lack of bombing capabilities.

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
In Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, Buzz Bombers appear as enemies, and closely resemble their appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog television series. Buzz Bombers hover around and block pathways in The Showdown, and they can be destroyed with one hit.

In the Sega Game Gear version, they are named Wasps, and in the Sega Master System version they are named Waspins. In these versions, defeating a Buzz Bomber earns the player 80,000 points.

Sonic's Schoolhouse
In Sonic's Schoolhouse, the Buzz Bombers appear in the Ring Hunt mini-game, where both itself and the Moto Bugs are known as "spoil sports". In spoil sports simply attempt to intercept the player as they collect Rings. If the player is caught, the minigame restarts.

Sonic Adventure 2
In Sonic Adventure 2 and its enhanced port Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Buzz Bombers are featured as enemies in the extra stage, Green Hill. Buzz Bombers resemble their original appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis, but are more cubic, and also behave similarly.

Sonic and the Black Knight
In Sonic and the Black Knight, Buzz Bombers appear among the winning fan art presented in the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog Level Creator
In Sonic the Hedgehog Level Creator, the Buzz Bombers appear as enemies that users can insert in their custom Zones. Buzz Bombers' sprites are directly reused from the original Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis.

In gameplay, Buzz Bombers fly alone or in a group from the side of the screen. When a Buzz Bomber targets the playable character, it will halt in mid-air, retract its stinger, and fire a rail detonator blast diagonally downward before flying away (only to make a reappearance from the opposite direction soon after). The player has to avoid projectiles and use the Spin Jump or Spin Attack to defeat them when the timing is right. Upon their defeat, they release a Ricky and reward the player with 100 points.

Sonic Generations
In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Buzz Bombers from somewhere across spacetime appear as enemies. In these games, they were given a more mechanical-looking design. The player encounters the Buzz Bombers alongside the yellow Buzzers in Green Hill Act 2.

In gameplay, Buzz Bombers, which are more uncommon than Buzzers, simply fly towards the player without launching any attack. Outside the main Acts, there are also giant purple, indestructible Buzz Bombers in the Knuckles: Horde of Enemies Challenge Act. These Buzz Bombers cannot hurt Sonic, nor do they attempt to attack him, but they can propel Sonic high into the air if they are struck by an attack from a certain height, which is useful during these Buzz Bombers' Challenge Act. A statue of the purple Buzz Bomber can also be unlocked in the Statue Room.

Sonic Jump (2012)
In the 2012 Sonic Jump, yellow and orange variations of the Buzz Bombers appear at Green Hill Zone. In gameplay, these Badniks act much like their yellow variations did in Sonic Generations, namely by shooting energy projectiles from their stingers. However, they can easily be destroyed by jumping into them from below.

Sonic Lost World
In the Wii U version, PC version, and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, blue Buzz Bombers appear as enemies. They were given a more comical design reminiscent of their appearance in the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. During the game, the Badniks, Buzz Bombers included, got hijacked by the Deadly Six when they turned against Eggman and used to attack him under the Deadly Six's orders. When that happened, a few of them got destroyed by Sonic. One Buzz Bomber managed to injure Tails though, which made Sonic retreat with Tails.

In the Wii U version of the game, the player encounters the Buzz Bombers in Desert Ruins Zone 1 and 3, Tropical Coast Zone 1 and 3, Silent Forest Zone 4, Sky Road Zone ?, and Lava Mountain Zone 2. On the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, the player encounters them in Windy Hill Tutorial, Windy Hill Zone 1, 2 and 3, Desert Ruins Zone 1 and 3, Frozen Factory Zone 2 and 3, Silent Forest Zone 1, 2 and 3, and Sky Road Zone 1 and 3. In the game's Speed Race mode, Buzz Bombers are also found in Desert Ruins Zone 4.

In gameplay, the Buzz Bombers either just fly around or float stationary in one place from where they shoot lasers at the player whenever they spot the playable character. Like in earlier games, a Buzz Bomber releases an Animal when defeated. Sometimes, the Buzz Bombers also appears in chains with Spinners which the player can use to skip across with the Homing Attack.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, they are named Buzzers, and appear in the Action & Answers Tour. Buzzers namely appear in the "Midair Formation & Answer" event as midair objects to keep an eye on. As the player plays out the Ski Jumping Large Hill event, they have to take notice of the midair formations the Buzz Bombers and Paratroopas progressively assume in midair on the way down. The longer the player stays in midair, the closer the Buzz Bombers and Paratroopas will get to completing their formation. After the player has landed, they must then identify the formation the Buzz Bombers and Paratroopas were trying to assume out from four answer options.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
In the Nintendo Switch version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Buzz Bombers appear as enemies in the mini-game Tokyo Sky Flight. Here, they have their sprite-based appearance from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. During the "Tokyo Sly Flight" mini-game, they come in two variants. First, there are the standard blue Buzz Bombers that fly towards the player from one side of the screen and gradually fire at the playable characters before then flying away. Lastly, there are the yellow Buzz Bombers that only fly a short distance away from the right side of the screen before quickly retreating. As the player progresses through the mini-game however, the Buzz Bombers will appear from more random directions and attack more relentlessly; the blue Buzz Bombers, for example, will gradually go from appearing from the right side of the screen and not attacking at all to appearing from both sides of the screen and firing rapid shots at the playable characters in quick succession. Regardless of their behavior, the Buzz Bombers are easily destroyed with one gunshot from the Tornado.

Some Buzz Bombers come equipped with Bumper shields that can protect them from the Tornado's gunshots. However, they can be knocked away with the Tornado's shockwave attack. Also, upon destroying a Buzz Bomber, the player receives points; blue Buzz Bombers grant 100 points each while yellow Buzz Bombers grant 500 points each.

Sonic Runners
In Sonic Runners, the Buzz Bombers appear as enemies. In this game, they retain their design from Sonic Lost World. They are also some of the more common foes encountered in the flying type characters' stages. In gameplay, they do not fire projectiles. Instead, some of them fly around back and forth separately or in groups. Other simply hover in place.

The player can destroy the Buzz Bombers with any move or offensive power-up in the playable characters' arsenal. When destroyed, a Buzz Bomber will grant the player 100 points.

Buzz Bombers in Sonic Runners come in three types. Aside from the regular Buzz Bombers, there are golden ones which grant 300 points when defeated, and silver ones that grant 200 points when eliminated and which only Color Powers, Invincible and the power type characters' dash attack can defeat. All three variations also contain Animals that are released when they are destroyed. The Buzz Bombers also appear as part of several episodes' narrative, which features them being defeated time and time again by Team Sonic.

Sonic Runners Adventure
In Sonic Runners Adventure, the Buzz Bombers appear as enemies. In this game, they retain their design from Sonic Lost World. The player encounters them in Green Hill, Desert Ruins and Lava Mountain.

In gameplay, the Buzz Bombers slowly fly towards the player without attacking them. Also, upon their destruction, they release an Animal.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle
In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, the Buzz Bombers from Sonic Forces appear on the race tracks. In gameplay, they act as stationary obstacles for the player to run into, perpetually floating in midair. However, they do not attack the player and can easily be destroyed using the Spin Jump. Upon their destruction, they grant the player five Rings.

Sonic Forces
In Sonic Forces, the Buzz Bombers appear as enemies. In this game, they were completely redesigned to have modernized, militaristic looks. The player encounters them in Lost Valley, Spaceport, Ghost Town, Prison Hall, Egg Gate, Arsenal Pyramid, Luminous Forest, Green Hill, Park Avenue, Capital City, Guardian Rock, Network Terminal, Death Egg, Metropolitan Highway and Mortar Canyon.

In gameplay, the Buzz Bombers exhibit two distinct attack patterns. In some sections, they simply hover in midair, never moving from their spot. When they see the playable character however, they will start taking shots at them. In other sections, the Buzz Bombers will fly forward until they spot the playable character, upon which they will stop in midair to shoot at them, much like in the original Sonic the Hedgehog.

During the boss battle with Zavok, yellow and orange-colored Buzz Bombers appear. They appear around the boss area, where they fly into the player. Upon colliding into something or getting hit by Zavok, the Buzz Bombers get destroyed.

Sonic Speed Simulator
Buzz Bombers appear in enemies in Sonic Speed Simulator appearing in Tornado Assault as well as Green Hill Zone.

Sonic Frontiers
In Sonic Frontiers, Buzz Bombers along with Buzzers, appear as enemies exclusively in Cyber Space stages. With their appearance taken from console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Buzz Bombers are uncommon sight out of two bee-like Badniks, as they are encountered in Cyber Space stages 1-4, 1-6, 2-2, 3-6 and 4-3. Either found stationary in the mid-air or hovering back and forth at low speed, Buzz Bombers don't fire projectiles when Sonic is near close to them compared to Buzzers, much like in Sonic Generations.

The player can defeat Buzz Bomber with one hit despite of multiple hit points, while sometimes they are required to be taken down in groups by using Homing Attack to reach another section of the stage. Because of being digital replicas of Badniks in Cyber Space, Buzz Bombers are disintegrated into the air in after one hit without containing Animals inside them.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Buzz Bombers appear in two episodes of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Buzz Bombers have an entirely different design consisting of a red and light green-colored outer shell, a thin body, no engine, red eyes with no pupils, red devil-like horns, and a drill for a nose. Buzz Bombers can also shoot explosive fireballs from their mouth.

The first episode in which Buzz Bombers appear is "The Mystery of the Missing Hi-tops." During a part of the episode, a trio of Buzz Bombers chase Sonic and Tails. Two got smashed when the duo escaped through a tunnel Sonic made, and the last one got smashed by a paper tornado Sonic stirred up.

Several Buzz Bombers appear in "Robotnikland," in which they were set for Sonic during the Sonic Ride in Mobiusland. When Sonic took control, the Buzz Bombers attacked Dr. Robotnik and his lackeys instead.

Sonic the Hedgehog (television series)
In the Sonic the Hedgehog, their name is spelled Buzz-Bombers, which possess a more sinister design, although they retain their wings, rocket, and stinger. Instead of energy balls, Buzz Bombers shoot red lasers from their stinger.

Buzz-Bombers only appear in one episode, "Head or Tails," which also features a specific Buzz-Bomber named Bomber-One. The day after Sonic and Tails's first encounter with Bomber-One, a larger group of Buzz-Bombers, lead by Bomber-One, were used to escort Dr. Robotnik's new defoliating chemical towards the Great Forest, with the intention of spraying it all over the Great Forest and killing all the trees, thereby revealing the hidden location of Knothole Village. However, the Buzz-Bombers were met with a counterattack from the Knothole Freedom Fighters, who showered them with water balloons fired from catapults, causing the Buzz-Bombers to short-circuit and become temporarily disoriented. In addition, the Buzz-Bomber carrying the chemicals were destroyed after Sonic directed Robotnik's Hedgehog Missile into them. The robots thus dropped the chemicals without them harming anyone, but they still continued their attack until Bomber-One thought they had had enough. The Buzz-Bombers subsequently retreated with their commander, ignoring Robotnik's orders.

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
In Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, the Buzz Bombers are a brand of robots created by Dr. Robotnik that patrol the Land of Darkness. Sonic and Tails encountered a swarm of them on their road to Robotropolis. These Buzz Bombers can fire lasers capable of causing explosions, and they can move around very fast to the point of rivaling Sonic in speed.

Sonic Boom
In the Sonic Boom television series, the Buzz Bombers are replaced with a variant known as Bee Bots. The Bee Bots serve both as Eggman's sentries and foot soldiers which the doctor uses for his frequent attacks on Team Sonic and Seaside Island. While fast and agile, they are not very powerful and are easily destroyed in intense combat. The series also features a notable Bee Bot named Bea the Bee, who would be adopted by Amy.

Sonic Prime
In the Sonic Prime animated series, Buzz Bombers appear as part of Dr. Eggman's army alongside other badniks such as Caterkillers and Burrobots.

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic
In the Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic manga, a Buzz Bomber appears briefly. At the beginning of the Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic Volume 3 story, Sonic Rampage!! a Buzz Bomber can be seen in the background being defeated by Sonic with his Spin Attack, just as Eggman keeps mentioning how his arch-nemesis is always getting his way.

Sonic the Comic
In the Sonic the Comic series and its spin-offs published by Fleetway Editions, the Buzz Bombers are a part of Dr. Robotnik's Badnik army. The Buzz Bomber's appearance varied between issues, depending on the artist. Buzz Bombers were among the first generation of Badniks whom Robotnik produced, and they have threatened the people of Mobius since their creation.

In the "Enter: Sonic" story of Sonic the Comic #1, when Dr. Robotnik launched his Neutrino Accelerator, several Buzz Bombers were assigned to keep Sonic busy, although Sonic managed to swiftly destroy the Buzz Bombers and the other Badniks.

In the "Robofox" story of Sonic the Comic #2, more Buzz Bombers met the same fate when trying to kill Sonic while on patrol. Similarly, in Sonic Holiday Special 1994, many got destroyed while trying to catch Tails.

In the "In Good Hands" story of Sonic the Comic #41, when Sonic had been lured away, a Buzz Bomber squadron attacked the Green Hill Zone. However, Amy stopped some by using her crossbow and luring them into a trap.

In the "The Seven Badniks, Part 1" and "The Seven Badniks, Part 2" stories of issue 59 and issue 60 respectively, the Buzz Bombers from the Green Hill Zone had to share their Zone with Palmtree Panic Zone Badniks. However, the arrivals refused to live with with old-style Badniks, resulting in a slaughter of the local Badniks.

In the "The Seven Badniks, Part 3" story of Sonic the Comic #61, the last Buzz Bombers escaped with B.A.R.F. and were used to create the Seven Badniks.

Before Robotnik ended his reign over Mobius, Buzz Bombers would attack and ravage other Zones, only to face the Freedom Fighters and be destroyed. Amidst one on the Metropolis Zone however (one which Robotnik began to remind the citizens that he was in charge), Commander Brutus had his own Badniks attack the Buzz Bombers and Robotnik's other Badniks during his rebellion. This is shown in Sonic the Comic #79 ("Revolution, Part 1"), #80 ("Revolution, Part 2"), #81 ("Shock Tactics!"), and #86 ("Future Shock, Part 1").

In Sonic the Comic #99 ("No Exit") and #100 ("The Final Victory"), on the day where Robotnik's tyranny ended, several Buzz Bombers, along with hundreds of Badniks, were called in by Grimer to contain a rebellion in the Metropolis Zone until they were shut down by a global electromagnetic created by Super Sonic.

In the Sonic the Comic #131 story "Shady Characters," following a period of relative peace, more Buzz Bombers joined a Badnik army for a surprise attack on the Freedom Fighters under orders from Agent X.

Archie Comics
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Buzz Bombers, here called Buzzbombers, were among the first generation of Badniks produced by Dr. Robotnik. Early on, Buzzbombers were designed after their appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, though they would eventually come to resemble their game counterparts. Over time, the Buzzbombers were rendered obsolete by more advanced robots and got decommissioned.

A Buzzbomber was first seen aiding Dr. Robotnik in issue 0 while he was trying to capture Sonic the Hedgehog with his giant checker ball. He gave sonic five seconds to before they would crush him. Sonic eventually got a Power Ring from the Ring well and threw in back at him crushing his Egg Mobile. Robotnik retreated with Buzzbomber carrying him back to Robotropolis say that it was a rather "fat" order.

Following the events of Worlds Collide, the Buzzbombers' history became nearly identical to those in the games.

Sonic X
In Sonic X issue 10, Sonic encountered two Buzz Bombers in Dr. Eggman's virtual reality world in which they attacked him with their lasers, but Sonic dodged the Buzz Bombers and defeated them.

IDW Publishing
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, the Buzz Bombers are Badniks created by Dr. Eggman. Their past is virtually identical to their game counterparts', up until after the events of Sonic Forces. In addition to the standard Buzz Bombers, there is also a huge Buzz Bomber-based robot transporter variant.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
In the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Buzz Bombers are among Dr. Eggman's forces. They appear completely different than their in-game counterparts, bearing little resemblance other than the basic body shape.

The Buzz Bombers were the newest Badniks to Dr. Robotnik's forces following his return to Earth. After contacting Agent Stone to let him know that he had returned, Stone sent a pod full of Buzz Bombers and regular Badniks to Robotnik. The Buzz Bombers were later put to use against Sonic and Tails in Siberia, proving themselves very dangerous as Sonic evaded their laser blasts. When he encountered a large group of them setting up a laser web to trap him during his trip down a mountainside, he simply went into supersonic speed mode to make it safely through the gauntlet before using one of them to take out the other Badniks.

The Buzz Bombers were later sent against Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, this time empowered by the Master Emerald that Robotnik had absorbed, when the trio fought the Giant Eggman Robot in Green Hills. However, they were easily dispatched by the trio.

Merchandise
The toy company TOMY has released Buzz Bomber action figurine during the release of Sonic & Knuckles as it also includes a series of 21 Sonic figurines and these figurines came in packs of four under the Sonic & Knuckles label and were also released individually under a Sonic the Hedgehog label.

On February 27, 2022, a small figurine of Buzz Bomber was released alongside Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Robotnik as part of the "Movie Figure Collection" by Jakks Pacific, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film.

Games
The classic Buzz Bomber resembles a mechanical with a black coloring around its spherical thorax. It has a blue head, large white eyes with dots for pupils, two mandibles, and yellow antennae. The stinger at the tip of its blue-striped abdomen is a rail detonator cannon, its primary weapon. Two mechanical devices resembling pale wings give Buzz Bomber the ability to hover, and there are two engines installed into the sides of its thorax, allowing Buzz Bomber to fly at high speed.

In Sonic Generations, the Buzz Bomber models were more mechanically detailed, with four pink wings, cyan eyes, and a bendable bar between their thoraxes and abdomens. In Sonic Lost World and several subsequent games, the Buzz Bombers retained their softer appearance from earlier games.

In Sonic Forces, the Buzz Bombers received a more modernized and militaristic design. These Buzz Bombers retained the typical Buzz Bombers' basic shape. However, their wings had become yellow, their abdomens had lost their stripes, and their thoraxes had become blue. They also had black heads with a single red eye each and small antenna.

Other media
In Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Buzz Bombers have a green ellipsoid body and round head, with a pair of transparent wings on their back and a fin with a red stripe on their rear. On their head they have a par of red curved horns, a red pointy visor for eyes, a drill-shaped nose, and a mouth with sharp teeth.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, Buzz-Bombers have a yellow and black-striped color scheme, giving them a closer resemblance to organic wasps. Buzz-Bombers have a jet-lined head with fins on their forehead, a wide mouth with sharp teeth and needle-like mandibles, two antennas, and green eyes with blood red sclera. They also possess a round thorax, and a large striped abdomen with a red stinger. On their back they have two long sets of insectoid wings and two black engines with a pointy exhaust.

In Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, Buzz Bombers use their design from early Sonic the Hedgehog games.

In Sonic X, Buzz Bombers resemble bees, having black and yellow striped bodies, black faces with fangs. They also have wings and jet packs attached to their backs.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film, Buzz Bombers have an entirely different appearance; they resemble robotic bees, each with a large pronounced abdomen, a sharp red stinger, white plating, two rockets on their side, two rapidly spinning propellers on their back, giving the appearance of wings buzzing, and a singular glowing red eye for a head. Master Emerald-powered Buzz Bombers have silver plating with a glowing green eye and green stinger.

Profiles

 * Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia (page 12): "It flies in, takes aim, and launches a single shot at Sonic."

Trivia

 * The Buzz Bomber's names might have been derived from the Intellivision game . Coincidentally, Buzz Bombers is also the name of a minigame in Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors.
 * The purple Buzz Bombers in Sonic Generations are simply recolors of the Buzzers that do not fire at Sonic. Before Sonic Generations, this Buzzer model was used in Sonic Colors.