Goomba

This article is about the recurring enemy in the Super Mario franchise. For other uses of the term "Goomba", see Goomba (disambiguation).

"Little Goomba" redirects here. For the miniature version of this enemy, see Mini Goomba.

Goomba
Artwork of a Goomba from Super Mario Bros. Wonder
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance	Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch) (2023)
Variants 2-Fold Goomba Accordion Goombas Aqua Goomba Armored Goomba Beanie Bellhop Goomba Big Goomba Bone Goomba Cat Goomba Choomba Chuboomba Dark Goomba Dreamy Goomba Ghost Goomba Gloomba Gold Goomba Goomba (balloon) Goomba (zombie) Goomba Mummy Goomba R Goomba Tower Goomba Wheel Goombeetle Goombo Goombrat Goombule Goomdiver Goomerang Brother Gritty Goomba Gromba Gu Goomba Headbonk Goomba Hyper Goomba Innertube Goomba Jack O'Goomba Mad Goomba Masked Ghoul Mini Goomba Mural Goomba Octoomba Paper-Cone Goomba Paper Goomba Paper Macho Goomba Paragoomba Pirate Goomba Prickly Goomba Rhinestone Goomba Sad Goomba Shiny Goomba Shoe Goomba Shrooblet Spiked Goomba Sub-Goomba Tail Goomba Tanoomba
Derived subjects Galoomba Strollin' Stu
Comparable Toad
Notable members Captain Goomba (Mario & Luigi series) Dr. Sporis von Fungenstein Gary Goo Goom Goom Gooma Goomama Goomba (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars character) Goomba (Super Paper Mario character) Goomba Bros. Goomba idols Goombaria Goombario Goombella Goombette Goomboss (Goomba King) Goomez Goomfrey Goompa Goompapa Goomther Greaser Goombas McGoomba Mega Goomba Megasparkle Goomba Private Goomp Professor Frankly Red & Blue Goomba Bros.

“Our bodies may be stomped... But our will cannot be crushed! We will forge ahead!”

—Goomba, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Goombas, initially called Little Goombas, are one of the major species of the Super Mario franchise. Since their first game appearance in Super Mario Bros., they have become the most iconic and common enemies in the entire Super Mario franchise followed by Koopa Troopas, appearing in the vast majority of games. They are usually the first enemy the player meets. They resemble small brown mushrooms with two feet and no visible arms or legs. Goombas are physically weak and are not much of a threat to Mario or Luigi, since a single stomp usually defeats them, although a number of different Goomba variants have emerged that are usually stronger in some way, and even regular Goombas occasionally drop hints of being much stronger and more competent than their appearances suggest, as in the case of Captain Goomba.

The Goombas, as a collective race, used to be allied with the Mushroom Kingdom. However, most of the Goombas turned traitorous and joined the Koopa Troop, an organization led by Bowser. Since Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, however, Goombas not allied with Bowser or the Koopa Troop have appeared; some Goombas, such as the inhabitants of Goomba Village, live peacefully inside the borders of the Mushroom Kingdom, while others simply hold no allegiance and operate independently in distant locales such as Monstro Town and Rogueport.

Creation

The Goomba was the last enemy created during the development process of Super Mario Bros. despite being the first encountered. During development, the only basic enemy was the Koopa Troopa. However, playtesters had stated that the Koopa Troopa was too tricky of an enemy to have as the first one. Using this, the developers decided to create an enemy that could be defeated with just a single stomp. The Goomba itself was created with the appearance of a shiitake mushroom. Since the enemy was created toward the end of the development cycle, though, hardly any bytes remained on the cartridge. Therefore, to give the enemy moving animations, the developers reused and flipped the image, making it appear to be walking.

History

Main article: History of Goomba

Since debuting in Super Mario Bros., Goombas have become the most common and basic enemies encountered by Mario and his friends during their journeys in the Super Mario series. Goombas appear in several spinoff series of the Super Mario franchise, such as the Mario Kart series, where they are obstacles on certain courses, and the Mario Party series, most commonly within certain minigames. A few appearances feature a Goomba as a playable character, such as in the Mario Baseball series and Super Mario Party.

General information

Traits and abilities

“'Marching straight ahead into the enemy's feet!' Didn't you memorize that in Goomba boot camp?”

—Bowser, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Goombas are a fungus-based species capable of speech. They resemble brown shiitake mushrooms (or chestnuts, hence their Japanese name) with two feet, but no arms. Goombas have large faces that occupy most of their mushroom caps, while their stems attach their heads to their feet. A defining feature are their black bushy eyebrows that form a scowl. They also have two upward-pointing fangs that sometimes resemble braces. Both Goombas and Toads are fungus-based, and both originated from the Mushroom Kingdom (although, as mentioned, the Goomba race betrayed their homeland many years ago).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie gives the Goombas a redesign: they have a more stylized appearance, as with all of the characters in the movie, and unlike their previous appearances, Goombas are shown to have colored eyes, which are brown.

LINE sticker showing a Goomba being flattened by Mario

Goombas are among the most basic enemies. They can typically be defeated with a single punch, stomp, or fireball attack, although in some games, they are a bit more resilient. When jumped on, Goombas usually flatten before being defeated. They are particularly weak against fire magic, as seen in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Although Goombas are physically weak, they are very adaptable. Regular Goombas have been encountered in almost all types of terrain, while many variants have emerged well-suited for certain environments. Goombas cannot swim and drown instantly when they touch water.

A Goomba walking in Super Mario Bros.

Goombas' main form of attack is walking into their opponents. Rarely, a Goomba walks off a ledge and falls on its enemy. A Goomba's only real strength is that it works in large groups to attack an enemy. This forces the opponent to be much more cautious as they fight the group. In some games, Goombas have additional attacks such as biting and spitting thorns from their mouths in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. In the Mario & Luigi series, various Goombas attack by charging with a headbutt, biting, rolling, and kicking. In Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Goombas gain the ability to headbonk enemies, which also returns in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions.

While not as often as characters like Shy Guys, Goombas do occasionally use tools to aid them. Despite their lack of arms, Goombas are shown to be able to pick up and use various objects. In Super Mario Party, the playable Goomba is shown holding objects in its mouth and sometimes carries things on top of its head, such as a boomerang or Dice Block.

One part of technology the Goombas use is the parachute. The parachute allows a large number of Goombas to swarm enemy territory from the sky. Goombas using life preservers, and Goomdivers are equipped to adapt to water. Goombas have developed a number of tools to counter the jumping ability of the Mario Bros.: The Goomba's Shoe allows them to imitate Mario and Luigi, while the spiked hat seen in the Paper Mario series counters any jump attack (unless Mario is wearing a Spike Shield badge). Gritty Goombas have attached spears to their heads to counter stomp attacks as well.

Goombas are often thought of as one of the weakest members of the Koopa Troop. Super Mario 64 DS, the Mario & Luigi series, and the Paper Mario series show Goombas resent their low social status as the first enemies to be stomped by Mario and Luigi. A figurine bio in Mario Party DS even states they dream of one day turning the tables on the red plumber. Goombas usually appear as enemies, but there can also be heroic Goombas, like Goombella and Goombario.

Etymology

The original Japanese name, Kuribo, translates to "Chestnut Boy", which was due to the designs looking more like chestnuts than shiitake mushrooms.

The name "Goomba" is phonetically similar to the Italian slang word "goombah". The term "goombah" is originated from the Italian word "compare" (abbreviated as "compà") which literally means "friend" in South Italy and "member of a criminal gang" in North Italy. This term was used by South Italians in the USA to describe themselves (although the term has also emerged as a derogatory word used by North-Italians against South-Italians and by Americans against Italian-Americans).

The Hungarian word for "mushroom" is "gomba".

Related items

• Goomba's Shoe (previously known as Kuribo's Shoe) - Super Mario Bros. 3
• Goomnut - Paper Mario

Profiles and statistics

Main article: List of Goomba profiles and statistics

Most profiles mention that Goombas are among the lowliest and weakest creatures while also frequently stating they used to be peaceful members of the Mushroom Kingdom before turning traitorous and joining Bowser when he first attacked. Their stats are generally balanced, but on the low side.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Goomba.

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  Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

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  Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

• Goomba SM64 art.jpg

  Super Mario 64

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  New Super Mario Bros.

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  Paper Mario: Sticker Star

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  Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

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  Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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  Super Nintendo World

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	クリボー Kuribō	Portmanteau of「栗」(kuri, chestnut) and「坊」(bō, an affectionate suffix for "guy") Officially romanized as either "Kuribou" or "Kuribo"
Chinese (simplified)	栗子小子 Lìzi Xiǎozi 栗宝宝 (since Super Mario Party) Lì Bǎobao	Chestnut Guy Chestnut Baby
Chinese (traditional)	栗寶寶 Lì Bǎobao	Chestnut Baby
Dutch	Goomba	-
Finnish	Pikku Kuukunen (Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet)	Little puffball
German	Gumba Goomba	Transliteration of the English name -
Hungarian	Gomba	Mushroom
Italian	Goomba Little Goomba (Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet)	-
Korean	굼바 Gumba	Transliteration of the English name
Portuguese	Goomba	-
Russian	Гумба Gumba	Transcription of the English name
Spanish	Goomba Dientón (The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3)	Goomba Augmentative form of "diente" (tooth)

Trivia

• In both Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the odd-numbered world with a water level (World 7 in Super Mario Bros. and World 3 in The Lost Levels) has no Goombas. In VS. Super Mario Bros.'s version of World 7-1, the Buzzy Beetle on the end staircase leading to the flagpole is replaced with a Goomba, although much like in that game's version of World 3-1 (which had the Koopas on the end staircase all replaced with Goombas), this is most likely to prevent the player from potentially performing the infinite 1-Up trick.

External links

• Goomba on Zelda Dungeon Wiki
• Goomba on Triforce Wiki