Mammoshka

Mammoshka is a boss in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Found near the top of Mount Pajamaja, this mammoth-like creature acts as a guardian for the mountain, and is battled by Mario and Luigi in their journey to the mountain's summit. Its name is a pun on Mammoth and Babushka, also known as the Matryoshka.

Appearance

Mammoshka appears to be a mammoth-like creature inside an igloo-like armored shell.

History

As Mario and Luigi were climbing the summit, a single Pi'illo rescued on the mountain talked of a "guardian" found in the region that would prevent intruders from reaching the top. After that though, the Mario Bros. didn't see or hear any sign of Mammoshka until they reached an area near the top of the mountain where they found it sleeping.

With the guardian in sight, the Massif Bros. managed to sneak around it, leaving the Mario Bros. to do the same. Unfortunately, Luigi just happened to sneeze at the wrong time, waking up Mammoshka and forcing the Bros. to defeat it in battle.

After it was defeated, Mammoshka was never seen again in the storyline.

Battle

In battle, Mammoshka can attack by shoving a giant snowball at either Mario or Luigi, who have to hit it to the other Bro. After a few back-and-forth hits with the Hammer, with each, the snowball gradually getting smaller, it'll eventually be launched back at Mammoshka to damage him. If a Bro. gets hit by it however, they'll then be caught on the snowball and sent rolling off-screen inside it, where the player will need to press either or depending on which Bro. it is with the right timing to jump and break free properly. Taking too long results in Mammoshka ramming the snowball into a nearby pit with the Bro. in it, damaging them.

Mammoshka can also go into the background and throw a large rock towards Mario and Luigi, forcing them to both hammer it simultaneously into the air several times and eventually back at Mammoshka with their hammers.

Mammoshka can also chase Mario or Luigi towards the other Bro. If they jump over the other Bro. they'll avoid taking damage, if they hit them they'll both get trampled by Mammoshka, and if the one not chased jumps right on top of the one being chased, he will throw the one who jumped on him onto Mammoshka, landing a counter-attack.

Mammoshka may chase Mario and Luigi down the mountain, trying to suck them into its trunk while gradually moving side-to-side. If Mario and Luigi dodge its attacks, it'll eventually end the chase, but if one brother is sucked in, it'll then be shot out towards the one remaining, who has to then jump over them as they fly down the screen in varying ways that require the other Bro. to avoid them differently depending on how Mammkoshka dangles them out his trunk and how he fires the Bro.

Late into through the battle, some Block Monolifts that aid Mammoshka may appear. These enemies carry different helmets inside blocks of ice on their heads, and if they're not defeated, will give Mammoshka a helmet, a spiked helmet, or a pail to protect it from Mario and Luigi's jump based attacks.

When Mammoshka is about to be defeated, his armor will start to crack, revealing a smaller version of it underneath. Mario and Luigi then chase it down the mountain, until eventually the most inner shell of the creature is exposed. After one last jump to its head from Mario or Luigi at this point, Mammoshka is defeated.

Trivia

• Mammoska and Trunkle are both similar in the way that they can both be found sleeping and guard a path leading to a high altitude area.
• If the player fails to jump on Mammoshka during the 'chase' section of the battle twice, it will jump into another outer shell and resume the battle. It will not however restore health after doing this, so one more hit will break its shell again.