A disarmed UXB next to a Slig.
The UXB (also known as the toggle mine or slap mine) is a variation of the Land Mine that can be disarmed manually. They are often used in Glukkon factories to restrict access to certain areas. It is a small cylinder-shaped object with two rotating blades that indicate whether it is active. The top of the UXB features a blinking button that blinks in a consistent and distinct color pattern that varies between green and red.
Abe's Oddysee[]
The UXB appears all throughout the game, and there are two ways to remove it from harm's way: deactivating it or triggering it.
To deactivate a UXB, Abe must crouch next to it and press the button on top when it's green. In Abe's Oddysee, the pattern will see three red flashes, followed by one green flash, after which the pattern will repeat. If the button is pressed when it blinks green, the bomb will be disarmed, but if it is pressed when it is red, it will detonate. Once disarmed, the rotating blades will stop moving and withdraw into the mechanism. The mine may also be rearmed by pressing the button once more.
To trigger it while it is active without dying, Abe must either hit it with a rock, let a grenade explode on top of it, detonate it using a spirit ring, detonate it using a shrykull ring or let a slig or other mudokon walk into it. The grenade, spirit ring and shrykull method will still trigger the UXB even if it is deactivated.
If Abe does want to reactivate for any reason, all he has to do is press the button again. Abe will die if he is within the UXB explosion, which is certain if he stepped on it, rolls into it or presses the button while it is red.
Abe's Exoddus[]
UXB's in Abe's Exoddus function near identically to how they do in Abe's Oddysee. They have a slightly different pattern, using 'red, green, red, red, red, green'.
New 'n' Tasty[]
Abe crouching with a deactivated UXB to the right and an active one on the left.
While the basic mechanics of the UXB are the same to prior games, many of the specifics have changed. The pattern if now represented with short and long green flashes representing danger and safety respectively, while it used to be red and green. The pattern also varies between difficulty modes, with only Hard mode resembling the original's pattern. Throwing a grenade now detonates an active UXB upon contact, though, Abe will still have to wait for the grenade itself to explode to trigger an inactive UXB.
Soulstorm[]
UXBs have been renamed to Slap Mines, but are otherwise congruent to the ones encountered in New 'n' Tasty.
Trivia[]
- UXB stands for "unexploded bomb". While technically correct for describing an explosive device, in real life the term is usually reserved for very old and forgotten explosives that remain in the ground many years after they were deployed, though UXO (unexploded ordnance) is more common. The UXBs encountered by Abe are neither old nor forgotten.
- In Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, disarming three UXBs in a row unlocks the "Mine Games" achievement.
- In Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, and Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty the tones of the UXBs are F Sharp (#) and C.
Appearances[]
- Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (First appearance)
- Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
- Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
- Oddworld: Soulstorm
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