Goomba
The Goomba (Japanese: クリボー; Kuribō) is an enemy character from Nintendo's series of Mario video games. Goombas are the first enemy character to appear in the original Super Mario Bros., for the NES. Due to the widespread popularity of that game, the Goomba is the first enemy character many game players from the 1980s saw.
Most Goombas harm Mario by touching him. However, various other types of Goombas can bite, fly, or hop onto Mario to attack him. Normal Goombas are often referred to as "Little Goombas", while the other distinct types of Goombas have their own names.
After Mario was named after Nintendo landlord Mario Segali, a number of other Mario characters were named with an Italian theme. The name "Goomba" comes from slang used by Italian-Americans to describe themselves; over time, it has gained a slightly derogatory connotation. The slang term originates from the Italian word compare, which means godfather. Additionally, and perhaps coincidentally, the Hungarian word gomba means "mushroom".
Characteristics
Typically, Goombas are brownish orange or yellow, and look like mushrooms with feet, bushy eyebrows formed into a scowl, and occasionally fangs. Goombas are blue or gray in the dark underground areas of the Mario video games and darker brown in night-time areas, and this is probably intended to show the lack of light while saving palette colors.
Goombas hurt Mario if they touch him from the side or (more rarely) fall upon him from above. However, they can easily be killed by jumping and stomping on them from above. They are typically among the weakest enemies in Mario games; their only attack is walking slowly towards the player, and they can usually be killed in one hit. In the various Mario RPG titles, they are weak enemies found in the beginning of the game.
Little is said in Mario games about Goombas themselves, except that according to the manual of the original Super Mario Bros., they are traitors to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Goombas in Mario games
The Goombas in the original Super Mario Bros. established basic qualities of goombas in subsequent Mario games. For example, the original Goombas were very common enemies and disappear once Mario stomps on them. This ever-present and vulnerable nature of Goombas appears in later games such as Super Mario Bros. 3. Furthermore, the original Goombas used the strategy of attacking in groups of two or three, which repeats extensively among Goombas in later games. For example, in World 8-4, all of the Goombas that Mario encounters appear in groups of three. This strategy employs the principle of strength in numbers, which forces Mario to cautiously stomp on a single Goomba to avoid being attacked by a nearby Goomba, especially in an enclosed space. In addition, the original Goombas introduced the fundamental collision detection for a generic Goomba. When a Goomba collides with an obstacle or another Mario enemy, the Goomba will always walk away in the opposite direction. While certain Mario enemy sprites such as the Cheep Cheep would pass through other Mario enemy sprites, the Goomba will react to other Mario enemies. This collision reaction is evident in later Mario games.
In Level 5-3 of Super Mario Bros. 3, some Goombas bounce around in giant green boots. Normally, they die if they are jumped upon from above; however, if they are attacked creatively by destroying the blocks underneath them, they will leave behind their boot, which Mario can then jump into, making him almost invincible. This power-up is known as Kuribo's Shoe in the original Super Mario Bros. 3 (Kuribō being the Japanese name for the Goombas) but was renamed Goomba's Shoe in subsequent Super Mario Bros. 3 remakes. This is the only original level from the Mario games that this powerup exists, although some of the Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 add-on stages feature it. Once the level is cleared, the powerup is gone.
In Super Mario World for SNES, they are slightly less common, and when Mario stomps on them, they are knocked upside down and rendered unconscious for a short period of time. When this happens, Mario can pick the Goombas up and carry them, until they resuscitate themselves. Like Koopa Troopas, Goombas hurt Mario upon contact once they revive. Also, some Goombas can come to Mario in different ways, such as dropping in with a parachute or floating inside a bubble. In comparison to earlier versions, the Goombas of Super Mario World differ in appearance by having a roughly spherical head rather than a mushroom cap, and lacking a stem, instead having the feet attach directly to the bottom of the head.
Contrary to other Mario games, the Goomba is not a common enemy in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Instead, the more common enemy is the Shyguy. In this game, Goombas can only be found in the level "4-1: Go! Go! Mario!!". They follow their regular pattern, which is slowly walking towards Yoshi with the possibility of collision. In addition, groups of Goombas walk around in a specific area which can cause tricky jumps for Yoshi. They can be eaten by Yoshi and turned into eggs. In contrast with Super Mario World, the Goombas here are killed when stomped on.
In Super Mario RPG, Goombas are able to bite and spit thorns at Mario. Also, Bowser has a special breed of Goomba called Gu Goomba with a light green hue that sometimes jumps out behind statues trying to ram into Mario. In addition, there is a new type of Goomba called a Goombette. The Goombette is a small goomba, which bears a resemblence to a Micro-Goomba. They can mainly be found hidden inside the treasure chest shaped monsters. In Monstro Town, Mario can visit a store run by a Goomba family, which comprises of a regular Goomba and three Goombettes. Like most of the monsters in Monstro Town, the Goomba family decided to quit the Koopa Troop and live a peaceful life.
Similar to most Mario games, the Goombas in Super Mario 64 can be be killed by stomping on them. However, in this game Mario has additional physical attacks besides the usual jump, and the Goombas can also be killed with these new abilities.
Paper Mario introduces a myriad of new Goomba types. These include Spiked Goombas (equipped with a spiked helmet to counteract Mario's jumping ability), Gloombas (a Goomba type that can be found mostly in the Toad Town tunnels; it also has a Paragloomba and Spiked Gloomba varaint), and Hyper Goombas (a wild, uncilized goomba type that is stronger than a regular goomba and can charge it's attack; it also has a Hyper Paragoomba variant). Furthermore, there are unique individual goombas that play a part in the game's plot. There is the Goomba King (a giant goomba who lives in a fortress), and a pair of goombas called the Goomba Bros., which consist of Red Goomba and Blue Goomba. However, the most prominent goomba of the new goombas is Goombario. He is an admirer of Mario, who becomes a playable character. Throughout Mario's journey, Goombario can help Mario by fighting enemies and providing information about their surroundings. He lives in Goomba Village with his family, which include Gooma (grandmother), Goompa (grandfather), Goomama (mother), Goompapa (father), and Goombaria (sister). The village is located west of Toad Town.
The sequel Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, introduces a playable, female goomba named Goombella. She is studying about the legendary treasure beneath the city alongside her instructor, Professor Frankly. After learning of Mario's ongoing search for the treasure, she joins his party. A new addition to the Goomba classification is the Hyper Spiked Goomba (a combination of Hyper Goomba and Spiked Goomba).
In Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, Goombas appear at the very beginning in the Koopa Cruiser as a battle tutorial. In Teehee Valley, there is a variation of Goomba called Gritty Goomba. It has bandages wrapped around itself and a spear strapped onto its head. The Gritty Goombas will grab Princess Peach and run into a pipe if they get near her, or if she disappears off the edge of the screen. Usually, they call up a sandstorm to distort their enemy's vision.
Micro-Goombas and Para-Goombas
A variant of the Goomba is the Micro-Goomba (マメクリボー; Mamekuribō meaning "Bean-Goomba") and the Para-Goomba (パタクリボー; Patakuribō meaning "Wingbeat-Goomba"). The Micro-Goomba is a miniature Goomba that either attaches onto Mario to reduce his jumping ability or hides under a brick and jumps whenever Mario approaches it. The Micro-Goomba first appears in Super Mario Bros. 3 along with the Para-Goomba. According to the Super Mario Bros. 3 game manual, Micro-Goombas are the children of the Para-Goombas. In comparison with a regular Goomba, the Para-Goomba has two wings which gives it the ability to fly across the game screen. In Super Mario Bros. 3, it appears in two shades of brown: the lighter colored Para-Goomba can fly and occasionally release Micro-Goombas, while the darker colored Para-Goombas do not release Micro-Goombas.
Goombas in non-Mario games
Goombas also appear in two non-Mario series games: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and Super Smash Bros. Melee.
In Link's Awakening, Goombas appear in side-scrolling parts of a dungeon (and also in the top-down portion of the Eagle's Tower), sometimes with other Mario-based enemies (such as the Piranha Plant). Link can either slash at them with his sword or jump on them for a heart. They are otherwise indistinguishable from Mario game Goombas.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Goombas are items that come out of item-holding objects such as Party Balls or Pokéballs. They are also commonly found in the first level of Adventure Mode, the Mushroom Kingdom stage. They are easily defeated by normal attacks or by being jumped on, and are otherwise like Mario game Goombas. Additionally, the game features a Goomba trophy that can be collected.
Goombas in other mediums
In the 1989 television cartoon The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Goombas are loyal soldiers in King Koopa's army. The general appearance of the Goomba resembles the sprites found in the Mario video games. In many of the episodes, the Goombas appear as vampires, robots, or other thematical variations in accordance with the plot. The Goombas never spoke, while the rest of the other enemies at least spoke once.
In 1990, a few Mario characters became part of a series of McDonald's Happy Meal's toys. The Mario toy set featured Mario, Luigi, Koopa Paratroopa, and Little Goomba. The Goomba toy is spring loaded and has a hinge between its head and feet. There is a small suction cup at the front of the Goomba's head and sticks to the top of its feet when pressed down. Once pressed down, the toy backflips a few moments later by way of a compressed spring inside the casing of Goomba's head. (Note that Goombas in the video games do not backflip.)
In the film Super Mario Bros., (1993), the term Goomba refers to someone who de-evolves after being hit by King Koopa's de-evolution ray. As with most of the characters in the film, the Goombas are drastically different in appearance in comparison to their video game counterparts.
External link
- Super Mario Brothers Monster Compendium - Little Goomba - profile of the main Goomba type, with links to the other variations.