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 Hungarian word gomba means "mushroom."
Goombas are depicted as brown mushroom-like creatures, with bushy eyebrows and a pair of fangs sprouting from their lower jaw. They generally tackle or bite an enemy. The Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom, but they betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. Some Goombas act as friendly characters in the Paper Mario series, two even joining Mario on his journey. They are, according to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the lowest level of Bowser's army, meaning that they have no authority over any other soldier. In Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, they are described as "the underling of underlings".
Goombas can attack Mario by touching him from the side or, on a rare coincidence, falling upon him from above. However, they can be defeated by jumping or stomping on them. Goombas are typically the weakest enemies in the Mario series of games. In the various MarioRPG titles, they are weak enemies encountered near the beginning of the game, but have stronger species that appear in advanced levels of the game.
Variants of the Goomba include the Microgoomba (マメクリボー; Mamekuribou meaning "Bean-Kuribou") and the Paragoomba (パタクリボー; Patakuribou meaning "Wingbeat-Kuribou"). 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 must submerge himself in water or vigorously jump until the Micro-Goomba drops off. In the New Super Mario Bros., the Microgoomba appears in several areas that can only be reached by Miniature Mario. These Microgoomba simply act like a miniaturized version of their larger Goomba brothers. The Microgoomba first appears in Super Mario Bros. 3 along with the Paragoomba. 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, the Paragoomba appears in two shades of brown: the lighter colored Paragoomba can fly, and occasionally drops Micro Goombas. In contrast, the darker Paragoomba merely hop along the ground, in a clumsy matter.
Goombas debuted as the first enemy encountered in Super Mario Bros.. Goombas are a very common walking enemy that disappears when Mario stomps on them. They often appear in groups of two or three, either forcing Mario to cautiously stomp on a single Goomba to avoid the nearby Goombas or, with the proper timing, Mario can bounce from one to the next, defeating them all without touching the ground, gaining more points in the process. 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 enemies, such as the Cheep-Cheep, pass through other Mario enemies, the Goomba will react to other Mario enemies, by immediantly walking in the opposite direction. 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 are normally rare to nonexistent. The blue Goombas make a reappearance in Paper Mario as Gloombas in the Toad Town Sewers. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door continues the use of the enemy, and places them in the Pit of 100 Trials.
In Super Mario Bros. 3, the first variants of the Goomba were introduced, including the flying Paragoomba, the tiny Microgoomba and the proportionately large Grand Goomba. In level 5-3 you can find Goombas that jump around in a giant green boot called Kuribo's Shoe. File:Kuribo shoe SMB3x.PNGKuribo's Shoe from Super Mario Bros. 3 can be used by both Mario and Goombas If you jump onto the Kuribo Shoe Goomba, then it will be defeated, and the shoe will disappear. If you hit the block they are standing on from underneath, then the Goomba will be expelled from the Kuribo's Shoe, enabling Mario to climb inside. Level 5-3 is the only time the Kuribo's Shoe appears in the original game, although several add-on stages in the Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 remake on Game Boy Advance also feature the power-up.
File:Goomba stomp3.pngIn Super Mario World, jumping on a Goomba does not defeat it, but renders it immobile, allowing Mario to pick it up
In Super Mario Land for the original Game Boy, many of the enemies from Super Mario Bros. return with variations on their Japanese names, and this is present in the North American and European manuals as well. The Goomba variation is known as Chibibo. They are essentially the same as the Goomba, and they behave exactly as they do in Super Mario Bros.
In Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Goombas differ in appearance by having a roughly spherical head and no stem, instead having the feet attach directly to the base of the head. In Japan, this Goomba is a variant with a different name, known as Kuribon. 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 regain conchisnous. Also, some Goombas can come to Mario in different ways, such as dropping in with a parachute which are known as Paragoombas, or Para Kuri in Japan, and the Goombas normally known as Paragoombas are called simply Winged Goombas. This version of the Goomba reappears in Mario Party Advance alongside the normal Goomba.
In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Goombas return (rather than Chibibo) and look more like their Super Mario Bros. 3 design. A number of variations also appear, including the invincible ghost called "Boomba", and the underwater "Aqua Goomba".
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Goombas are a much less common enemy than in previous games, and act quite differently. If a Goomba is jumped upon it flattens, but continues to move around. You can ride around on top of the flattened Goomba. If left alone, the flattened Goomba will eventually return to its normal self and carry on as normal.
The Goombas' physical appearance in Super Mario 64 is based on their Super Mario Bros. 3 design, except 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.
In Super Mario Sunshine, there are no Goombas, but a creature called "Strollin' Stu" or "Puffy Widget". This creature wears spotted briefs, and is one of 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".
Super Mario 64 DS, an 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 siblings have been stomped on in previous Mario games. Goomboss looks virtually identical to King Goomba from Paper Mario and is in fact the same person. He is one of Bowser's recurring elite, like King Boo or the boss Wiggler. Goomboss returned as a Mission mode boss in Mario Kart DS.
In the E3 demo of Super Mario Galaxy, as well as several promotional images, it shows that goombas will, in fact, be featured in this next 3D Mario installment. They are very similar to the Super Mario 64 goombas.
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Goombas are one of the lowest-level creatures. 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. However, they will flee in fear if Bowser is one of the three party members, because they rebelled againanst his army. The Goombette is a smaller version of Goomba, bearing a resemblance to a Microgoomba. Goombettes can mainly be found hidden inside living treasure chests. Super Mario RPG also includes non-hostile Goomba characters. In Monstro Town, Mario can visit a store run by a Goomba family, which comprises a regular Goomba and three Goombettes. Like most of the creatures in Monstro Town, the Goomba family decided to quit Bowser's army and live a peaceful life.
In Mario & 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 seems to be a resurrected mummy, and has a spear attatched to 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 summon a sandstorm to distort their enemy's vision. They can also be found in Gwarhar Lagoon as a stronger species. Another form of Goombas resides in the Beanbean Kingdom, found in an area north of Beanbean Town. These Goombas, known as "Tanoombas", are Goomba-raccoon hybrids 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. When they attack, Tanoombas transform into a duplicate of Mario or Luigi, similar to Mario's "Tanooki" ability which allows transformation into a statue. Once transformed, the Tanoombas will always attack the opposite brother of their appearance. For example, a Tanoomba who appears as Luigi will attack Mario. Yet another form of Goombas appeared while traveling through the Seafloor. Those are called Goomdivers and they look like regular Goombas that don a scuba diving helmet. They attack by swimming toward Mario or Luigi.
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 Volcano, but with completely different moves. They change their forms into a balloon, a Thwomp, and a spiked shell in order to attack the brothers. 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 tails or leafs. The Shroob Castle also has a stronger, Shroob version of the Tanoomba known as the Tashrooba.
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 Brothers, 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, even having a blue hat similar to Mario's hat with a G symbol, who becomes a playable character and is the first ever playable Goomba, in addition to being the first in Mario's 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 his grandmother, Gooma, his grandfather, Goompa, Goomama, his mother, Goompapa, his father, and Goombaria, his sister. However, there remain traditional Goomba enemies, including Spiked Goombas who are equipped with spiked helmets to counteract Mario's jumping ability, and Gloombas, a darker Goomba type that can be found mostly in the Toad Town sewage system. The Gloomba also has a Paragloomba and Spiked Gloomba variant. There are also savage Hyper Goombas. This species of Goomba is stronger than a regular Goomba and can charge its attack. It also has a Hyper Paragoomba and a Hyper Spiked Goomba variant.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door introduces a playable, female Goomba named Goombella. She is studying about the legendary treasure beneath the city of Rogueport alongside her instructor, Professor Frankly, who also happens to be a Goomba. After learning of Mario's ongoing search for the treasure, she joins his party. Like Goombario, she has the ability to obtain information on an enemy, revealing their health and facts about them, but unlike Goombario, this information is cataloged. In Rogueport, Goombas are fairly common, wearing green hats, once again making a reference to Link's hat in the Legend of Zelda series.
Super Paper Mario showed the return of Goombas, as well as Paragoombas, Spiked Goombas, and Gloombas. However, this game also introdued Headbonk Goombas, which are grey and white Goombas that leap into the air and lunge their body toward anybody near them. There are also Dark versions of Goombas.
In Super Smash Bros., Goombas 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 and crates. They are also commonly found in the first level of Adventure Mode, in the Mushroom Kingdom stage. They are defeated by attacks or by being jumped on, simeler to most other Mario games. 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 standard 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.
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, known as "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, and they keep walking until they rejuvinate tthemselves. They can be defeated with a ground pound, or simply eaten and turned into eggs.
In the Mario Party series, Goombas have frequently appeared as shopkeepers, party hosts, events, and items. In the origanal Mario Party, a goomba was shown at a junction between Bowser and Toad. He plays a raffle game similer to the USALottery.
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS, Goombas appear as obstacles on certain tracks. In both games they may be defeated with an item, regurgitating a Mushroom for a racer to use. Goomboss from Super Mario 64 DS also returns as a Mario Kart DS Mission Mode boss whom you must race on the Double Dash!! Baby Park track.
A Goomba and a Para-Goomba appear as playable characters in Mario Superstar Baseball. In this game, the Goomba both uses a bat and glove in spite of the lack of apendages. This marks the third time that a Goomba is a playable character, after the two Paper Mario games.
In Super Princess Peach, Goombas can be defeated in three ways; throwing it at another enemy, hitting it with Perry, or having Perry eat it. Another wave of Goombas are also introduced into this game like the Sad Goomba, Mad Goomba, and the Red Goomba.
In the 1989 television cartoonThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Goombas are loyal soldiers in King Koopa's army. The general appearance of the Goomba resembles the ones found in the Mario video games. In many of the episodes, the Goombas appear as zombies, pirates, or other themed 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 some episodes. However, the Super Mario World cartoon only featured them twice. Sometimes the Goombas would have speech capabilities.
In 1990, a few Mario characters became part of a series of McDonald'sHappy Meal 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 a 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. Various forms of Goombas have also made appearances as plush dolls, largely from Asia.
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 seven feet tall reptiles with extremely disproportionate bodies. They also, wear trench coats. There are two types of Goomba, one resembling a Koopa Troopa and the other resembling a typical Goomba by the shape of their heads. The "goomba" Goomba has a rounded head, whereas the "koopa" goomba has a more reptilian shape, in addition to the obvious reptilian features upon their head. They are played by human actors in costume and do not resemble the small Goombas seen in the video games at all. The actor who stars as the goomba in the movie is David Wrafter. These Goombas were originally inhabitants of Dinohatten who opposed King Koopa's rule, and were de-evolved as punishment for treason.
