Did you ever use 8-ball's car bombs in free roam?

[ToniCiprani]

Just as topic says. I'm seriously looking for any use of these bombs. If they added it as a pernament feature, it has to be something you could use in at least few strategic ways. Or, was it maybe just for the mission "Mike Lips Last Lunch"? I will be very thankful for your answers, bc I wonder why they added such a thing in A FIRST 3D ENTRY in the series, so very early.

[cant remember]

It's something that caried over from GTA1 and GTA2 so they had to have it in III too.

IIRC the shop on each island functions a little differently, one goes off after a few seconds, one goes off when someone goes sit in it and one you get a remote.

 

But yeah, unless the mission makes you, I can't think of any practical use for them. I thought I was going to be clever and use it on some missions but the car would disappear after leaving it out of sight so meh.

[ToniCiprani]

2 hours ago, cant remember said:

It's something that caried over from GTA1 and GTA2 so they had to have it in III too.

IIRC the shop on each island functions a little differently, one goes off after a few seconds, one goes off when someone goes sit in it and one you get a remote.

 

But yeah, unless the mission makes you, I can't think of any practical use for them. I thought I was going to be clever and use it on some missions but the car would disappear after leaving it out of sight so meh.

Thanks, I didn't know that these bomb shops are different and are also in 2d era. I still wonder is there even a one use of them or are they just for pure fun.

[cant remember]

I guess pure fun. There might be some missions where they could be used but I can't think of any where the benefit is worth the trip/preparations.

[Martin4004]

On 5/15/2023 at 6:21 AM, ToniCiprani said:

Just as the topic says. I'm seriously looking for any use of these bombs. If they added it as a permanent feature, it has to be something you could use in at least a few strategic ways. Or, was it maybe just for the mission "Mike Lips Last Lunch"? I will be very thankful for your answers, bc I wonder why they added such a thing in A FIRST 3D ENTRY in the series, so very early.

Another instance that came to my mind is the mission "Farewell 'Chunky' Lee Chong". You can take one of the getaway cars to 8-Ball's, equip it with a bomb, and then leave it in the same spot. Approach Lee Chong from the right direction so he runs to the car rigged with a bomb and he's dead. But apart from that, I doubt people are using these bomb shops unless they want to kill pedestrians in an unusual way. Fun fact, at each bomb shop, the bomb is kinda "different". For example, in Portland, the bomb explodes after someone enters the car. In Shoreside Vale, you get a detonator for the bomb and you can blow up the vehicle remotely.

[cant remember]

Yeah. You have to be careful because Chunky has two cars set up and he will run to the other one in certain cases. If you already have that kind of knowledge about the mission and how you could use 8 ball's bomb in it, you're probably skilled enough to just shoot him with the pistol you get and save yourself time and money.

 

Packie's car bomb in GTA4 is the same, there isn't anywhere in the campaign I ever thought of using it, and it's always unpredictable when the mission is gonna force you to use a specific mission vehicle instead or if your car will disappear after the cutscene.

[Comrade Monke]

I guess if you wanna kill Salvatore in a cool way but it ain't worth the preparation 

[44Orca]

Never once used them aside missions..not even with the definitive edition.

[Evil empire]

I never think about it.

[victm92]

On 5/16/2023 at 8:16 AM, cant remember said:

Yeah. You have to be careful because Chunky has two cars set up and he will run to the other one in certain cases. If you already have that kind of knowledge about the mission and how you could use 8 ball's bomb in it, you're probably skilled enough to just shoot him with the pistol you get and save yourself time and money.

 

Packie's car bomb in GTA4 is the same, there isn't anywhere in the campaign I ever thought of using it, and it's always unpredictable when the mission is gonna force you to use a specific mission vehicle instead or if your car will disappear after the cutscene.

 

A very good time for using it is on the mission "...Pest Control". You must call Packie before starting it; you will still be carrying the bomb in your hands after doing so. Then you can find the car Ray will get into before triggering the cutscene, so you can prepare him a special surprise. And if you detonate it when the cars are very close together, you can finish the mission in an instant without ever being noticed, which it's kinda rewarding. I just did it a couple of weeks ago in my 2023 playthrough, haha. 

[Funktipus]

On 10/29/2023 at 12:33 PM, victm92 said:

 

A very good time for using it is on the mission "...Pest Control". You must call Packie before starting it; you will still be carrying the bomb in your hands after doing so. Then you can find the car Ray will get into before triggering the cutscene, so you can prepare him a special surprise. And if you detonate it when the cars are very close together, you can finish the mission in an instant without ever being noticed, which it's kinda rewarding. I just did it a couple of weeks ago in my 2023 playthrough, haha. 

You beat me to it, lol....I do "Pest Control" the same way. I detonate it when the cars stop at the gas station. What an explosion!!!

[Pistol Bobcat]

Yeah back in the day I'd rig a car to blow and then bait the carjacking peds into stealing it just to blow them up as they speed away

[MaciejSkywalker]

 I actually remember using it once. i activated the bomb and some dude threw me away from my car and he exploded killing me in the process because i was to close to him

[tony da boss]

I don't get why Claude would want to do business with him after he rigged his car with a bomb in "Last Requests." It seems like it would be awkward between them after that lol

[Nico]

9 hours ago, tony da boss said:

I don't get why Claude would want to do business with him after he rigged his car with a bomb in "Last Requests." It seems like it would be awkward between them after that lol

I doubt 8-Ball knew the bomb was for Claude. He worked just like him, in a basis of cash for his services without questions.

[grosso2626]

I sometimes like to rig one, and have one of the carjackers take it from me. Watching them drive away and blow up is funny. 

[bryandouradoo9]

Never used it but your ideas are good

[Stahli]

Really simple question, but I don't think I've equipped a car with an 8-Ball bomb in my entire GTA III career. Maybe I should try a few things with that too. Any suggestions?

[DragonpokeZ]

Some time ago me and a couple other users kept spamming ignition car bombs on the cars in the garages of the Chain Game. Which makes me think that GTA Online should have ignition car bombs as well

[Silver]

Very rarely. It's fun the first few times to let the carjackers take your car and blow them up but it gets a bit stale after a while. It's not the most useful feature outside of specific missions in my opinion.

[MichaelPuyHunt]

Couple times as a kid

[Anywhere USA]

The bombs were decently useful in GTA 1 and 2, and got carried over, but didn’t age great 

[Max Payne]

Once knowing their functionalities, yes. Very often. The one in Shoreside Vale is like a beta Sticky Bomb feature except with a vehicle. I often use them to blow up enemy gangs', parking the vehicle near them and boom. One in Portland? I guess can't think of many reasons to use it except to stick it to potential car jackers but activation means that vehicle can't be reentered by the player so there's that.

[drcherrybomb]

Forgot they existed.

On 5/15/2023 at 11:39 AM, cant remember said:

IIRC the shop on each island functions a little differently, one goes off after a few seconds, one goes off when someone goes sit in it and one you get a remote.

That seems pretty interesting, though!

[Arlecchino]

The bomb shop in Portland is pretty much mission exclusive to serve "Mike Lips Last Lunch", to set up an ignition bomb.

 

Otherwise in normal gameplay most players wouldn't take kindly to their car being jacked and would try to get it back lol (unless they're trolling some street criminals)

[universetwisters]

I never did. Even outside of III, I can't think of why I'd use a car bomb shop 

[bananaking13]

1 hour ago, universetwisters said:

I never did. Even outside of III, I can't think of why I'd use a car bomb shop 

How could you not want to park it, prime it by pressing LMB or LCTRL and LEG IT!? 

[universetwisters]

Just now, bananaking13 said:

How could you not want to park it, prime it by pressing LMB or LCTRL and LEG IT!? 

 

My mother smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol while she was pregnant with me, that's why

[Coltrane Crowley]

On 4/4/2025 at 5:37 AM, universetwisters said:

 

My mother smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol while she was pregnant with me, that's why

Best comment definitely