Goombella

Goombella
Artwork from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)
Species	Goomba
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Latest appearance	Super Mario Run (version 3.2.0, cameo) (2024)

“My name's Goombella. I'm a junior at the University of Goom. Nice to meet ya!”

—Goombella, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

Goombella is a major character in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and its Nintendo Switch remake. A third-year co-ed student studying archaeology at the University of Goom, Goombella is a smart and sassy but friendly Goomba and the first companion to join Mario on his quest. She provides tattle information to Mario about his location or the character who stands in front of him throughout his journey.

History

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Goombella's sprite

When Mario arrives at Rogueport at the beginning of the game, he sees a pink Goomba girl being attacked by Lord Crump and his minions. Mario helps her to defeat Lord Crump. She temporarily teaches Mario about the Action Commands. After defeating Lord Crump, he brings out his army to punish them, but they make their getaway to the plaza. Goombella, a junior at the University of Goom, thanks Mario, kisses him, learns about the map he has and that the princess had disappeared, and joins his party.

She possesses similar abilities to Goombario from the original Paper Mario, sharing the moves Headbonk, Tattle, and Multibonk with him. Unlike Goombario, however, an Action Command must be successfully performed for Goombella to Tattle an enemy in battle. Also unlike Goombario, she unlocks Multibonk at Super Rank rather than Ultra Rank and learns the move Rally Wink instead of Charge.

Goombella reading the Tattle Log

Her Tattle ability, which can be used in both battle and on the field, gives the player mostly helpful information on places, people, and enemies. Like Goombario's summaries, Goombella inserts her own little opinions in her descriptions, some of which are humorous. For example, she shows signs of resentment upon reading the "underlings of underlings" comment her book says regarding Goombas, comments about being jealous of a Paragoomba's wings, and points out that it is nice to have access to a bathroom now and then (a field-only one, stated in the Glitz Pit's major league locker room, where the bathroom is always occupied). Goombella's Tattles often include hints to help out Mario (e.g. telling Mario to check the grass in Petal Meadows). In the final chapter, near the last two rooms, she stops helping because she is unable to think of anything else to say. Goombella usually provides Partner Hints in the Nintendo Switch remake, unless another partner is needed for the current situation.

Goombella also has a tendency to break the fourth wall. For example, in Glitzville, she mentions how far Cheep Cheeps have come since Super Mario Bros., and in Twilight Town she says that if there were not people like the gatekeeper in every town, games would be beaten too easily. At both times, she stops abruptly after she says the comment, seeming to point out that game characters know about the fourth wall, but are not supposed to talk about it.

At the end of the game, Goombella writes an email to Mario, explaining what happened with herself and her friends. She starts to tell Mario something else, but then changes her mind and keeps her secret. Goombella becomes Professor Frankly's assistant at the end.

Battle abilities

Goombella using Headbonk in the Nintendo Switch remake

In battle, Goombella can attack enemies with her Headbonk ability, functioning similar to Mario's Jump attack, hitting any enemy up to two times. She cannot attack spiky or fiery enemies, and will instead take one damage if she does so.

Goombella can look up enemies with her Tattle ability, revealing their stats and abilities, as well as permanently displaying their HP during all battles with them. If the move is failed however, nothing will happen. Tattling on an enemy will also list them in Goombella's Tattle Log, where they can be viewed at any time while exploring. In the Nintendo Switch remake, Tattle checks can be performed on enemies that have already been tattled on, which involve Goombella repeating their Tattle information without using up a turn.

Once Goombella reaches Super Rank, she will gain the Multibonk ability, which allows her to continuously Headbonk a single enemy until an Action Command is missed or after enough attacks. Once Ultra Rank is obtained, Goombella learns Rally Wink, which allows Mario to gain a second turn if successful.

Super Paper Mario

In Super Paper Mario, Goombella appears as a Catch Card won by completing the Duel of 100 in Sammer's Kingdom. She also appears very briefly during the intro, where she and all the other partners from the previous Paper Mario titles can be seen in a photograph at the Mario Bros.' House.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Though she does not appear in the game, Goombella is mentioned in Paper Mario: Sticker Star when Mario searches the junk yard in Shy Guy Jungle before clearing it with a vacuum or goat thing. He can find a paper written by her. She has been researching the Chomp Ruins during the events of the game, but is not seen in the ruins nor anywhere else in the game, presuming she had finished the research or left the paper behind. The paper says:

"Observations on the Ancient Civilization of the Chomp Ruins"
University of Goom
Goombella

Super Mario-kun

Goombella, alongside Koops, is one of Mario's two partners in the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door arc of Super Mario-kun. Like in the game, she joins Mario after he helps her escape Lord Crump and his X-Nauts.

Super Smash Bros. series

There are a few items of Goombella in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there is both a sticker and a trophy of Goombella. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, there is another trophy of Goombella.

Super Mario Run

Goombella appears as statue, together with Mario and Koops, in Super Mario Run. Her statue was given as a reward after completing six event missions from May 23, 2024 to June 27, 2024. Her statue then becomes available to be placed in the Mushroom Kingdom through Kingdom Builder.

General information

Physical appearance

Goombella is a female Goomba who wears a helmet with a light and a matching torso with a red tie, and also has a large, blond ponytail. She has a pink head and brown shoes.

Personality

Goombella is shown to be loyal to Mario as well as having street smarts regarding Rogueport, as well as peppy. She also at times can be very sarcastic, as when encountering three Goombas in the sewers who gave her unwanted attention, in the GameCube version, she mentions that it is "so sweet" that they thought of her to the extent of "totally barfing" in an attempt at refusing them. Her dialogue in the English version indicates she is a valley girl.

Profiles and statistics

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

• In-game description: Goombella is a smart, if sassy, Goomba girl. She hopes to be an archaeologist one day. Press to ask her about where you are or about enemies you meet in battle. She attacks with Headbonks.
• Instruction booklet descriptions
  • A cute University of Goom co-ed in her second year of an archaeology major.
  • Provides useful information about the surrounding area or the person/enemy in front of you.
• Player's Guide: Goombella is the first companion who joins Mario on his journey. She's a smart (though somewhat sassy) Goomba girl with aspirations to become an archaeologist. Press the X Button to ask her about your current location or the person standing in front of you.

GameCube

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Goombella (1)
	Max HP	N/A	Attack	1	Defense	0
	Location(s)	Rogueport	Role	Training	Level	0
	Sleep?	N/A	Dizzy?	N/A	Confuse?	N/A
	Tiny?	N/A	Stop?	N/A	Soft?	N/A
	Burn?	N/A	Freeze?	N/A	Fright?	N/A
	Gale Force?	N/A	KO?	N/A	Moves	Headbonk (1)
	Exp. points	0	Coins	N/A	Items	none
Tattle Log #: N/A	Log	N/A
	Tattle	N/A

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Goombella (2)
	Max HP	10-20	Attack	1-2	Defense	0
	Location(s)	Creepy Steeple	Role	Support	Level	0
	Sleep?	N/A	Dizzy?	N/A	Confuse?	N/A
	Tiny?	N/A	Stop?	N/A	Soft?	N/A
	Burn?	N/A	Freeze?	N/A	Fright?	N/A
	Gale Force?	N/A	KO?	N/A	Moves	Headbonk (1-2), Multibonk
	Exp. points	0	Coins	N/A	Items	none
Tattle Log #: N/A	Log	N/A
	Tattle	N/A

Nintendo Switch

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Goombella (1)
	Max HP	N/A	Attack	1	Defense	0
	Location(s)	Rogueport	Role	Training	Level	0
	Sleep?	N/A	Dizzy?	N/A	Confuse?	N/A
	Tiny?	N/A	Stop?	N/A	Soft?	N/A
	Burn?	N/A	Freeze?	N/A	Fright?	N/A
	Gale Force?	N/A	KO?	N/A	Moves	Headbonk (1)
	Exp. points	0	Coins	N/A	Items	none
Tattle Log #: N/A	Log	N/A
	Tattle	N/A

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Goombella (2)
	Max HP	10-20	Attack	1-2	Defense	0
	Location(s)	Creepy Steeple	Role	Support	Level	0
	Sleep?	N/A	Dizzy?	N/A	Confuse?	N/A
	Tiny?	N/A	Stop?	N/A	Soft?	N/A
	Burn?	N/A	Freeze?	N/A	Fright?	N/A
	Gale Force?	N/A	KO?	N/A	Moves	Headbonk (1-2), Multibonk
	Exp. points	0	Coins	N/A	Items	none
Tattle Log #: N/A	Log	N/A
	Tattle	N/A

Attacks

HP

• Initial: 10 HP
• Super Rank: 20 HP
• Ultra Rank: 30 HP

Attack	FP Needed	Effect	Action Command	Attack Power	Move Rank
Headbonk	0	Bonks single enemy two times similarly to Mario's Jump move.	Press right before landing.	Initial: 1/2 (1+1) Super: 2/4 (2+2) Ultra: 3/6 (3+3)	Initial
Tattle	0	Reveals enemy's description and stats, previously tattled enemies have visible HP.	Align the cursor with Goombella's target.	N/A	Initial
Multibonk	3	Similarly to Mario's Power Bounce move, Goombella bonks an enemy multiple times until the player misses an Action Command.	Press each time before landing on an enemy.	Super: 2-1-1-etc. Ultra: 3-2-1-etc.	Super Rank
Rally Wink	4	Gives Mario a second turn in battle.	Tap to the fill the gauge. When it reaches OK, tap the . The player might have to press and after, watch the screen.	N/A	Ultra Rank

Super Paper Mario

Catch Card
	Card Type: Rare Card Description: It's Goombella from the last Paper Mario adventure. This extra-spunky university student knew it all.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Trophy Goombella
	Appears in: GCN Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
	How to unlock: Random
	A female archaeology student at the University of Goom. Goombella can be recognized by her ponytail and pith helmet that features a light that aids her archeological aspirations. With her wealth of knowledge, Goombella serves as Mario's tour guide and assists throughout his adventures.

Sticker Goombella
	Artwork from: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
	Effects in The Subspace Emissary: [Throwing] - Attack +5
	Usable by: Anyone

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Trophy Goombella

Category: Series Related

() Appears in: GCN Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (10/2004)

() Trophy Box: 13: Paper Mario

How to unlock: Random

Goombella is a student of archaeology at the University of Goom, studying under Prof. Frankly. She's a super-bright gal and is a useful guide in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Despite being easily spooked by ghosts and spiders, she's doing her best to help in your adventure! (American English)

Goombella, an archaeology student at the University of Goom, is significantly smarter (and sassier) than your average Goomba. In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, she'll gladly give Mario a bit of background info about pretty much anything they come across. She's the perfect guide...when she's not being startled by monsters and spiders. (British English)

Super Mario Run

Item description

• Goombella Statue: A smart and sassy Goomba girl. She's a junior in college and a promising archaeology student.

Quotes

Main article: List of Goombella quotes

• "You aren't going anywhere, Mr. Stinker!"
• "Hey! What do you want?!? Get away from me, freak!!!"
• "Never! I don't have anything to say to you creeps! Eww!"
• "N–No! Stop right there, you weirdos! I'll scream! Really!"
• "Like I'd go anywhere with smelly lunatics like you! Hmph! Not likely!"
• "Battle time, Mister Man! Just find a way to beat this freak of the week, OK? Don't sweat the details. Just jump on him and hit him with your hammer!"
• "Sweet! You KNOW that hurt! Wow, I gotta say, you're tougher than you look. Keep it up and you'll beat him in no time!"
• "You've got him on the ropes! C'mon! Keep whaling on him!"
• "You did it! You did it! YESSS! And you got Star Points!!!"
• "Yeah, I bet you know, but you get these things called Star Points when you win battles. When you get 100 points, you'll go up a level. Don't forget that, OK?"
• "Quick! This way!"
• "Phew! What a bunch of loons! Let's just sneak out of here, what do you say?"
• "Wow, Mister! You...totally saved me! Thanks! I have just GOT to give you a little reward!"
• "My name's Goombella. I'm a student at the University of Goom. Nice to meet ya!"
• "So, uh... Who are you?"
• "...Mario? Wait, you mean, like, that famous guy? Wow! I can't believe I met you here!"

Gallery

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  Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

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  Goombella meets Mario for the first time.

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  Goombella joins the party.

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  Goombella tattling on a Goomba.

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  Goombella and Mario arrive at Petal Meadows.

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  Goombella Tattles about Petal Meadows.

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  Goombella gives Mario a reminder about her Tattle ability.

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  Goombella using Tattle on a Paragloomba.

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  Goombella using Tattle inside the Palace of Shadow.

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  Super Mario-kun

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  Super Mario-kun

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  Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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  Artwork for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

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  Alternate artwork for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

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  Goombella and Mario encounter a Blooper.

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  Goombella and Mario encounter a Goomba at Petal Meadows.

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  Goombella and Mario battle against five Goombas.

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  Goombella and Mario participate in the 65th Trivia Quiz-Off.

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  Goombella and Mario witness the sunset at Riverside Station.

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  Goombella's 8-bit sprite appearance in the X-Naut Fortress.

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  Goombella with the rest of the cast in the ending credits parade

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  Photo of the partners from the Nintendo Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

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  Character profile card

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  Concept artwork

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  Goombella Statue in Super Mario Run

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  Promotional character introduction

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  Goombella on the Nintendo Magazine for summer 2024, showing a relationship chart featuring many characters from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	クリスチーヌ[?] Kurisuchīnu	Pun on「クリボー」(Kuribō, "Goomba") and the female given name "Christine"
Chinese (simplified)	酷栗斯汀[?] Kùlìsītīng	Transliteration of Japanese name, where “栗” (lì, "chestnut") is from “栗子小子” (Lìzi Xiǎozi, "Goomba")	Sticker Star
	克栗斯汀[?] Kèlìsītīng	Transliteration of Japanese name, where “栗” (lì, "chestnut") is from “栗宝宝” (Lì Bǎobǎo, "Goomba")	The Thousand-Year Door remake
Chinese (traditional)	酷栗絲汀[?] Kùlìsītīng	Transliteration of Japanese name, where「栗」(lì, "chestnut") is from「栗宝宝」(Lì Bǎobǎo, "Goomba")	Sticker Star
	克栗斯汀[?] Kèlìsītīng		The Thousand-Year Door remake
Dutch	Goombella[?]	-
French	Goomélie[?]	Portmanteau of "Goomba" and the female name "Amélie"
German	Gumbrina[?]	Portmanteau of Gumba ("Goomba") and the female name "Sabrina"
Italian	Goombella[?]	-
Korean	굼벨라[?] Gumbella	Transliteration of English name
Russian	Гумбелла[?] Gumbella	Transliteration of English name
Spanish	Goomarina[?]	Portmanteau of "Goomba" and the female name "Marina"

Trivia

• Goombella's Japanese name, クリスチーヌ, is used as one of the wrong answers in Chuck Quizmo's first question in non-international releases of Paper Mario. Its English equivalent is "Goombette", a name later used for a female Goomba character in Super Mario Odyssey.
• The instruction manual for the original game states that she is in her second year of college, despite the fact that she mentions being a junior in-game.
• Even if she is Normal Rank when Mario fights Doopliss, Goombella can still use Multibonk, despite not learning it until she is at Super Rank.