Goomba

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

"Goombas" redirects here. For the microgame from WarioWare: D.I.Y., see Goombas (microgame).

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

"Kuribo" redirects here. For the Sockop named Kuribo, see Sockop.

Goomba
Artwork from Super Mario Bros. Wonder
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance	Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024)
Variants 2-Fold Goomba Accordion Goombas Aqua Goomba Armored Goomba Bellhop Goomba Big Goomba Bone Goomba Cat Goomba Choomba Chuboomba Dark Goomba Dreamy Goomba Ghost Goomba Glohm Goomba Gloomba Gold Goomba Goomba (balloon) Goomba (zombie) Goomba Mummy Goomba R Goomba Tower Goomba Troopa Goomba Wheel Goombeetle Goombo Goombomb Goomboard Goombule Goomdiver Goomerang Brother Gritty Goomba Gromba Headbonk Goomba Hyper Goomba Innertube Goomba Jack O'Goomba Mad Goomba Masked Ghoul Mini Goomba Mural Goomba OkaP Paper-Cone Goomba Paper Goomba Paper Macho Goomba Paragoomba Pirate Goomba Prickly Goomba Pro Goomba Rhinestone Goomba Sad Goomba Shiny Goomba Shoe Goomba Shrooblet Spiked Goomba Sub-Goomba Tail Goomba Tanoomba
Relatives Beanie Burrbo Dinohattanite* Galoomba Gamboo Goombrat Octoomba Seedle Strollin' Stu
Comparable Toad Trompette
Notable members Captain Goomba (Mario & Luigi series) Dr. Sporis von Fungenstein Gary Goo Goom Goom Gooma Goomama Goomba idols Goombaria Goombario Goombella Goombette Goomboss (Goomba King) Goomhilde Goomez Goomfrey Goompa Goompapa Goomther Greaser Goombas McGoomba Mega Goomba Megasparkle Goomba Private Goomp Professor Frankly Red & Blue Goomba Bros. The Goomba Bros. Toad

“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 encounters. They are small, brown, mushroom-like creatures with two feet, tan stems, and no arms or legs. Goombas are 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 Bowser's Minions. Since Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, however, Goombas not allied with Bowser have appeared. Some non-hostile Goombas, such as the inhabitants of Goomba Village, live in the Mushroom Kingdom, while others simply reside in other locations 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

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

A Little Goomba, as it appears in Super Mario Bros.

From Over-world

From Under-ground

From Castles

Little Goombas are the most common enemy in Super Mario Bros. and appear in most athletic and underground levels. They are not as common in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels but generally appear in groups of either three or four. Little Goombas can be defeated by either jumping on them, shooting a fireball at one, a Koopa Shell, hitting below a block it is on top or, or from the invincibility effects of the Starman. Little Goombas flip between two sprites, giving them the appearance of walking. Little Goombas are the only enemies with two sprites from being defeated, one showing it flattened from a stomp and the other flipping it upside-down.

Due to the limited color palette of the Family Computer and NES, Little Goombas in underground levels are colored teal, and in castle levels, they are colored gray; in the Super Mario All-Stars version, the Goombas in castle levels are grayish brown. Goombas share a palette with Bloopers, put into effect in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in that the Goombas in the underwater stages are gray with black eyebrows.

All Little Goombas are replaced with Buzzy Beetles in the Hard Mode of Super Mario Bros. Similarly, the Goombas in World A through World D in the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels are replaced with Buzzy Beetles. In All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros., all Goombas are replaced with OkaP, but otherwise still act the same.

A Little Goomba is revealed to be the fake Bowser of World 1-4 in Super Mario Bros. if one throws several fireballs at him.

Goombas were added in place of Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles on some of the staircases in VS. Super Mario Bros., consequently making the player unable to perform the 1-up trick.

The original homeland of Little Goombas is stated to be in the Mushroom Kingdom, which they share with the mushroom retainers, which they later betrayed to join the Turtle Empire.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Goombas, also referred to as Little Goombas, return in Super Mario Bros. 3. They were given different sprites, now depicting them with mouths. They appear in every world except Dark Land. Goombas received including the winged Para-Goombas, the larger Grand Goombas, Kuribo's Goombas that hope around in the Goomba's Shoe, and the very small Micro-Goombas. There are red Goombas, appearing only after forcing a red Para-Goomba to lose its wings.

Super Mario Land

Main article: Goombo

Goombas do not appear in Super Mario Land, but the behaviorally identical Goombos do.

Super Mario World

Main article: Galoomba

Normal Goombas were originally going to appear in Super Mario World but were replaced by a different Goomba species, which later had a name to "Galoomba." These chestnut-shaped Goombas are rounder than the traditional mushroom-shaped Goombas.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Goombas return with Para-Goombas in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. A few more varieties were added, including the Boo-like Ghost Goombas in the Pumpkin Zone, the underwater Aqua Goombas in the Turtle Zone, and the masked Masked Ghoul, revealed to be a Goomba in the Kodansha adaptation.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

Design from the original Super Mario 64

Redesign in Super Mario 64 DS, also the basis of their design in New Super Mario Bros.

Goombas appear in Super Mario 64, commonly in groups of two or three, as well as the behaviorally identical Grand Goombas and Goombettes. They move around a small area in a circular motion and charge at Mario upon spotting him. Goombas take away one unit of Mario's health, or a fraction and a half if Mario does not have his cap on. Either a stomp, punch, kick, or a thrown object can defeat a Goomba, which then drops behind a Yellow Coin.

Super Mario 64 DS changed the role of Goombas a bit. Some Goombas wear Mario's cap, Luigi's cap, or Wario's cap and can be defeated to have the player character wear its cap. Goombas can be eaten by Yoshi. Some Goombas have a Silver Star during such missions and drops it when defeated. Goombas also help Goomboss during his fight in Goomboss Battle.

New Super Mario Bros.

Goombas return in New Super Mario Bros., as well as Paragoombas and Mini Goombas. They are one of the only enemies represented by pre-rendered two-dimensional sprites instead of models. There is also the Mega Goomba boss in World 4-Castle, and it uses a pre-rendered model.

Super Mario Galaxy

Screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy showing Goomba with a Micro Goomba

The Goombas of Super Mario Galaxy are based on their appearance in Super Mario 64, charging at the player character to attack and dropping a coin upon defeat, excluding those on the Yoshi planet in Space Junk Galaxy. A Goomba can be stunned, either from being spun into or being hit by a Star Bit to knock it upside-down and then defeat it. Goombas are sometimes revealed from objects such as crystals and crates.

Micro Goombas and a single Big Goomba appear, in addition to the game adding more Goomba variations, including Electrogoombas, Goombeetles, and Pumpkinhead Goombas appear in Ghostly Galaxy. The normal Goombas are the most recurring enemies, appearing in 18 of the 42 galaxies; the only harmful entity of any sort to be more common are the black holes.

Appearances

• marks missions where they are completely absent.
• marks missions where they are loaded and may be visible, but cannot be encountered directly.

Domes	Galaxies	Missions
Gate	Gateway Galaxy
Terrace	Good Egg Galaxy
Fountain	Space Junk Galaxy
	Rolling Green Galaxy
	Battlerock Galaxy
	Hurry-Scurry Galaxy
Kitchen	Beach Bowl Galaxy
	Buoy Base Galaxy
	Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada
Bedroom	Gusty Garden Galaxy
	Freezeflame Galaxy
	Dusty Dune Galaxy
	Bowser's Dark Matter Plant
Engine Room	Gold Leaf Galaxy
	Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor
Garden	Deep Dark Galaxy
	Dreadnought Galaxy
Comet Observatory	Rolling Gizmo Galaxy

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Goombas reappear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They function identically to New Super Mario Bros. but their role is slightly different. Eight Goombas are sometimes fought Enemy Course of World 1. The game adds the Hefty Goomba variety, which can be stomped to divide it into two Goombas. There are Goombas inside spiked chestnuts named Prickly Goombas. In the battle against Magikoopa, his magic can turn platforms into Goombas, among other enemies. There is also single Goomba also in the true final battle in Bowser's Castle.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Goombas are enemies in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They are the same as in Super Mario Galaxy, besides turning around if the player character is nearby. If a Chance Cube lands on a Bowser emblem, it becomes a Goomba. "C'mere, Goomba" of Boulder Bowl Galaxy involves delivering a Goomba to a gold Gearmo. Mini Goombas, Giant Goombas, Goombeetles, Jack O'Goombas, Octoombas (renamed from Electrogoombas), and Paragoombas all return, and Big Paragoombas appear for the first time.

Appearances

• marks missions where they are completely absent.
• marks missions where they are loaded and may be visible, but cannot be encountered directly.

Worlds	Galaxies	Missions
World 1	Sky Station Galaxy
	Yoshi Star Galaxy
	Spin-Dig Galaxy
	Fluffy Bluff Galaxy
	Flip-Swap Galaxy
	Rightside Down Galaxy
World 2	Boulder Bowl Galaxy
	Cosmic Cove Galaxy
	Honeybloom Galaxy
World 3	Tall Trunk Galaxy
	Cloudy Court Galaxy
	Freezy Flake Galaxy
	Rolling Masterpiece Galaxy
	Beat Block Galaxy
World 4	Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet
World 6	Throwback Galaxy
	Slimy Spring Galaxy

Super Mario 3D Land

Goomba Tower is a highly recurring variant of Goomba.

The Goombas of Super Mario 3D Land behave similarly as in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, charging at the player upon seeing him. Tail Goombas, a stack of multiple Goombas named Goomba Towers, and Goomba boards all appear for the first time. A gold version of the Tail Goomba was scrapped during the game's development.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Goombas return in New Super Mario Bros. 2, retaining their design and behavior from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Besides Goomba Towers, the game adds Gold Goombas, worth five coins, and the skeletal Bone Goombas. There are also Blue Goombas in the World Flower and World 6 Ghost Houses and in the Super Mario Bros. World 1-2 remake area of the Gold Classics Pack.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Balloon Goombas

Goombas reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U with Hefty Goombas, Big Goombas, and Prickly Goombas. Goombas retain their design from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but they now jump at every vocal riff in the background music. Another variety was added, Goombrats, which have black stems on their head. There are also balloon-bound Goombas in Skyward Stalk only, where they behave like the Parachute Galoombas of Super Mario World except they float from the opposite direction. When the balloon pops, they become regular Goombas.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Goombas return in Super Mario 3D World and its port, along with Mini Goombas and Galoombas. The game adds Cat Goombas, with an appearance and abilities based around the Cat form; Skating Goombas, which ride Ice Skates, and Innertube Goombas, which are in spiked floaties. The player character can wear a Goomba Mask as a disguise around Goombas.

In Bowser's Fury, Goombas also have a cat variety, although more for aesthetic because they behave like regular Goombas instead.

Super Mario Maker subseries

A Goomba Tower being assembled by Mary O.

Goombas appear in Super Mario Maker, its port, and Super Mario Maker 2 as placeable enemies, acting like they do in the side-scrolling games, other than the added ability to swim underwater and move quickly after Mario. Like most other enemies, Goombas can be stacked, which in this case forms a Goomba Tower. Paragoombas also return, and can be created by dragging Wings onto a Goomba. Both Goombas and Paragoombas can be enlarged with the use of the Super Mushroom, becoming Big Goombas and Big Paragoombas, respectively. The Goomba's Shoe also returns from Super Mario Bros. 3. Goombas are available in every style except Super Mario World, which replaces them with Galoombas. Goombas do not have palette changes in underground or castle areas like in Super Mario Bros. Goombas also chase the player character in the Super Mario 3D World style added in Super Mario Maker 2, where they can also have parachutes applied to them in any style, giving them a behavior similar to Parachute Galoombas.

In the orginal Super Mario Maker only, there is also a Goomba costume in the Super Mario Bros. style, turning Mario into a red Goomba.

Super Mario Maker 2 adds a Goomba variety named Goombud, the Super Mario World counterpart of Goombrat with the durability of a Galoomba.

Super Mario Run

Goombas are fairly common enemies in Super Mario Run, appearing in a handful of levels. They behave the same as in regular 2D Super Mario platformers and are one of the few enemies that the player can vault over. However, when the player taps the screen while vaulting over a Goomba, they can perform a vaulting jump, thus stomping on it, allowing them to jump higher.

Super Mario Odyssey

A Goomba being controlled by Mario. Captured Goombas are specifically designated Cappy Goombas.

The biggest difference with Goombas in Super Mario Odyssey from other three-dimensional games is that Mario can become a Goomba by capturing it as Cappy. As a Goomba, Mario can jump atop other Goombas to form a stack, helping him activate Goomba buttons and reach higher areas. A Goomba does not slip on ice while captured. Most worlds except Cloud Kingdom, the Mushroom Kingdom, and the Darker Side feature Goomba wearing different headgear with the first hit from Cappy is required before capturing them. The following is a list of costumed Goombas that appear throughout the game.

• In the Sand Kingdom, they wear sombreros and are aptly called sombrero Goombas.
• In the Lake Kingdom, they wear bridal veils and are called bridal Goombas.
• In the Wooded Kingdom, they wear explorer hats and are called explorer Goombas.
• In the Metro Kingdom, they wear yellow construction helmets.
• In the Seaside Kingdom, they wear pirate hats and are called pirate Goombas.
• In the Snow Kingdom, they wear Santa hats and are called santa Goombas.
• In the Luncheon Kingdom, they wear chef hats.
• In the Bowser's Kingdom, they wear conical hats.

The 8-bit mural segments feature 8-bit Goombas that act and look the same as Goombas in Super Mario Bros. Mini Goombas and Paragoombas also return. There is also a pink female Goomba named Goombette, whom Mario can approach as a captured Goomba in various kingdoms for a Power Moon each time.

In the Mushroom Kingdom, after the first visit, two Volbonans are seen debating whether Goombas are mushrooms or acorns.

Super Mario Bros. 35

Goombas return in Super Mario Bros. 35 with the same role and design as Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

A sleeping Goomba in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Goombas reappear as recurring enemies in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, alongside several variants including Goombrats, Big Goombas, Hefty Goombas, Hefty Goombrats, and Bone Goombas. They function largely the same as in previous 2D games, though in this game they will visually react to their surroundings. They will shift their eyes to look at a player if one is in front of them, and they visibly panic if they notice potential threats, including player-thrown fireballs, kicked shells, Gnawshers, and Maw-Maws. They will also make a biting pose when they damage a player, a reference to how Goombas in Super Mario Bros. were originally intended to attack the player by biting them.

A few levels feature Goombas that are asleep on the ground. These Goombas will wake up when something is right in front of them or if the Goomba is touched by the player. Players touching these Goombas will not take damage, but instead knock the Goomba back, though it is able to deal damage again after waking up. In levels where Goombas can be trapped in one-block wide areas (best demonstrated on Pokipede Pass) they will stop pacing back and forth and instead watch the player character from their hole. Goombas are affected by the Wonder Flower in Sproings in the Twilight Forest, which causes them to stretch beyond their normal size, and the Wonder Flower effect in Maw-Maw Mouthful and Petal Isles Special Way of the Goomba turns the players into Goombas.

Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!

The two Goombas of Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! stand before their master.

In the Japanese anime movie Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, two Goombas, who work for Bowser, appear throughout the film, attempting to halt Mario, Luigi, and Kibidango in their search for Princess Peach.

These two Goombas first appear shortly after Mario and Luigi start their quest and follow the Mario Bros. to a camp they have set up for a night's rest. Luigi, however, has grown hungry and is unable to sleep. The Goombas then trick Luigi by saying they knew where to find delicious mushrooms, and Luigi, desperate for food, follows them into a small clearing filled with strange, emotion-inducing mushrooms. Luigi (and Mario, who eventually finds his brother in the mushroom field) is eventually kidnapped by a colossal-sized Paratroopa.

The Goombas next appear right after Mario and Luigi have collected the Super Mushroom and have come to a fork in the road. Here the Goombas decide to give Mario and Luigi false directions and lead the brothers to a Piranha Plant-filled area.

The Goombas are seen next in a cave-like area where they leave a trail of coins for the Mario Bros. Mario and Luigi follow this trail and end up in a larger cave, although the Goombas roll a rock up against the entrance of this cave, locking the Mario Bros. within it.

One of the Goombas' last efforts in the film comes when Mario and Luigi have reached Bowser's Castle. They activate a complex platform system over lava (with the inclusion of Podoboos), explaining that Mario has to jump over it to escape. Unlike other depictions throughout the series, the Goombas grow small arms resembling mushroom spores in order to operate the system's controls. Their plans are foiled, though, when Luigi (who is at the time mining for coins) accidentally causes a huge flood through the castle, putting out the lava and safely carrying the Mario Brothers on. It is unknown what happens to the Goombas after the castle falls apart.

DIC cartoons

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

A Goomba in its regular appearance from the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service"

“All right, all right, all right! Listen up, all you groovy Goombas, and give a big hand to a great new band, the Toadstool Trio!”

—Goomba, "Elvin Lives"

In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Goombas are depicted as being weak soldiers in King Koopa's army. Compared to other enemies in the show, they accurately resemble the physical depiction of Goombas from the video games. The only episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! where a Goomba has a speaking role is "Elvin Lives." Goombas change aliases depending on the plot, appearing as bikers, pirates, and zombies.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

A Goomba in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Do the Koopa".

The continuation of the original cartoon series, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, retains Goombas and their status as weak yet loyal soldiers. Their winged variant, Paragoombas, appears more often.

Super Mario Bros. (film)

Toad after being de-evolved into a Goomba from the Super Mario Bros. movie

Goombas appear in the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie. In it, they are portrayed as citizens of Dinohattan who have been de-evolved into slightly dim-witted but loyal members of President Koopa's army. They are properly introduced when Toad's character is arrested and sentenced to become a Goomba for singing Anti-Koopa songs. President Koopa showcases his abilities to de-evolve Dinohattanites with his Devo Chamber machine to Mario and Luigi, when Toad is turned into a Goomba. Mario and Luigi, enraged after having witnessed Toad's fate, push Koopa into the machine and attempt to de-evolve him before escaping out of the Devo Chamber.

Throughout the film, Goombas appear as low-intelligence cronies responding to Koopa's commands. The kidnapped Brooklyn women, which includes Angelica, Daniella and Daisy, are held in a part of Koopa's Tower called "Goomba Barracks" for the majority of the film. It is implied that the Goombas in Koopa's Tower are permanent residents of the Goomba Barracks, as shown when Mario and Luigi escape from said tower, and they take one of the mattresses the Goombas sleep on to do so.

Various Goombas were later outfitted with Devolution Guns in preparation of invading Earth. The Goombas, however, often had a weakness for dancing; Mario and Luigi discover this when they are hiding in an elevator that they occupy. Mario and Luigi begin rocking the Goombas back and forth to the elevator music playing to distract them. The Goombas apparently started dancing some time afterwards, as Sergeant Simon tried to warn Koopa via Walkie Talkie about them dancing again while Koopa was trying to gloat to the Mario Bros. about trapping them. They begin to take a liking to dancing as evidenced by Toad later exploiting this to prevent the Goombas from following Koopa's order to shoot Mario after the dimensions become separated once again. After Koopa is successfully defeated, Goombas can be seen dancing in couples in Koopa Square.

Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami

The Super Mario Bros. film received a simplified manga adaptation titled Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami. Goombas reprise their role as being lackeys of Koopa, that he creates by zapping citizens using his Devolution Gun. They are first introduced when an enraged Koopa is informed by Spike and Iggy that they did not successfully bring him back the meteorite piece. He zaps the two, de-evolving them into Goombas.

Koopa proceeds to take to the streets of his kingdom, dragging Daisy along, and holding a megaphone on the other hand. He is lead by a Goomba driving a car, and a large crowd of Goombas following him, as he demands that Mario and Luigi turn over the meteorite piece over to him. After Koopa is hit with an exploding mushroom, he demands from his Goombas that they cleanse him off the fungus residue left behind by the blast. When the dimensions are briefly merged by the Goomba-fied Spike and Iggy, the Goombas begin de-evolving humans into chimpanzees.

Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up

Goombas are literal computer "bugs" in the Computer Programmer career page of Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up.

Yoshi

Goombas are one of the six falling objects in Yoshi, using the same sprite as in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. They are called "Little" Goombas in the instruction booklet, for the first time since Super Mario Bros., but not in the North American television commercial or on the back cover.

Mario Ice Capades

Goombas appear in Mario Ice Capades as minions of King Koopa. In the end, the Mario Bros. defeat them as well as their leader.

Mario and the Incredible Rescue

"Little Goombas" appear in the third chapter of Mario and the Incredible Rescue. Three attack Mario, Luigi, and Toad in Kero Sewers at first, but more appear soon after, forcing the trio to retreat.

Nintendo Comics System

Goombas appear in several issues of Nintendo Comics System, though they are scarcely seen, having seemingly been pushed aside by Shy Guys as the main troops of Bowser's army.

Club Nintendo

Goombas make a minor appearance in the German Club Nintendo comics. Two of them are seen in the story "Super Mario: Erholung? Nein, danke!" on the island of Koopabiza. They, along with many other people and creatures, try to get to the beach. One of them is wearing a swimming ring. Also, the Gumba Royal Hotel on Koopabiza is named after the German spelling of the Goomba species.

Super Mario Adventures

In Super Mario Adventures, one ordinary Goomba makes a minor cameo among the Super Mario World creatures sent to attack Princess Toadstool's Palace.

Super Mario-kun

A Goomba from Super Mario-kun

In Super Mario-kun, Goombas make several appearances, while not being in every volume.

Nintendo Adventure Books

Goombas appear in several of the Nintendo Adventure Books, starting with Leaping Lizards, where a pair appear to attack Luigi when he first arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom, only to be sent running after being stomped. Some later scurry out of the way as the heroes head to Mushroom Palace, and several are also among the crowds at the International Mushroom Games held three weeks later.

Luigi fights off several Goombas on his way to Wendy O. Koopa's secret camp in the Magma Pits in Koopa Capers, and a Goomba scientist named Dr. Sporis von Fungenstein appears as the main antagonist in Doors to Doom.

Some Goombas shrunken by Magikoopa are sent into Yoshi's body after Mario in Unjust Desserts; if Mario smashes a Yellow Shell while inside Yoshi, it causes tremors that cause some Goombas and assorted other shrunken enemies to go careening around the dinosaur's innards.

Hotel Mario

Goombas are fought in various Koopa hotels in Hotel Mario. They walk slowly to doors that have been closed by Mario to reopen them. Flying Goombas also return, and two unique varieties were added, Bellhop Goombas and Rhinestone Goombas.

Yoshi's Island series

Goombas in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island have thicker eyebrows compared to its contemporary depictions, white torsos, and crimson feet. A similar design is used in the first three installments in the Paper Mario series.

In the Yoshi's Island series, Goombas first appear in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, then in its Game Boy Advance version, and in Yoshi's New Island. Goombas aimlessly walk in one direction, like in the Super Mario series. However, a Goomba can jump off a ledge, but before doing so, they become idle briefly while wiggling their eyebrows. More noticeably, stomping on a Goomba flattens it but does not defeat it. A flattened Goomba can still walk and damage Yoshi on contact, but can also carry Yoshi if he stands on them. After some time, the Goomba "pops" back into shape. In Yoshi's New Island, while a Goomba is flattened, it does not jump off a ledge and cannot damage Yoshi. They also always revert to their standard shape immediately after turning around. Goombas can be defeated with an egg or enemy toss, a Ground Pound attack, or by eating and turning them into eggs.

In all three appearances, Goombas only appear in one level, much unlike their appearances in the Super Mario series. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Goombas only appear in GO! GO! MARIO!!, while in Yoshi's New Island, they only appear in Spin-Lift Drift. In the latter game, Goombas are often encountered in chains of enemies and can be defeated with Koopa Shells to gain a combo and extra lives.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

“Sorry about going AWOL on you. I ran away because I was scared to fight Smithy.”

—Goomhilde, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

One of the earliest 3D iterations of a Goomba in a video game.

A Goomba in the remake.

Goombas are one among the weaker enemies in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and its remake, but not as much as the Terrapin. Several Goombas are found on Mushroom Way, where Toad is kidnapped on his way to the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as in Bandit's Way, Pipe Vault, and Booster Pass. Goombas attack enemies by either biting or shooting sharp thorns to cause 50% more damage than usual. A Timed Hit can often destroy a Goomba quickly. Goombas are often fought alongside other enemies, even other Goombas, in groups of two or three. When defeated, Goombas often yield HP MAX! Flowers to Mario and his party. The game adds the more powerful Pro Goombas, which appear in Bowser's Keep.

There are Goombas featured as regular non-playable characters in Monstro Town. There are also Goombas at the Midas River, where they are trying to fish.

Following the Smithy Gang exiling Bowser from his castle, one of his regrouped factions are Goombas lead by Goomhilde, many of which abandon him by Moleville, and then all of them at Booster Tower. Bowser later finds the head of the faction, Goomhilde, in Monstro Town, where she is assisted by her three "little ones," the Triplets. Goo is one of the Goombas part of Dr. Topper's puzzles. After Bowser has retaken his castle, Goombas and his other minions help him rebuild it.

Mario Net Quest

A Goomba, misspelled "Goombah" on the "How to Play" screen, is one of the floor obstacles in Mario Net Quest, and should the player click one, they lose 1,000 points.

Mario Party series

Goombas are a common sight in the various Mario Party titles. Often, they appear in the background of minigames or they host minigames themselves. Goombas get their biggest roles in Mario Party 4, where one is one of the hosts, and in Super Mario Party, where one is a playable character.

Mario Party

At Peach's Birthday Cake in Mario Party, a Goomba forces the player to pay 10 coins, or all if they do not have enough, to play the Flower Lottery. Three of the seeds depict Toad's face, while the "lucky" one depicts Bowser, and getting it forces the player to proceed to Bowser's cake.

A Goomba is a possible shape to drill in Crazy Cutter.

Mario Party 2

“Ten-hut! It's time for a Battle Mini-Game! First, let's decide how many coins to take.”

—Goomba, Mario Party 2

Goomba hosting Time Bomb in Mario Party 2

Every duel and battle minigame in Mario Party 2 is hosted by a Goomba, who descends from a parachute whenever the event upon initiating the event. After the minigame, the winner and runner-up players are rewarded coins, as well as one coin to the player who placed either third or fourth if the total number of wagered coins is not divisible by two. There is also a Goomba in the tail of an airplane at Mystery Land, and every board features a Goomba-shaped house outside the main area.

Mario Party 3

Goombas host Duel Minigames in Mario Party 3, like its predecessor. A Goomba is Luigi's default partner in Duel mode, with an Attack value of 2, an HP of 1, and 2 coins per turn as a salary. Goombas jump into the air and kick to attack. A few minigames feature Goombas: Curtain Call, where the player has to memorize them and the order of other enemies; Slot Synch, where a Goomba icon equals a point; and Game Guy's Roulette, where a Goomba icon is in four of the slots and features a coin multiplier of 8.

Mario Party 4

Main article: Goomba (Mario Party 4)

In Mario Party 4, Goomba hosts both Goomba's Greedy Gala and the mini-game room, as one of the Party Cube hosts, along with Toad, Boo, Shy Guy and Koopa Troopa. Other than the pink top hat and vest, this Goomba established the current design for Goombas in general. Goombas appear in a few minigames: Long Claw of the Law, as an outlaw; GOOOOOOOAL!!, as the audience; Goomba's Chip Flip, as the player's opponent; and Beach Volley Folly, as the referee.

Mario Party 5

Goombas as seen in the minigame Hotel Goomba from Mario Party 5

Goombas appear throughout Mario Party 5. Two of the engines in Super Duel Mode are themed after Goomba, the Goomba Engine and the Goomba-Trio Engine, and there is also the Goomba Tires. One is part of the Goomba Capsule, which swaps coins with a random opponent. Goombas appear in a lot of minigames: Hotel Goomba, as obstacles to punch out of the way; Triple Jump, where one is at the 90-feet/30-metres marker; Mathletes, where one is the host; Quilt for Speed, where one side controls a mechanical Goomba; Clock Stoppers, possibly appearing when the team matches the clock hands; Mario Can-Can, as one of the contents; Panic Pinball, where they begin the slots when hit; and in Beach Volleyball as the referee. Goombas are in the background of Matheletes, Will Flower, Fight Cards, and Random Ride.

Mario Party 6

A Goomba returns in Mario Party 6 as part of the Goomba Orb, now determining the number of coins to give, as well as in the background of Thirsty Gulch. Goombas appear in more minigames: Odd Card Out, within the crowd and as one of the pairs; Freeze Frame, where each player tries to capture a picture with the most of them; Trap Ease Artist, where players catch Goombas and their gold variety; Word Herd, where the solo player tries them away from the team players; Control Shtick, hosted by two of them; and Lab Brats, where there is one to rescue.

Mario Party Advance

“Howdy! I'm Goomba! Here's the scoop!”

—Goomba, Mario Party Advance

There is a Goomba character in Mario Party Advance who lives in the Goomba House and likes dancing. He informs the player about the Minigames and Gaddgets scattered around Shroom City. Goomba gives the player an errand to get him a Ticket from the Train Station and gives them the Egg Roll Gaddget as a reward for doing so.

Goombas are among the species to guide in Floor It!, and one is the referee in Volleybomb.

Mario Party 7

Goombas host certain board events in Mario Party 7, including Pyramid Park (Desert Goombas) and Bowser's Enchanted Inferno! (Steel Goombas). Goombas also appear in some minigames: Big Dripper, where bees chase then; Clock Watchers, as the host; Cardinal Rule, as a type of card; Royal Rumpus, as species to ground-pound along with the faster gold variety; and Spin Off, as one of the pictures to match. They are also in the background of the minigames Kart Wheeled, Dart Attack, Weight for It, and Light Speed.

Mario Party 8

Goombas being colored with paintballs in Paint Misbehavin' from Mario Party 8

Goombas are featured in the Goomba's Booty Boardwalk board of Mario Party 8, where a Grand Goomba named Captain Goomba is the goal, while other Goombas such as pirate Goombas either hinder or assist the player. Goombas appear in some minigames: Paint Misbehavin', where teams shoot paint at them; Lob to Rob, where pictures of them subtract points; Settle It in Court, helping the player score; Moped Mayhem, as a racer; and Specter Inspector, to rescue. Goombas are in the background of Chump Rope, Swing Kings, Blazing Lassos, and Fruit Picker.

Mario Party DS

Goombas are part of several minigames in Mario Party DS. Their largest role is in Goomba Wrangler, where players try to circle the most Brown Goombas and Golden Goombas throughout. They are similarly prominent in Call of the Goomba, where players try to lure the most Goombas as they crank the tune of Ground BGM. Soccer Survival features a Goomba kicking soccer balls for players to avoid throughout, and Shorty Scorers similarly features wooden Goombas as the goalkeepers. A Goomba is one of the plushes to avoid in Plush Crush. A Goomba may appear as the drawing for both teams to trace in Double Vision.

Mario Party 9

The minigame Goomba Spotting from Mario Party 9

Goombas are the feature of some minigames in Mario Party 9: Goomba Bowling, where they subtitute the bowling pins; Goomba Spotting, where players try to count the exact number of them; and Goomba Village, where players guess which Toad House has the most Goombas. A Goomba constellation titled "Ground Soldier" also appears.

Mario Party: Island Tour

Goombas appear only in a few minigames of Mario Party: Island Tour: Git Along, Goomba, where players lasso them; Match Faker and Tap Dash as titles; Starring Artist, as a possible constellation; Spin the Bubble, as a bubble; and in Ka-Goomba!.

Mario Party 10

Goombas are in a few minigames in Mario Party 10. They usually appear with Galoombas and Goombrats, like Goomba Gallop and Goomba Gotcha, where the gameplay involves differentiating between them in some way.

Mario Party: Star Rush

Goombas appear in the Goomba Guess minigame of Mario Party: Star Rush, where players try to memorize their arrangement, and as obstacles to avoid in Mega Goomba's Bad Dream, taking away a point from players they hit and sometimes going after one nearby. The World 3 boards also have several cake structures of Goombas.

Super Mario Party

Goomba participating in Trike Harder from Super Mario Party

“I'll show you a place where you won't get stomped on all the time!”

—Goomba, Super Mario Party

Goombas first appears in the opening cutscene of Super Mario Party, arriving with Bowser and the other villains to try and become the Super Star. Goomba is actually playable, complete with his own Goomba Dice Block. There are also Goombas in Chestnut Forest, the second area of the Challenge Road mode.

Mario Party Superstars

The same Goomba from Mario Party returns in the Peach's Birthday Cake board in Mario Party Superstars, except Lakitu now plants Piranha Plant seeds instead. The returning minigame Archer-ival also replaces the Toad target with one of Goomba.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Goomba returns as a playable character in Super Mario Party Jamboree. Party-Planner Trek, Goomba appears in Rainbow Galleria with a Markup Sticker stuck to its head, and speaking to the Goomba adds it to the player's team for the boss fight against Mega Rocky Wrench. Several Goombas are non-playable characters, most notably at Goomba Lagoon.

Super Smash Bros. series

SmashWiki article: Goomba

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Screenshot from Super Smash Bros. Melee, showing the Goomba trophy in Trophy Tussle 1

Goombas are enemies in the Mushroom Kingdom stage of Super Smash Bros. Melee, though may very rarely emerge from a Party Ball or a Crate instead of an item. It is designed after its look in Super Mario 64, having a brown head yellow stem. Goombas behave like in the side-scrolling games of the Super Mario series, but stomping one plays the "stomp" sound effect from Super Mario All-Stars. Completing Event 14: Trophy Tussle 1 also unlocks the Goomba trophy, where the match even occurs.

A Goomba was a requested character for inclusion in this game, with seven votes.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Screenshot from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Goombas appear in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, acting like in Super Smash Bros. Melee, except they charge upon seeing the player character. Giant Goombas also appear as enemies. A different trophy of a Goomba also appears.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

Goombas return in the Smash Run mode in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, as well as Big Goombas, both behaving like they do in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There is also a Goomba trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

There is a Novice-class Neutral-type primary spirit of a Goomba in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, featuring two support slots and granting slightly stronger leg attacks. The spirit appears in The Light Realm of Adventure Mode: World of Light, and Goombas are represented by five tiny Donkey Kongs in the corresponding Spirit Battle, set on the Omega form of the Mushroom Kingdom stage. A Goomba also appears in the River Survival spirit.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

“Oh... Mario!? I have to fight Mario?! By myself? Why me? I'm toast...but I have to try! Feel my, uh...wrath, I guess!”

—Goomba, Paper Mario

Goombas appear as a part of the Koopa Corps in the original Paper Mario. In his initial appearance, the Goomba King (later named Goomboss) leads some Goombas, Spiked Goombas and Paragoombas that reside along Goomba Road, the pathway between Goomba Village and Toad Town. His two henchmen, the Red & Blue Goomba Bros., appear in the game as well as a miniboss, and later accompany him in his boss fight. In the Toad Town Tunnels, Mario encounters Gloombas, navy blue Goombas variants that live underground, and are modeled after the Underground versions of Goombas from the original Super Mario Bros. Lastly, Hyper Goombas, green-colored Goombas similar to the Gu Goombas, are first seen in this game, along the trail of Gusty Gulch. These powerful Goombas can charge their attack power.

The regular brown Goombas patrol a small area and charge at Mario upon noticing him, like in Super Mario 64. In battle, Goombas attack by using the "Headbonk" technique, where they jump into the air, landing headfirst on Mario afterward. This attack can be blocked by defending just as the Goomba's head touches Mario. If he is struck by the attack, Mario takes one HP of damage. At the beginning of the game, it requires two stomps or two Hammer strikes to defeat a Goomba (as Goombas only have two HP). However, after Mario learns how to use Action Commands, he only needs one timed attack to defeat one of them. Other variants of Goombas, such as the Spiked Goombas, Paragoombas, Gloombas, and Hyper Goombas, have different stats and occasionally different attacks.

One Goomba can be fought in Chapter 4. During the Intermission after Chapter 3, Bowser asks Princess Peach what Mario fears most. One of Peach's choices is "A Goomba", and if she picks this, Kammy Koopa warps a Goomba to Shy Guy's Toy Box. Although Kammy expresses doubt that the Goomba will scare Mario away, she leaves the Goomba in charge of defending a Treasure chest. When Mario eventually arrives, the Goomba reluctantly chooses to fight Mario.

Despite the majority presence of Goombas loyal to Bowser, Paper Mario notably features the first community of peaceful Goombas, within Goomba Village. It is the family of Goombas (composed of Goompa, Gooma, Goompapa, Goomama, Goombaria, and Goombario) living in peaceful Goomba Village, that first discovered Mario unconscious after his initial defeat from Bowser. These Goombas nurse Mario back to full strength and provides him with a Hammer to fight the Koopa Corps. The family also allows Mario to take Goomnuts from their village; these nuts can be used by Mario to recover his FP. Goombario, a young Goomba and personal admirer of Mario, even joins the hero on his adventure. His Tattle ability is valuable, as he provides hints on how to defeat certain enemies. In addition, Goompa gifts Mario his first Badge, and accompanies Mario for a brief moment upon giving him the hammer.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The three classes of Goombas in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Mario runs into a number of Goombas in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. These Goombas live in a town known as Rogueport. Many of these Goombas are independent thieves, bandits, crooks, cheats, and "cleaners". These ones wear green or other colored hats, similar to the hat Link wears. Although not the best of company, these Goombas from Rogueport do not attack Mario. However, the Goombas that live in Rogueport Underground, Petal Meadows or in Riverside Station are very aggressive. Goombas behave just as their Paper Mario counterparts but are not as much of a threat, since Mario can perform Action Commands from the beginning of the game. They also appear as enemies in Bowser's platformer levels, where they run away if they spot Bowser. However, Bowser can still take damage from them upon contact. All these Goomba species featured previously in Paper Mario also return in this game.

Although a large number of either aggressive or simply seedy Goombas appear in the game, The Thousand-Year Door features two Goombas that aid Mario in his adventure. His first partner to do so is Goombella, a female college student from the University of Goom, a school for Goombas. She actually joins Mario on his quest to find the legendary treasure hidden beneath the town of Rogueport (as well as rescue Princess Peach, who has been captured by the X-Nauts). Her Goomba teacher from Goomba University, Professor Frankly, also helps Mario by interpreting the Magical Map, allowing him to find the next Crystal Star and continue his journey. As members of the Audience, Goombas have no unique behavior, but will typically throw damaging items at Mario.

In the game's Nintendo Switch remake, fake cardboard Goombas named Goomboards appear as training targets when Mario practices with the Battle Master.

Super Paper Mario

“Near as we can figure, most of the other minions got captured or something. And we're probably next! (Dude! Why is this dude so calm?! We're behind enemy lines!)”

—Goomba, Super Paper Mario

Goombas appear in the game Super Paper Mario. In this adventure, Goombas are the first enemies to be battled. They are slightly less common than the Squiglets. Goombas also appear in the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials in rooms 2, 5, 14, and 46. Their HP is lowered to 1 in this game, but attack and defense stay the same from previous Paper Mario titles. Some of the Goombas in this game have the ability to Flip, just like Mario. This game also introduces Headbonk Goombas, which are throwbacks to the previous two Paper Mario games, as the Goombas' main attack is the Headbonk, and Dark Goombas, the dark versions of Goombas that appear in the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials. An unnamed Goomba, and another named Gary, appear after Chapter 2, helping Luigi find a way out of Castle Bleck. When they reach a dead-end, Gary is brainwashed, while the unnamed Goomba willingly joins Count Bleck's army. They then hold Luigi so that he can be brainwashed into Mr. L.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

“You! You think Goombas are just cheap little single-ply secondary characters? Think again! We're going on a Goomba joyride, and we're gonna roll you over like a little red speed bump!”

—Goomba, Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Goombas return in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. They now have a design matching their appearances in contemporary Super Mario games as opposed to the first three Paper Mario games whose appearances were closer to ones from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island; their feet are now brown instead of red, their eyebrows are no longer as thick as in the previous Paper Mario games, and they are a darker brown. However, as shown in early builds of this game, they were first seen in their intial Paper Mario appearance.

In this game, regular Goombas are stronger and have more HP than their previous appearances, and are seen in Worlds 1, 2, 3, and 6, making them one of the most common enemies. Goombas can now turn into Paper-Cone Goombas, pointed Goombas that resemble paper airplanes and even fly toward Mario, and a 2-Fold Goomba. Goomba Wheel, Mural Goombas, and Shiny Goombas also debut in the game as well. Like in the first two Paper Mario games, the Goomba's only attack is by Headbonking Mario. If a Goomba's attack misses, it rolls over. Some Goombas fight alone, but they do aid Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Spinies, Shy Guys, and Snifits. Some Goombas also hide in bushes and try to ambush the player by jumping out of the bush.

A trio of Goombas are fought in Decalburg to demonstrate the sticker mechanic. These same Goombas also guard the first Comet Piece in the game. The Megasparkle Goomba, a Goomba who went insane from a Royal Sticker, serves as the first major boss of the game. There are also two Goombas that assist Kamek during his battle in Water's Edge Way.

Goombas can be beaten with a First Strike without engaging in combat with them once the player has one Royal Sticker.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

“GOOM! I mean BOOM! Ugh... I waited all day just to say that, and I totally blew it. Whatever. FIGHT ME!”

—Goomba, Paper Mario: Color Splash

A Goomba from Paper Mario: Color Splash

Goombas are recurring enemies in Paper Mario: Color Splash, although they are less common than Shy Guys in this game (in fact, the very first battle Mario has is against Shy Guys). They have the same appearance they had back in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. If Mario's hammer is powerful enough, Goombas can be defeated out of battle with a First Strike in order to not enter into a fight. Goombas also appear as NPCs in some levels such as The Golden Coliseum and the Sunset Express. A Goomba is the first-round opponent in Roshambo Temple #1. Allied Goombas attack the closest enemy with a Headbonk, which is a jump attack dealing 6 damage. It can send enemies into shells and ground flying enemies, but fails against enemies with spikes.

Goomba Wheels return in Sacred Forest, but they are called "Small Goomba Wheels" as the level is tiny due to Kamek's magic. One Paper-Cone Goomba returns in Kiwano Temple. Small Goombas, Small Goomba Gangs, Mega Goombas, Paragoombas, and Accordion Goombas also appear.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Goombas return in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Regular Goombas appear as supporting characters, while origami Goombas appear as enemies in a variety of areas. In battle, Goombas attack with a Headbonk move, as well as other moves which Goombas con perform if there is more than one of them, such as Group Headbonk, in which multiple Goombas can Headbonk Mario at the same time; Wave Headbonk, where multiple Goombas will form a line and Headbonk each other in a domino effect, which hit Mario for how many Goombas are doing the attack, with the last one in the line doing a regular Headbonk; and Tower Attack (which is an attack many enemies can use), where multiple Goombas can form a tower by standing on each other's heads, with the Goomba at the top Headbonking Mario, and the amount of damage depends on how many Goombas are performing the attack. If Mario blocks while having any Guard Plus accessories equipped, the Goombas' Headbonk move deal no damage. Large Paper Macho Goombas also appear as enemies. Paragoombas, Bone Goombas, and Galoomba variants reappear.

When Mario lands in the dungeon of Peach's Castle, he meets a Goomba who claims he had never met Mario or a Toad before. However, this Goomba is later turned into a Folded Soldier and is the first one Mario must face on his adventure. On the path to Toad Town, Mario rescues a group of regular Goombas from Origami Goombas, who decide to hide in a house in Toad Town for the rest of the game. In Shangri-Spa, Goombas are among the minions being forced to do labor work to repay the damage from Bowser's Castle destroying the banquet hall.

Mario Kart series

Goomba from Mario Circuit in Mario Kart 8.

Goombas have appeared as obstacles in various games of the Mario Kart series. They behave consistently throughout the series, simply waddling in place and moving slightly left and right on the track and causing a player to spin out from driving into them. However, their size varies between appearances, and Mario Kart DS renders them as 2D sprites. In most games, if a Goomba is hit by an item, it drops a Mushroom. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Goombas appear in Mario Circuit, waddling in place right before the finish line. In Mario Kart DS, Goombas appear in Mario Circuit and in certain missions, such as the race against Goomboss, who spawns two or three Goombas every few seconds while moving. In Mario Kart Wii, Goombas are encountered in Mushroom Gorge, Mario Circuit, Koopa Cape, and the returning GCN Mario Circuit. In Mario Kart 7, are larger, and they appear in Mario Circuit and Piranha Plant Slide, as well as the returning Wii Mushroom Gorge and Wii Koopa Cape. On Piranha Plant Slide, the underground Goombas are colored blue. In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Goombas appear in Mario Circuit, N64 Yoshi Valley (replacing Porcupos from Mario Kart 64), and 3DS Piranha Plant Slide in the base game. Additionally, the Nintendo Switch version's Booster Course Pass also includes them in Tour New York Minute, Wii Mushroom Gorge, DS Mario Circuit, Tour Athens Dash, Wii Koopa Cape, and Tour Madrid Drive. In Mario Kart Tour, Goombas are obstacles in many stages and stage variants. They are the main focus of "Goomba Takedown" challenges, where they may appear in large formations, with the goal of defeating as many as possible in a single lap. Unlike other Mario Kart games, Goombas can be bowled over by driving into them, but this still causes the racer to spin out. Additionally, a Goomba can now also be defeated by landing on them while gliding or after driving off a ramp, giving the driver a Jump Boost. For normal course variants, Goombas are found on all versions of Paris Promenade, as well as Singapore Speedway, Athens Dash 2, Madrid Drive, RMX Mario Circuit 1, DS Mario Circuit, Wii Mushroom Gorge, Wii Koopa Cape, 3DS Mario Circuit, and 3DS Piranha Plant Slide.

Though Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is the first game to have Goombas as obstacles, Mario Kart: Super Circuit is their actual first appearance. However, Goombas, which use their Paper Mario design, are restricted to a background appearance in the audience during the award ceremony. Similarly, Mario Kart Wii also includes Goombas as spectators during the trophy celebration. In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a Goomba is displayed on the height requirement posters in the entrance to the Sub Coaster ride in Water Park, representing the height that riders must be taller than.

Other variants of Goombas are not commonly encountered as obstacles. Technically, the first time any Goomba variation has appeared on a course is in Mario Kart 7, which has wooden cutouts of Goombas blocking the last few turns of Piranha Plant Slide. In Mario Kart 8, a Goomba Tower appears at the end of Mario Circuit. Furthermore, in the Nintendo Switch version's Booster Course Pass, Innertube Goombas appear in Tour Singapore Speedway, like in Mario Kart Tour, and GCN Daisy Cruiser. In Mario Kart Tour's "Goomba Takedown" challenges, Goombas may appear in the form of Goomba Towers. Additionally, the game also features Shoe Goombas alongside Goombas in Madrid Drive.

WarioWare series

Goombas as they appear in the Super Wario Bros. microgame from WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

Goombas make cameos in the WarioWare series, often within 9-Volt's stage. In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, they appear in the microgames Super Wario Bros. and Super Mario Bros., both requiring the player to defeat them to win. In WarioWare: Twisted!, they appear as enemies that try to defeat Mario in the boss microgame Super Mario Bros., just as in the original game. In WarioWare: Touched!, Goombas are some of the enemies to be defeated in the Super Mario Bros. Stomp! microgame. In WarioWare: Smooth Moves, one Goomba appears as an obstacle that Mario has to avoid in the third level of the microgame Super Mario Brothers, although sometimes it is replaced with a bottomless pit. In WarioWare: D.I.Y., Goombas make a cameo as a stamp in the GameMakerMatic, and one can appear in the downloadable microgame Hue-Down. Gamer from Game & Wario has a boy in a Goomba costume who must be squashed by Mario in the third level of the microgame Sole Man.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

“Dare to dream, Cap! We're all counting on you!”

—Goomba, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Goombas as they appear in-game in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

A group of Goombas join Bowser as he attempts to track down Cackletta in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. These Goombas hold tutorial battles with Mario and Luigi in the Koopa Cruiser, who happens to join Bowser in his search for Cackletta (as she has stolen Princess Peach's voice). These Goombas are patrolling the halls of the cruiser or simply hiding in barrels. The Goombas engage in battles with the Mario Bros., to get some training before the Mario Bros. battle Fawful. In battle, a Goomba approaches either Mario or Luigi, somersaults towards him, then bites. This attack can be dodged by jumping after the Goomba opens its mouth. To counter the attack, Mario or Luigi would have to jump right when the Goomba's mouth opens. They each have 4 HP. The Goombas do not see much action after that, since the Koopa Cruiser is shot down by Fawful before Cackletta is engaged in combat.

Several Goomba varieties appear throughout the Beanbean Kingdom. The Tanoombas reside just north of Beanbean Castle Town. Another, known as the Gritty Goomba, lives in the Teehee Valley region, with their Elite variants residing in Gwarhar Lagoon. These Goombas are covered in bandages and have the ability to conjure sandstorms to distort opponents. The last Goomba of the Beanbean Kingdom is the Goomdiver; unlike most Goombas, they are found on the Seabed and wear special scuba diving gear. Beanies also seem to be the "Goomba" of the Beanbean Kingdom, in a similar manner to Troopeas being the Beanbean counterpart of Koopa Troopas.

Goombas return in the remake of the game, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. One of the first two Goombas that are encountered during Superstar Saga is retroactively revealed to be the future Captain Goomba. Goombas function in the same way as the original as enemies to Mario and Luigi, but now, they play a huge part in the major side story alongside the main Mario Bros. story, Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser, with the protagonist of the story being Captain Goomba, a young, upstart Goomba who leads the charge to rescue Bowser from the hands of Cackletta and Fawful. Goombas are Melee troopers, and attack by charging into enemies. Their Special Skill, Rocket Headbutt, allows them to give an opponent a headbutt. The button must be pressed as they hit the opponent in order to perform an excellent attack. Paragoombas, Big Tail Goombas, and Goomba Towers also appear as allies.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Goombas are weak enemies in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, encountered in Bowser's Castle while in the past. To attack, a Goomba slowly runs into the Mario Bros. This can be countered with a Jump defense. Goombas are sometimes aided in battle by Boos. Additionally, in the present-time events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Goombas appear in Peach's Castle Dungeon. These Goombas are slightly stronger, and they attack faster than the ones from Bowser's Castle. They are the only non-boss/mini-boss battles that can be fought in the present Mushroom Kingdom.

Other Goomba variants are featured in the game. The Tanoomba returns from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and appears in Thwomp Volcano. A variant of Tanoomba known as Tashrooba is battled in Shroob Castle.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Goombas aid Bowser's Special Attack, Goomba Storm.

Goombas return in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story as one of Bowser's Special Attacks, Goomba Storm, where the player has to touch Goombas to light them on fire and send them upward. The enemy takes damage for each Goomba it is hit with. Fawful captures some Goombas and brainwashes them, while other ones are put in a cage in Dimble Wood. Bowser also encounters two new species, the Chuboombas, fat Goombas that carry lollipops, and Choombas, Goombas that resemble steam engine trains and gain speed in their charge, even after Bowser punches them. Also, another, similar species, called Goombules, are found inside Bowser. Jailgoons are living cage enemies containing either a Goomba or a Bob-omb.

The top screen of Mario and Luigi's Special Attacks tutorials show a Goomba being defeated by the Special Attack although no normal Goombas are fought; Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is notable for being the only game in the Mario & Luigi series where regular Goombas do not appear as enemies.

Goombas return in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, where they additionally are found as enemies and recruitable allies in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Goombas reappear as enemies in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, where they are found in Driftwood Shore. Unlike most other appearances, Goombas are encountered much later in the game. Like a select few enemies, Goombas do not appear on the field, and can only be fought by getting into a battle with a Fly Guy or Durapurl. In battle, Goombas charge at Mario and Luigi without pausing. If they look in Mario's direction and tilt back, they charge at Mario. If they look at Luigi's direction and tilt forward, they charge at Luigi. Mario and Luigi must avoid this attack by jumping over or on them. Goombas can cause the trip status effect if they hit Mario or Luigi.

Goombas attack in unison with Fly Guys differently depending on whether or not there are Goombas present on the battlefield. If there are not any Goombas present, a Fly Guy flies high into the sky to reappear flying back into the battlefield from the background, now air-lifting a Goomba in its grip, who it drops in line with Mario and Luigi from Mario's left for them both to charge one after another at Mario and Luigi. Dodging the Goomba requires Mario and Luigi to jump before it hits them. Dodging the Fly Guy requires Mario and Luigi to not jump into it while trying to dodge the Goomba, and to just idle as it goes by. This attack takes up the Fly Guy's attack turn.

If there is a Goomba present, a Fly Guy picks up a nearby Goomba, fly above Mario or Luigi, and bomb the Goomba on them, which must be countered by smacking the Goomba with the hammer before it lands on the targeted Bro. Regardless of whether the former part of the attack was countered or not, if the Goomba was not defeated due to the counter-attack damage, it then either runs at the targeted Bro again or if the Goomba has stars around its head, it charges into the Bro who was not originally targeted. The Goomba must then be hit with the hammer again. This attack takes up the Fly Guy's attack turn.

Goombas have weaker versions early in the game known as Grombas.

A stronger variation of Goombas called Goombas R appears later on in the game.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Artwork of Goombas and Paper Goombas from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Goombas return in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam as a basic enemy. Both Goombas and Paper Goombas appear. They are commonly found in the Sunbeam Plains, several are fought during the mission Final Smash in Neo Bowser Castle, and one is fought alongside a Paper Goomba, a Koopa Troopa and a Paper Koopa Troopa as one of Bowser's last lines of defense. The Goombas have a similar attack pattern to Goombules from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. One of the Battle Cards can possibly turn standard enemies into Goombas.

Goombas also appear during the final battle against Shiny RoboBowser. Aside from Shiny Paper Goombas occasionally appearing, regular Goombas appear during two of Bowser's attacks. When he chases the trio to the left, Goombas appear along the path and must be jumped over to avoid damage. They also appear during the Airplane Guard chase attack, where Goombas run at the Bros. in a horizontal line and must also be jumped over.

Additionally, a crinkled Goomba appears as a recurring character. He serves as the first enemy fought in the game, the tutorial for Paper Mario's unique abilities and Battle Cards. The Crinkled Goomba serves as an ally and enemy to the Mario brothers, helping them on some occasions (such as outright giving the Mario brothers Battle Cards) while hindering them on others (such as stealing the medallion necessary to enter Bowser's Castle).

Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Goombas appear as enemies in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. Like in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Goombas are encountered much later in the game. A group of them are first fought on Slippenglide Island known as the Goom Battalion, where all Goombas must be defeated at once otherwise any survivors will call reinforcements. In the second visit to Heatfreeze Island, the Goom Battalion is the first round in an optional gauntlet of Bowser's Minions and must also all be defeated at once. Goombas also appear normally on Offandon Island and Wayaway Island, without the need to defeat them at once.

In battle, Goombas have two attacks. For their first attack, they all charge at a single Bro. with some of them forming Goomba Towers. For their second attack, they charge at either Bro. Any Goombas that jump before charging jump over their target. If one Goomba is left, it runs away.

Bowser can also summon Goombas to his side in his first battle. He can also have enemies charge at the Bros., with Goombas being one of them.

Mario Baseball series

Goomba preparing to bat in Mario Superstar Baseball

In both games of the Mario Baseball series, Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers, Goomba is a playable character, as well as a Paragoomba. Both Goomba and Paragoomba use a baseball bat and a glove, which they levitate to make up for their lack of arms. Goomba has the Ball Dash ability, where it can run very fast and possibly tag any runners out when carrying the ball. In Mario Superstar Baseball, Goomba is a balanced character with average running, though it is slightly weak in every other stat. Goomba has good chemistry with Paragoomba, Diddy Kong and Monty Mole, and no bad chemistry with any of the characters. In Mario Super Sluggers, Goomba has good chemistry with Koopa Troopa instead of Diddy Kong, and it was given bad chemistry with Toad, Toadette, and Toadsworth.

Super Princess Peach

A lone Goomba is first seen in the intro of Super Princess Peach, leading an army of Hammer Bros. to take over Peach's Castle and capture the Mario Bros. as well as various Toads. Goombas behave like in other sidescrolling appearances, but Peach can now pick up and throw the Goomba or have Perry swallow it. Goombas also have two vibe-influenced varieties, Mad Goomba, the Sad Goomba, similarly to Paragoombas having Sad Paragoombas and M. Red P-Goombas.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3

A Goomba-shaped basektball can be unlocked in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 by earning a gold trophy in the Hard Star Tourney. There are also Goomba crowd members on Mario Stadium.

Mario & Sonic series

In the Mario & Sonic series, Goombas first appear in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Here, they only appear in two minigames, Conveyor Belt, as one of the species needing to be sorted, and Shoot!, as one of the enemies needing to be hit.

Since both the Wii version and the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Goombas have mainly had the role of being obstacles in Olympic events, based on their recurring role in the Mario Kart series. In the game's Nintendo DS version, Goombas appear as obstacles in Ski Cross Racing, as well as a single one at the end of the Deluxe Halfpipe course, all of which slow whoever hits them. In the Wii version, Goombas appear in both the individual and team versions of Dream Ski Cross, where they slowly move around the course, and whoever touches them falls over and loses speed. In Dream Ice Hockey, Goombas occasionally appear on the rink and knocks over any characters that hit them. Goombas also appear in Dream Curling, where one appears as part of every frame and can be hit to score 5 bonus points. The Goombas are not included in the pin total for strikes and spares, though the points earned for them are doubled if hit after scoring one. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a pair of Goomba sprites from Super Mario Bros. appear as character walls, functioning as obstacles that block the golf ball, although they disappear when hit.

Aside from being obstacles, Goombas commonly appear in figure skating events. In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, several Goombas also appear in the first segment of the Mario World routine in Dream Figure Skating. Similarly, in the game's Nintendo DS version, Goombas appear in Ultimate Figure Skating, where they can be defeated using spin attacks in the spin sections of the Mario Medley and alongside Kikis in the Mario & Sonic Medley. A single Goomba appears during Mario's Figure Skating Spectacular in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, where it appears as the true form of the Tail Bowser after it has been defeated.

In Curling Bowling, an event in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Goombas uniquely serve a role of being bowling pins, and the player must fully knock Goombas down to earn points. This is not unlike Goomba Bowling, a minigame later introduced in a different game, Mario Party 9.

A Goomba has a role in the Story Mode of the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, though mainly during the bonus episodes. A Goomba is first seen at the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games. In the bonus episodes, a Goomba encourages Bowser Jr. to defeat another of Dr. Eggman's robots after his initial victory, and they find Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic at the Main Stadium. When Dr. Eggman sets some consequences for Bowser Jr. losing the match, Goomba unsuccessfully tries to dissuade him but congratulates Bowser Jr. when he wins and promises to tell Bowser. A Goomba also appears in the Wild Ones bonus episodes, where it notices that Bowser seems to be in a particularly bad mood after getting a bad introduction to London. Goomba then accompanies Bowser to challenge Donkey Kong at the Main Stadium, and then Knuckles and Vector at ExCeL London. When the other minions are unsuccessful in setting up a match with Mario for Bowser, Goomba is hesitantly transformed by Magikoopa to look like him and challenges Bowser in Tennis (Singles). After losing the match, Goomba is transformed back and celebrates with the other minions when Bowser's mood improves. Aside from their role in Story mode, a Goomba also has an obtainable badge.

Super Mario Chess

In Super Mario Chess, Goombas appear as rooks on Bowser's team.

Mario Tennis series

In their first appearance in the Mario Tennis series, Mario Tennis Open, Goombas have a racket that can be used by Miis, as well as a Goomba costume if the player unlocks 100 tennis gear items. In Mario Tennis Aces, Goombas appear as passengers scurrying across the Snowfall Mountain court.

Mario Golf series

Goombas have only made two minor appearances in the Mario Golf series. In Mario Golf: World Tour, Goombas are NPC characters in the Castle Club game mode. Additionally, their name can appear on the tournament scoreboard, and their costume, ball, and golf clubs can be used by Miis. In Mario Golf: Super Rush, a horde of Goombas appears in Bonny Greens and Rookie Course as NPCs.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Innertube Goombas in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Goombas, regaining their traits from Super Mario 3D World, return as enemies in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports. Goomba Towers and the Innertube Goombas return as well.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Goombas appear as weak, common enemies in the puzzle and RPG hybrid called Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. A Goomba's main attribute is the Wood type, which means its weakness is Fire while resisting Water. Its skill is Bash, where it can deal 10 damage to one foe. Its level cap is 25, lower than most enemies and allies in the game.

Minecraft

A Goomba in Minecraft

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, chickens are replaced by Goombas. A 3D reconstruction and 2D pixel art of Goombas appear in the premade world of the game.

Mario Sports Superstars

Goombas appear as team members for soccer and baseball in Mario Sports Superstars, this being the third sports game in which Goombas are playable. Contrary to their appearances in the Mario Baseball series, they are classified as power-type characters. In soccer, Bone Goombas can also be selected. Goombas, alongside Bone Goombas, appear as enemies in the Road to Superstar mode of the game, where players need to clear them and other obstacles with sports equipment in order to progress through the mode.

Mario + Rabbids series

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Goombas appear in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle as background characters in the Ancient Gardens. One can be seen with a happy expression while being levitated by a water spout, to which Beep-0 comments, "On the plus side his backside has got to be extremely clean by now." A group of Ziggies can also be seen sticking two Goombas together with honey during their introductory cutscene.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

“A little Goomba goes a LONG WAY. If you could defeat even THREE of them I'd be grateful.”

—Rabbid, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

Goombas return in the sequel, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, this time as enemies. They first appear in the battle Headlong into the Unknown on the Darkmess Manta, where Cursa hypnotizes a group of them to attack Mario and Rabbid Peach. After they are hypnotized, their eye pupils turn orange. Goombas later appear commonly in Beacon Beach and Palette Prime, as well as alongside the Giant Magikoopa in Terra Flora (which can spawn six Goombas per turn), alongside Daphne during the first phase of her battle in Barrendale Mesa, and alongside Darkmess Bowser in Cursa's stronghold.

In battle, Goombas often appear in lines of three and usually have low enough HP for all of them to be defeated with a single dash if the playable character lines up directly in front of the one at the front or the back. If they are not defeated following a dash attack, they flip over and can be picked up and thrown, dealing low damage to the Goomba itself and to any enemy it lands on. Goombas attack by dashing into the playable characters. They also have new voices in this game.

There are also stronger variants called Armored Goombas with metal pots on their heads.

Dr. Mario World

Goombas debut in the Dr. Mario series in Dr. Mario World as assistants, being the first assistant the player receives after completing Stage 5 (Stage 20 prior to version 2.0.0), as well as being a reward after clearing the first area of World 25. Their Stage Mode skill increases the score by a percentage of the base score (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% at level 1 to level 5 respectively) rounded down, while their Versus Mode skill grants a chance that the attack meter fills instantly if the opponent attacks, effectively counterattacking the opponent. In addition, a Goomba Tower appears as one of the playable doctors. During Clinic Events, a Goomba appeared as a patient in Season 2 and the Season 2 revisit.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Goombas in The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Goombas appear in The Super Mario Bros. Movie as troops in Bowser's army. Some Goombas are also shown as captives alongside the Penguin King, Penguins, a Lumalee, and Luigi.

Other appearances

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Link encountering two Goombas in a sidescrolling passage of Tail Cave in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

A Goomba's appearance in the original, DX, and Nintendo Switch versions of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening respectively

In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Goombas appear as enemies within various dungeons. Link encounters most of them in the sidescrolling passages, often alongside Piranha Plants, except Eagle's Tower, which is the only top-down area where Goombas appear. Link can defeat a Goomba by either jumping on it (provided he has the Roc's Feather equipped), just like in the Super Mario series, or use his signature method of striking it with his sword. If Link jumps on a Goomba, he gains a heart. If a Goomba touches Link, he loses half of a heart in his health meter.

Unlike in most of their appearances, Goombas are depicted with a smiling face. In the Nintendo Direct trailer for the Nintendo Switch remake, Goombas have an identical design to their modern appearance in the Super Mario franchise, but for the final release, their frowning expression was changed to a smile, more closely resembling their appearance in the original game. The Nintendo Switch remake also features a collectible Goomba figure that can be won in the Trendy Game after clearing the Tail Cave and placed in Marin and Tarin's house. The text that appears upon acquiring the Goomba figure reads, "You got a Goomba figure! Try to resist the urge to jump on it."

Wii Fit series

8-bit Goombas appear in the jogging minigame in Wii Fit, where they are scattered throughout the island, along with some other Super Mario Bros. sprites. Although they serve mainly as scenery, in the Wii Fit Plus version of the minigame, at the end of the course, a question about what sprite the player saw may be asked.

Social media

A Goomba appears in a variation of the Bad Luck Brian image macro uploaded by Nintendo to Facebook on May 29, 2014. The caption in the image states that this Goomba finally got a summer break, only to get stomped on by Mario at the beach.

General information

Physical appearance

Color variations

Goombas come in many different colors. The following is a list of all known Goombas and the first appearance of the respective Goomba.

Image	Color	First appearance
	Brown	Super Mario Bros.
	Blue	Super Mario Bros.
	Gray	Super Mario Bros.
	Red	Super Mario Bros. 3
	Green	Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (as Pro Goombas)
	Pink	Paper Mario (as Goombaria)

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, stems that are either yellow or tan, 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 Bowser's Minions. 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, "Kuribō", translates to "Chestnut Guy", which was due to the designs looking more like chestnuts than shiitake mushrooms. The name "Goomba" is phonetically similar to the Italian slang term "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).

It may also be a derivation of "gomba", meaning "mushroom" in Hungarian.

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 Bros.

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  Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

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  Super Mario 64

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  New Super Mario Bros. Wii

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  Paper Mario: Sticker Star

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  Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	クリボー Kuribō	Portmanteau of「栗クリ」(kuri, "chestnut") and「坊」(bō, an affectionate suffix for "guy"). Officially romanized as either "Kuribou" or "Kuribo".
	グンバ[?] Gunba	Transliteration of the English name	Super Mario Bros. film
Catalan	Goomba[?]	-	The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Chinese (simplified)	栗子小子[?] Lìzi Xiǎozi	Chestnut Guy
	栗宝宝[?] Lì Bǎobao	Chestnut Baby	since Super Mario Party
	宝栗 Bǎo Lì	Baby Chestnut	cartoon series
Chinese (traditional)	栗寶寶[?] Lì Bǎobao	Chestnut Baby
Czech	Koomba	From the English name. In its source, this name is inflected with the suffix -y, thus being rendered Koomby.
Dutch	Goomba	-
Finnish	Pikku Kuukunen[?]	Little puffball	Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet
	Goomba	-	cartoon series
French	Goomba[?]	-
	Petit Goomba	Little Goomba	Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
German	Gumba	Transliteration of the English name
	Goomba[?]	-
Greek	Γκούμπα Gkoúmpa	Goomba
Hungarian	Gomba	Mushroom
Indonesian	Goomba[?]	-
Italian	Goomba Little Goomba	-	Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet
Korean	굼바[?] Gumba	Transliteration of the English name
Norwegian	Goomba	-
Portuguese	Goomba	-
Romanian	Gumba	Goomba
Russian	Гумба[?] Gumba	Transcription of the English name
Slovak	Koomba	From the English name. In its source, this name is inflected with the suffix -y, thus being rendered Koomby.
Spanish	Goomba[?]	Goomba
	Dientón	Augmentative form of diente ("tooth")	The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

Notes

• 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.
• The song "Walk the Dinosaur" featured on the official soundtrack credits the song to "The Goombas featuring George Clinton". This is for humorous intent. The dancing Goombas from the film are featured in the music video.

External links

• Goomba on Zelda Dungeon Wiki
• Goomba on Triforce Wiki