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The is an enemy character from Nintendo's series of Mario video games. Goombas are the first enemy character to appear in the original Super Mario Bros., for the NES. Due to the widespread popularity of that game, the Goomba is the first enemy character many game players from the 1980s saw. Alongside Koopa Troopas, Piranha Plants, and Lakitus, they are the most common enemies in the Mario series.
Origins of name
After Mario was given an Italian name, a number of other Mario characters were named following an Italian theme. Thus, the name "goomba" is believed to have come from the slang word "goombah" used by Italian-Americans to describe themselves; over time, it has gained a slightly derogatory connotation. The Italian-American slang term originates from the Italian word compare (akin to Spanish compadre), which was already (and still is) used in south Italy abbreviated in "compa'" and literally means "friend" and it is used colloquially mainly to address people living in the same town. Additionally, and likely coincidentally, the Hungarian word gomba means "mushroom."
General description
Typically, Goombas are brown and look like mushrooms (or chestnuts) with feet. They have bushy eyebrows formed into a scowl, and occasionally upward-pointing tusks. Goombas are blue or gray in the dark underground areas of the Mario video games and darker brown in night-time areas, and this is probably intended to show the lack of light while saving palette colors. "Little Goomba" is the name sometimes used for an ordinary Goomba in the games. The other distinct types of Goombas have their own names as well. When they are jumped on, they each seem to flatten into a pancake.
Goombas can attack Mario by touching him from the side or (more rarely) falling upon him from above. However, they can be defeated by jumping or stomping on them. Goombas are typically the weakest enemies in Mario games; their only attack is walking slowly towards the player, and they can usually be dispached in one hit. In the various Mario RPG titles, they are weak enemies encountered near the beginning of the game, but have stronger incarnations that appear later on in the games.
Little is said in Mario games about Goombas themselves, except that, according to the manual of the original Super Mario Bros. (p. 12), they are mushroom creatures and traitors to the Mushroom Kingdom. According to their MVP bio in Mario Superstar Baseball, the Goomba trophy from Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the introduction and enemy glossary for Super Princess Peach, Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom but, they betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. Mario games such as Paper Mario elucidate that not all Goombas are bad, suggesting the possibility that originally they were just Mushroom Kingdom folk turned rebel. They are, according to Super Mario RPG, the lowest level of King Bowser's army.
Microgoombas and Paragoombas
Variants of the Goomba include the Microgoomba (マメクリボー; Mamekuribou meaning "Bean-Goomba") and the Paragoomba (パタクリボー; Patakuribou meaning "Wingbeat-Goomba"). The Microgoomba is a miniature, parasitic Goomba that either attaches onto Mario to reduce his jumping ability or hides under a brick and jumps whenever Mario approaches it (the latter is known as a Pile Driver Micro-Goomba.)To destroy the Micro-goombas, Mario just simply has to dunk himself in water and the Micro-goomba will drop off. The Microgoomba first appears in Super Mario Bros. 3 along with the Paragoomba. According to the Super Mario Bros. 3 game manual (p. 35), Microgoombas are the children of the Paragoombas. In comparison with a regular Goomba, the Paragoomba has two wings which give it the ability to fly across the game screen. In Super Mario Bros. 3, it appears in two shades of brown: the lighter colored Paragoomba can fly and occasionally release Microgoombas, while the darker colored Paragoombas do not release Microgoombas, and merely hop along the ground like green Paratroopas. Paragoombas roughly correlate with the seagoing Blooper enemies, who sometimes lead a string of nuisance Baby Bloopers.
Goombas in Mario games
Super Mario Bros. series
The Goombas in the original Super Mario Bros. establish basic qualities of Goombas for subsequent Mario games. For example, the original Goombas are very common walking enemies and disappear once Mario stomps on them. This ever-present and vulnerable nature of Goombas appears in later games such as Super Mario Bros. 3. Furthermore, the original Goombas use the strategy of attacking in groups of two or three, which repeats extensively among Goombas in later games. This forces Mario to cautiously stomp on a single Goomba to avoid being attacked by a nearby Goomba, especially in an enclosed space, although with the proper velocity and timing, it is usually possible to bounce off of one onto the next, killing them all without touching the ground. In addition, the original Goombas introduce the fundamental collision detection for a generic Goomba. When a Goomba collides with an obstacle or another Mario enemy, the Goomba will always walk away in the opposite direction. While certain Mario enemy sprites such as the Cheep-Cheep would pass through other Mario enemy sprites, the Goomba will react to other Mario enemies. This collision reaction is evident in later Mario games as well.In Super Mario Bros., Goombas appear as blue in underground levels and grey in castles. However, this is actually due to the limited color palette of the game, which is why grey Goombas' appearances have been rare to nonexistent. However, they make a reappearance in Paper Mario as Gloombas in Toad Town Sewers, and like regular Goombas, come in Gloomba form, Spiked Gloomba form and Paragloomba form, and each have seven HP. The Thousand-Year Door continues the use of the enemy, and places them in the Pit of 100 Trials. The Paper Mario series' use of blue Goombas is probably intended to be a nostalgic reference to the original.
In the North American release of Super Mario Bros. 2, there are no Goombas in the entire game. This comes from the fact that the game was a Nintendo adaption of a pre-existing Japanese game entitled Doki Doki Panic, whose storyline has no relation to the Mario game series. Although Nintendo of America replaced a few characters in Doki Doki Panic when creating Super Mario Bros. 2, none of the enemies were replaced with Goombas. In contrast, the game released as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan (and known as The Lost Levels in America) has Goombas, since it uses the same game engine as the original Super Mario Bros.
In Super Mario Bros. 3, the Micro-Goomba and Para-Goomba (see above) were introduced. In addition, in level 5-3, Goombas have the ability to use a power-up that mimics a jump attack similar to Mario's jump attack. These Goombas ride in giant individual green boots with a winding key. When a Goomba equips the boot, the Goomba can jump towards their enemy. Normally, the Goombas die if they are jumped upon from above; however, if they are attacked creatively by destroying the blocks underneath them, they will leave behind their boot, which Mario can then jump into, making him almost invincible. This power-up is known as "Kuribo's Shoe" in the original Super Mario Bros. 3 (Kuribō being the Japanese name for the Goombas) but was renamed "Goomba's Shoe" in subsequent Western Super Mario Bros. 3 remakes. This is the only original level from the Mario games containing this powerup, although some of the Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 add-on stages feature it. Once the level is cleared, the powerup is gone.
Super Mario World series
In Super Mario World for SNES, they are slightly less common, and when Mario stomps on them, they are knocked upside down and rendered immobile for a short period of time. When this happens, Mario can pick the Goombas up and carry them, until they resuscitate themselves. Like Koopa Troopas, Goombas hurt Mario upon contact once they revive. Also, some Goombas can come to Mario in different ways, such as dropping in with a parachute (in Super Mario World, the parachuting Goombas assume the Paragoomba name, and the Goombas with wings are called simply Winged Goombas) or floating inside a bubble. In comparison to earlier versions, the Goombas of Super Mario World differ in appearance by having a roughly spherical head rather than a mushroom cap and lacking a stem, instead having the feet attach directly to the bottom of the head.In contrast to other Mario games, the Goomba is not a common enemy in Yoshi's Island. Instead, the more common enemy is the Shy Guy. In this game, Goombas can only be found in the level "4-1: Go! Go! Mario!!". They follow their regular pattern, which is slowly walking towards Yoshi with the possibility of collision. They are more durable than usual here: a regular stomp merely flattens them, cartoon-style, and they keep walking until they pop up again. They can be defeated with a ground pound, or simply eaten and turned into eggs.
Super Mario 64 series
The Goombas' physical appearance in Super Mario 64 is based on their Super Mario Bros. 3 design, albeit in a 3D-rendered form. Their behavior changes slightly in that instead of wandering back and forth they first perform a small hop when they spot Mario, as if to indicate surprise, and then give chase to him. Similar to most Mario games, the Goombas in Super Mario 64 can be killed by stomping. However, in this game Mario has additional physical attacks besides ordinary jumping, and Goombas can also be killed with these new abilities. The giant Goombas will yield blue coins if Mario performs the ground-pound attack on them. Super Mario 64 DS, a remake of Super Mario 64 on Nintendo DS, has some modifications. One of them is the addition of an original boss called Goomboss. The Goomba complains to Yoshi that his junior siblings have been stomped on in previous Mario games. Goomboss looks virtually identical to King Goomba from Paper Mario. Goomboss returned as a Mission mode boss in Mario Kart DS.Super Mario RPG series
In Super Mario RPG, Goombas are one of the lowest-level monsters. They have two attacks: a bite attack and a thorn-spitting attack. However, since this is a role-playing game, both attacks have the same effect: several points of damage to a character in the player's party. In addition to normal Goombas, there are two more difficult species in Super Mario RPG: Gu Goombas and Goombettes. Gu Goombas, distinguished by their light green hue, appear in Bowser's Castle. They sometimes jump out from behind statues to attack Mario, and may also appear in enemy parties. Being former minions of Bowser, however, they will flee in fear Bowser is a party member. The Goombette is a smaller version of Goomba, bearing a resemblance to a Micro-Goomba (see above). Goombettes can mainly be found hidden inside treasure chest monsters. Super Mario RPG also includes non-hostile Goomba characters. In Monstro Town, Mario can visit a store run by a Goomba family, which comprises of a regular Goomba and three Goombettes. Like most of the monsters in Monstro Town, the Goomba family decided to quit the Koopa Troop and live a peaceful life.Paper Mario introduces a myriad of new Goomba types, and is notable for characterizing Goombas beyond enemies. There are various unique individual Goombas that play a part in the game's plot. There is the Goomba King (a giant Goomba who lives in a fortress), and a pair of Goombas called the Goomba Bros., which consist of Red Goomba and Blue Goomba. However, the most prominent Goomba of the new Goombas is Goombario. He is an admirer of Mario, who becomes a playable character and is the first ever playable Goomba, in addition to being the first in your party. Throughout Mario's journey, Goombario can help Mario by fighting enemies and providing information about their surroundings. He lives in Goomba Village with his family, which includes Gooma (grandmother), Goompa (grandfather), Goomama (mother), Goompapa (father), and Goombaria (sister). The village is located west of Toad Town and is the only place to find a kind of chestnut (which by no coincidence has relation with Goomba's Japanese name, see above) called Goomnut. However, there remain traditional Goomba enemies, including Spiked Goombas (equipped with spiked helmets to counteract Mario's jumping ability), Gloombas (a darker Goomba type that can be found mostly in the Toad Town tunnels; it also has a Paragloomba and Spiked Gloomba variant), and Hyper Goombas (a wild Goomba type that is stronger than a regular Goomba and can charge its attack; it also has a Hyper Paragoomba and a Hyper Spiked Goomba variant).
In Super Mario Sunshine, there are no Goombas, but a creature similar to an orange Goomba called "strollin' stu" that wears blue spotted briefs are the most common enemies. According to the Perfect Guide of Super Mario Sunshine, these are the Isle Delfino versions of Goombas, its japanese name is "Hamkuri". However, they have later been proven not as strollin' stus, but as the Burt enemies from Yoshi's Island.
In Superstar Saga, Goombas appear at the very beginning in the Koopa Cruiser as a battle tutorial. In Teehee Valley, there is a variation of Goomba called Gritty Goomba. It has bandages wrapped around it and a spear strapped onto its head. The Gritty Goombas will grab Princess Peach and run into a pipe if they get near her, or if she disappears off the edge of the screen. Usually, they call up a sandstorm to distort their enemy's vision. Another form of Goombas resides in the Beanbean Kingdom, found in an area north of Beanbean Town. These Goombas, known as "Tanoombas", refer to the "Tanooki" ability found in Super Mario Bros. 3. They appear as regular Goombas with raccoon tails, and a leaf on their head. The leaf refers to the leaf power-up item needed to acquire the Raccoon ability in Super Mario Bros. 3. When they attack, Tanoombas transform into a duplicate of Mario or Luigi, similar to the "Tanooki" ability which allows transformation into a statue. Once transformed, the Tanoombas will always attack the brother of their appearance. For example, a Tanoomba who appears as Luigi will attack Mario.
The Thousand-Year Door introduces a playable, female college student Goomba named Goombella. She is studying about the legendary treasure beneath the city of Rogueport alongside her instructor, Professor Frankly (also a Goomba). After learning of Mario's ongoing search for the treasure, she joins his party. Like Goombario, she has the ability to Tattle on an enemy, revealing their health and information, but unlike Goombario, this information is cataloged. In place of Goombario's Charge ability (which now can be given to any party member via a badge), she has Rally Wink, which gives Mario the courage to take another turn. In Rogueport, Goombas are fairly common.
In Partners in Time, the Goomba was a common enemy that could be found in Bowser's Castle in the past. They attacked simply by charging into either Mario or Luigi and/or their younger selves. The same Goombas could also be found in the underground section of Princess Peach's Castle in the present. Curiously, they were slightly stronger, but still offered little EXP and money. The Tanoombas from Superstar Saga make a return appearance on the Thwomp Mountain, but with completely different moves. They change their forms into a balloon, a Thwomp, and a spiked shell in order to attack the brothers. If the Tanoomba jumps straight up before attacking, its first attack is directed at Mario/Baby Mario, but if it flips, it's going for Luigi/Baby Luigi. Another point of interest is that they will take on the forms of a Thwack, a Toad, a 100-Coin coin, and an item block in the overworld, but their true identity can easily be spotted through their tell-tale tails and/or leafs. The Shroob Castle also has a stronger, purple version of the Tanoomba known as the Tashrooba.
Goombas in other games
Goombas have appeared in four games outside of the Mario series: Link's Awakening, Super Smash Bros., Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Hotel Mario (which is not considered an official part of the Mario canon):
- In Link's Awakening, Goombas appear in side-scrolling parts of a dungeon (and also in the top-down portion of the Eagle's Tower), sometimes with other Mario-based enemies (such as the Piranha Plant). Link can either slash at them with his sword or jump on them to defeat them, and when defeated they reveal items. They are otherwise indistinguishable from Mario game Goombas.
- In Super Smash Bros., Goomba sprites appear in the background of the secret Super Mario Bros. level, and in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Goombas are extremely rare items that sometimes come out of item-holding objects such as Party Balls or Crates. They are also commonly found in the first level of Adventure Mode, the Mushroom Kingdom stage. They are defeated by attacks or by being jumped on, and are otherwise like Mario game Goombas. Additionally, the game features a Goomba trophy that can be collected.
- In Hotel Mario, four types of Goomba appear. The first two are normal Goombas and Paragoombas (the latter of which are called Flying Goombas in the game). The normal Goombas walk around and open doors, while the Paragoombas can fly around within the floor they are on. The other two types of Goomba are Bellhop Goombas and Rhinestone Goombas, types exclusive only to this game. Bellhop Goombas behave like normal Goombas but move faster and turn around on occasion. Rhinestone Goombas are Goombas that are able to jump into the air. They bear a resemblance to Elvis Presley.
In the Mario Party series, Goombas have frequently appeared as shopkeepers, party hosts, events, and items.
In Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, Goombas appear as obstacles on certain tracks. In both games they may be defeated with an item, revealing a Mushroom for a racer to use. Goomboss from Super Mario 64 DS also returns as a Mission Mode boss whom you must race on the Baby Park track.
A Goomba (as well as a Para-Goomba) appears as a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball. In this game, the Goomba both uses a bat and glove in spite of the impediment of having no arms. This marks the third time that a Goomba is a playable character, after the two Paper Mario games.
A Goomba also appears in the 8-bit realm in an online MMORPG called The Kingdom of Loathing.
Goombas in other media
In the 1989 television cartoon The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Goombas are loyal soldiers in King Koopa's army. The general appearance of the Goomba resembles the sprites found in the Mario video games. In many of the episodes, the Goombas appear as zombies, pirates, or other thematical variations in accordance with the plot. (One episode, ironically, had both of the Mario Bros. fleeing like cowards from a single Goomba.) When the show spun off into The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, they continued their job as soldiers in the Koopa army in a few episodes. However, the Super Mario World cartoon only featured them once.
In 1990, a few Mario characters became part of a series of McDonald's Happy Meal's toys, as part of a way to promote the release of Super Mario Bros. 3. The Mario toy set featured Mario (in his Raccoon form), Luigi, Paratroopa, and Little Goomba. The Goomba toy is spring loaded and has a hinge between its head and feet. There is a small suction cup at the front of the Goomba's head and sticks to the top of its feet when pressed down. Once pressed down, the toy backflips a few moments later by way of a compressed spring inside the casing of Goomba's head.
In the film Super Mario Bros., (1993), the term Goomba refers to someone who de-evolves after being hit by King Koopa's de-evolution ray. As with most of the characters in the film, the Goombas are drastically different in appearance in comparison to their video game counterparts, represented as large reptiles with an ogre-like appearance. They are played by human actors in costume and do not resemble the small Goombas seen in the video games at all.
References
- Duck Hunt/Super Mario Bros. Instruction Booklet, Nintendo, 1988.
- Super Mario Bros. 3 Instruction Booklet, Nintendo, 1990.
External links
- Super Mario Brothers Monster Compendium - Little Goomba - profile of the main Goomba type, with links to the other variations.
"Goomba"