#16's bomb wasn't removed?

[Papasmurf]

Let's say that everything went as it did in the series, except that Bulma and her father don't remove the bomb inside #16 prior to the Cell Game. How does this change the rest of the series?

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Assuming it was indeed enough to kill Cell and assure he couldn't regenerate, he's destroyed and Gohan goes to help everyone defeat the Cell Juniors. There are probably a few casualties such as the Earthling trio, though Goku making a trip to Namek once the Cell Juniors are defeated is enough to bring things back to normal. It's doubtful Goku or Vegeta would achieve SS2 without knowledge of such a form beyond Super Saiyan existing unless training with Goten is really enough to push Goku that far. That said, Dabura's appearance 7 years later depends on the classic SSJ/SS2 debate, though for simplicity I'll just say the timeline changes place Dabura on SPC's level and the Saiyans are more cautious about fighting him. Goku instead uses Shunkan Ido to bring everyone to the Heavenly Realm and says it's best to use the Rosat with Gohan. They go in for just under a day and are able to achieve SS2. Being trained back into fighting shape, Gohan is able to kill Dabura, but Vegeta lets himself be possessed with how the gap between he and Goku has widened again and the lack of Trunks' death would've made him significantly less attached to his Earthling life than in the main timeline. Since Vegeta wouldn't be under Babidi's control though, Gohan, Piccolo and Shin quickly kill Babidi and are able to neutralise Boo's cocoon due to the lack of Babidi's presence, with Goku likely winning his battle with Vegeta just barely due to his Rosat gains.
After that, Super has basically the same structure for a while but with Beerus asking about SSG rather than causing a ruckus. The lack of #17 at the ToP as well as #18 causes U7 to be put at a disadvantage and they likely lose to Jiren in the end. Even if they somehow still win, the lack of Boo against Moro means Goku and Vegeta either die on New Namek or Goku gets crushed by Planet Moro when he runs out of God Ki.

 

[Papasmurf]

The Cell Jr.s were created after #16's failed detonation [mention]Captain Cadaver[/mention]

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Oh yeah. In that case, just remove that part and the scenario is still more or less the same.

 

[Hector]

Sixteen said that everyone around would die. Cell claimed that he would have survived it anyway. So, two scenarios. Either everyone but Cell dies or everyone dies. Not much else to say.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Sixteen said that everyone around would die. Cell claimed that he would have survived it anyway. So, two scenarios. Either everyone but Cell dies or everyone dies. Not much else to say.

Because it's not as if most of those nearby can fly or Goku can teleport them away...

 

[Hector]

Sixteen said that everyone around would die. Cell claimed that he would have survived it anyway. So, two scenarios. Either everyone but Cell dies or everyone dies. Not much else to say.

Because it's not as if most of those nearby can fly or Goku can teleport them away...

Imagine Cell surviving with a zenkai. Do you think he would kill everyone or still give Gohan a chance to get mad?

 

[Captain Cadaver]

If he doesn't target Gohan first (and assuming Goku could get Gohan out of #16's range in time), Gohan would definitely go SS2 if SPC started killing off his allies. Whether or not that would be enough to bring things back to the status quo or whether it results in Cell's victory would depend on Cell's actions after it when taking into account what the Daizenshuu has to say on SPC's power as well as Gohan at the end of the beam struggle.
The scenario of Cell surviving at all seems slim though when #16 would've surely taken into account his regeneration after seeing Goku fight him.

 

[SSJ3 Gothic]

I never trusted 16's assumption on this, especially considering Cell survived his own self-destruction. The situation would probably be disastrous, as Cell would either regenerate like he did after the KHH at the least, if not in his Super Perfect form. While 16's bomb probably wouldn't kill all of them, a few would be out of commission or highly injured, leaving a returning Cell to probably pick off the remaining few. Even if the Z warriors could fight him off, it would be an ugly scene, Dragon Balls or not.

Basically, CC's scenario but with Cell surviving to go on and murder everyone.