Goomba

Goombas are not to be confused with Galoombas, which were named "Goomba" in Super Mario World.

Goombas are recurring enemies in the Mario series of video games. They are small, brown enemies shaped like a mushroom. Goombas first appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System title, Super Mario Bros., originally released in 1985. Since their debut, Goombas have been become one of the most iconic enemies of the Mario franchise. They are also the weakest, and can easily be defeated, especially from a jump attack, which squishes them flat.

Super Mario Bros.

In Super Mario Bros., Goombas are one of the most common enemies. They walk in a single direction, but start to change direction once they walk into an object, such as a Warp Pipe. Besides a jump attack, Mario or Luigi (depending on whom is controlled by the player) can also defeat a Goomba with a Koopa shell or by touching them while under the effect of Starman.

Super Mario Bros. 3

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Goombas act the same as in Super Mario Bros. This game introduced a couple of variants for Goomba.

Super Mario 64

In Super Mario 64, Goombas are encountered as early as the first stage, Bob-omb Battlefield. Goombas freely roam around the 3D environment until they notice Mario, and they begin to chase after him and run into him. If Mario goes distant from the Goomba, it stops chasing him. Mario can defeat a Goomba from any attack. In doing so, a coin is released for Mario to collect.

Throughout the course of the Mario games, several variants of Goombas have been introduced, including bosses to fight.

Paragoombas are the most common type of Goomba. They are essentially Goombas with a pair of wings. If Mario or another character jumps on a Paragoomba, it loses its wings and turns into an ordinary Goomba. Paragoombas have the same relation to Goombas as Koopas do to Koopa Paratroopas.

Galoombas are often confused with Goomba, especially because their name was Goomba in Super Mario World. Galoombas are ball-shaped rather than mushroom-shaped.