Goomba
The Goomba (Japanese: クリボー; Kuribō; kuri, "chestnut", + bō, possibly meaning "people") 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 Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, and Koopas, they are the most common enemies in the Mario series.
Most Goombas harm Mario by touching him. However, various other types of Goombas can fly, or hop onto Mario to attack him. "Little Goomba" is the name sometimes used for a regular Goomba in the games. However, the other distinct types of Goombas have their own names.
After Mario was named after Nintendo landlord Mario Segali, a number of other Mario characters were named with an Italian theme. The name thus is believed universally 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."
Characteristics
Typically, Goombas are brownish orange or yellow, and look like mushrooms with feet, bushy eyebrows formed into a scowl, and occasionally fangs. 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.
Goombas hurt Mario if they touch him from the side or (more rarely) fall upon him from above. However, they can easily be killed by jumping and stomping on them from above. They are typically among the weakest enemies in Mario games; their only attack is walking slowly towards the player, and they can usually be killed in one hit. In the various Mario RPG titles, they are weak enemies found in the beginning of the game, but have stronger reincarnations 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 traitors to the Mushroom Kingdom. This is referred to in its MVP bio in Mario Superstar Baseball, saying that although they once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom, they betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. Later Mario games such as Paper Mario elucidate that not all Goombas are bad, suggesting the possibility that originally they were just Mushroom Kingdom folk gone rebel. They are, according to Super Mario RPG, the lowest level of King Bowser's army. However, according to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, they are the most elite of Bowser's army, perhaps hinting that Mario and Co. are hindering the army more than previously thought. However, this was likely intended as a joke and should not be taken at face value.
Microgoombas and Paragoombas
Variants of the Goomba include the Microgoomba (マメクリボー; Mamekuribō meaning "Bean-Goomba") and the Paragoomba (パタクリボー; Patakuribō meaning "Wingbeat-Goomba"). The Microgoomba is a miniature 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.) 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
Classic 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. 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. Paper Mario: 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 unconscious 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 Super Mario World 2: 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. They can be defeated with a ground pound, or simply eaten and turned into eggs.
Super Mario 64 series
Similar to most Mario games, the Goombas in Super Mario 64 can be killed by stomping on them. However, in this game Mario has additional physical attacks besides the usual jump, and the Goombas can also be killed with these new abilities. Their behavior changes slightly, in that instead of wandering back and forth they first perform a small jump when they spot Mario, as if to indicate surprise, and then give chase to him.
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.
Super Mario RPG series
In Super Mario RPG, Goombas are able to bite, and spit thorns at Mario. However, since this is a role-playing game, their attacks have really the same effect: several points of damage to a character in the player's party. Also, Bowser's Castle features a special breed of Goomba called Gu Goomba with a light green hue that sometimes jumps out from behind statues, trying to ram into Mario. However, they will retreat if Bowser is in the party. In addition, there is a new type of Goomba called a Goombette. The Goombette is a small goomba, which bears a resemblance to a Micro-Goomba (see below). They can mainly be found hidden inside treasure chest shaped monsters. 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. 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. 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 variant).
In Mario and Luigi: 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.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door introduces a playable, female college student Goomba named Goombella. She is studying about the legendary treasure beneath the city 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, she has Rally Wink, which gives Mario the courage to take another turn. A new addition to the Goomba classification is the Hyper Spiked Goomba (a combination of Hyper Goomba and Spiked Goomba). In Rogueport, Goombas are fairly common.
In Mario & Luigi: 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 also appear in three non-Mario series games: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Super Smash Bros., and Super Smash Bros. Melee. The first is an adventure game while the last two are fighting games. These games diverge from the majority of Mario games, which are mostly platform games.
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 (and get a Rupee) or jump on them (and get a heart). 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 items that rarely 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 easily defeated by normal attacks or by being jumped on, and are otherwise like Mario game Goombas. Additionally, the game features a Goomba trophy that can be collected.
Goomba also appears in Mario Superstar Baseball. In this game, Goomba both uses a bat and glove, in spite of the impediment of having no arms AND using his feet to use his gear. [1] This marks the third time that a Goomba is a playable character, after the two Paper Mario games.
It is also worth noting that the small, brown enemies in the Wario Land games are called Gooms, and are most likely modeled after Goombas.
In Mario Kart DS, Goombas appear as obstacles to be avoided on certain tracks, much like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. In both games they may be defeated with an item, revealing a Mushroom for a racer to use.
In Hotel Mario, four types of Goomba appear. The first two are normal Goombas and Paragoombas (called Flying Goombas in the game). The normal Goombas walk around opening doors, and the Paragoombas can only fly within the floors they are on. The other two types of Goomba are Bellhop Goombas and Rhinestone Goombas, types exclusive only to this game. Bellhop Goombas are faster than normal Goombas and turn around on occasion. Rhinestone Goombas are Goombas dressed like Elvis Presley that are able to jump in the air.
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. 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. The Mario toy set featured Mario, 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. (Note that Goombas in the video games do not backflip.)
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 in-game Goombas at all. However, this can be a reference since the original game described them as former members of the Mushroom Kingdom and the de-evolved versions are also former members of the Mushroom Kingdom.
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.