Mammoshka

Mammoshka is a boss in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Found near the top of Mount Pajamaja, this mammoth-like creature acts as a guardian for the mountain, and is battled by Mario and Luigi in their journey to the mountain's summit. Its name is a pun on Mammoth and Babushka, also known as the Matryoshka.

Appearance
Mammoshka appears to be a mammoth-like creature inside an igloo-like armored shell.

History
As Mario and Luigi were climbing the summit, a single Pi'illo rescued on the mountain talked of a "guardian" found in the region that would prevent intruders from reaching the top. After that though, the Mario Bros. didn't see or hear any sign of Mammoshka until they reached an area near the top of the mountain where they found it sleeping.

With the guardian in sight, the Massif Bros. managed to sneak around it, leaving the Mario Bros. to do the same. Unfortunately, Luigi happened to sneeze at the wrong time, waking up Mammoshka and forcing the Bros. to defeat it in battle.

After it was defeated, Mammoshka did not reappear for the rest of the game.

Battle
In battle, Mammoshka can attack by shoving a giant snowball at either Mario or Luigi, who have to hit it to the other Bro. After a few back-and-forth hits with the Hammer, with each, the snowball gradually getting smaller, it'll eventually be launched back at Mammoshka to damage him. If a Bro. gets hit by it however, they'll then be caught on the snowball and sent rolling off-screen inside it, where the player will need to press either or  depending on which Bro. it is with the right timing to jump and break free properly. Taking too long results in Mammoshka ramming the snowball into a nearby pit with the Bro. in it, damaging them.

Mammoshka can also go into the background and ram the cliffside to summon an enormous rock, which it throws towards Mario and Luigi. The brothers must simultaneously hammer the rock as it falls towards them, knocking it back into the air; after several hits, the rock will fly back at Mammoshka, damaging it.

Mammoshka can also chase Mario or Luigi offscreen, wrapping around to appear from the right side in line with the other Bro. If the second Bro. jumps over the Bro. being chased, they'll avoid taking damage; if they fail to dodge their brother, they'll both get trampled by Mammoshka. If the Bro. not being chased jumps right on top of the one being chased, they'll avoid damage and damage Mammoshka in turn.

Another of Mammoshka's attacks is to chase Mario and Luigi down the mountain, trying to suck them into its trunk while gradually moving side-to-side. If Mario and Luigi dodge its attacks, it'll eventually end the chase, but if one brother is sucked in, it'll then be shot out towards the one remaining, who has to then jump over them as they fly down the screen. Mammoshka will try to fake its attacks; the real attack comes when the trapped Bro's head and arms are visible on the end of the boss's trunk.

During the battle, some Block Monolifts may appear to aid Mammoshka. These enemies carry different helmets inside blocks of ice on their heads, and if they're not defeated, they will give Mammoshka a helmet, a spiked helmet, or a pail to protect it from Mario and Luigi's jump based attacks, one of its weaknesses.

When Mammoshka's health is low, its armor will start to crack, revealing a smaller version of itself underneath. Mario and Luigi will then chase the boss as it flees down the mountain, jumping on its head to continue breaking its armor. With proper timing ("A" for Mario, "B" for Luigi), Mammoshka's armor will gradually shrink to nothing, revealing the true form of the beast. After one last jump to its head from Mario or Luigi at this point, Mammoshka is defeated.

Mammoshka X
Mammoshka is also fought in the Battle Ring, as Mammoshka X, in the Normal Class 4 battle. This version has a blue outer shell, an orange inner shell and Mammoshka X himself is blue. As with all the Battle Ring X bosses, he has boosted stats.

Trivia

 * Mammoska and Trunkle are both similar in the way that they can both be found sleeping and guard a path leading to a high altitude area.
 * If the player fails to jump on Mammoshka during the 'chase' section of the battle twice, it will jump into another outer shell and resume the battle. It will not however restore health after doing this, so one more hit will break its shell again.

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