Pumpkinhead Goombas made their debut in Super Mario Galaxy. They can be found in Ghostly Galaxy. These pumpkin-wearing Goombas are capable of producing small blue flames in an attempt to burn Mario, yet the ability is lost when their pumpkin is destroyed. To break their jack-o'-lantern helmets, Mario must spin. Ground Pounding them, however, will destroy both the pumpkin helmet and the Goomba in one pound. Once they lose their Pumpkin cover, they are simply a regular Goomba. If the player Ground Pounds a Pumpkinhead Goomba after it just produced a blue flame, Mario will get burned if he touches it. Also, if one tries to jump on one, the pumpkin won't break. If Mario runs into a Pumpkinhead Goomba as Rainbow Mario, only the pumpkin will break.
Pumpkinhead Goombas, along with other enemies, can be seen dancing with Toads in the center of Toad Town during the game's ending.
The Jack O'Goombas later reappear in the sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2. They have not changed much from the predecessor, still wearing a pumpkin mask, releasing blue flames once in a while. These enemies are not limited to haunted galaxies, being found in such places as the Clockwork Ruins Galaxy.