Mega Mole
Mega Moles (Indy in Japan, also known as Morty Moles) are giant sub-species of Monty Mole that appear in the Super NES game Super Mario World and the Nintendo 3DS game Super Mario 3D Land. They are rare enemies found in only cave levels in both games, and they appear as oversized light brown Monty Moles that wear sunglasses, however in Super Mario 3D Land, they are a brick red color.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, Mega Moles are exclusively found underground, debuting in Chocolate Island 4. They are invulnerable to Mario and Luigi's stomping or spin-jumping moves as well as Fire Mario or Luigi's fireballs, but can be defeated by using the Cape's spinning attack, a Star, a Grab Block or a Shell. Like other enemies, they are also immune to hazards such as Munchers and spikes. By standing on a Mega Mole's head, Mario or Luigi can get a free ride. Unlike regular Monty Moles, their bigger cousins do not pop out of holes in the ground. Despite their size, they can be eaten and swallowed by Yoshi.
Super Mario 3D Land
After nearly twenty years of absence, Mega Moles reappear in Super Mario 3D Land, now known as Morty Moles. In their first appearance in a 3D Mario game, these moles inhabit some caves as in Super Mario World. They are defeated by two stomps on the head, similar to a Rex, and after Mario stomps once, the rodent gets shorter and faster, on the second stomp, the rodent is defeated. In this appearance, however, they do not wear shades. When defeated, Morty Moles sometimes give Super Mushrooms.
Nintendo Adventure Books
In the Nintendo Adventure Book Dinosaur Dilemma, if Mario offers apples to Yoshi and some dinosaurs he finds near Lake Trilobite, the dinosaurs will turn out to be Mega Moles in disguise, and will swarm Mario after removing their costumes, leading to a Game Over. Some more Mega Moles can be encountered in a decrepit mansion, and Mario can escape them by stepping to the side as they give chase, causing the nearsighted creatures to obliviously charge past him. Attempting to outrun the Mega Moles will lead to a Game Over, when Mario blindly falls into a watery pit inhabited by a Blargg.
Some Mega Moles appear among the crowds at the International Dino-Flying Derby in Flown the Koopa, and eye Mario and his friends hungrily when the show ends. Later, if Mario and Luigi don some Mega Mole costumes, some real ones will approach the two with gifts, and take them to their cave lair if the Mario Bros. choose to follow them. Once in the caves, the Mega Moles continue stuffing the plumbers with food, before weighing them down with "gifts" and swarming them, as Mario discovers too late by skimming through a book called Mega Moles in the Mist. Finally, another group of Mega Moles will attack Mario and Luigi, causing a Game Over, if they decide to explore a dark portion of Magikoopa's Fortress with a flashlight, which quickly dies on them.
In Unjust Desserts, some Mega Moles are shrunk by Magikoopa, and sent into Yoshi's body after Mario, though the hero never encounters any inside the dinosaur, just in the palace garden when he and all the creatures Yoshi and Luigi had eaten are spat up by them.
Trivia
- Mega Moles are among the few foes that can hurt Mario while he is riding Yoshi. (Most enemies merely result in the loss of Yoshi, while a few others both hurt Mario and force Yoshi to run away.)
- A Mega Mole appears in Mario Family, as one of the sewing designs.
- In SMW, they are the same color as Monty Moles, but in SM3DL they are darker in color. They also loose their sunglasses, but since they are in a darker underground cave in SM3DL it is possible they don't need them.
- Oddly, they are more vulnerable in SM3DL since they can be defeated by twice of almost everything.(Such as Starman, Invincibility Leaf and Statue Mario.Or just normal Ground Pound.
