The Goombas (), known in Japan as are a fictional mushroom-like species from Nintendo's Mario franchise. They first appeared in the NES video game Super Mario Bros. as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside video games, including in film, television, internet pictures. They are usually brownish with long black eyebrows and are most commonly seen walking around aimlessly, often as an obstacle, in video games. They were included late in the development of Super Mario Bros. as a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy.
The species is considered one of the most iconic elements of the Super Mario series, appearing in nearly every game in the series, and is often ranked amongst the most famous enemies in video games. In 2009, CraveOnline described it as the series' "everyman". The video game incarnation has been made into several plush toys.
Concept and creation
Goombas were introduced in the video game Super Mario Bros., and were the last enemy added to the game after play testers stated that the Koopa Troopa was too tricky as an enemy. As a result, the designers decided to introduce the Goomba as a basic enemy. However, they had very little space left in the game. They used a single image twice to convey the notion that the Goombas are walking, flipping it back and forth, causing it to look lopsided as it walks, and giving the appearance of a trot. The Goomba's resemblance to the Super Mushroom forced designers to change the mechanics and appearance of the Super Mushroom. They used the Goomba's ability to be jumped on and defeated to teach players how to deal with enemies and to not fear the Super Mushroom.
Goombas resemble shiitake, with bushy eyebrows and a pair of tusk-like teeth sprouting from their lower jaw (similar to a bulldog). They also appear to have shoe-like feet coming from their stalks.
Early concept art for the live-action Super Mario Bros. film showed that the design of the Goombas were originally intended to be for Koopa Troopas, another kind of Mario enemy. A separate company from the primary makeup departments designed the Goombas in the film.
Name
The name Goomba is derived from "Goombah" (from Sicilian cumpà which translates to "mate" or "fellow") which refers to an Italian American man. Also, in Hungarian gomba means "mushroom". In Japan, Goombas are called "Kuribō", which loosely translates as "chestnut person".
Appearances
Goombas debuted in Super Mario Bros., described in the manual as Little Goomba, and have reappeared in nearly all later games in the series. In the 2D games, they walk aimlessly in a straight line, turning only at walls. They can be defeated by jumping on them, which flattens them. In Super Mario 64, and all their 3D Mario appearances, they will pursue Mario when he is near (instead of just walking aimlessly). In Super Mario Sunshine, Goombas are not present, but an enemy called the is described in The Perfect Guide of Super Mario Sunshine as the "Isle Delfino versions of Goombas".
Several variations of the Goomba have appeared throughout the series. There are larger versions called , (also called Giant Goombas, or Mega Goombas), and smaller versions called (or ). In one level of Super Mario Bros. 3, Goombas can be seen wearing a shoe called "Goomba's Shoe". Super Mario World replaces the normal Goomba with a more round variation, later named . Super Mario Land features a type of Goomba called the Goombo (also called ), and its sequel has an undead variation known as , as well as a variation wearing a diving helmet known as . Other variations include (first seen in Super Mario Galaxy), (first seen in New Super Mario Bros. 2), (first seen in Super Mario 3D Land), (first seen in New Super Mario Bros. U), (first seen in Super Mario 3D World), and (first seen in Super Mario Maker 2). Some games also feature stacks of Goombas called . A giant goomba called Mega Goomba appears as a boss in New Super Mario Bros. In Super Mario Odyssey, Goombas wear hats that depend on what kingdom they are in. They can be captured, which allows them to form Goomba Towers. In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, some Goombas sleep and will not attack the player if he wakes up the Goomba. Plus, there is a Wonder flower who turns mario and his friends in a Goomba.