Bloons (franchise)
Bloons is a multimedia franchise primarily consisting of video games developed by Ninja Kiwi and its subsidiaries.
Commonalities
Monkeys
Monkeys are a species of primates that comprise the main characters of the franchise.
Bloons
Bloons are balloon-like entities that are usually portrayed as antagonists towards monkeys.
Plot
Bloons games rarely have story elements beyond the premise of monkeys defending themselves against Bloons. Some characters have background information, such as hobbies and relationships, but these are rarely divulged in-game. The Ninja Kiwi Blog often reveals background information about characters, but it is usually very silly.
Video games
Bloons series
The Bloons series comprises the original series of physics-based puzzle games that the franchise expanded from. In these games, the player solves puzzle levels by controlling a monkey that can throw a limited supply of darts to pop Bloons. Each level has a different arrangement of Bloons and blocks, and the player is required to pop enough Bloons to progress to the next level. Certain Bloons have special effects that trigger when they are popped, such as popping other Bloons nearby or giving the player a special type of shot.
The Bloons series has three major titles: Bloons, the original set of games that spawned from the Flash version; Bloons 2, the sequel that introduces new Bloon and block types; and Bloons Blast, a discontinued Facebook game based on the Flash version of Bloons 2. Bloons and Bloons 2 both have multiple versions and expansions, covering Flash games, mobile games, and handheld console games, all of which have different levels. The series has not received a new entry since 2011, but Bloons Pop! is considered a spiritual successor to this series[1] and has many similarities.
Bloons TD series
Bloons TD (short for Bloons Tower Defense) is a series of tower defense games and the most expansive series of the franchise. In Bloons TD, Bloons move along predetermined paths on a map, and the player places towers that attack Bloons to stop them from reaching the exit. The player earns cash from popping Bloons that they can spend on more towers and upgrades for their towers. The number and strength of Bloons increases as the game progresses through a series of rounds. The goal is to complete all the rounds without running out of lives from letting Bloons escape.
The first game in the series, Bloons Tower Defense, was created as a spin-off of the Bloons puzzle games, but it became more popular than the puzzle game series.
Bloons Supermonkey series
Bloons Supermonkey is a small series of vertically scrolling shooter games in which the player takes control of Super Monkey and pops waves of Bloons across different levels. Popped Bloons release Blops that the player can spend on weapons and upgrades to change Super Monkey's arsenal. The player is required to pop a certain number of Bloons to complete a level, and popping more Bloons earns a better score. The player can also collect temporary powerups.
The Bloons Supermonkey series has two major titles: Bloons Super Monkey, a 2010 Flash game that was later ported to iOS, and Bloons Supermonkey 2, which has both a Flash version from 2013 and a mobile version from 2016, which have very similar gameplay to each other, but have different graphics, levels, and powerups.
Spin-off games
| Game | Description | Release year |
|---|---|---|
| Bloons Pop Three | Bloons Pop Three is a Flash-based match 3 puzzle game | 2008 |
 Hot Air Bloon |
Hot Air Bloon is a | 2008 |
| Hot Air Bloon (iOS) | 2010 | |
 Who Wants To Be A Bloonionaire? |
Who Wants To Be A Bloonionaire? is a Flash-based trivia game created to promote the then-upcoming Flash version of Bloons TD 5. Answering 10 rounds of questions in a row without answering incorrectly presents the player with a trailer for BTD5. This trailer was the first time BTD5 was shown publicly, and it was officially uploaded to YouTube a few days after this game released. | 2011 |
 Bloons Pop! |
A spiritual successor[1] to the Bloons puzzle games, Bloons Pop! is a free-to-play puzzle game for mobile devices in which the player solves procedurally-generated levels of Bloons and other obstacles with a limited number of Monkey shots. Its art style, characters, and Bloon types are mostly based on Bloons TD 6. It is unrelated to Bloons Pop Three, despite the name. | 2021 |
 Bloons Card Storm |
Bloons Card Storm is a collectible card game with a focus on one-versus-one online multiplayer matches. In each match, the player uses Bloon cards to attack the opposing Hero, Monkey cards to defend the player's Hero, and Power cards to activate various instant effects. | 2024 |
Soundtracks
Animation
In 2024, Ninja Kiwi released "The Story of Monkeys vs Bloons", a 3D-animated trailer that explores the history of the conflict between monkeys and Bloons. While referred to as a trailer, it is unknown what this animation was made to promote.
Merchandise
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "... and that’s the collective mindset that’s guided Bloons Pop - to be the spiritual successor to the physics puzzle fun of the original Bloons but also to dig into the characters and abilities that we’ve grown since then." – (Fri, 14 May 2021) "What's Up At Ninja Kiwi? - 14th May, 2021". Ninja Kiwi Blog. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021.